On a warm, humid September evening in Sydney, Joy and Stan Delaney are at home with their dog, Steffi. The Delaneys, married for nearly 50 years, are adjusting to retirement, having recently sold their nationally known tennis academy. Both Delaneys were ranked tennis players in their prime and coached more than two generations of gifted tennis players. Stan spends much of his day now watching television; Joy tries to keep busy and is taking a night class at a local college on writing a memoir. She’s thinking of authoring a book about her life in tennis. The house is quiet. As they have four grown children, Joy is certain that grandchildren will ultimately “stop the silence” (15) of their retirement.

A sudden knock at the door shatters the quiet of the night. The couple finds a stranger there, a young woman who has a deep cut on her face. Sobbing, she struggles to explain that her boyfriend, Dave, beat her and that she fled with only $20. She took a cab and drove until the fare reached $20, when she was deposited in front of the Delaney home. She identifies herself as Savannah Pagonis.