"When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." A motto most people know and live by. But you can't quite make lemonade without sugar, which is exactly what Ellie Gruft is missing. She was living a happy Californian life when life pummeled lemons at her. Her family disappeared without any trace, so her newly discovered god-father takes Ellie back to Washington where she must try to find at least a little bit of normalcy in this murky situation. She wasn't expecting to find any sugar, but she meets a guy that may fulfill the requirements. Will she find out what happened to her family? Will this guy be the sugar she needs or is he going to end up the salt in her wound?