Jake and his mom are a team. There is only the two of the them since his dad died, with the occasional assist from there friend Suzie, Aunt Ginny, or the next door neighbor Mrs. Buttermark. Christmas is close and the weather has turned icy cold in the Northeast. Thinking how much he would like a bike like Joey Ziglar's, Jake is caught by surprise when his mom slips in the grocery store parking lot and is rushed to the emergency room in an ambulance. With both Suzie and Aunt Ginny are out of town, Jake is suddenly very alone when a Grandfather that he has never seen in person arrives to take care of him and to organize Christmas.