Fourteen-year-old Julian's parents separated when he was a baby and he is still angry and hurt.

His mother has had relationships since--all of which have ended disastrously—but this time it seems serious. Jean-Paul looks like he might be the real thing. Julian is wary—and critical—as he comes to terms with the fact that he and his brother may have to let down their defenses and allow their mother to find happiness. On a road trip with his mother and her new beau, Julian finds that love—and happiness—come in many guises. In the end, he realizes that it is not blood that determines true family, but the willingness to stand together.