In the house, an old man lives with six women. He keeps them inside to do needlework, as he believes the home is where women are supposed to be, not outside in the dangerous world. Specifically, he lives with his sister, his wife, and four daughters, the youngest of which is nineteen. The house is self-sufficient for the most part, until the old man breaks his leg and is bed-ridden for some time. The other women offer to take his responsibilities, but he refuses. Instead, he calls for his nephew, who will get room, board, and compensation in return for undertaking his duties.

When the boy first arrives, he meets his cousin, the youngest daughter of the house. They vaguely remember each other from a long-ago wedding. He then goes to speak with his uncle, after which he asks her to help him set up his cot. From then on, he proves to be a useful addition to the house. Even after the old man’s leg heals, he decides to keep employing his nephew so that he can spend more time at the cantina, as it will save him the trouble of having to marry off daughters.

Eventually, the youngest daughter takes a liking to the boy and seeks his attention. She spies on him often and tries to spend time with him. They soon bond over magazines, and he secretly buys and brings her them to read. They often meet at night, either on the patio or in the car. One night, in the car, they get the idea to go to his bedroom, but their plan is awkwardly thwarted by a stranger selling camotes at night.

The youngest daughter is now awkward around the boy and tries to avoid him. She still thinks about him from time to time and is struck with ambivalence. Her mother thinks she’s got the chills, so she stays in and hides under her blankets. One day, however, she heads into his room and undresses for him. They make love, silently, and continue getting closer henceforth albeit cautiously as to not arouse suspicion among the others. Eventually, the boy says that he can put enough money aside, and even take some from his uncle, in order to run away with her.

After a few months, the boy has changed into a more confident and sure man. He gives the youngest daughter gifts, which she likes at first, though she soon finds a sense of dread to them. She feels like his good deeds clash with the nature of her house. She continues to feel sick in her head, and her mother still chalks it up to the chills. One supper, she tells the boy that she feels like there’s something wrong with the house. She feels like she’ll eventually be caught with him and his things.

One month later, the boy and the youngest daughter go shopping for Christmas. She sees a Baby Jesus resting in a shop window, which makes her sick. She tells the boy that she wants to leave now. Every day, she feels sick and without any sense of getting better. She can hardly sleep. Later, at home, they have a slice of bread at the table with the uncle, but when she jumps up at the sight of the Baby Jesus in her bread, she gets scolded.

The youngest daughter knows she won’t survive another day in the house. She begs the boy to take her away, but they still stay. One morning, however, the boy comes in to her room and asks her why she hasn’t gotten ready to leave. She doesn’t remember them talking about actually leaving. Now, she feels like she has to stay, as she’s tired, and she doesn’t believe that the world outside will treat her well. In the kitchen, she prepares him a coffee as he talks about leaving the house forever. She then realizes that the problem all along was that the boy invited doom into her house, changing everything with his arrival. She knows she won’t last if she leaves with him. She tells him that her place is here. The boy remains firm on his stance to leave right that second. He then takes a sip of the coffee she made him, which has raticide in it.