Claire Noble gave up on her dreams long ago. A single mother and respected history teacher, she has also been caring for her aging parents. But now it's finally Claire's turn. She has fallen in love with Rick Saunders, who is offering her both security and the opportunity to travel. Before their fall wedding, she will be leaving for a summer on Cape Cod, where the fabled light has been luring artists for a century, to study with one of the most noted photographers in the country.

But just as Claire is about to step into her new life, her estranged daughter suddenly shows up with a backpack full of problems. Claire's father reveals a fifty-year-old secret that threatens to unravel their family. And her mother confides that at seventy-eight years old, she's still waiting for the love of her life. Caught between her dreams and family demands, Claire is about to make the toughest decision of her life when a chance encounter with an environmental writer causes her to question everything she thought she wanted.