Joy marries a widowed bank executive caught in an ethical dilemma. She misreads his obvious frustration while at the same time, struggles to integrate into her new family. This novel explores the challenges of second marriages and dealing with stepchildren during the crucial years of puberty and teenage angst. A college professor coming up shortly for the huge tenure decision, Joy finds herself falling apart as her career and her home issues deteriorate and collide. The truth about Ray’s relationship with his first wife hovers in the background adding to Joy’s difficulty in adapting to her new life.