Karl sets out to hire a carer for Norma, although he doesn't think she really needs one. When Norma's new carer Ruby arrives, he begins to feel increasingly useless.
Karl takes a job as a chauffeur in order to pay for a new car and, eventually, a place of his own but his new job prevents him from spending time with Norma.
A health scare sends Karl into despair when he realises he may have another forty years to live. Ruby convinces him to go back to Manchester to see an old friend.
Karl and Ruby take a trip to New York to clear up some family business. The trip brings Karl and Ruby teasingly close together, but will they finally get together before it's too late?