When recently widowed Vivien announces her love for a new man, Mark, it throws her family of adult children into chaos. The siblings' suspicions about Mark are fueled by rising tensions in their own lives. Helen's focus on her job has led to a rift in her marriage, Jake's gambling debts have caused his wife and kids to leave him, and Natalie is lying to everybody about her secret relationship. Meanwhile, Vivien's neighbour, Mary, is simply trying to protect the family she has known for years. But in a few weeks one of these people will be lying on the beach, terribly injured - perhaps dead.

Vivien shocks her children by announcing she plans to sell their childhood home and go travelling with Mark. Each of the three siblings also has personal problems of their own to contend with: Helen's actions at work are beginning to have an impact on her marriage, Jake is shocked to discover that Leila might be moving on, and Natalie's affair starts to threaten her physical safety.

The children's ongoing distrust starts to put a strain on Vivien and Mark's relationship. Meanwhile, Natalie struggles deal with her situation with Tony, and Jake turns to Stella for advice. Later, Jake unearths a darkly disturbing secret about Mark's past.

Vivien tries to dismiss her children's fears about Mark, even as serious doubts creep into her mind. Jake's chances of reconciling with Leila suffer a potentially fatal blow. Helen is desperate to patch things up with George, even as her career hangs in the balance.