Carla lives in a mobile home in Canada. She hears a car pull up outside; she’s concerned that it may belong to Mrs. Sylvia Jamieson, her neighbor, who has been on vacation in Greece. Spotting Sylvia, Carla worries about an expression on the woman’s face. She recoils, thinking to herself whether Clark, Carla’s husband, knows that Sylvia is back. If he doesn’t know, she wonders when he’ll find out. Carla expects her neighbor to call.

Later, Carla will teach a riding lesson. She ventures out to inspect the ground, even though she’s sure that her student won’t turn up. This July, she thinks, has reflected the wet summer. Nearby trails have flooded, and the grass around the mobile home is sodden. Last summer, many tourists came to Carla for horseback riding lessons. This summer, fewer have come. The riding ring is damaged, but repairs require time and money.

Sitting at the computer, Clark searches for materials to fix the roof. He would go to the local store, but he owes the proprietor money. He fought with them. Carla dislikes how many of Clark’s friendships “suddenly turn sour” (6). Many relationships with the local townspeople have soured, making their lives more difficult. A woman named Joy Tucker pays Carla to board her bad-tempered horse (named Lizzie Borden), but Clark fought with Joy, so now Carla must take care of the horse.

Most of all, Carla is concerned for Flora, her pet goat. Flora went missing two days ago, and Carla worries that a predator may have attacked her. The past two nights, Carla dreamed of Flora. In the first dream, Flora returned home with a red apple. In the second, Flora ran away because she was hurt. Carla pets the horses, telling them about Flora. They’re affectionate, and Carla thinks they’re concerned for the goat. Lizzie Borden nips Carla’s hand.

Carla moved into the mobile home three years ago. She was excited to redecorate and, for a time, Clark showed enthusiasm about the changes. These days, however, Clark’s mood often takes a dark turn. During these moments, he does “not want to pay attention to anything but the computer screen” (9), so Carla goes to the barn to see the horses. Flora is normally in the barn, and her presence cheers Carla. They bought the goat from a nearby farm. As a young kid, Flora followed Clark everywhere. As she grew older, Flora grew fonder of Carla. She also became increasingly independent and seemingly aware. Carla goes to Clark, asking him if he has heard anything about Flora. With no news, Clark suggests that perhaps Flora has “gone off to find herself a billy” (10).

While Carla was outside, Clark says, Mrs. Jamieson phoned. She wanted Carla to come the following day to help clean her house. Speaking for Carla, Clark agreed. Carla would call Mrs. Jamieson and confirm, he said. Reluctant to speak to Sylvia, Carla tries to talk about something else. Clark insists, however, and they quarrel. Carla showers, and when she returns, Clark is back at his computer. Hugging him, Carla begins to cry. She pleads with him not to be upset, but her display of emotion irritates him. Bluntly, he tells her to prepare dinner. She does as he tells her, though she’s crying too much to cook. Slipping outside, not wanting to be reminded of Flora, she goes past the barn.

Leon Jamieson died recently. He was Sylvia’s husband, though he was many years older than her. Leon was a poet who was “occupied with other things” (12); Sylvia is a botany professor at a distant college. Before his death, Carla and Clark discovered, Leon won a prize for his work. Learning about this sudden influx of cash, Clark had planned to threaten Sylvia and demand money. He ignores Carla’s attempts to dismiss his plan. Clark is prone to outlandish schemes, Carla knows, but she agreed to speak to Sylvia. Clark wants Carla to tell Sylvia that, before his death, Leon attempted to sexually assault her. Carla told Clark this story, but Clark doesn’t know that she wasn’t “molested and humiliated” (14); Carla entertains the lie because it excites her and Clark. Now, however, she feels as though she can’t reveal the truth to Clark. She has repeated it so many times that she almost believes it. Though she often visited the Jamieson house to help with chores, Leon never tried to assault her. He was dying, while Sylvia was “haunted and bewildered” (15). After his death, she visited Sylvia often. She hates these visits but appreciates the small wages.

Since Sylvia enjoys Carla’s visits, she looks forward to the next day. She’s thankful for Carla’s help, especially when clearing up her late husband’s possessions. Sylvia recalls a day when, while they were cleaning, Carla kissed her head. Though it meant “nothing in particular” (18), that moment has stayed with Sylvia. Carla arrives, and they discuss Sylvia’s vacation; she brought a gift for Carla, a horse figurine. Sylvia recalls how her friends in Greece, upon hearing about Carla, mocked Sylvia for having a “crush.”

