Los Angeles

Los Angeles is the setting for a pivotal return in Gregory Davis’s past: after moving away as a child, he came back at sixteen, was reunited with Crystal, and met Karen Wade through her. The city is therefore tied to the origin of Gregory and Karen’s relationship and to the family history Emily Wade later sought to uncover.

Gregory’s Return

Gregory’s connection to Los Angeles began with a departure. When he was ten, his father was transferred to San Francisco, and Gregory moved away; he and Crystal nevertheless remained close friends. At sixteen, his father was transferred back to Los Angeles. Gregory returned and reunited with Crystal, whose introduction to Karen began a consequential chapter in all three lives.

The Meeting with Karen

Gregory recalled meeting Karen through Crystal after his return to Los Angeles. He described their first meeting as love at first sight and remembered Karen sitting on a beach blanket in a black-and-white polka-dot bikini when Crystal introduced them. The account places the start of their relationship in the period of Gregory’s return, then traces their closeness through the summer and over the following three years. Their shared plans included Karen’s hope to own a business and Gregory’s ambition to serve in the army; they also discussed marriage, children, and a future together.

Place in Emily’s Family History

Los Angeles matters to the later story because it anchors the beginning of a relationship whose history had been withheld from Emily. When Gregory tells Emily he thinks he may be her father, she asks how he knew Karen and how their relationship began. His account links his return to Los Angeles with meeting Karen through Crystal, while Emily’s later question to Karen establishes that Gregory is her father. The evidence ties Los Angeles to this past; it does not establish that Emily’s later conversations with Gregory or Karen take place in the city.