This poignant play shows a daughter dealing with her father as he quickly descends into the forgetfulness of Alzheimer’s disease. The play opens with Robin discussing her marriage problems with Abe, her ailing father. We immediately sense that Abe is not altogether there by the responses he gives to Robin. She is angry because Bob, her husband, planned their vacation without asking her first, and she doesn’t want to visit Bob’s brother at all. Abe replies that nothing beats fishing, and he tells Robin about the wonderful times he had fishing with her mother. Robin tries to tell Abe she doesn’t like fishing, but it’s no use. The old man is lost in his memories.
Abe shows up at Bob and Robin’s house to watch television. He has completely forgotten his doctor’s appointment again. Robin has to take the day off work to take her father in for his tests. Later, Robin and Bob are discussing what should be done about Abe. Bob thinks Abe belongs in a nursing home, but Robin insists that taking care of him herself is the right thing to do.
Abe annoys them both by losing all things and not being able to carry on a conversation. He entertains himself by watching a movie, forgetting he has watched it, and watching it again. The situation gets completely out of control when Abe goes for a walk and forgets where he is. Not knowing how to get back, he tries to call Robin, but he can’t remember the phone number. Bob finds him sitting on a park bench feeding the pigeons and missing one shoe. Bob tells Abe he has been lost for twelve hours. He tries to take Abe home, but Abe has no idea who Bob is and how Bob knows him.
Robin finally puts Abe in a nursing home. Abe complains vehemently, but Robin goes to see him every day and tells him stories about how he and her mother used to go fishing together. Although Abe retains no memory of Bob, the story about fishing on the lake is the one thing he seems to remember.