T.J. (Tom) and Lea meet on an AMTRAK train between Cleveland and Chicago in Essence of Love. During the five-hour trip they confide in each other. Tom is on an 8,000-mile therapeutic trip after the death of his wife. Lea is going to Oregon to visit a sister and try to decide whether to divorce her husband. Mutual sympathy for each other ensues. They go their separate ways in Chicago. Four months later, Lea, who lives in Cleveland, Ohio calls Tom in Florida. She has decided to divorce her husband and has moved to her daughter"s house. Letters and phone calls abound and a bond of friendship blossoms into a serious long-distance relationship. They are both dealing with their personal traumas and obstacles, and discover the need for each other. Remembrances of their past lives help them to understand each other. Eight months later Lea"s divorce becomes final and she flies to Florida to live with Tom. After two years they are married. Tom, 70 years old, and Lea, 62, have found happiness again. The conclusion of the story is a reminiscent train ride, including the trip between Cleveland and Chicago where they met.