Chris Harrison suffers from low self-esteem, due mainly from the treatment by his father (now left), his mother, and his stammer (and what he considers his big ears!). He has a job as a builders laborer and the other workers tend to make fun of him. It is only when they visit the flooded house of an author, Ken Spiller, and they talk about his ruined books that Chris confesses that he would like to write. Ken encourages him and Chris takes Ken¿s dog, Shannon, for walks until Ken¿s regular walker, Dominic returns from his holiday in Greece. Chris reads one of Ken¿s books and is shocked at his inclusion of a gay couple. Ken argues that love between two people, whatever gender cannot be bad, and when Dominic returns, Chris realizes that they are a couple. He gets on well with Dominic.