Germany 1944: despite the horrors of the war, Eva Rombach (Christine Neubauer) and her husband Karlheinz (Timothy Peach) are able to enjoy the time he spends with the family while on leave from the front. When Karlheinz has to go back to the front he asks his old friend Sebastian (Martin Feifel), who has been exempted from active duty after being injured, to take care of his wife and little boy. Just before the war ends Karlheinz is taken prisoner of war by the Russians. The letters he writes to Eva never arrive. When trains bringing returnees begin to reach Germany, Eva hopes that her husband will be on one of them - but in vain. Soldiers, who fought alongside Karlheinz, as well as Eva’s family, keep on telling her that it is futile to hope any longer. Finally she surrenders to the advances of Sebastian, who has taken care of her unselfishly for all these years. Then, Karlheinz is suddenly released from Russian prison.