The Chalk Ice Woman

Francis journeys in a hearse with Mr. O'Shea, the undertaker, to bring her brother Dennis's remains back home. As they drive, Francis reflects on Dennis's solitary life and her own experiences with pain, betrayal, infertility, and Chlamydia. She ponders her relationship with her husband Frank, who has been unfaithful and infected her with Chlamydia, but she chooses not to confront him. Francis contemplates her own mortality and the meaning of her life, while grappling with the past and the unfulfilled desires associated with it.