Content Warning: This guide briefly mentions abortion, drug use, child abuse, and anti-gay bias.

In a two-paragraph prologue, Rachel Murray says that she never intended to write this story down. Even though most journalists have a big story or book idea, she says that the process of making books lost its magic for her at the age of 21 and that she has never wanted to be involved in them since.

In 2021, Rachel lives in London and works as a journalist for an expat Irish newspaper, The Hibernian Post. The paper sends her to cover The Late Late Toy Show, an annual Irish program where children review toys for other children to put on their Christmas list. Though it’s not a popular program globally, it is very popular in Ireland and with expats, hence her paper’s coverage. The show is being broadcast at an expat gathering in a SoHo bar.

Walking to the bar, Rachel reflects that it has been a long time since she attended one of these gatherings. She spent several years covering the fight to legalize abortion in Ireland and made many contacts at these gatherings. Now that the repeal has passed, she no longer sees as many expats.