Martin, a 5-year-old boy of a Jewish family, finds himself on a beach alone, watching the waves. He thinks he sees an ill-formed face within them, which he later professes he believes is God's face. He goes inside to tell his mother about what he saw, and immediately starts thinking about the growing distance he feels between them, which causes him to stalk out of the house in anger. When his mother tries to follow him, he instigates a fight between them, telling his mother "I don't need you anymore." He returns to the shoreline, and continues to reflect on his feelings about his mother. He relates memories of witnessing her interact with a past love, who she "almost married," which horrified Martin, as he felt her enthusiasm toward the man was a betrayal to her husband, Martin's father. Then, coming out of his reminiscence, he finds his father and brother participating in a holiday prayer nearby, and runs over to join them. He tells them of what he has seen in the ocean, and they laugh him off. Once they arrive home, Martin is reminded of the offense he has given his mother, who tells the rest of the family what he has done. He is commanded to apologize, but he never does so, as they shortly begin eating dinner. During the meal, Martin's mother tries to help him prepare his food, which sends him into an indignant rage, ruining the table settings in the process. In the chaos, Martin accidentally kicks his mother, who is implied to be pregnant, causing a grave mood to fall over the family. Martin is eventually forgiven by his parents, but not before his actions cause him to enter a confused, mute state, leading his parents to fight over the events. Once everyone has gone to sleep, Martin returns to the shore to find the sea calm. Pondering the nature of the presence of God and the feeling of the moonlight on him, Martin resolves to serve as a guardian to his family, protecting them from any harm.