Phyllis' husband, Lars, suddenly dies only to leave Phyllis and her daughter Bess with no money. Desperate, they move to San Francisco to live with Lars' mother Audrey and her new husband Jonathan Dexter. At a reception for Lars' friends, Phyllis meets her new boss Julie Erskine, owner of Erskine Photography. Phyllis later discovers that Julie dated Lars at the same time he was dating her and he proposed to Julie first.

Bess goes away on a weekend ski trip. Phyllis makes a phone call to Bess' room to see how she is doing only to find someone else answer the phone, a young man. Phyllis is worried that Bess is no longer her innocent daughter.

Phyllis must try to comfort Julie after she sees her boyfriend with another woman.

The photo studio is in financial trouble and Phyllis tries to land an account for the company but fails. Jonathan decides to invest some money into the business.

Julie had gotten married and closed the photo studio, so Phyllis was out of a job. She tries to find work unsuccessfully, until she is hired as an assistant to a crooked city supervisor. After he is fired the new supervisor is uncertain about hiring Phyllis at first, but reconsiders.

Phyllis' birthday is coming up and no one is throwing her a party or even cares. She then becomes depressed because she has no friends and calls old friend Mary Richards in Minneapolis. Mary flies to San Francisco thinking something is wrong, then is angry when she learns Phyllis just wanted her company for a birthday party.