“That kid doesn’t know anything, not like you. You know all about the space age.” Fede winked at her. Josefa couldn’t contain her joy.

“Plus, she doesn’t know how to kiss, and you do.”

Josefa’s face lit up. It was true, she did know how.

“Have you given a lot of kisses?”

She nodded over and over, excited.

TV kisses. She practiced on her dad and her mom, suctioning with her lips and moving her head from side to side, like the protagonists did.

Fede slowly moved closer and took the girl’s little head in his hands. His breathing was agitated. He closed his eyes and placed his lips on Josefa’s, and she blinked nervously. She was about to start with her head movements when she felt a soft cone, damp and cold, penetrate her mouth. She opened her eyes wide and she couldn’t move her head, she practically couldn’t move a muscle with the surprise of the tongue. She didn’t know that part, they didn’t show it on TV.

Fede pulled away.

“Hmmm,” he said, sounding disappointed. “You’ve still got some learning to do.”

Josefa lowered her head and felt like crying.

“No, kiddo, don’t take it like that,” he said, raising her head with his fingers. “It was really good for how little you are.” Josefa was relieved. “Plus, I can teach you. You have to imitate what I do in there. So when we get married you’ll be an expert kisser.”

She opened her eyes wide as saucers again.

“Because you do want to marry me, right?”

Josefa nodded vigorously.

Fede unclasped the chain he wore around his neck.

“Like it?” he asked, showing her the golden sun hanging from the chain. “This will be the symbol of our engagement.” He put it around her neck. “When you turn eighteen, I’m going to come to Chile to find you and we’ll get married.” He gave her another kiss, but this time shorter, without tongue; a brief aspiration, like the ones Josefa’s parents gave each other. She knew other kids were grossed out when their parents kissed, but she loved it, even if on the rare occasions that they did, it was like that: no head movements, as if in passing.

Josefa took the sun between her hands. She looked at it as though hypnotized, and she puffed out her chest to show it off better.

“Now we have to seal our pact in the ocean,” said Fede, looking at the water. He tied Josefa’s wavy hair back with an elastic band. “You don’t want to catch cold on vacation from going to bed with wet hair,” he said, smiling, and he started to undress her. First her pajama top. It was yellow, her favorite color, with an embroidered elephant holding a half-melted ice cream cone. Then her socks, and finally her pants.