Alex Sinclair and Lonny LaFreniere are quite different from one another: Alex is loving and open, whereas Lonny has built walls to keep others at a distance. Nonetheless, they both have to learn how to grieve, and what limits to set on grief. They also struggle with identity. Alex has grown up with her mother, aunt, and grandfather.

Her heritage on her mother's side is Dene and Cree. Her father, whom she barely remembers, is white. She has grown up her mother's daughter, curious yet afraid to know more about her father. Because her mother will not discuss him with her, Alex speculates about the reasons behind his abandonment, alternately blaming herself and believing there to be a terrible secret about her father. Lonny has his own terrible secret. He believes that he killed his mother, and her death haunts him. Left with his...