Since sixteen-year-old Riley Strout lost her mother two years ago, her survival has depended on the quirky little family formed from a grief support group at school. Jay, Kate, and Noah understand her pain; each lost a loved one. The four have stuck together in spite of their differences, united by tragedies only they understand. When Riley sees her mother shopping in a grocery store, she fears she is suffering from some sort of post-traumatic stress episode - until Jay and Kate report similar visions. Noah is the only one who hasn't shared their experience. He withdraws from the others, skeptical and distant, and then suddenly disappears.