Rachel begins by describing events that occurred before her son went missing. She thinks about her ex-husband, John Finch. He is a pediatrician who began an affair with a nutritionist name Katrina. “Katrina lured John away from us just ten months before Ben disappeared. I thought of it as a master plan that she executed: The Seduction and Theft of My Husband” (18).

Rachel admits that she perceived her marriage differently than John. She thought they would work through any conflicts over time. Instead, John let things simmer below the surface. That Christmas, he gave Rachel an iPad and Ben a puppy before walking out for good on Boxing Day.

In the months that follow, Rachel struggles with being both a mother and father to her eight-year-old son. She analyzes her actions on the day Ben disappeared and wonders what she should have done differently. It was autumn as she drove with her son and their dog, Skittle, to Leigh Woods on the other side of Bristol. Rachel is a photographer and wants to capture the beautiful fall foliage on film.

Ben asks if he can run ahead and play on the rope swing. Rachel is torn between refusal and permission.