Prologue: The Things We Don’t See Coming
There are moments in life that announce themselves.
A new job. A plane ticket. A promise made out loud for the first time. The day someone finally finds the courage to change the direction of their life.
And then there are the moments that change everything without announcing themselves at all.
A glance across a crowded bar.
A photograph sent between friends.
A man standing in his kitchen, looking at his phone, debating whether to bother putting on shoes.
November first, 2026, began as an entirely ordinary Sunday in Denver, Colorado.
By the time the sun set, two men who had spent years learning how to live without needing anyone were about to collide.
One of them believed he had finally figured out how to be happy alone.
The other believed being alone was the only reliable way to remain happy.
Neither man knew that their story would begin with a photograph and one day turn upon a single snowboarding mitten.
