Ellie's father believed one should reach for their dreams and, before he mysteriously disappeared, he instilled that in his daughter. However, he also taught her about keeping secrets, and unpredictable and disastrous secrets formed to whirl throughout her life. When the lessons of her father were combined with the childhood pact Ellie made with her friend, Franny, a series of tangled mysteries occurred. As the years passed, Franny was the one to always help Ellie until one stormy night; Ellie was pregnant and home with only her two-year-old when the lights and telephones went out. Her water broke, labor began, and she had no help. Unexpectedly, Franny and her husband, Dr. Cohen, knocked at the door. Twins were born and a secret pact was made when Ellie gave one twin to Franny who could not bear a child. Ellie asked that the child be called Rose Cohen. For decades, the threads that tightly knit the two friends created happiness in their lives, until Ellie began to drink. Secrets started to emerge, but only the persistence of Rose Cohen allowed the enigmas of Ellie's life to be untangled.
