Farmington is the town where Gavin and Taylor bring Bella and Dutch to visit Sylvia. Its brief appearance is defined by Taylor’s distaste for the place and by the visit’s shift from an uneasy stopover to a farewell: the dogs arrive with the household, but Gavin and Taylor soon tell them they will be away for half a year.

Setting and Arrival

During a stop in Farmington, Taylor asks what industry the town has, and Gavin answers that coal and gas are its main industries, adding that the rivers have their charms. Taylor’s dry response makes clear that this is not a setting he enjoys. After the group gets back into the car, Bella hopes they will return to Gavin and Taylor’s house or cabin; instead, the car eventually stops at a nearly all-cement front yard, where Dutch finds what little foliage is available to mark.

Sylvia’s Home

Sylvia is waiting at the door when the group arrives. Gavin greets her as his mother, and he and Taylor approach her with evident familiarity: Gavin kisses her, while Dutch and Bella follow them to the door. Taylor calls out to Sylvia from the car as he gets out his suitcase. The visit thus places the dogs inside Gavin’s family life, even as Bella interprets human names and relationships through her limited understanding of speech.

Farewell and Departure

The next morning, Taylor and Gavin are up just after dawn and put their suitcase in the car, leading Bella to expect that they will leave. Instead, they sit with the dogs by the pool and explain that they will be gone for six months, returning in the fall. Gavin embraces Dutch, who leans into him, and both men kiss and pet Bella. Bella does not understand their words, but their tone recalls the last time she saw Lucas and helps her recognize the possibility of another separation. When Gavin and Taylor reach the gate, they prevent Dutch from following them. Farmington’s visit therefore ends not with the expected car journey back to a house or cabin, but with the dogs left behind as the couple departs.