It has been the worst week of Kate’s life, and as she lies in bed, she thinks back to 30 years earlier, when people called her and Tully the “Firefly Lane girls” (1). She remembers where they would meet after sneaking out of their houses, sharing secrets and forming what seemed like an unbreakable bond of friendship. As she reminisces about 30 years of friendship, she considers the difficulty of the last year or so without a best friend. She gets out of bed and dials Tully’s number, wondering how to start the conversation. After months of silence between them, the phone rings. 

It is 1970, and Tully Hart sits in her grandparents’ house quietly playing while the country is in upheaval. Gran sits in her rocking chair, cross-stitching quietly. Her grandfather lies silently in his bed, having suffered a stroke. A knock at the door shatters this peaceful scene. The visitor is Tully’s mother, Dorothy, whom Tully has not seen since she was four, six years earlier. Dorothy argues with Gran about taking Tully. Dorothy is visibly drunk and, as Gran points out, broke and not ready for the responsibility of her child. When Dorothy tells Tully that they’re leaving, Tully realizes that her mother has not shown her any affection or asked her to get her things ready.