Two high school sweethearts, Lawrence and Caroline, are about to go off to college, but claim they will stay together nonetheless. 25 years later, Lawrence is living back in his hometown, Bayonne, New Jersey, and is a photographer who photographs pets, as well as criminals at the local police station. He receives a surprise phone call from Caroline, who has recently come back home in order to care for her sick father and who is divorced and has a troubled teenage son Johnny. Caroline and Lawrence go on a date and rekindle their relationship, but shortly afterwards she dies in a freak accident.