Mary, a new mother, wonders how best to divide her time and attention among her two children: Frederick, her firstborn son, and Hannah, her daughter with spina bifida, who she hadn't planned to have. Meanwhile, Mary's sister, Paula, has her own troubles with her four children; the eldest daughter Karen runs away.
At the end of the story, Mary has accepted how her family's time and love is spent. She finds that Hannah's new swimming physiotherapy aide is the once-rebellious Karen.
