Aizpea, a small, fictional town in the Baztan Valley, very close to the French border. Summer is in full swing. Among its residents are two men who, at first glance, couldn’t be more different. SABINO, 72, a widower and retiree from the family stone-masonry business, is a calm, sensitive man who loves his vegetable garden, slow cooking, and walks through the meadows. PELLO, on the other hand—a portly fifty-something, a retired stone cutter, and MARIBEL’s “unhurried boyfriend”— is pure excess: laughter must ring out loud, plates must overflow, glasses must never run dry, and the tavern, for decency’s sake, should never close its doors. One has saved his whole life with discipline; the other is undone by gambling and betting. One shaped stone with care; the other hoisted it with all his might. And yet, they are close friends. So much so that they’ve been living together for over fifteen years in Sabino’s family home. A living arrangement that works surprisingly well, sustained by minor arguments, shared customs, and toasts that smooth over almost everything. Until one day, Sabino is diagnosed with advanced cancer.