 36-year-old Claudia travels with her 7-year-old daughter Sabine to Elba to visit her father, who has suffered a heart attack and has been admitted to hospital there. For Claudia it s the first time for eight years that she s been to the Italian island. Claudia s parents Monika and Karl have been living on Elba for quite some time, and Claudia has been there quite often. But eight years ago, however, she suddenly left the island and went to Germany. Claudia never told anyone the reason why she suddenly left in such a hurry: she was in love with the thirty eight--year-old Marco, a highly-respected surgeon. They had planned to marry -- but Claudia s world was then turned upside down when she met Marco s younger brother Nicola. He fascinated her from the very start, and the two of them spent a passionate night together. A short while later she realized she was pregnant, but didn t know which of the brothers was the father -- whereupon she left the island without any explanation. When Claudia arrives back on Elba, she and her daughter travel straight to the hospital to visit her seriously-ill father. To Claudia s total astonishment, the assistant senior physician at the hospital turns out to be none other than Marco! Claudia s and Marco s reunion is heartfelt, yet overshadowed by Marco s insis-tence on an explanation for Claudia s precipitous departure eight years pre-viously. A sudden and serious deterioration in her father s health takes prece-dence over any thoughts of a frank discussion, however. Shortly after Claudia s arrival, her father s heart finally stops beating for ever. It s very consoling and reassuring for Claudia s mother Monika to have her daughter and granddaughter with her at this very difficult time # and Claudia naturally intends to stay on Elba with her daughter for a while longer. This also gives Marco and herself the opportunity to rediscover the intimacy they formerly shared. Marco has now accepted that Claudia is reluctant to talk about the past or about the identity of Sabine s father. He feels attracted to her more than ever before. Old feelings re-emerge in Claudia too -- and she is especially happy that her daughter really likes Marco. When Marco suggests that she and her daughter could come and live at his place, she doesn t hesitate long before accepting the offer. Monika supports her daughter s decision. But then, one morning, Claudia s past catches up with her: Marco s brother Nicola # who has spent the past few years traveling the world as a photographer # sud-denly appears on the doorstep with his fashion-model girlfriend Martina. He s totally stunned to see Claudia and her young daughter standing before him. Marco -- quite unaware of his younger brother s affair with Claudia all those years ago -- is really pleased that his younger brother has returned after he also left the island eight years previously. Nicola had broken with his brother back then because he blamed him for the death of his girlfriend # the girl had been fatally injured in a traffic accident caused by Nicola. Marco had been unable to do save her life. But now Nicola is ready to face up to the truth, and to be reconciled with his brother. Claudia is firmly determined not to deceive Marco a second time, despite being very much aware of inner turmoil when she sees Nicola again. When her daughter organizes a boat excursion with the two brothers, however, a decisive event occurs: Marco is suddenly called away to the hospital at short notice, and so Nicola, Martina, Claudia and Sabine take the boat out alone for the snorkeling trip. Shortly after their first snorkeling sortie there s a tragic incident: Sabine is hit on the head by a swinging boom on the boat and falls overboard, unconscious. Claudia is paralyzed with shock, but Nicola reacts instantly: he jumps into the sea and saves the young girl s life. Claudia is deeply moved and grateful when she sees her daughter in Nicola s arms. Sabine now looks up to Nicola as her hero too. While Claudia is increasingly realizing just how much Nicola really means to her, and is once again torn between her love for him and Marco, Nicola s girlfriend Martina packs her bags and promptly leaves the island: Nicola has grown far too distant from her ever since they arrived on Elba. Meanwhile Claudia keeps on taking refuge at her mother s place, hoping to work out what she really wants by having discussions with her. Monika persuades her to finally tell the truth. Claudia plucks up all her courage, and confronts the deeply shocked Marco with the events of eight years previously. Even though she still can t admit it to herself, she knows at the bottom of her heart that she s already made her choice # she s in love with Nicola! Claudia s confession leads to a serious altercation between herself and Marco, who finds it extremely difficult to forgive his brother for deceiving him back then. He gets hit even harder, however, when Nicola tells him that he is in love with Claudia. The two brothers realize in desperation that they have become rivals. Marco is the one who finally backs down, because an important fact can no longer be disguised: Marco is alone in the knowledge that he is sterile and cannot have children, so therefore Nicola must be Sabine s father. The next morning Claudia and Marco take their leave of one another at the airport # Marco is going to fly to Argentina to accept a research post in Buenos Aires. They embrace each other warmly one last time # then, with a heavy heart, Marco walks away from the great love of his life, and towards a whole new chapter in his existence. Claudia remains behind with Sabine, filled with melancholy. Then Nicola suddenly appears behind her and takes her in his arms, beaming with joy. Claudia can t believe it when he asks her to marry him. Overjoyed, she falls into his arms... Finally they re all going to be one happy family: Claudia, Nicola and Sabine!