By the time Frank finishes his stupid story about the sun and the moon, I’m boiling. The sun streams in the car window. I’m sure my left arm is getting sunburned. My shoulders ache from spending the night in the hammock. The seat belt in this tiny car cuts into my neck.

Meanwhile, Mattie is gazing at Frank Gómez like he has all the answers.

Mattie. With her family. Her mom. A stepdad. Stepbrothers. All watching over her like the moon watching those Colombian people. Who is watching over me? Mom—she’s in Japan. Cristina’s paid to do it. Tristan? He’s just a seven-year-old. It’s my job to watch over him.

“Where do you live?” Mattie is asking. “Can we see your house? Can we visit you?”

Frank smiles, shakes his head. “I live near Northern Madrone College, in a house for college guests. I don’t know if you can visit. We need to talk to your mothers. They will decide. One thing at a time, Matilde.”

“My mom never told me anything about you,” Mattie says.

Frank just nods.

“Neither did mine,” I offer.

He nods again.

“Once upon a time,” he begins.

Great. Another story.

“Once upon a time there was a man. He loved adventure and learning. He traveled all around the world to the highest mountains and the lowest valleys. He met new people and heard fantastic stories. He traveled to warm blue seas and cold rivers. He saw many things, but he was always alone.”

I slouch in my seat. I cross my arms over my chest. I don’t want to hear another story from Frank Gómez. I don’t want to hear about what happened; I want to know what’s going to happen.

“He traveled alone, and he often traveled at night. Because, at night, he didn’t feel so lonely. Even in the dark, you can see things. He saw the moon smiling down at him. He saw the stars winking at him. And he knew he was never alone.”

I don’t realize that the story is over until Mattie asks, “Is that—” she begins. “Is that a story from the people you study in Colombia?”

The car hums on the road.

“No, my dear,” Frank Gómez says. “That is a true story. It is my story.”

“You’re the man?” I ask. “But you’re an adult. You don’t have to be alone. Not if you don’t want to be.”

Frank switches on his turn signal and checks his mirrors. He pulls over at a gravel clearing on the side of the road overlooking the ocean. He gets out of the car and Mattie and I follow.