For widow Elise Jorgenson, life had not turned out how she once dreamed. She must grapple with doing what's right versus pursuing her own dreams, knowing that the happiness just within her reach might never be attained. 20 years after co-ed Elise Jorgenson dreams of being crowned the Delta Rho Chi fraternity's "Darling" and marrying Howard Ellingson with plans for a family, Elise is childless and a widow. However, she is the housemother for the Gamma Alpha Beta sorority at the University of Washington. It's the mid-1960s and the job may prove to be more of a challenge than Elise anticipated, especially when she must confront freshman Riley Paxton. Rebellious and rowdy, Riley chafes against the sorority rules, dislikes her housemother, and struggles to improve her grades. Egged on by her boyfriend, she breaks rules and stays out past curfew, and rebels against Elise's authority. To make matters worse, Riley's father Jack arrives on the scene to solve the problem and rescue his daughter, but a romance blossoms between Jack and Elise. Riley learns the hard way that her boyfriend is not the guy she thought he was. Out of options and feeling isolated, Riley seeks help from her mother Virginia, a globetrotting independent spirit who's been in Spain for over a year. Riley invites her mom to join the family for Thanksgiving with a specific goal: put an end to her father's budding romance. When dreams and desires collide, can Riley and Elise overcome their differences and find the happiness they each seek? The challenges they face just might dash all their hopes and ambitions.