Charlie is a young man traveling alone from his grandmother's house in the Adirondacks to his mother's rented cottage in Cape Cod. He has not seen his father in three years following his parents' divorce. He approaches the reunion with a mixture of joy and childlike adoration, eager to reconnect and wishing for a photograph to commemorate the occasion.

Charlie's father is a mature, robust man living in New York City. He has been divorced from Charlie's mother for three years and relies on his secretary to coordinate personal family meetings. He projects a boisterous, entitled demeanor and immediately insists on drinking cocktails at nearby restaurants rather than traveling to his private club.

This collective group of service professionals includes an elderly waiter, a server enforcing drinking laws, a smiling waiter in a hunting-themed restaurant, a restaurant captain, and a newsstand clerk. They are performing their jobs in various New York City establishments when confronted by loud, demanding behavior from a customer.

Charlie's mother divorced his father three years prior to the events in New York. She currently rents a cottage in Cape Cod, providing a destination and home base for her son's solo train journey.

Charlie's grandmother lives in the Adirondack mountains. Her home serves as the starting point for Charlie's train journey across New York state.

The secretary is an employee of Charlie's father. Rather than the father reaching out directly, the secretary handles the logistical details of organizing a lunch reunion at the Grand Central Station information booth.