Harry, Delphine, Eileen, and Lauren drive to a remote snow-covered riverbank. They exit the car and then stop when they’re “far enough” from the road.

The narrative flashes back to an earlier point in time. Harry had quit his job at a magazine and hoped to set up a small weekly newspaper in the town where he had spent his childhood vacations. Harry and Eileen’s daughter, Lauren, referred to them by their first names. The family moved to a small town, where the culture and community were quite different from what they were used to. They dined at a hotel, where Harry searched for local news stories; outside, he agreed with Eileen that the local people seemed “strange.” The hotel was owned by a European named Mr. Palagian, who never smiled. Harry encouraged Lauren to see the humanity in people like Mr. Palagian, suggesting that such people “could be harboring a contemporary tragedy or adventure” (201), which could make a great story.

Lauren struggled to adjust to her new school. She was self-sufficient, preparing breakfast for herself despite her young age, while her parents worked. While moving into their new home, Lauren found a strange box. Reluctantly, Harry explained to her that the box held particular sentimental value. He didn’t want to lie to her, he said, so he told her the tragic truth: The box contained the cremated remains of the child that Harry and Eileen had before Lauren was born. When Eileen was pregnant with Lauren, she and the baby were involved in a car crash. Due to her anxiety and stress, Eileen hadn’t secured the cot in the car. The baby died; Harry feared that he would lose Eileen and their unborn child, too. Instead, Eileen survived, and the baby that was born was Lauren. Harry assured Lauren that her parents loved her, and in response to Lauren’s questions, he admitted that the tragedy never motivated the couple’s regular fights. Lauren assured Harry that the story didn’t trouble her.

At school, Lauren felt alone. She struggled to make friends, as had been a regular theme throughout her life. Her parents were unconventional; they drank often and fought intensely, making Lauren feel older and unable to connect to children her own age. The girls at school often visited the hotel belonging to Mr. Palagian, where young people gathered and smoked cigarettes. The students who looked old enough bought their cigarettes from a woman named Delphine, who worked at the hotel. Agreeing to buy cigarettes for underage girls, Lauren began a conversation with Delphine. The older woman took a liking to Lauren and mentioned a gold necklace that was recently left behind in the hotel. Since the necklace bore the name Lauren, Delphine suggested that it may belong to Lauren. Though Lauren admitted that it wasn’t hers, Delphine invited her to take the necklace if it wasn’t claimed in the coming days.

Delphine and Lauren started an unlikely friendship. Delphine worked and talked while Lauren sat and listened. Delphine agreed with Lauren that the small town was a “dump,” just like many other small towns she had visited. Lauren visited Delphine every day after school but didn’t tell her parents the truth about where she spent her time. Delphine talked about her colorful life, including her failed relationships and personal philosophies. In passing, Delphine brought up the subject of adoption, and Lauren was tempted to tell her the story about the lost baby, but decided against it. Later, Lauren mentioned the topic to Eileen. To assure Lauren that she wasn’t adopted, Eileen showed Lauren the physical marks of her pregnancy. Harry assured Lauren that they didn’t have more children because Lauren was “the only kid [they] need[ed]” (215). They’re not an average family, he says, as they like to move often. One child suits their flexible lifestyle perfectly. Lauren, however, had the persistent, “unsettling” idea that she was adopted.

