An aging actress' husband dies of a heart attack en route to Rome, where they'd planned to holiday. There, she rents an apartment and, through the Contessa, she meets a young man, with whom she begins an affair.
Carpenter Arturo writes kids' stories in his spare time until a chance encounter propels him into literary stardom. At the peak of his success, he has a one-night stand with beautiful Matilde. Months after, when he retreats in the woods to work on new stories, Matilde shows up holding a baby in her arms...