As she waited in the darkness of the auditorium to watch their youngest son take his diploma in hand, Ellen Brighton had taken her husband's hand and squeezed it. She realized again how right she had been to marry the man seated beside her. She could think of no one she would rather be marooned on a desert island with than this man who was her husband, her friend, her lover. Suddenly, the empty nest before her had felt wonderfully full. But that bright anticipation of the future is cut short when Ellen's health begins to fail. A devastating medical diagnosis is followed by a heart-rending search to understand why God would allow this to happen to them. Yet Jake's love remains strong, even when he is overwhelmed by the changes and adjustments he must endure. Then, quite innocently, Jake meets Julia Sinclair, a young widow who understands his struggle as no else can. And as their friendship grows, Jake finds himself faced with the most difficult decision he can ever make regarding his love Ellen.