"Plenty of open space," he agrees, because if there's one thing he misses in D.C., it's room to breathe. Even in the residential areas, you're still surrounded by brick and concrete. On some level, he'd never thought he'd regret putting the island in the rearview mirror - it's as much of a snoozeville as Craiger, more often than not - but after a year away, he's not sure he's built for big cities.

He falls quiet for a moment, looking down at the book in his hands. Compared with waiting, talking to someone is capturing his attention far more easily. "Where in California?"