Summary

Gonzalo wrote “a furious and arbitrary poem” about bad fathers “in a Word file (73). He was disgusted with León and frustrated by his seeming lack of relevance in Vicente’s life. He hated the word for stepfather in Spanish and desperately sought an alternative, calling the search, “his padrastro project” (75). Finally he settled on the word “chau” which meant “the mother’s companion, no matter if he’s the biological father or not” (75). After discovering the word, he confronted Vicente about their relationship. He explained that he wanted to be his stepfather even though he and Carla were not married. Vicente was “fully focused on the conversation” (78).

Carla was still giving Gonzalo the silent treatment 10 days later. However, she did agree to accompany Gonzalo to his grandfather’s birthday party. Although his grandfather, deemed “the lech,” had fathered and abandoned...