Ivan Gromov always dreamed of living by the warm sea. It seemed to him that under the hot sun his heart, frozen from adversity and loss, would thaw. And here he is in a southern town, slowly living from one holiday season to the next. And most importantly, there is a sea here, endless, blue. One day he will come ashore with the little girl Asya, the daughter of his landlady. He will tell Asya about the scarlet sails, about Assol, who waited for her Gray. He will give her a dream, not suspecting that the time will come, and this unloved, useless girl will also give him a gift, the most important and valuable one in his life.