Heft

Kel recounts facts about Arizona, the place he has always imagined his father living. After being released from the police station, he drives to his mother’s empty house. The electricity has been shut off, and the house is freezing and dark. He finds rotting food in the refrigerator and eats stale chips from the pantry.

Upstairs, he finds his mother’s note taped to her bedroom door. He tears it off, crumples it, and throws it downstairs, unable to enter her room. In his own room, he remembers being six years old, feverish and dreaming of terrifying nuns. His mother had come running to comfort him and checked under his bed for monsters. Seeking the same comfort now, he wraps himself in blankets and crawls under his bed. He falls asleep there, clutching a flashlight that eventually dies, while memories of his mother’s care wash over him.

Yolanda arrives at Arthur’s door with a small suitcase. Arthur is embarrassed about the messy state of his house and feels a surge of anger at her for disappearing. She proposes living with him, cooking, and cleaning in exchange for room and board. Arthur is conflicted but thinks about the positive aspects of her company. He learns she is three months from giving birth and has only seen a doctor once. She says she knows the baby is a girl.

Arthur agrees to let her stay the night and insists she see a doctor in the morning, offering to pay. Feeling helpless, he watches her carry her own suitcase upstairs. He falls asleep in his chair and is awakened by Yolanda at midnight. She asks him about his family, a question that stuns him. He tells her his parents are dead, which is a half-truth, and confirms that the person in the photograph of Kel on his shelf is not his nephew, as he previously told her. She explains that her parents kicked her out for getting back together with Junior Baby Love and being pregnant. Yolanda returns from the kitchen with chocolate cake and milk for them both. They eat together, and she goes back to bed.

Kel wakes up and enters his mother’s bedroom for the first time since her death. He searches her desk and finds college brochures and course catalogs she had collected, including one where she circled literature courses. He finds a folder for his own college savings account, which contains only $312.

In the basement, he searches through old boxes of his mother’s things. He finds a manila envelope containing his birth certificate, which lists his name as Arthur Turner Keller and his father’s name as Francis Patrick Keller. He feels relief that the name is not Arthur Opp. Using his laptop, he searches for Francis Keller online and finds a link to Connelly’s Hardware in Queens. On the website, he sees a group photo that includes a man named Francis Keller who resembles the father he remembers.

He withdraws $20 from his mother’s nearly empty account at an ATM and drives to Queens. After sitting in his car for half an hour, feeling he doesn’t want to know the truth, he changes into a cleaner shirt and walks into the store. He pretends to browse until he gets the courage to ask Connelly, the owner, if Francis Keller works there. Connelly shouts for Francis, and the man he has always thought of as his father appears.

Arthur agrees to go on a walk with Yolanda to Prospect Park in exchange for her seeing a doctor, for which he gives her money. Yolanda insists they go that afternoon. Arthur puts on a coat he hasn’t worn in years and steps outside for the first time in a decade.

The walk is extremely difficult for Arthur. He becomes winded and sweaty and stumbles once, but Yolanda steadies him. She tells him the doctor confirmed she is having a healthy baby girl. They reach the park and sit on a bench overlooking the meadow. Arthur watches a family eating and reflects on the joy of watching people eat. The walk back is even more difficult, as his muscles have stiffened.

As they arrive home, they are approached by their neighbor, a young architect named Henry Dale, who lives next door with his wife, Suzanne, and their three sons. Henry introduces himself and says Arthur’s father is one of his architectural heroes. He mentions that Marie Spencer, the previous owner of his house, told him about Arthur’s family. Yolanda spontaneously invites the Dales over for dinner. That evening, Arthur feels a sense of euphoria. He and Yolanda sit together quietly, and she begins planning the dinner party. Arthur feels happier than he has since his best friend Marty died and imagines a new life for himself.

