Married couple Macon and Sarah Leary drive back from the beach. What was supposed to be a week-long vacation has been cut short as “neither of them had the heart for it” (1). Their son, Ethan, has died recently. Macon drives, wearing his comfortable formal summer suit for traveling, while Sarah sits in the passenger seat, freshly tanned and wearing a terrycloth dress. Macon is pale, having kept out of the sun. 

It begins to rain, and Sarah becomes anxious, watching the road carefully. Macon assures her that he’s fine driving. Sarah asks if he can see okay, and he confirms he can. The rain becomes heavier. Sarah comments that she’s not sure how Macon can see, to which Macon replies that Sarah should put on her glasses since she’s only focusing on the windshield. 

As they go under an overpass, Sarah comments that there’s a boy on a motorcycle waiting out the rain and suggests they do the same. Macon tells her that he would've stopped if he felt it was dangerous. Sarah is skeptical. She questions if Macon really cares. She reminds him of a conversation they had the other day in which Sarah wonders if there’s any point to life without Ethan.