Part One, The Boy Next Door: Then, Summer 1984 and Now, November 1997 Summary

Summer 1984. Gus is pregnant again and keeps having a recurring dream in which she must chose between her children during a carjacking. Gus is upset by this dream and her stress is aggravated by the illness of the family dog. The dog has developed diabetes. Gus takes the dog to Michael every weekend for treatment, but he only seems to be getting worse. The dog often vomits and wets on the rugs, causing a great deal of frustration for both Gus and James. When the dog does this during a dinner party with Michael and Melanie, James decides something must be done. James takes the dog out into the woods and shoots it. Gus is devastated by this behavior and decides to move...