Jane Chapman drives her son, Ziggy, to kindergarten orientation at Pirriwee Public. She stops behind a shiny SUV with its hazard lights on and notices a stylish, glittering woman hurrying back to it after apparently confronting a driver who had been texting.

The woman suddenly falls and injures her ankle. Jane initially wants to keep going because she is nervous about finding the new school and arriving on time, but Ziggy’s concern prompts Jane to behave helpfully. Jane stops, checks on the woman, and realizes the injury is already swelling.

As Jane helps, the woman explains that it is her fortieth birthday and that she had rolled her ankle while trying to tell another driver to stop texting. Jane learns that the woman’s daughter is also going to kindergarten orientation at Pirriwee Public, making their lives unexpectedly intersect.

The woman introduces herself as Madeline Martha Mackenzie, and Jane introduces herself as Jane Chapman. Madeline immediately responds warmly to Ziggy’s name, helping establish an instant connection between the two mothers.

Interspersed witness-style comments foreshadow that the school community will later divide around Madeline and Renata. Harper says Renata was already anxious about Amabella starting school and claims something involving Ziggy at orientation started the conflict, while others disagree about whether the community truly took sides.