After a year apart, Maryanne returns to her husband, Roy, bringing their eight-year-old son Daniel and his teenage sister Freya. The family move from Sydney to Newcastle, where Roy has bought a derelict house. As Roy patches holes in the floor and plasters over, Maryanne believes that they can rebuild a life together. But Freya doesn't want a fresh start - she just wants out - and Daniel drifts around the run-down house in a dream, infuriating his father, who soon forgets the promises he has made. Some cracks can never be smoothed over, and tension grows until their uneasy peace is ruptured.