Francis appears, smaller and skinnier than Kel remembers. After Kel mentions Charlene, Francis tells Connelly he will be back in an hour. They walk to Francis’s nearby apartment, a messy, beer-can-strewn single room. Francis asks Kel about his life; Kel tells him the Mets are scouting him. Francis mentions they used to play catch, but Kel lies and says he doesn’t remember.

When Francis asks about Charlene, Kel bluntly tells him she is dead. Francis expresses his condolences and shares a fond memory of her. Kel asks why he left; Francis gives a vague answer about wanting to travel and be young. Francis confirms that Kel is not his biological son, relieved that Kel already knows. He explains that Charlene was already pregnant when they got married, and he promised to raise her child as his own. Kel asks if Francis knows who his real father is. Francis laughs and says Charlene never told him, either. Kel asks if he has ever heard of Arthur Opp; Francis says no. Francis reveals he was the one who gave Kel the nickname because he thought Arthur was a bad name for a kid. As Kel leaves, Francis insists on giving him a $100 bill.

Arthur overhears Yolanda arguing with her parents on the phone in Spanish. He watches from his window as she talks with Suzanne and holds her baby. When Yolanda comes inside, she mentions that Suzanne told her about Arthur’s famous father. Arthur deflects her questions about his family. Yolanda chides him for being so secretive.

In a long internal monologue, Arthur reflects on his life after his mother’s death: returning at age 26 to his family home in Brooklyn, which had been empty and dust-filled; his friendship with Marty, who moved into the top floor of Marie Spencer’s house next door; his 20-year teaching career; and his unrequited love for Charlene, whom he occasionally held hands with. He remembers Marty was in love with a woman named Hilda, who broke his heart. He reflects on his profound loneliness and the people who have disappeared from his life, wondering why he was chosen for such solitude. He used to believe things would certainly change someday.

Yolanda senses his distress and tells him he can talk to her anytime. Arthur fights the urge to beg her not to leave him.

After he meets with Francis, Kel feels lost. He spends $20 on gas and cheap snacks, then stops at McDonald’s for a large meal, eating it in the warm running car while listening to Charlie Rasco on the radio. He drives to Lindsay’s house and waits for her on the porch. She is startled when she arrives home and finds him there.

She lets him into her warm, safe-feeling house. In the kitchen, Lindsay makes herself a snack and offers him food. She suggests he shower to feel better. In her bathroom, Kel shaves his beard with her razor and washes with her shampoo, emerging smelling like her. Lindsay gives him clothes that belonged to her deceased brother. Lying on her bed, Kel tells Lindsay everything that has happened, including meeting Francis and learning he is not his biological father. Lindsay says she is too young to take care of him but suggests he talk to her father, who is a school superintendent. When he tells her about his upcoming tryout with the Mets scout, Lindsay tells him he needs to eat to regain his strength. As they head back to the kitchen, she asks him about Arthur Opp.

Arthur and Yolanda have begun a ritual of reading the obituaries together. Yolanda tells Arthur she spoke with her mother again. She explains that she is no longer with Junior, the baby’s father, which was the reason her parents kicked her out. When Yolanda presses him to share his own story, Arthur finally opens up. He tells her about his unhappy childhood and his English parents. He describes his father’s cruelty to his mother, Anna, particularly about her weight. His mother tried various diets and called herself Anna Ordinary or “Mrs. Tubbs.” He tells Yolanda his father left when he was almost nine and never came back.

He recounts his trip to England at age 18 after his mother’s death. He describes meeting his father, who seemed distant and critical. He discovered his father had a new family: a girlfriend named Alexandra and a young son, William. He recounts details of the trip, including a visit to his parents’ childhood town and church, and mentions his maternal grandmother, Granny Conan. He spent a week feeling like an outsider, and his father eventually asked him when he planned to leave. His father later married Alexandra after his mother’s death. He tells Yolanda he has a half-brother named William but doesn’t speak to any of them. Yolanda asks how long he has been housebound; he replies 10 years, until their recent walk.

