Andy knows that his time is running out. He is sick and dying, and he believes he is on his deathbed. His wife is Bel, and their relationship has been tedious and at times downright heartbreaking. But, they have two kids and are still married. Andy reviews the story of his life. He thinks about his old anger issues, and the way his wife turned to an affair, full of lust for someone else. He thinks about his life of frustration trying to find some sense of peace.
Meanwhile, his two sons, Fred and Jake, are also reflecting on their father's life. They are reflecting on his treatment of them, the boys themselves almost thirty now. Andy is depicted as somewhat anti-intellectual, because he often stuck to the archaic ideas and beliefs of his community, being one of the good-old-boys, more or less.
They talk extensively, and they mourn their tragic distance from their parents, but they share feelings of frustration as well, because they conclude that Andy himself made their relationships strained. Their mother used to try and make them visit, but she never wanted to address the problems, so they regretfully resisted visiting her. They also talk of their young sister, Bridget.
