Marya Ivanovna is a lonely pensioner, 65 years old. Life is coming to an end, she believes and behaves accordingly, harassing various authorities with empty complaints. But, having fallen in love with a young official, he regains interest in life and attends newfangled events, drawing his own conclusions from them, taking into account his age and flared passion. At the same time, Marya Ivanovna writes a letter to her lover, which began as a complaint about the theft of an icon, and ended as a declaration of love, which, as it seemed to her, was never destined to be sent. What happened in the end - you will find out from the novel.