One day after school, Lauren visited Delphine. Since Lauren was feeling unwell, Delphine invited her for a cup of hot chocolate. Lauren stepped into Delphine’s small, spare room. She noticed that Delphine was flustered. She felt as though there was “something wrong with Delphine” (218). After Lauren had the hot chocolate, Delphine told a story about a young woman named Joyce who needed to leave her house, so she began “hanging around with this guy” (219), who eventually got her pregnant. The man was already in a relationship with another woman and already had two children. He was also a drug dealer whom Joyce was helping with his business. When the man was caught, Joyce was also arrested but was given a suspended sentence due to her pregnancy. Joyce met a Christian doctor and his wife, who offered to help with her baby. They put the baby up for adoption, and Joyce never saw the child again. All she knew was that the baby was a girl. Joyce’s life didn’t turn out as she had hoped. After drifting through life and undergoing several terminations of pregnancies, she began to think of the lost child. She found out the names of the couple who adopted her baby. At this point, Lauren felt uneasy. She tried to leave, but Delphine insisted on finishing the story. Delphine revealed that the adoptive parents moved often, but just as she was about to reveal the adopted child’s name, Lauren insisted on leaving. Delphine reluctantly allowed Lauren to leave, assuring her that she was a “wonderful little girl” (222).

Lauren returned home, still feeling uneasy. She tried to eat cereal but vomited up her food. When Harry and Eileen returned home, they noticed that Lauren was unwell. The next day, Lauren stayed home from school. Harry and Eileen went to work, leaving Lauren alone. She felt increasingly paranoid. Even though Harry and Eileen never locked the doors, she locked herself inside the house and drew the curtains. When the phone rang, she hid, certain that Delphine was trying to reach her. In fact, Eileen was the caller. When Lauren didn’t answer, Eileen rushed home to find the door locked. Eileen eventually got Lauren to open the door, and after 15 minutes, Lauren revealed that she knew about the dead child. She explained “everything,” and Eileen called Harry to come home. A letter was posted through the door, addressed to Lauren, and Lauren knew that it was from Delphine. Inside was the necklace, which Delphine said should be considered a birthday present. Eileen was confused, especially since Delphine seemed to believe that Lauren’s birthday was in March rather than June. Eileen was furious that Delphine had somehow convinced Lauren she was adopted. When Harry returned home, however, he was more understanding.

Harry and Eileen agreed that Lauren shouldn’t return to school, arranging for her to enroll in a private girls’ school in Toronto rather than remain in the “crappy town.” Harry assured Eileen that he had told Delphine to stay away, but Lauren sensed an argument brewing. She noticed that Eileen had opened a bottle of wine. This fit a familiar pattern that she knew well, in which her parents began to drink and argue violently with one another. Lauren was used to the sight and sound of Harry and Eileen venting their many frustrations with one another. She had learned that there was no way to convince them to find one another’s “tender spot”; the fights, which Harry called rows, were always about different things but the same thing. This time, Lauren fell asleep before the fight became too intense.

The next day, Harry woke Lauren, asking her to come speak with him and Eileen. Sleepily, Lauren entered the kitchen. Delphine was also present. They told Lauren the truth about her past, revealing that Delphine was mistaken. Lauren wasn’t Delphine’s lost child. The baby who died in the car crash was adopted by Harry and Eileen when they believed that they couldn’t conceive. After they adopted a baby, they learned that Eileen was pregnant. Harry feared the “domestic chaos” of two young children, especially regarding his career. His fear filtered through to Eileen, making her anxious and fearful, which contributed to the car crash. The adopted baby died; this was Delphine’s baby, whom they had named Lauren. When their own baby was born, they reused the name because it was their “favorite name and also it gave [them] a feeling [they] were starting over” (232). They’d shown Delphine the proof that Lauren isn’t her child and sympathize with her desire to seek out her lost daughter. Now, Harry says, they’ll seek a cathartic closure to the past “as a family” (233).

Harry gives Delphine the box containing the ashes of the dead child. Together, they drive out to a remote, snow-covered riverbank. They scatter the ashes and pray; Eileen hurriedly asks to be forgiven for their “trespasses.” Delphine is silent throughout the ceremony. As they drop Delphine at the hotel afterward, Harry invites her to dine with them sometime, but Delphine makes excuses. Harry and Eileen assure Lauren that she’s loved as Lauren frets about the many burrs that have attached to her pajamas. She wants to remove them all and to yell, but knows that she must “sit and wait” (235) instead.