As Macon’s leg heals, he struggles to overcome his grief from Ethan’s death and his separation from Sarah. Macon fires Muriel in the same scene because she harshly punishes Edward.

The next time Macon sees Muriel, he asks how her son is, and she loses her temper because he wasn’t supposed to know about her son yet. The clerk informs Macon that Muriel is out that day because her son is sick. Edward struggles to learn to lie down, so Macon calls the vet. Muriel is great with Edward and helps Macon teach Edward things like sitting, staying, and walking on a leash. Finally, after being bit on the hand, Macon reaches out to Muriel, who has persistently tried to get Macon to hire her ever since they met. Macon’s siblings complain about Edward’s behavior, but Macon struggles to do anything about it because Edward belonged to Ethan.

They don’t answer the phone, eat baked potatoes often, and play the same made-up card game they’ve played since they were children. The Leary siblings are as peculiar as Macon with their habits, rituals, and organizational tendencies. Macon moves in with his siblings, Rose, Charles, and Porter, while his leg heals. As these systems break down, Macon has an accident, resulting in a broken leg. When he returns, he commits to more systems to run the house. She agrees to let Macon board Edward and proposes that she give Edward obedience lessons. Desperate, Macon finds another vet, where he meets Muriel Pritchett. He learns Edward is blacklisted from the vet for biting a worker last time he was boarded. When it comes time for Macon to go on his next trip for work, he goes to board the family dog, Edward. After Sarah moves out, Macon restructures their house, creating a multitude of systems and contraptions to maximize comfort and convenience. It’s been a year since their son, Ethan, was unexpectedly killed, and the two have grieved in very different ways. While driving back from a beach vacation, Macon’s wife, Sarah, informs him that she wants a divorce. Macon is an expert at finding the most comfortable and convenient solutions to average problems. Macon Leary is a writer based out of Baltimore who creates travel guides for people who must travel on business but do not want to be bothered with discomfort or unexpected experiences.

The accidental tourist author