The story begins as Arnold, a Haitian immigrant in Miami, falls 600 feet from the construction site where he’s working into a cement mixer. As Arnold falls, time seems to slow, and moments from his life flash before his eyes. He thinks about thinks about his son, Paris, and his partner, Darline, and the rhythm of their lives together in Miami. Arnold and Darline met on the day he arrived in America: he had paid all of his savings to secure passage on a boat from Haiti, but the captain had abandoned him and 13 others at sea. All four of the women and many of the men onboard drowned; Arnold and a few other men survived and were washed onto the beaches of Miami, where Darline was waiting. Pretending to be Arnold’s wife, Darline took him from the beach and hid him from the police who patrol the beach and detain immigrants arriving by sea. Eventually, Darline reveals that she had a similar experience while coming to America: although Darline was able to pull her son Paris to safety, her husband had drowned off the same beach where Arnold’s boat arrived. Darline returns to the beach in order to help people in similar situations.