She made her way to the massive front desk. The man behind the counter wore a navy suit and striped tie.

“Good evening,” he said.

“Hi,” she said. “I’m checking in.”

“Of course.” He handed her some papers to sign and gave the bellboy the key.

“Have a pleasant stay,” he said, “and if there’s anything we can do it make your time with us more enjoyable, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Thank you.” She almost laughed at the thought of this buttoned-up man trying to pleasantly mediate her impending reunion, but she bit her tongue and followed the bellhop to her room on the fifth floor. He unlocked the door, set the bag down on the luggage stand, and went to close the curtains.

“No,” she said. “It’s okay; you can leave them open.” The moon was full, and from where she stood, she could see it glint silver across the ocean. Moon, she thought; moon. She walked to the window and opened the sliding door.

“No, no,” the bellhop said.

She turned to look at him.

“Mosquitoes are bad at night.”

“Oh,” she said and closed the door, “right.” She had read about this. Malaria was usually transmitted between dusk and dawn, but right now she could think of nothing worth more than standing above all that silver. It seemed to go on forever, and if she tilted her head upward, she could block out the strip of sand and clusters of palms and see only the moon mirrored double in the ocean.

“Anything else, Madam?”

“Oh … um.” She dug in her pocket and handed him a fifty rupee bill, and he thanked her and left.

The clock beside the bed said four forty-five. She felt dirty with exhaustion, but she doubted she could sleep, so she stripped off her clothes and turned on the shower. Devesh had told her about Indian bathrooms—their buckets and hoses and whatnot—and she was glad that, at least for tonight, she did not have to figure out a whole new way to bathe. She was weary and dazed, and she made the water as hot as she could stand it and let it pound her skull and bead down her body until she felt clean.

She toweled herself off and dressed in fresh clothes. She knew she wouldn’t be able to fall asleep, so she sat in a low armchair and looked out the window. It was beautiful, and she wished Devesh could see it before daylight, but the sun was beginning to shine a soft orange on the horizon.