So when you broke up with her, you thought it was completely over. You had no plans to get back together.

D: I think immediately, yes. If I hadn't, I wouldn't have gone.

And what was your job in Iran?

D: I taught English as a second language. The problem with the Peace Corps in Iran was that we were in there to support Shah Pahlavi as tools of the American government. There were a lot of people there who said they were supporters of the Shah, but the only ones who wanted to have contact with us were the minorities. The Bahá'ís, the Christians, the Jews. But the majority of Iranians really weren't that anxious to have contact.

So you hated it?

D: Yes. Yes I did.

How long were you in Iran?

D: Well, I was in training for two months state-side and then I was in Iran for a month. Then I decided I'd rather take my chances with the draft, and I came back in August.

Dad, did you try and contact Mom?

D: I did not.

Did you know he was back?

M: I didn't. No contact, none at all. I decided then that I was moving on. I just knew I couldn't be in New York. I was brokenhearted. I decided I was moving to Boston with my cousin Anne. So I went up, found a job, and went to Woodstock.

You thought you weren't going to see Dad again?

M: That was it. And then we met one night by chance. I was shocked to see him — I didn't know he was back. We talked briefly, and I said, you know, I'm headed to Woodstock next week and then I'm moving to Boston. So I moved. And I liked it, it was great. But my heart wasn't really in it.

Did you date anyone else?

M: Sure. I was good friends with this guy who was dodging the draft, and he would stay at our apartment a lot. And for a while, our phone was tapped. I'm not certain he was in the Weather Underground, I'm not sure which group he was in, but we have no doubt our phone was tapped.

And you were dating him?

M: I had... some... you know, casual interactions.

Dad, did you think it was all over once Mom was in Boston?

D: Apparently not. Because in my hand, I have this Christmas card —

M: And now I often think to myself, what made you send those cards? That's only the one to me; he also sent one to my parents. Which was just really incredible. That he thought to send a card to them. And up until then we'd had no contact with each other after that chance meeting in the bar. And when the cards came, I thought, okay. This is a door opening. And we were having a big Christmas party, back in the Bronx. So I called and said I would love for him to come. And he did. Jim, can you just get me a little more wine?

Sure. Dad, what was your thought in sending the card?

D: Obviously... I mean, you're not going to do something like that if you don't want to. And I missed her.

M: It was a big party. And it snowed. People couldn't even leave — one of them being Dad. We got back together right there. So I moved back, and we dated again, and it got back to this point where it was like, okay, it's time to make a commitment. And he broke up with me again. He had his snow tires in my garage, and I said, "Get those things out of my garage, because I don't want to see you again." He knew that was a bad sign, and a week later, he came to me and said, "I know I'm a bastard. But will you marry me anyway?"

And then you got married!

M: Yep. And it's been thirty-eight years.