Ember Yates, a junior oil painting major, loses her father suddenly. Left homeless after the funeral, she is taken in by Tristan Thorne, founder of the Art Gallery, who honors the friendship between their fathers. He prepares a dedicated studio for her, treats her gently but never responds to her confessions — only because he worries that being seven years older and more reserved, he is not worthy of her bright, vibrant life. As Ember draws closer to him, he quietly applies for an overseas art residency program for her, sending her to pursue her artistic talent. Misunderstandings accumulate during their long-distance separation, until a social media post visible only to him prompts him to confess his love across the ocean. After the misunderstanding is resolved, Ember returns home with major art awards. Tristan publicly announces their relationship, kneels to propose to her by the sea, and the two, who have finally let go of the constraints of their age gap, receive the answer they have been waiting for from each other.
