Lily moves to Boston despite a difficult childhood and starts life with a clean slate. Her dream is a business of her own. A chance meeting with the neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid stirs strong feelings between them. Lily sees in Ryle traits that remind her of her parents’ relationship. When Lily’s first love, Atlas Corrigan, comes back into her life, her relationship with Ryle changes, and Lily realises the time has come to make an unbearably difficult choice for her future.