5-year-old Oliver is determined not to cry. While his father is weeping behind closed doors and his mother is trying to keep the family afloat, Oliver is attempting to keep himself in control while discussing his problems with his grandmother who lives in the strange new vase on the bookcase. However, everything becomes complicated when moths begin to leave dust prints on windows, a strange neighbor moves in across the street, and Oliver's father finds a microphone under his son's bed.