On their fourteenth wedding anniversary two days before Christmas, Elliot Banner drives his wife, Laura, to the hospital. Her searing headache spells terrible news, and, knowing that she must act fast, Laura calmly gathers her family around her for the last time. In celebrating their lives together, a whole family history unfolds in a single night as they come to understand how much they share. Mitchard's family drama is a poignant reminder of the true meaning of the season.