The plot follows Bernard Fine, a fictional character in his 30's who has recently been promoted to senior vice-president of Wolff's Department Store in his home town of New York. Although enjoying his life, Bernie is sent to San Francisco to open a new Wolff's store. Bernie gets a new outlook on life when he falls in love with Liz O'Reilly, a resident in California and her daughter, named Jane. After forming a relationship, Liz becomes pregnant with their first child, only to devlop cancer shortly after the birth, given only a short amount of time to live.