Part One, The Boy Next Door: Then, Fall 1979 and Now, November 1997 Summary

Fall 1979. Melanie and Michael are still unpacking in their new house when Gus, their new neighbor, introduces herself by barging into the house and helping them unpack. Gus is seven months pregnant and Melanie four, a fact that bonds the two women quickly. Their spouses, James and Michael, do not connect quite as quickly. Michael is a veterinarian and James is an avid hunter. Michael cannot understand James' desire to kill animals, but he is not the type to criticize. Both men support their wives' friendship because they both know that these women need the support of each other. This becomes more obvious when just three months after Christopher is born, Melanie finds herself going into labor while Michael is away on a...