A boy lives next door to a retired opera singer and his pet dog, Giovanni. The three are friends, but when the old man dies, friendship renews and continues between the boy and the dog as they strive to overcome the loss of the friend who brought them together in the first place.
Grandy has just suffered a big loss in her life, so she is cooking up a batch of "tear soup," in which the ingredients are parts of the grieving process, including memories, misgivings, feelings, and tears.