Daphne's Greek-American family is doing better than expected during the Great Depression, so they are able to take in 'strays' every now and then - one of whom is Joshua X, an artist who Daphne quickly falls in love with. But she is only twelve, and he sees her as a child. Meanwhile, Daphne's father is interested in getting a woman for Joshua, partly so that he can live vicariously through the young man's exploits. Despite his efforts, he is unsuccessful until Joshua lays eyes on Vasiliki. Vasiliki is a Greek girl primarily interested in the connections that she can make through Daphne's family, and she quickly ingratiates herself with Daphne, her mother, and her brother Jason. Joshua, who has thus far been impervious to the charms of women, is taken with her uncommon beauty and resolves to make a 'box' for her. As an artist, Joshua's focus is surrealist art; he makes boxes with sliding glass panels and places trinkets within it. Daphne had been both overjoyed and deeply hurt when Joshua made her a box called 'Little Side-Dreams' - but she pushes the hurt aside and focuses on her friendship with Vasiliki. Vasiliki is unimpressed by Joshua's boxes. She takes Daphne out for ice-cream and confides in her, saying that Joshua is mostly likely a pervert and his boxes are strange and horrifying. Having made a box for her, Joshua is unprepared for what happens when he goes to deliver it; she has him arrested, and the police confiscate all his boxes from the basement. Even though the case is later dropped, the boxes are mistakenly incinerated, after which Joshua slashes his wrists. He is admitted to a hospital and eventually recovers, even though his art is never the same again. Daphne grows up and goes to college, where she has sexual adventures with the military boys from the nearby camp. One night, after several drinks, she takes a bus to Joshua's house and tells him every little detail of these adventures. He rebukes her sharply and drives her back, after which she sends him an apology letter including a confession of her love. He writes back, saying he loves her too, but she does not take it seriously. A week later, Joshua catches pneumonia and dies. Her family reveals to her much later that Joshua felt genuine love for her, and might even have waited for her to be old enough to return this love. Daphne mourns Joshua in her own way, wondering if she could have saved him.