Lillian and Carl are on the way to collect Bessie and Roland, driving a large passenger van equipped with an air mattress in the back. Lillian is unhappy with this task, primarily because she was growing accustomed to idle life on the wealthy estate, but also because she expected the children to be delivered in a “wooden crate” stuffed with packing peanuts. The journey out the door was bumpy because Carl’s strict scheduling clashed with Lillian’s laziness. She teased him, and they embarked belatedly on the six-hour round trip to Jane’s parents’ home. The Cunninghams were a political powerhouse until Jane’s father bankrupted the family with the legal defense of his Ponzi scheme.

On arrival at the grandparents’ house, Carl exits the vehicle with a cooler of drinks laced with sedatives. Lillian objects fervently, and the cooler is left behind. In the house, they find Jane’s father outside grilling burgers; Bessie and Roland are in the pool as they have been for hours. Mr. Cunningham almost immediately requests the cashier’s check he has been promised. After handing the cheque over, Carl goes upstairs to pack the children’s belongings—a task they refused to complete themselves.