a woman in a small suburban town celebrates her 47th birthday surrounded by family and friends who watch with bated breath to see if she manages to blow out the blazing candles. at the exact same moment, a man sitting in a forgotten city realizes, as he smokes his last cigarette, that he is completely alone. the idea of different people existing in different places at parallel times is the impetus for this book. with designated dates and times, meghan, with her instant film camera, and stephanie, with her digital camera, explore and document these simultaneous moments.