Summary

Theo Byrne and his son Robin were visiting the Smoky Mountains two days before Robin's ninth birthday. They looked through a telescope and discussed the possibility of life on other planets. Theo took Robin, who was neurodiverse, to the Smokies because he was having trouble getting along with his school classmates. They decided to sleep outside, and Robin read a book about animals before bed. They recited a “secular prayer” (3) Robin's mother, Alyssa (Aly), used to say.

Robin had been diagnosed as being “on the spectrum” (5). He often became singularly focused on new hobbies and interests, felt comforted by the repetition of old stories and memories, and had gotten in trouble at school for threatening other students. Theo believed his son was just different, and that he had been profoundly affected by his mother's death two years earlier.

The next day, Robin and...