Pops and Meemaw are caretakers of an old mansion and its garden, which is hidden behind a privacy fence. The grandchildren aren't allowed in the garden, but no one will tell them why. Ten-year-old Rose lives there too - her mom is in the hospital and she hasn't ever met her dad. Eleven-year-old Neal lost his father when the World Trade Center collapsed a few months ago. He's staying with his grandparents next door while his mom is in California. When Rose arrives home from school, her cousin Alexandria has come to spend the weekend. The two girls catch Neal gazing at the garden through a hole in the fence. He's been following some small, white, winged creatures, but he can never get close enough to discover if they are birds or bugs ...