"Tragedy strikes us all. We differ only in how we deal with it." Leo Smith learns this lesson in the toughest time of his life. In a brief journey traversing two states and eight miles of ocean, a distraught young man will leave his mother, reunite with his father, and most important, find his brother. Walter Roberts dominates. Erudite, athletic, and indifferent to all the unwritten rules of youth, he exists only for himself and his best friend. However, Walter has a secret, one that will ultimately challenge his friendship with Leo.