Gracie Mae escapes the madness of an abusive husband when she and her children, Ella 4 years of age, and Jacob, only 18 months old, move back to Gracie's home town of Sanford, Illinois where they take shelter with her sister and fiance, Greta and Frank. The attraction to Dr. John Azzari was immediate when a visit to the pediatrician office became necessary due to Jacob's ear infections. As a receptive pediatrician, John sensed this family was running from something, or someone. When Gracie Mae confides in the gracious doctor, the magnetism between them is amplified to a new level. Whenever Gracie finally felt she could live a life of happiness with her small children, her feelings of hopeful contentment were crushed by threats from her husband, Rich, which eventually became a horrific reality."