Born in Volzhsky, raised by a strict and domineering grandmother, Ekaterina lost her mother at an early age. Rare encounters with her father, an old, distinguished captain, shaped her into a strong and uncompromising character. War broke out. Without hesitation, Ekaterina went to work in a hospital. There she found her first love, which also brought her first disappointment. After the war, having graduated from university, Ekaterina became an engineer and head of a river port section. She had a complicated relationship with the head of the shipping company. When he was dismissed from his job due to justified complaints, Ekaterina realized that she had lost the person closest to her forever.