Two women who are at turning points in their lives are brought together by Jumbo, a small black dog. In the interaction between the teenager fleeing a bad relationship and the grieving detective novel fan they discover new directions for their lives. By the end of the story they have become close enough friends that they can argue about religion. And Tina - the fashionista - makes her appearance. There are four more stories - all involve denial. And food. And dogs. Oh, and men too.