Prologue and Chapters 1-2 Summary

In Prologue, an unknown narrator begins the story of Miles Ryan and Sarah Andrews. The narrator begins his story by telling how Miles' wife of seven years, his high school sweetheart, lived a typical small town life until her death in 1986 in a hit and run accident.

In Chapter 1, Miles stands alone on the back deck of his house in the moments before dawn two years after his wife's death. Miles thinks about his wife, his deep grief over her passing, and their now seven year old son. Miles has been grieving a long time and has recently realized that he is beginning to look toward the future. Miles has been lonely and is finally ready to do something about it. After dressing, Miles rouses his son from bed. Over breakfast, Miles asks his son about a...