It has been ninety years since humanity made contact with the Cheron. No human has seen a Cheron, or visited their planet. Humanity knows almost nothing about them, aside from being told they are "very different" from humans. After nearly a century of silence, the people of Earth receive a single message:

"Prepare to receive our envoy."

David Ferguson is a career diplomat. After the loss of his wife, he spent years preparing for this moment. But when the "envoy" of the Cheron appears to be a human child, he realizes nothing could have prepared him for what lies ahead. Taking her into his home, he learns more about her mysterious species, and teaches her about life on Earth: about friendship, loss, and how we are remembered. And in the end, he finds something he thought he'd missed out on: the chance to become a parent.