jason area past days people back illinois noticed automatically wrinkling noses mention find lives east central illinois find disparaging spending days southern california great restaurants culture sunshine humidity mountains ocean complaining honor combined years friendships jason's -year friendship friend john lived pasadena decade -year friendship aaron becca moved area month aaron becca living louis married kids feels lifetime completely characters days sitting patio southern california talking drinking beer mountains backdrop husband kids families aaron becca's oldest child born year oldest gangly pre-teen-like slouchy movements heavy feet clomping stairs we've moving moved louis grand rapids urbana recently pulled deep roots louis moved california becca hard we've transported catch glimpses lives peripheral vision surprised changed becca connect talking packing months catching handful fleeting hours fact simply love spending time consistent comforting friendship endures touchstone bridge connecting stuff happened friendships fascinate glimpses past life clues we've cores loved meeting jason's childhood friend john time week character snapshots -year-old jason find threads woven teen confused plenty figure fundamental john present back underlying parts jason make jason quick sense humor love adventure deep kindness john making clear friends articulate halfway california visit shifting visiting john visiting aaron becca arranged dinner john picked great restaurant thai place entered entering indoor space find high walls reached ceiling open gorgeous setting candles flickering white-clothed tables unexpectedly moving bringing previously disconnected parts past wedding symbol taking making meal shared small wedding moment joining people pasts families communities single present photo depicting dinner camera broken immensely maddening 