It would not be usual for Caydance to go anywhere but directly to the French Deli or home from class on Tuesday late afternoon, but today, she and Griff were meeting AKA Harvey and Abigail, who -- because before they left town, they were exploring the possibility of moving to California -- sought advice. Griff wanted to watch the first game of the Toronto - Oakland American League championship series; they were meeting at a San Francisco sports bar. It was too late to go home and change; Caydance got to the sports Bar a little early.

She should have noticed the old model truck following her, but her mind was on student work: a trip to Disneyland recreated with toy store Disney dolls inside a Who Framed Roger Rabbit lunch box; a hand-painted box that contained torn pages from a notebook. Painted on the box were words about a broken relationship.

The bar was filling up. Caydance chose a table on the peripheral that was not visible from everywhere in the bar, told the waiter that three more people were expected, ordered a pitcher of draft beer.