Two unusual traits have troubled Athan throughout his life: his growth is so slow that he is virtually "immortal," and when he paints portraits of others, he can glimpse fragments of their memories. For centuries, he has lived as an observer, passing long years in loneliness and confusion—until he meets his client, Florence, an unconfident young girl secretly harboring dreams of becoming a writer. As the two heal each other's hearts, Athan feels, for the first time, that he may not be so alone after all.