Rainier lives a charmed life. She has a good husband, three wonderful children, a house overlooking Puget Sound and a teaching position at the University of Washington. However, many days she feels lost and alone. She longs to learn how to feel alive again without thinking about how to live. Like she did before her adoptive parents passed away and her husband became another fixture around the house.
In her search for happiness she replays the reels of her past trying to discover what made her once blissfully content. Her strongest memories always bring her back to college at the University of California, Berkeley. Topping her list of events is the day the Western Tiger Swallowtail successfully flew through the snow flurries. By her side were her boyfriend Josh, and Eric, their good friend. They witnessed the unheard of sighting together. Could something so beautiful have torn them apart?
Rainier is deeply moved that day for several reasons, but she never imagined the impact it would have on all three of their stories.