In post-World War II Germany, Rachael Morgan arrives in the ruins of Hamburg to reunite with her British colonel husband, Lewis. The couple is assigned to live in a grand house that was seized from its German owner, Stefan Lubert, a widowed architect. As part of the British occupation effort, Lewis insists that Stefan and his troubled teenage daughter remain in the house as their tenants, a decision Rachael initially resents given the recent loss of her own son during the war. The strained household atmosphere soon gives way to unexpected connections as Rachael begins to see Stefan not simply as the enemy but as a man equally scarred by loss and suffering.

Tensions run high as Rachael and Lewis struggle to rebuild their marriage amid the lingering war trauma and conflicting loyalties. While Lewis immerses himself in his military duties, often distant and emotionally detached, Rachael's interactions with Stefan grow more complex and emotionally charged. The house becomes a symbol of their turmoil, containing both the haunting memories of war and the possibility of reconciliation and new beginnings. As winter sets in and the external environment mirrors their inner coldness, each character is forced to confront their past choices and envision different futures.