Chapter 1

Chapter 1 opens with the protagonist, Frank, receiving an unexpected call from an UNKNOWN CALLER, a type of call that usually signals a scam or a marketing pitch. Frank’s first reaction is to ignore it, as these types of calls are frequent and always seem to waste his time. However, for reasons he cannot fully explain, he decides to answer this one. To his surprise, it’s his daughter, Maggie, the voice he has missed and yearned to hear for years. The shock of hearing from her causes a surge of excitement and emotion in him, so much so that he knocks over his coffee, spilling it onto his breakfast. But even as he tries to compose himself, he can barely make out her words due to the poor connection. Maggie’s voice is faint, distant, and jumbled, which makes communication challenging and frustrates Frank. Despite the difficulty, he’s determined to keep the conversation going, hoping for more clarity.

Realizing the kitchen isn’t offering the best reception, Frank decides to move to another part of the house. He heads to the living room, hoping to improve the signal, but as he walks, he trips over a pile of lumber from an old, unfinished carpentry project. He barely catches himself, the mess in his house serving as a physical reminder of the many unfinished tasks that have piled up over the years. Frank quickly brushes off the minor injury, focusing solely on reconnecting with Maggie. His feet take him toward Maggie’s childhood bedroom, a place he knows offers the best reception in the house, especially near the window overlooking their backyard and the Lackawanna rail lines. As Frank stands there, watching the familiar view, he checks his phone again. Three bars finally appear, and with renewed hope, he tries to call Maggie back. The sound of the ringing tone fills the room, and Frank holds his breath, praying the connection will hold this time.

When Maggie picks up the phone again, her voice is still unclear and broken. Frank struggles to hear her, and the distortion only fuels his anxiety. Despite the static, Frank remains resolute in his desire to hear her words, desperate for any information about her well-being. He asks if she is okay, his voice thick with concern, but the connection seems to deteriorate further, leaving him feeling helpless. Each time he hears her speak, her words are garbled and fragmented, intensifying the emotional distance that has grown between them. Just as he believes they might have finally established some connection, the phone call cuts off without warning, and the message on the screen reads CALL FAILED. Frank is left in stunned silence, holding the phone in his hand, wondering why the call ended so abruptly. The disappointment settles deep inside him as he waits for the phone to ring again, but it doesn’t. His mind races with questions: What did Maggie want to say? Why was the call so short? Why had she called in the first place, after all these years?

This brief, interrupted conversation serves as a powerful metaphor for Frank and Maggie’s relationship: close yet out of reach, filled with unspoken emotions but hindered by distance and time. The drop in the call feels like a physical manifestation of the emotional rift between father and daughter. Frank stands in Maggie’s old bedroom, surrounded by the remnants of her childhood, yet no closer to understanding the reasons behind her sudden outreach. The room, filled with memories of a time when their bond was unbroken, now feels like a symbol of the unresolved tension and silence that have marked their relationship. His mind races with concerns about Maggie’s current life, her well-being, and the years of silence between them. Frank longs for answers, but the call’s abrupt ending leaves him with nothing but unanswered questions. The chapter ends on a note of unresolved tension, with Frank’s desire to reconnect with Maggie growing stronger. As he reflects on this missed opportunity to reconnect, he is filled with a sense of urgency, knowing that the time to repair their relationship is slipping away.