Tom leaves Akron for South Bend to see his brother, Eric. The brothers are six years apart and have never been close. Their dad left when Eric was seven. During the following years, he and their mother developed a codependent dynamic. Tom often felt excluded from their relationship, though Eric bore the brunt of their mother’s emotional difficulties. Tom was relieved to leave home when he started college at Pomona. He sometimes felt guilty for leaving Eric but was impressed by how Eric “turned himself around” in the years that followed (114), losing weight and making his own way. Whenever Tom visited his brother thereafter, he felt a rush of anticipation. He has this same feeling again now.

The brothers spend the afternoon driving around South Bend. Eric starts by showing Tom his daughters’ school. He and his wife, Terry, divorced, and Eric has the girls part-time. He admits that he often feels trapped in his life. The brothers drive by the house where Eric used to live with Terry. Afterward, they stop at a local pub for a beer and play pool with a young woman named Sharon. As Eric gets progressively drunker, he starts flirting with Sharon. Tom feels embarrassed for his brother because he thinks Sharon is interested in him, not Eric. When Eric goes to the restroom, Tom and Sharon chat about why Tom is in South Bend and his plans to visit Denver next. Sharon suggests that she and Tom get a drink somewhere else, but he insists on getting Eric home. In the parking lot afterward, Tom is embarrassed that Eric insists on waiting for Sharon to leave to make sure she’s alright. On the ride home, the brothers argue about her. Eric is annoyed that Tom always thinks women are more interested in him.

Back at Eric’s, the brothers sit in the parking garage and discuss their futures. Tom encourages Eric to take a new job opportunity in Chicago, but he doesn’t want to move away from his daughters.

That night, Tom lies in bed thinking about his childhood and recalling when his father left. His dad told him he planned to leave, which excited Tom instead of upsetting him. He doesn’t think his father ever liked children, though he married another woman and started a new family with her. He remembers his dad dying in 2020 and his and Eric’s experience at the funeral. In their hotel room, Tom admitted to Eric that he’d known about their dad’s plans to leave when they were kids. Until then, Jill (his old girlfriend) had been the only one Tom had told about this.

The next morning, when Eric sees Tom’s swollen face, he urges Tom to see a doctor. However, Tom feels the closeness from the previous night is gone between them, and he leaves.

Back on the road, Tom imagines telling Amy about his visit with Eric. He notices that he has been having imaginary conversations with her throughout the trip. As the hours pass, he realizes how lonely the road can be. He finds himself thinking about his marriage again. Distance started to form between him and Amy when she started pressing him about having a third child. Tom didn’t want another kid, but Amy went off the pill anyway. Still, she couldn’t get pregnant. Around the same time, she began her affair with Zach. The relationship began as flirting. When Amy and Zach both participated in a conference in New York, they slept together. Amy later insisted that it would have only been a one-night thing if she hadn’t become pregnant. Zach worried that his wife would find out, but he also used the baby as leverage to keep sleeping with Amy. Confused, Amy needed someone to talk to and finally told Tom about the affair. She later miscarried.

Tom arrives at Brian’s house in Denver. Over lunch, the friends catch up. Afterward, they play basketball at the park with a few other guys. Brian announces to everyone that Tom is writing a book about basketball. They return to Brian’s afterward, where his wife, Tandy, is now home caring for their children. After dinner, the friends retreat to the billiards room, where they drink and talk. Brian opens up about his challenges with his kids. Like Tom, Brian feels that no one agrees with him. He changes the conversation to Jill, revealing that he’s been in touch with her more recently. She lives in Las Vegas with her daughter, whom she had via a sperm donor. Brian also talks about Todd Gimmell and his attempts to find signatories for the case.

Finally, Tom admits that he might have left Amy. Brian seems excited for him and suggests that Tom stay in his pool house for as long as he needs. Tandy also says he’s welcome to stay for as long as he needs.

In the morning, however, Tom parts ways with Brian and gets back on the road. He drives until he reaches Las Vegas. Eventually, he finds Jill’s house; Brian gave him her address. Jill is surprised to see him but welcomes him in and introduces him to her daughter, Katie. They all go outside to the pool. While Katie swims, Tom and Jill catch up. She’s older but still seems like herself. Afterward, Tom swims with Katie. Jill gets alarmed when Tom’s skin turns purple and urges him to get out of the pool, suggesting that they call an ambulance. Tom insists that he’s fine.

After Tom recovers, he joins Jill for a night out with her friends. The dinner is pleasant, but Tom feels emotional throughout. He can’t help imagining a future with Jill. On the drive home, Jill says she wants to sleep with him but can’t. Tom dismisses her remarks, insisting that he already knows it’d be a bad idea. Jill gets annoyed with Tom’s blasé manner, as he has always been this way. In the morning, the two say goodbye and part ways.