California in the 1950s. Muriel and her husband Lee, who has just returned from the Korean War as a soldier, finally want to build their future together. They are joined by Julius, Lee's charismatic brother. But the carefree love triangle ends abruptly when Julius disappears to Las Vegas. Meanwhile, Muriel feels increasingly trapped in her everyday life and longs for more in life. She gets lucky with secret horse bets. But does life have more in store for her?