Kel tells Lindsay’s dad his story. Mr. Harper is kind and supportive. Kel goes to Dee’s house, where Dee’s mother, Rhonda, comforts him. He tells Rhonda and Dee about his mother’s letter. Rhonda reveals that she knew Francis wasn’t his biological father, but she doesn’t know who Kel’s father is. When Kel asks about Arthur Opp, Rhonda remembers him as Charlene’s college professor, whom she had a crush on and corresponded with as pen pals. When Kel reveals that Charlene’s letter claimed Arthur was his father, Rhonda, Dee, and eventually Kel all burst out laughing at the unlikely scenario.

Kel has been staying on Dee’s couch. He returns to school, where Mr. Harper has smoothed things over with the principal. Lindsay now sits with him at lunch, though Trevor still avoids him. He’s been suspended from the basketball team for the winter but plays on the Warburton court with Dee. He begins telling people the truth and allowing them to help him. He makes arrangements with Mr. Harper for his mother’s cremation and to sell the house. His history teacher, Pottsy, helps him write an obituary for Charlene and pays for it to be published. Kel calls and confirms his private workout with Gerard Kane. He finds Arthur’s address and phone number.

While reading the obituaries together, Yolanda comments on how many of the deceased are young. She reads the name Charlene Turner Keller aloud and remarks to Arthur that the woman was young and also had a son.

Kel wakes up on the morning of his workout, dreaming of his mother supporting him at his childhood baseball games. Dee drives him to the practice facility in Eastchester. On the way, Dee tells him about people from their old neighborhood, including a girl named Denise Torres who died of an overdose. Kel reflects on what his mother must have been like as a young woman. He has been working out with Coach Ramirez all week and trying to eat well. He arrives at the large, bubble-like facility and enters alone.

Arthur sits alone, reflecting on his solitude and feeling that he somehow betrayed Charlene. He thinks about his belief in a connection among the world’s lonely people, which he’s often used as a source of comfort. He feels Charlene was the only other person he’s met who was part of this secret club of the lonely. He rereads Charlene’s letter, where she first suggested they meet, and he recalls she once wrote that he was a hero of hers. He remembers a dinner where she tearfully told him she was invisible. He feels that his diminishing loneliness due to Yolanda presence must have caused Charlene’s loneliness to increase, as if they were connected by a thread. He recalls the first time they met for coffee, and he helped her with her coat zipper, a moment of profound connection for him.

Kel enters the facility and meets Gerard Kane, his assistant Sarah, and another prospect, a pitcher named Marcus Hobart. Marcus is taller and stronger than Kel and briefly played college baseball. They warm up, and Kel feels an uncharacteristic ache in his throwing shoulder. Marcus’s throws are powerful, clocking at 96 miles per hour.

Kel struggles badly at bat against Marcus’s pitching, missing often and hitting weak contact, though he manages two wall-homers. He describes the pure, certain physics of throwing a ball. He accepts that Marcus is a better, more deserving player, and the thought brings him a sense of relief. In the 60-yard dash, Marcus is faster than Kel despite the fact that Kel runs it in a faster time than he ever has before. When Gerard Kane gives them a noncommittal goodbye and leaves, Kel knows he has failed. Lindsay picks him up, and he can tell she understands it went badly. He remembers his mother drawing a bull’s-eye on a mattress in their backyard for him to practice throwing.

Yolanda leaves Arthur’s house to move back in with her parents, who have forgiven her and said she can return to school while they help care for the baby. She promises to return to work for Arthur on weekends and reminds him about the upcoming dinner party with the Dales. Arthur feels certain she will not return.

Left alone for the first time in weeks, he wanders his quiet house. He opens his refrigerator but lacks the energy for a binge. Instead, he finds a beautiful fruit salad Yolanda left for him and eats a bowl of it slowly and deliberately, savoring the flavors. He goes to bed and feels that he has gotten thinner, as he can feel one of his ribs. The next morning, he sleeps in late, a rare occurrence for him.

