Paul and Paula meet by chance in a bar. They know each other, and have for some time, but have never really connected. Paul is unhappily married. Paula has two children and is being courted by an older tire salesman - and marriage to him would be a wise choice for her children After their bar encounter, they become lovers and fall in love. However, there are several roadblocks on their way to a happy life together. Paul is indecisive to a fault, and he almost loses Paula by his hemming and hawing; she feels betrayed by him. When one of her children dies in an accident, she blames herself and leaves him. When she′s gone, Paul finally realizes what he′s lost and fights to win her back. The rest of their struggle, as witnessed by everyone around them, is touching and moves everyone to sympathy. But the birth of the legend of Paul and Paula is the ultimate tragedy, and brings to their tale new levels of heartbreak.