In the evening, when the phone rang, she knew it was Griff, calling from the home Airport: "Stanford 41-Ducks 7. Henley's 92 yard punt return was the longest in Stanford History. I have the game film, and I'll be at your place in an hour or so. See you soon!"

It was the first time that Caydance had made a complete dinner for Griff, but the roast chicken with stuffing and roast potatoes, a French recipe that she had made many times, were oven-ready, and the spinach and bacon salad, that would accompany it, now only required assembling. Hanging outside the closet door was a sky-blue shirt dress, too short to wear to class, but in her studio tonight, she did not think it would be unwelcome.

On the studio table was Two Places at Once, an artists book she wanted to show him. Multiple accordion folded pages, unfolded from inside the book, revealing mountain ranges, lakes, and fields in which telephone lines were visible. The artist was Canadian: Marian Penner Bancroft, who taught at Emily Carr University of Art and Design in Vancouver.