Harriet, a widow and single mother of three, awakes early one morning to find her family's cat dying in the backyard, having been hit by a car. Her and the children have a funeral for the pet later that morning before she drives them to school. She has taken the day off of work, so she is sitting at home when, around three o'clock that afternoon, a taxi pulls into the driveway and her ex-lover Joe emerges carrying several boxes covered in Christmas wrapping paper. She yells out of the window and tells Joe to leave, but he heads straight for the garage door, which he knows is unlocked, and makes it inside before Harriet has time to stop him. The kids, eleven-year-old Johnny, eight-year-old Joan, and seven-year-old Millie, get home soon after, and Joe gives them all Christmas gifts, even Harriet, despite the fact that it is only October. The children are all excited to see Joe, who, two years ago, had left after living with them for almost four years. Harriet remains angry, however, and consistently demands that Joe leave. He ignores her protests and continues cracking jokes and complimenting the children, until finally, Harriet agrees to talk to Joe after he makes her a drink and meets her outside on the terrace. Once outside, Joe casually explains to Harriet that he is planning on dying at nine thirty-six that evening. His doctor has diagnosed him with a psychosomatic heart condition, and he later saw a fortune teller who told him the exact date and time that he would die. Joe has welcomed this fate and feels that it is right that he no longer live, since, in all of his life so far, he has never been able to succeed at anything. He whole-heartedly believes the fortune teller, saying that plenty of people have died before from sheer will power. The kids put on a play in the garage and invite their mother and Joe to watch. They use props they have collected from a nearby marina to pretend to be sailors on a tropical island. After the play ends, Joe finishes his conversation with Harriet and then tells the children about his plans for the evening. Harriet is upset with Joe for involving the kids and potentially scaring them, but the children, not fully understanding Joe's intentions, agree to help him put on a grand show for the occasion. They return to the garage, and this time Joe gets in the bosun chair, the prop that Johnny had used earlier to play a sailor. He grabs a banjo and plays a few songs while the children use the ropes to pull him into the air. Joe then makes a speech about journeying into the heavens and meeting God. As it reaches nine thirty, Harriet asks Joe to stop, now more desperately, and the children begin to join in with her pleas, but Joe continues his performance, singing a song about their dead cat. At nine thirty-six, Joe slumps over in pain and the kids lower him to the ground. Harriet rushes to his side and begs him to stay alive, saying he can stay with her and the children as long as he needs to. Then, after a while, Joe finally sits up.