Meet Luca, a curious young boy living with his mother, a taciturn woman who "every now and then tries out a new father." Luca keeps to himself, his cat, Blue, and his words --- his favorite toys. One February morning his mom doesn't wake up to bring him to school, so Luca --- with a father who's long gone and driven by a deep fear of being an orphan --- decides to pretend to the world that his mom is still alive.