The story begins with a winter storm sweeping across a summer resort town in New Jersey. Maggie, a recent widow, is alone with her grief in a rented cottage on the shore. As the wind howls and blusters around her little red house, she opens her door to a stranger whose car has broken down on a nearby road. He explains that he saw her single light burning on the deserted shore and appeals to her for help and shelter from the storm.

Maggie and Walt quickly become friends . Their advanced age and wisdom afford them the luxury of knowing that life is short so they indulge each day to its fullest. Their friendship is symbolized by this single light that brought them together and rescued each of them from a life filled by loneliness and despair.

Maggie learns that Walt is not a widower, but unlike herself has a wife, Mary, who has been hospitalized with Alzheimer's disease and a fatal heart condition for more than a year. Walt is despondent over his conflicting emotions. His love for Mary is strong, but she has been unresponsive for years because of her illness. Walt feels he needs to go on with his life but feels guilty for doing so.