Summary

In the final, novella-length story of Alarcón’s collection, a man named Hernán arrives in an unnamed port city. He is on a one-year leave from his literature professorship at a university in the capital, and he has likely ended his marriage to his wife, Adri. On his way to the port, where he plans to look for work, a woman named Clarisa asks him to come into her house and help her get a pot from a high shelf – her husband is at sea, and will be for another six months. She and Hernán sleep together, and that evening Hernán moves in with her.

The next day, Clarisa goes to work at a boutique downtown, which she co-owns with her friend Lena. Hernán spends the day wandering around town, and he reflects on how he met Adri...