Nikolai Andreevich, a retired widower and devoted grandfather, is quietly pushed out of his home by Valery’s wife, Olga—not through anger, but through subtle, “gentle cruelty.” Cast out, he wanders the streets until his first love, Maria Sergeevna, finds him and offers hospitality: tea, warmth, kindness. As weeks pass, his spirit revives in her care.
Then Valery appears, remorseful—Olga has left—and asks forgiveness. Nikolai grants it but declines to return home. He chooses the warm refuge Maria offers. Together, they build a life rooted in affection and mutual respect, eventually marrying quietly, with Valery and his son Sasha present. When Sasha brings a drawing of Nikolai and Maria on a bench, it symbolizes the new family they’ve become. Nikolai, inspired, begins writing memoirs for Sasha: life may be hard, but love and second chances make it meaningful.