[4] After the death of their father, high school senior Alyosha and his younger sister Nadya are left to navigate life alone.
Determined to protect his sister, Alyosha takes a job at a factory and refuses to send Nadya to an orphanage, despite the advice of others.
When their aunt Zhanna Vasilyevna arrives from Arkhangelsk and offers to take Nadya in, Alyosha declines, choosing to raise her himself.
As Alyosha juggles work and caregiving, he begins a relationship with Lyusya, their neighbor, but their romance falls apart when she demands more of his time.
Seeking connection, Alyosha and Nadya visit their aunt in Arkhangelsk, only to find her husband harsh and critical of young people.