A contemplative story of a Filipino immigrant with a secret past, navigating life alone in New York city. His quest to buy his daughter a special gift in time for her birthday leads him to reconsider whether he should stay and keep hiding or go back home. 

Leon works as a dishwasher in a busy New York deli. His co-workers know very little about him besides the fact that he is never absent at work, is good at crossword puzzles, and is a dependable part of the crew. The highlight of Leon’s days are the early morning phone calls to his wife Angie, and daughter Audrine, whom he was forced to leave behind in the Philippines.

Audrine, extremely saddened that Leon cannot make it home for her birthday, starts having nightmares, and insists on talking to her father more and more often.
He tries to alleviate Audrine’s anxiety by making up bedtime stories about a dishwasher escaping monsters in New York and offers to buy her whatever gift she wants.

Audrine asks for a particular American Girl Doll which Leon finds out costs more than he can afford. With the help of his manager at work, Leon finds a way to make the extra cash needed to buy the gift, but later finds that life in the city doesn’t always work out the way we imagine.