The writer Charlotte (Stephanie Petrowitz) has gone to a Spanish island to work there in the villa of the elderly lady Renate (Ruth Diehl) on her new novel. The story she develops is about a woman who is married to an astronaut and waits many years for him to return from a mission in space. During her stay, Charlotte gets insights into the fates of some of her fellow human beings. Renate was once abandoned by her husband and has begun a relationship with the much younger Sal (Hubertus Hiess), although she still hopes to see her husband again some day. Renate's neighbor Robert (Godehard Giese), who uses his house on the island as a holiday home, has arrived with his little daughter Lene (Svana Burger) and his girlfriend Karolin (Ursula Renecke); Lene's mother died some time ago. Encountering these people and exploring the area inspires Charlotte's imagination, but also evokes painful memories.