A long road trip where neither of you fills the quiet is how you know a friendship isn’t held together by noise.

Comfortable silence is a real test of a friendship and it cannot be faked. Most conversation does some work of reassurance, checking that things are all right between you, and when neither of you needs that work done you can simply sit there, both present and nothing owed. Friendships held together by constant talk get tired, because somebody is always on duty.

Notice who you can be quiet with and value that above who is easiest to talk to. Then do something long and low-key with one of them, a drive, a walk, a day with no plan. Let a gap happen without repairing it.