Judah Cross feels affection and respect for his ex-wife, Tremaine, as they mediate the end of their marriage. Instead of disappointment that their love didn’t last forever, he feels relief. A child specialist, Kimberly, helps them work out custodial arrangements for their twin sons, Adam and Aaron, both of whom have autism. Adam is diagnosed as level 1 and is more independent, while Aaron is diagnosed as level 3 and needs substantial support, including a communication device that he uses to display pictures of the concepts he wants to convey. Both Judah and Tremaine have made sacrifices to help their boys, and they work together to supply whatever their children need. Aaron expresses that he wants to stay in their family home with Judah, and Adam goes where Aaron goes, so they arrange that Judah will have the boys during the week and Tremaine will take them on weekends. Judah has never gotten an autism diagnosis, but he sees several of his own traits in his sons, and he understands them.

Three years after the Prologue, Soledad Charles Barnes is getting ready to accompany her husband, Edward Barnes, to his company’s Christmas party.