Ross Berger, an 83 year old owner of a successful chain of exercise gyms, credits his recovery from a stroke to his own physical strength and will. He considers himself a self-made man and believes religion is for the weak. Ross' son Alan, on the other hand, is a man of faith in God and a well-respected college professor who deeply values his Jewish heritage. Alan's son Aaron, who is preparing for his bar mitzvah, admires his grandfather's physical strength more than his father's spiritual faith. Monica and Tess agree to help Ross produce an exercise video for stroke victims, while Andrew tutors Aaron in Hebrew, teaching him the true meaning of the bar mitzvah, the acceptance of his new responsibilities as a man of God. Alan's wife Connie is worried about Ross' influence on Aaron, but is even more concerned about Alan's frequent dizzy spells, one of which results in a serious car accident. When Alan receives the news that he is dying from a rapidly growing brain tumor, he confide

Betsy and Bud Baxter are in their 15th year of hosting the popular local TV program ""Breakfast with the Baxter's"" when they learn their show is being cancelled. Still reeling from the loss, Bud and Betsy are grateful when two unexpected visitors (Monica and Andrew) show up on their doorstep, feigning car trouble. Monica and Andrew become a welcome distraction for the Baxters, who have devoted their lives to their show and in doing so, have avoided dealing honesty with each other. With a captive audience, Bud and Betsy take a certain glee in telling their guests the whole ugly story of how they were unceremoniously canned after 15 years. Monica and Andrew try to convince the Baxters of the importance of grieving. But Bud pours himself another Scotch while espousing the importance of carrying on. Meanwhile, Betsy busies herself looking through some storage boxes for her mother's meatloaf recipe when she came across a baby's jumper outfit, a painful remind of the child the ""lost.""

Andrew runs into a colleague, fellow Angel of Death, Adam, while spending his ""day off"" in Richmond, Virginia visiting the Mason family, a family he's had the privilege of following over many generations. Andrew occupies a special place in the Mason family, so much so that they've dedicated a special chair in his honor. Adam and Andrew stop in for a non-alcoholic beverage at the Mason family tavern, The Sign of the Dove, which is managed by Ben Mason, an affable young man who is to be married that evening. While Andrew and Adam talk shop, one of angel of death to another, Monica tries to get through to her assignment, Nicholas Freeman, a hard-working man own owns the print shop next door, which is being edged out by the competition. Driven to drastic measures to provide for his family, Nicholas is planning to blow up his print shop so his family can collect the insurance. While recounting his experiences with the Mason family, Andrew sees a dove on the window sill, a sign that Ben