Chapter 7

“What happened was this; we had a dog, back then, Ringo. I think Ringo was one of the reasons we hadn’t completely stopped talking to each other. In preparation for the divorce, we were splitting custody of the dog—can you imagine it?—and he had moved back in with his brother in Whitehall—Ohio, you know, so they were like a seven hours up the highway. Well, Mark had him for the weekend and was bringing him back to me on Monday, and we were supposed to meet at the park halfway between the two, around Elkins. There’s a little park there, Glendale, that had been where we’d done some stuff together, back when we were first married…I think he was trying to win me back by picking that spot.

“Anyway, Ringo loved car trips, you know, but he loved running around more. So, Mark got to the park and was letting Ringo run around, and that damned dog ran away.”

The lesbian couple, Rake and Shelly, slowed down, captivated by Letty’s speaking voice, rich as caramel with a pleasant Southern accent.