The title story is the tale of two friends with very different personalities-one competitive and aggressive, the other kind and disinterested. They are confronted with circumstances that lead to a catharsis in which both men will move beyond their predetermined roles. Another story, "The Return, " introduces a father whose work takes him far from home for months at a time. Over the years, the names, faces and personalities of his wife and children have blurred in his memory, a fact that comes cruelly to light when, while on a trip, he learns that one of his daughters has died but can’t recall exactly which one it is. In his confusion he begins asking himself which daughter he would miss most-a heartless question but one that will bring him to recognize his failings as a man and as a father.