Lewis Dark's wife dies in a fire. Less than a year after her death, Lewis begins seeing a woman named Vicky, and she and her three children move into Lewis's house. Lewis works as a salesman, selling expensive espresso makers to restauranteurs. Vicky is a waitress, but her true passion lies in making podcasts. Strangers stream back and forth from Lewis's garden shed while Vicky interviews them for her oral stories. Vicky's ex-husband is named Stan, a Polish man who subsists on disability checks and alimony. He loves his kids deeply. Vicky can be temperamental, so both her children and Stan are grateful for Lewis's presence in the kid's lives. Soon, Stan begins joining Lewis and Lewis's friend Brian for drinks, and their discussions become more philosophical with Stan's presence. Lewis begins to understand that Stan is at times a deeply unhappy person. One day, Stan calls Lewis from the hospital and Lewis drives over to meet him. When Lewis arrives, Stan tells him that he didn't have anyone else to call. He is in the hospital because he took pills, not for the first time. This is the main reason why Vicky left him — it was bad for the kids, she said. Lewis talks about his wife, who died in a fire at a hotel, about how his wife's sister made it out safely but his wife did not. Stan is released from the hospital and Lewis drives him back to his apartment. In gratitude, Stan gives Lewis a book of his poems, published in Polish. Lewis wishes he could understand them. After Stan goes to sleep, Lewis stays behind in Stan's apartment, trying to translate the poems. He feels alive and alert; he will stay up all night.