Kel spends the afternoon at the Harpers’ house, and they invite him to stay the night. He stays in Lindsay’s brother Andy’s room. He overhears Mrs. Harper explaining to Lindsay’s little sister, Margo, that Kel is staying because he lost his mama. After watching a Christmas movie, he and Lindsay go to the basement to talk.

He tells her he is going to write to Arthur instead of calling him. He gives his mother’s final letter to Lindsay to read. He decides to mail the original letter to Arthur, wanting to be rid of it. Lindsay helps him write a cover letter and addresses the envelope using her own address as the return address. They sneak out and drive to the post office to mail the letter. Kel then drives them to a beach on the Hudson. They talk about grief, and Lindsay says the pain of losing her brother never went away—it just changed into a different, duller kind of hurt. They fall asleep in the car. Kel dreams of the old man from Pennsylvania who once helped him and his mother with their car. He wakes to find Lindsay crying, saying she misses her brother.

The chapter ends with Kel’s letter to Arthur, in which Kel tells him about his mother’s claim that Arthur is Kel’s biological father. Kel gives Arthur his phone number and says he hopes Arthur will contact him if Charlene was telling the truth.

Arthur has not been checking his mail regularly but finally sorts through a pile and finds Kel’s letter. He is astonished by its contents, especially Charlene’s letter claiming he is Kel’s father, and reads it repeatedly. His first impulse is to accept the lie and claim Kel as his son, but he knows he cannot deceive the boy.

He rereads an old letter from Charlene in which she said she wished he could be the father of her child, realizing she may have already been pregnant at the time. Arthur reflects that they were never intimate, only occasionally holding hands. He calls Yolanda for advice. Yolanda suggests he invite Kel to the dinner party. Arthur writes back to Kel, gently telling him the truth: They are not biologically related, though he wishes they were. He writes about the concept of a chosen, adopted family, mentioning his late friend Marty, whom he considered his adopted sister, and Yolanda, whom he considers his adopted daughter. He invites Kel to his dinner party to learn more about his mother when she was young. He mails the letter and looks at the picture of Kel on his shelf, thinking he sees a resemblance to his own father.

Realizing his mother must have saved all of Arthur’s letters over the years, Kel drives to his mother’s house, which is being prepared for sale by a real estate agent. He finds a thick stack of Arthur’s letters in his mother’s bedside table, dating back to December 1992.

He returns to the Harpers’ house, where Lindsay is waiting with Arthur’s response letter. They read Arthur’s letter together seven times. Kel is not crushed to learn Arthur is not his father; he feels no anger. He vows to keep learning about his mother to keep her memory alive. He concludes that his mother lied to bring him and Arthur together as a gift to each other. He has not heard back from the Mets scout and is coming to terms with the idea that he might not be good enough for the major leagues. He is now seriously considering going to college. He has a vivid memory of being 15 and finding his mother crying in the dark after the power was shut off, and trying to cheer her up by making a fire in a flowerpot with birthday candles. In the present, he asks Lindsay to accompany him to Arthur’s dinner party. She agrees, and they get ready to go. She wears a dress for the occasion.

Yolanda arrives at Arthur’s house to help him prepare for the dinner party. She’s invited her parents from Queens, and she is nervous. Arthur and Yolanda go for a walk and confirm dinner plans with the Dales. They make lasagna together using Marty’s recipe. Yolanda orders flowers, which she places on the dining room table.

Kel called three days ago to accept the invitation. During their conversation, Arthur was able to answer Kel’s one question about his mother in a way that seemed to please him. Arthur has decided to leave the photograph of Kel on the shelf, reasoning that Charlene sent it for a reason. While Yolanda naps, Arthur reflects on how his and Charlene’s lonely lives could have been different, but he does not linger on regret. He opens his front door and stands on the stoop, looking out at the quiet street. He wonders what will happen next, unable to answer his own question, as he waits for his guests to arrive.