Esther (Elena Uhlig) has no choice: she has to go into hospital for an urgent operation, and at the last moment her best friend announces that she can't look after Esther’s two sons, Bruno (Orlando Lenzen) and Jonathan (Paul von Kuhnardt), after all. Which only leaves her brother Hannes (Fritz Karl). Hannes is an eccentric character who insists on everything around him being ordered and regular. For years brother and sister have had no contact, because Hannes felt that Esther didn't do as much as she should have done to take care of their father when he was sick. Since then he has devoted himself entirely to his car repair shop and his hobby -- vintage cars -- while Esther has been struggling through life as a single mother. But now her brother is her only hope. When he refuses, all she can do is turn away and start to walk home... but at the last moment Hannes agrees to take on the boys, though not without presenting them with a long list of rules and regulations. However, boys will be boys, and before long Hannes’ orderly lifestyle is in tatters. He is given unexpected support by the young woman next door, Lilli (Tina Ruland). She agrees to help look after the two boys while Esther is in hospital. And with her cheerful manner she manages to find a chink in his gruff armour; he even ends up inviting her to a vintage car race against his archrival Fritz Kaminski (Christian Tasche), who is secretly having an affair with Hannes' secretary Maren (Dagmar Sachse). But just before the race is due to begin they get undramatic news: Esther has collapsed in hospital and will have to undergo an emergency operation.