John has been best friends with Max Wheeler since their school days, and when Max has his son Ian, he names John Ian’s godfather. Unimpressed by Ian but obligated through friendship, John accepts. John has always disliked Max’s wife Lisa, feeling his relationship with Max threatened by her presence. Despite his best efforts, John does not warm up to Ian. Much to John’s relief, the boy dies in a car crash at the age of three. Although he tries to comfort his friend, the two grow increasingly distant until Max and Lisa move from England to Australia and stop contacting John altogether.

One day, Max reaches out to John with the hope of catching up. His mother is dying, and he has come back to England to see her off. Max and John meet in a pub, where John notices Max is mysteriously euphoric. They talk and drink, culminating in Max’s proposal for John to visit him in his countryside manor with Lisa. When he arrives, he realizes Lisa has grown more beautiful with age. She and Max give John a tour of the house, finishing in the gardens Lisa designed herself. They show John the flowers Lisa planted, still not blossomed in the winter weather, as well as a path leading to yet-to-be-filled pond. At the center of the pond is a statue of Ian as a cherub, his mouth open, ready to gush out water that has not been pumped in yet. When the tour is finished, the three lounge inside the house, eating dinner and sharing childhood stories. Max and Lisa then tell John he will be staying in the room they left for Ian, discomforting John.

The room has a window looking out at Ian’s fountain. As John is sleeping, he is woken by the sound of running water. Curious, he looks out the window, knowing the pond and fountain can’t be running because he saw they were empty earlier that day. He notices the lower left windowpane shows the path to the pond gleaming, while the central pane shows the unordinary scene of the tour. Then, Lisa enters his bedroom. She makes advances on him, telling him Max knows about her actions and that this is her way of coping. John reluctantly turns his attention from the window and sleeps with her. Afterwards, he quietly visits the pane again and sees the flowers have somehow blossomed, the path is glowing, and Ian is spewing water from his mouth. He then sees Max, naked and dreary, trudging towards the fountain. He clings to the statue, screaming and crying, then presses his lips to Ian’s and drinks the water. John pounds on the glass, calling for Max. When the window finally gives, the scene is gone.

The next day, everything seems fine between John, Max, and Lisa. John was meant to come with them to church, but they decided he needed to rest more. They share a calm morning before Max cheerfully tells John he has business to conduct. John parts ways with the Wheelers, then grows distant with them again. He hears from another friend a couple years later that Lisa and Max separated. Lisa then writes John a letter, explaining to him he is still dear to her and that he could save her. She tells him he could stay at the countryside manor again, but John does not reply.