Content Warning: This section contains mentions and descriptions of domestic abuse and sexual violence.

Finlay “Finn” Donovan is a 31-year-old divorcée with two children, four-year-old Delia and two-year-old Zachary. She writes romance suspense novels for a living. She divorced her ex-husband, Steven Donovan, after discovering he was sleeping with their real estate agent, Theresa Hall.

Finn is running late for a brunch meeting with her agent where they are to discuss Finn’s overdue manuscript. As Finn tries to contact Veronica “Vero” Ruiz, the nanny who has not turned up yet, she struggles to attend to Delia, who has given herself a haircut, and Zach, who is covered in maple syrup. Finn wipes the scratch from the scissors on Delia’s head with a burp rag even as her call to Vero goes unanswered yet again. Delia asks Finn to call “Aunt Amy,” even as Finn explains she doesn’t have an aunt by that name.

Desperate, Finn finally calls Steven, who reveals he let Vero go as he doesn’t think Finn, who works from home, needs a full-time sitter. He refuses to keep bailing Finn out; she is late on multiple payments, including her mortgage, which Finn points out is the rent she is paying him after he moved out.