 Elena Amati moves to a new house with her husband Antonio and her two sons, and soon they meet and befriend their new neighbours, Michael and Maria Gilbert. All is far from well, however, with both marriages. Michael and Elena fall in love, but the future seems hopeless because neither wants to destroy family harmony. This leads to several separations and reconciliations. When the two of them do finally decide to live together, and each is prepared to sacrifice everything for the other, something unexpected happens: Maria discovers that she is expecting Michael s baby. Michael returns to his wife, even though there is hardly any hope left of saving their marriage: Maria has meanwhile fallen in love with journalist Franco Nardi. Even after Elena s husband Antonio is killed in a car accident, Elena and Michael continue to fight their love for one another. It s only when Elena starts contemplating a marriage of convenience with Franco that true love finally wins the day.