Lyuba is a lonely, long-time mistress. Her husband once persuaded her to terminate a pregnancy, then left her for a younger woman. She never remarried. Her friend Manechka arrives in town to adopt a child, but due to difficulties with the paperwork, she persuades Lyuba to temporarily take custody. But Manechka dies in an accident, and Lyuba becomes the sole guardian of a teenage girl, Dasha. Dasha turns out to be a difficult child and significantly disrupts her life. Lyuba is forced to meet her homeroom teacher, Evgeny Olegovich. A chemistry develops between them. As luck would have it, Dasha also falls in love with Evgeny. The budding relationship between Dasha and Lyuba is shattered by the man they both love.