On her 18th birthday, Connie Doyle (Ricki Lake) meets lowlife Steve DeCunzo (Loren Dean). She moves in with him and winds up pregnant. He kicks her out when she won't get rid of the baby, denying responsibility. Months later, a destitute Connie gets inadvertently swept aboard a train at Grand Central Terminal. With no ticket and no money, Connie is rescued by Hugh Winterbourne (Brendan Fraser), who takes her to his private compartment. She meets his wife, Patricia, (Susan Haskell) who is also pregnant. Patricia and Connie bond, and Patricia shows Connie her wedding band, which has the couple's names engraved on the inside. Patricia encourages Connie to try the ring on. When the train suddenly crashes, Patricia is thrown outside, leaving Connie the only one in the private compartment.