Nickie Bellow is a self-destructive drifter ever mourning the disappearance of his younger brother. He has spent the inaugural years of adult life drowning his grief in alcohol and violence. By the fifth anniversary of his brother's disappearance, he has reached his nadir. Fired from his menial job, he is poised once again for an aimless life. Then he meets Emily. The two form an immediate, inseparable bond. It is love at first sight deepened by a shared sense of sorrow.