After kissing Elizabeth good-bye at the door, Thibault collapsed on the sofa, feeling both drained and relieved. He reveled in the knowledge that Elizabeth had forgiven him. That she\'d tried to understand and make sense of the convoluted journey he\'d taken ro get here seemed nothing short of miraculous. She accepted him, warts and all—something he\'d never thought possible. Before she left, she\'d invited him for dinner, and though he\'d readily agreed, he planned to rest up before he went. He somehow doubted that he\'d have the energy for conversation otherwise. Before his nap, he knew he needed to take Zeus out, at least for a little while. He went to the back porch and retrieved his rain suit. Zeus followed him outside, watching him with interest. "Yeah, we\'re going out," he said. "Just let me get dressed first." Zeus barked and leapt with excitement, like a prancing deer. He raced to the door and back to Thibault again. "I\'m going as fast as I can. Relax." Zeus continued to circle and prance around him. "Relax," he said again. Zeus fixed him with a beseeching gaze before reluctantly sitting. Thibault donned the rain suit and a pair of boots, then pushed open the screen door. Zeus bounded out into the rain, immediately sinking into the muddy ground. Unlike Nana\'s place, his property occupied a slight rise; the water collected a quarter mile away. Up ahead, Zeus veered toward the forest, then back to the open area again, then circled around to the graveled driveway, run............