As the pandemic sweeps across the nation, Beverly and her substantial family stay in a tiny house, rationing the space as well as food as best they can. The family gets along well enough, except for Beverly’s granddaughter Ellie. Beverly and Ellie used to be very close, but time pulled them apart. One day, Beverly decides to add crushed ice to the ice cream that the entire family shares, allowing them to extend the experience of eating ice cream without having to spend money on more ice cream. She calls this innovation ice ice cream and while the taste left much to be desired, the family falls in love with it. Ellie is resistant to the concept, until Beverly sits down with her and forces her to eat a bowl. While Ellie complains the whole time, the relationship between them thaws as the fondness they have for each other becomes apparent. Once the pandemic ends, ice ice cream becomes somewhat of a cultural delicacy akin to the rice tea of Japan and the chicory coffee of Louisiana as the family shares the dessert with friends who also pass it on to their peers.