Meriel and her husband Pierre attend the funeral of Jonas, who was Pierre's best friend. Jonas was Pierre's age when he died, only twenty-nine, and the men grew up together in West Vancouver. Meriel is shaken by Jonas's death but not grief-stricken; she never liked Jonas very much. At the reception after Jonas's funeral, Meriel and Pierre strike up conversation with Eric Asher, the doctor who looked after Jonas. Eric listens to the couple discuss their travel plans — after the reception, Pierre will return home, while Meriel will travel to Lynn Valley to visit her Aunt Muriel in a nursing home — and Eric offers to give Meriel a ride to see her aunt so she can avoid many hours of public transportation. When they reach the nursing home, Eric insists he will wait for Meriel and comes in with her to see Aunt Muriel. They visit with Muriel, and when they leave, Eric and Meriel drive to a park. When they arrive, Meriel tells Eric to take her somewhere else, and they kiss passionately on the park sidewalk. Eric and Meriel go to Eric's apartment and have sex, and then Eric drops Meriel at the ferry station so she can get home. Pierre and Meriel stay together thirty years past Meriel's encounter with Eric. After Pierre's death, Meriel reflects that in many ways, her reckless encounter with Eric allowed her to stay with Pierre in their more mundane, domestic relationship.