Chapter 1 begins with the narrator making a stop at Men’s Wearhouse in Stroudsburg to return the tuxedo he had worn to a wedding. The employee behind the counter, a young man with pink hair and multiple piercings, greets him warmly and asks how the event went. The narrator responds politely, though his mind is elsewhere, still reeling from the events of the previous night. The exhaustion from the long drive back from New Hampshire with Tammy and Abigail weighs on him, but even more than that, the uncertainty of what had unfolded leaves him restless. Despite Maggie’s reassurances that things would settle down, a persistent worry lingers. He spends the night checking his phone for any updates, but by morning, there is still nothing. The lack of communication gnaws at him, fueling his anxiety about what could happen next.

In an effort to shake off the unease, he turns his attention to household chores, hoping the distraction will help. He strips the sheets off the bed in Maggie’s childhood room and loads them into the washing machine, an act that feels both practical and emotional. Although she had said she wasn’t coming back, he finds himself unwilling to fully accept it, clinging to a small hope that she might change her mind. After returning the tuxedo, he heads to ShopRite, filling his cart with Maggie’s favorite foods, almost as if preparing for a homecoming he knows is unlikely. Each aisle he walks through is punctuated by the habitual glance at his phone, searching for a call or message that has yet to arrive. Hours pass, the sun dipping lower in the sky, before his phone finally rings. Seeing Vicky’s name on the screen, his stomach tightens, knowing that whatever she has to say will only add to the emotional weight he is already carrying.

Vicky wastes no time addressing the elephant in the room, offering her condolences after seeing the shocking news online. A tech mogul’s son had died in a firearms accident right before his wedding, a story that quickly spread across social media and news outlets. The circumstances surrounding the tragedy have drawn intense public scrutiny, and Vicky naturally wants to know how Maggie is holding up. The narrator hesitates, not wanting to lie but also unable to reveal the full truth. Instead, he settles on a vague response, stating that Maggie is confused, which, while technically accurate, barely scratches the surface of her emotional turmoil. Sensing his reluctance, Vicky suggests meeting up for dinner, offering him a space to talk things through. Though tempted by the idea of support, he instinctively recoils, knowing he isn’t ready for that kind of vulnerability. He dismisses her offer, remarking that she isn’t a therapist, a statement that visibly stings her.

The tension in their conversation lingers, and though Vicky insists she isn’t “just” a hairdresser, he feels overwhelmed and brings the call to an abrupt end. Frustrated with himself and the situation, he takes down her business cards from the refrigerator, debating whether to throw them away. He tells himself that avoiding another haircut for at least a month will give him the space he needs to create some distance. Despite this rationalization, he can’t shake the feeling that pushing people away won’t make his problems disappear. Yet, at this moment, avoidance feels like the only way to maintain control over the chaos unraveling around him. As he stares at his phone, waiting for a message that might never come, the weight of uncertainty settles over him once more, leaving him caught between the past and an unknown future.