Erik and his wife, Sal, moved from St. Louis to upstate Maine to live on a family-owned farm. In St. Louis, the college-educated couple found nothing but debt and decided they wanted to try to live the rural life. One Sunday morning, Sal, pregnant with their third child, asks Erik to stay home rather than work at the dockyard for the day. Erik needs the work after staying home most of the winter, so he offers to take their two sons with him to the dockyard. Michael, their seven-year-old son, and Timmy, their five-year-old son, are excited about the prospect of going to work with their dad. After they do their barn chores, the boys and Erik drive to the dockyard. On the way, the boys spot a dead woodchuck in the road. Timmy laments the animal's death, which angers Erik. He loses his temper with the boys. Although the boys recover quickly, Erik can't help but resent their playful nature. Upon their arrival at the dockyard, Erik sets some ground rules for the boys: no wandering, no teasing, no complaining, etc. The three begin to paint one of the lobster boats and the boys start out well. After two hours, though, they begin to complain. They stop for a quick lunch break, and to the boys' discontent, get straight back to painting. After a short while, Timmy grows frustrated with the task and hits his paintbrush against the hull of the boat. Erik loses his temper, charges his son, and spanks him. The three head home in silence, but Erik stops to buy the boys popsicles. Noticing Erik didn't get one for himself, the boys share their popsicles with their dad. When Erik gets home, he notices the laundry strewn about their lawn. When he goes upstairs to ask Sal what happened with her chores, he finds her in bed with a heap of stained towels in a chamber pot. She tells Erik that she had the baby, but the baby died. Erik immediately blames himself for leaving her alone that morning, but Sal is still worried about the laundry and her chores. Erik begins to cry over Sal's belly as they discuss plans to bury their baby together.