i am always down for besties! most of his family is based out in indiana, but there's still plenty of ways to engineer a connection. he's also good buds with ~garrison who mentioned that your characters are friends ic. if he's ever done some kind of assembly at the local high school they could have met then? or he could be related to his ex-wife and it could be super awkward now because every time they hang out her family is like "uhh..."