In December 2008, Bob Morrison is eleven-months unemployed. Though an active participant in a weekly job search group, Bob’s skills are a poor fit for the meager opportunities where he lives with his wife, Stephanie. Her job in higher education has paid some, but not all, of their bills. Bob’s unemployment benefits will end in January. After creditors leave threatening voicemail messages, Stephanie secretly searches for a better-paying job in a larger city. Their college-student daughter, Michelle, schemes to avoid the family drama by spending Christmas with a new boyfriend in Long Island. Seeing how the financial stress affects her parents’ marriage, she is ready to leave her devoted high school boyfriend for the prospect of marrying into a wealthy family.

Arguments, deception, and the possibility of an affair threaten to pull apart this family. Early in the story, Bob finds a tiny, nearly-frozen kitten hiding inside their garage. Rescuing the kitten and searching for its owner present Bob with a new job opportunity. But will he be willing to take a chance on a new direction in time for Christmas?