Mr. Seidel is a middle-aged widow and father living in a suburban part of New York. Every day, he follows his usual routine: he takes a walk, cooks a nice breakfast for himself, makes small talk with people at the market, goes to the gym toting around a book, takes care of his younger daughter’s cat, gardens, and chats with his neighbors. Unfortunately, one day, he can’t manage to speak to anyone, so he’s stuck in his own head. All the while, he thinks back to the small ways that his life would be different if his wife hadn’t died. He’d have someone to trade little tidbits with through the day on a daily basis. After he’s given up on his hope of talking to someone, a neighbor, Karen, makes conversation with him about his book. She invites him to dinner tomorrow. He’s relieved: the following day won’t be a silent one.