Matt Kell dies from a slow cancer, leaving wife Gina and two preteen sons Drew and Sam. A bit later, Matt's best mate Michael Spehn loses his wife Cathy to rapid cancer, leaving him with three preteens: Jack, Danny, and Charlotte. Both families struggle to resume a somewhat normal life, but the parents feel stifled by the helpful small-town community and Michael by his busybody parent-in-law. Over time, the widow(er) duo finds support among each other and grows ever closer, as the kids instantly bond to become inseparable playmates. After a year, rumors about an "indecent" romance and Charlotte's hostility against "unwanted mother-substitute" Gina nearly overrule the joint family vote to virtually merge, but the boys' eagerness to all play angels at the parish Christmas pageant triggers truth time.—KGF Vissers