Fearing that he's still in love with his ex Kitty, artist Louisa Garrison dumps her boyfriend Ethan. When Ethan is killed in a car wreck, Louisa goes to Kitty and the two become friends, Kitty never understanding the nature of Louisa's relationship with Ethan. When she learns her sister is dying of cancer, Louisa lights out for an artistic retreat, where she shuts out the outside world and becomes more deeply obsessed with her work.