Abused by her alcoholic father, Kathy runs away to her grandparents. She eventually comes to realize that her reformed father needs help rather than censure.
While Libby and Ian, who live with their non-conformist father, experience the problems of starting over at a new high school, their mother resurfaces in their lives and wants them to come and live with her in California.
Ryan, living with his mom in a motel room, thinks things are really going to change when his mom wins over a million dollars in the lottery, but his mom's trusting nature and inability to say no nearly leads to disaster.