Persephone “Percy” Fraser gets home from her friend Chantal’s party a little drunk and with freshly cut bangs, which are the result of her recent breakup with her boyfriend, Sebastian. Although it was her longest-lasting relationship at seven months, the breakup has not affected her much. Percy started dating Sebastian after a string of meaningless flings; she thought that she needed to date someone seriously at the age of 30, but she never felt attached to him. There has only been one person Percy has ever cared about, but he is long gone from her life.

Percy receives a phone call and at first thinks the caller is Sam Florek, the boy she fell in love with as a teenager, as the voice transports her back to when she was 13. However, it is Sam’s older brother, Charlie. It has been 12 years since Percy last saw the Floreks, back when they lived next door to the cottage owned by her parents. Charlie informs Percy that his mother, Sue, has passed away; she had cancer and was sick for a while. Percy is overwhelmed; she loved Sue and use to dream that Sue would be her mother-in-law one day.