Barkley "Bark" and Lucy Cooper are an elderly couple who lose their home to foreclosure. They summon four of their five children to break the news and decide where they will live until they can get back on their feet. Only one of the children, Nell, has enough space for both, but she asks for three months to talk her husband into the idea. In the meantime, the temporary solution is for the parents to split up and each live with a different child.