Patrick O’Hara, a former sitcom star, records a video of his niece and nephew, nine-year-old Maisie and six-year-old Grant, discussing their mother, Sara. Frustrated at their simplistic testimonials, Patrick turns the camera on himself to show them how it’s done. He relates a story of him and Sara in college, sneaking up to their dorm roof, watching the sunset and discussing their futures; she predicts a bright future for him. Sara, he says, “was always my light” (5). Now that he’s shown them how to tell a story properly, it’s their turn.

After nine seasons on a successful TV show, Patrick earned enough money to buy a house in Palm Springs, CA, where he has lived isolated from most of the world, relishing his seclusion.

Six weeks before the events of the Prologue, Patrick arrives in Connecticut for his sister-in-law Sara’s memorial. Patrick’s widowed brother, Greg meets him at the airport. While they search for Greg’s car in the parking garage, a fan recognizes Patrick, urging him to repeat his now famous catchphrase: “THAT’S HOW YOU DO IT!” (13). Angry at the intrusion, Greg and Patrick retreat into a stairwell.