Valerie Stone is a widow in her late 30s. He husband died when her daughters, Holly and Alix, were quite young. She is a middle-income professional, mature and somewhat serious, who bears much of the financial burden for her extended family. Besides her own two daughters, Val shares her home with her economically strapped sister (who has a 2-year-old son), her mother and a yappy little dog --creating a household filled with controlled chaos.

Val's deceased husband was the love of her life, and between the pressures of a full-time job and raising her daughters she's had little interest in romance. Recently, however, a chance encounter with a motorcycle cop has added a little excitement to her life.

Joan is Val's younger sister. She has a 2-year-old son named Max, and has lived with Val ever since her husband Leon went out for milk and never returned. Rumor has it that the convenience store he visited is in the Virgin Islands. With a young son and fewer career options than her sister Val, Joan struggles to make ends meet. She works at home as a free-lance copywriter.

Since her arrival, Joan has been the object of the affections of Wally, the nice guy next door. After a three year on-again, off-again relationship, they are now married.

Wally is the epitome of a swell guy. He lives across the fence from the Stone family, steering clear of their chaos and helping out when he can. He's in his 30s, sells insurance, is a little bit schlumpy and balding. He dearly loves Max and Joan, and loves getting to be "dad." Recently his 15-year-old nephew has come to live with him for a while... and it remains to be seen how smoothly this arrangement will go.

Holly and Alix These are Val's darling daughters. They are 13 and 10. Young Alix is still in elementary school, in the midst of a blissfully naive childhood and full of tomboy energy. She is mystified by her sister Holly's middle-school histrionics. Holly, like many girls her age, is full of angst, self-absorbed, and obeys most of the rules most of the time -- if it's convenient. Holly and Alix share a room, fight, shout, compete for attention, and generally make their family's life interesting.

Max Joan's 2-year-old has two emotions: He's either thrilled with life or totally miserable. He can move between these emotions at a moment's notice, with little warning. He's a sprightly bundle of energy that is nearly always darting around his mother's feet. He idolizes Wally and the dog.

Gramma Val and Joan's mother lives upstairs. She is not the usual warm and fuzzy grandmother, but rather pragmatic and sometimes stern. She has no patience for new-age childrearing techniques, baby-sits on a limited basis, and is always happy to express her opinion, whether it's asked for or not. She has no romance in her life at the moment, but her senior fans have been lobbying heavily... .

Biscuit The final member of the Stone Family a little, yippy, busy dog. Always happy, in love with Max, he's the final piece in the controlled chaos the Stones call home.

Andy is Wally's 15-year-old nephew. Because Wally's sister is in tough times, she asked Wally to help out with her son for the summer. Wally hasn't seen Andy since he was 11, and Wally is expecting a little boy. Andy has, however, grown taller than Wally, shaves, has pierced ears and an attitude. He's a good kid, but in the throes of adolescence. He behaves, tells the truth, and does what he's told when it works for him. Holly finds him irresistible.

Officer Jackson Phil Jackson is a motorcycle cop who forgets his gun, lets speeding single mothers off the hook out of pity, and worries that the world is becoming too fast-paced. He was so smitten with Val when he pulled her over on a harried Monday morning that he followed her home and asked her out. She joked about doughnuts and coffee, but he insisted on wine and French bread. He is also, on occasion, the campus cop at Holly's school. He and Val are just getting to know one another.