(Scene: Having lunch out for Mamie’s birthday, Mamie and Solly are enjoying soup, salad, and conversation.)

Mamie (spearing a tomato chunk): You look particularly handsome, Solly.

Solly (raising his glass in a toast): To you, Mamie. Birthdays are worth dressing up for.

M (sipping delicately): This salad is great. All the usual suspects plus avocado, radishes, pecans, olives, cheese, and a few chippy-bready textural things.

S:  Texture is important.

M: Those elements also relate to conversation. This morning, I took a walk with Sammy. You took Cooper a different way. Good walk?

S: Slow, but he’s aging.

M: Sammy and I walked on West Main Street toward Ballou Park. Partway, here came this guy. Speedy Sammy lunged for him. Almost got away. I live in fear of not catching this dog.

S (eyebrows rising): Wait. You were accosted?

M (head shaking side-to-side): No. The man rushed over because Sammy reminded him of his last dog.

S (frowning): Sammy’s still not used to people, Mamie.

M: I picked Sammy up. The man tried to pet him. Sammy snapped at him.

S: But didn’t connect? Good. We’ve got to get this dog socialized.

M: Tiny dog weighs just 10 pounds, just a sliver of what I weigh. I think he was defending me.

S (raising his glass again): …Here’s to Sammy the Lion-Hearted.

M: You’re not lyin’ there…anyway, the guy started talking about a dog he’d lost. Coloring looked like Sammy. His wife left the gate ajar. The dog escaped.

S: I’d hate to lose Sammy, but he is micro-chipped. These avocados are perfect.

M: I love the pecans. Great texture. Anyway, the guy started talking about tags.

S: Our dogs have tags, Mamie. Around their necks.

M: I know, Solly, but he meant Apple AirTags, locators for luggage, keys, whatever. So, could you put one on a dog? If you lost him, you could look for the signal with your phone.

S (giving her a look): Really?

M: They work via a network of other phones. I asked the guy whether there was a product like that for Android users. He assumed so and said that there were also GPS trackers. At the stoplight, we crossed the street and went our separate ways.

S: You headed home for lunch out with me. This soup smells great.

M: I love a good French onion soup. Anyway, while walking Sammy home, I ran into Missy.

S: No wonder your walk took so long. I assume you talked about AirTags. 

M: A loud car was going by. Solly, I thought she said “styled.” I said, “Thank you, but I don’t have my hair styled.”

S (looking bewildered): “…’Styled,’ Mamie?”

M: We weren’t talking about hair. We were talking about lost dogs.

S: You’re losing me.

M: Focus, Solly. Dogs. And tags. And Missy knew the answer.

S: What answer?

M: About Android phones. Tiles!

S: Tiles, not styles. I get it.

M: And these Tiles do for Android users what AirTags do for Apple users.

S: They could track phones, dogs, keys, whatever we misplace.

M: Maybe we could get some Tiles and hang them around our canines’ necks so we could locate the dogs if they disappear.

S: That was a great lunch. Are these Tiles made for dogs?

M: No, but Missy says that there are little protection cases you can put the Tiles in. Wait. The waitress brought something.

S: A piece of tiramisu. You love it.

M: I do!

S: And I brought a gift for you.

M: Oh, boy…it’s the size of a CD. We don’t need more CDs.

S: Open it.

M (ripping paper): Oh, Solly. Maybe it’s a watch? 

S: Timing is everything.

M: It’s…two Tiles! We were just talking about Tiles on today’s walk! But you didn’t know about today’s walking conversations. How did you manage to have these Tiles for me?

S: Your universe has a way of delivering what we need, just when we need it. Truth: stranger than fiction. Think of the great, textured conversations we’ll have when we tell this story!