Sylvia notes that Carla seems distracted. Eventually, they talk about Flora, and Carla begins to cry. Sylvia is put off by this display of emotion, as the weeping Carla reminds her of the “soggy” students in her classes. Carla cries with such intensity, however, that Sylvia suspects that she isn’t only crying for the missing goat. Carla confesses that she thinks Clark hates her. Living with him has become intolerable. She refuses Sylvia’s suggestion that she leave; this is impossible, she says. If she had the money, however, she would go to Toronto. Sylvia offers to pay Carla’s way to Toronto, where she can stay with Ruth, one of Sylvia’s friends. Carla considers it; after calling Ruth, Sylvia offers Carla fresh clothes and lunch.

Carla and Sylvia plot Carla’s departure. Carla writes a note for Clark, assuring him that she’ll be “all write.” Sylvia notes the spelling mistake, suspecting that Carla is “in a state of exalted confusion” (27). They drink wine, and Carla talks about her past. She fell in love with Clark when she was 18, she says. They both worked at stables. Carla wonders whether they were ever in love or whether their relationship was “just sex.” Since her family didn’t like Clark, Carla ran away with him. She didn’t go to college and fell out of touch with her family.

Carla takes the bus to Toronto. Sylvia posts the note in Clark’s mailbox. As she takes a walk, Sylvia thinks about Leon. She worries about Carla and calls Ruth to warn her that Carla can be aloof. She calls twice, but Ruth doesn’t answer. Sylvia lies down on the couch; she hasn’t slept in her bed since Leon’s death. Her dream of a bus is interrupted by a rap at the door.

On the bus, Carla eventually relaxes. This feels like the only option, and she doesn’t want to disappoint Sylvia, who seems “a most sensitive and rigorous person” (31). As she passes through nice neighborhoods, she’s struck with a desire to tell Clark what she sees. This makes her realize that she won’t speak to him anymore. She’ll never know what happened to Flora, she realizes. The bus reminds Carla of meeting Clark and running away with him in search of a “more authentic kind of life” (33). She begins to cry. She imagines herself alone in the city, trying to find a job, surrounded by strangers. Feeling emotional, Carla decides that she can’t live without Clark. Without him, she wonders how she’ll even know that she’s alive. Carla asks the bus driver to stop. She exits the bus and calls Clark, who agrees to fetch her.

Sylvia answers the door but finds no one. Then, she hears a laugh and spots Clark. Sylvia is worried, especially when Clark presents her with the clothes she gave to Carla. Clark tells Sylvia that Carla is in bed. He seems menacing and unstable to Sylvia, who remembers Leon describing Clark as being “unsure of himself” (37). However, Sylvia doesn’t think Clark will hurt her. He jokes about her fear, which she insists is just surprise. She wanted to help Carla, she explains, as Clark tells her how Carla called him. Clark warns Sylvia not to interfere in their lives. He becomes angry, telling Sylvia to apologize. At the edge of her vision, Sylvia sees a strange, unearthly shape move through the fog. It is “something like a giant unicorn, rushing at them” (39). She screams. The creature emerges; it’s Flora.

Flora’s return is a relief to Clark and Sylvia. Clark is surprised that the goat returned. Goats, he tells Sylvia, are never the same as they appear, particularly mature goats. Sylvia doesn’t know if Flora is mature, but Clark insists that the goat is done growing. He and Sylvia part. Sylvia agrees to leave Carla and Clark alone as Clark takes Flora home. Inside her house, Sylvia speaks to Ruth and then tries to sleep. The image of Flora haunts her dreams. She associates recent events with Leon’s death.

In their mobile home, Clark explains to the waking Carla that he returned the clothes to Sylvia. He says nothing about the goat and claims that he said nothing to Sylvia about Carla’s aborted trip. Carla again insists that Leon’s assault was made up; Clark says he believes her. Carla notices that the bed seems damp, and Clark blames the dew. He talks about how upset her note made him and how empty he would feel without her.

Days later, the weather improves. Carla’s work picks up, as more people want riding lessons. Her relationship with Clark also improves, and he jokes that he’ll “tan [Carla’s] hide” (43) if she runs away again. When Joy comes to see her horse, she notices the renewed love between the couple. She asks about Flora, and Clark suggests that the goat may have gone “to the Rocky Mountains” (44). One morning, Carla receives a letter from Sylvia. In the letter, Sylvia apologizes for intervening. She claims that she mixed up happiness and freedom; she hopes that Carla will be happy with Clark. The mention of Flora, however, surprises Carla. Sylvia describes the goat’s return, referring to Flora as a “good angel” who brought Sylvia and Clark together. Carla burns the letter and flushes the ashes down the toilet. She continues as normal, mentioning nothing to Clark, but feels a “murderous needle” in her chest. Sylvia moves away but keeps ownership of her house. When autumn arrives, Carla begins to wonder what happened to Flora. She imagines herself searching for Flora and finding the goat’s skull. She wonders whether Clark took the goat far away and allowed her to be free, instead of killing her. Carla doesn’t go looking for Flora.