To the outside world, forty-eight-year-old Katja seems to have everything going for her. She is beautiful, smart and has a successful career teaching Art History at university. She also seems to be doing well in her private life. But deep down Katja is unhappy. Her fervent desire to have children is not fulfilled and the last glimmer of hope for this evaporates when she makes a shocking discovery. She tries to keep her life on track and focuses entirely on caring for her demented mother and her twin brother Bram, who has Down syndrome.

By chance she finds her old diaries and a photo of her Italian childhood sweetheart Mauro, whom she met near Lake Garda in 1986. Katja delves into her past. Memories that she had hidden away come to the surface and awaken the longing that she has suppressed all these years. Encouraged by her friend Mieke, she goes looking for Mauro. Will she be able to find him? And will she find the courage to face her past and leave behind the feelings of guilt that have determined the direction of her life?