"HEART OF A STRANGER" - SYNOPSIS/Page 2

also mystified by her friend's sudden penchant for miniskirts in place of staid business suits and the former picky eater's new love for junk food. When Beth questions her about this transformation Jill admits that she's confused, too, and doesn't quite feel like herself since the transplant. Beth chalks it up to being forty-something. At her next check-up, Jill tells Dr. Jaffe about the change in her behavior and eating habits, but he attributes it to the medications she's taking. When she mentions the dreams and visions that have plagued her since the operation, the doctor assures her that it's simply her brain's way of dealing with the life-changing experience she's had and leaves it at that.

Meanwhile, Amanda is having a personal crisis of her own. She has spent most of her life studying and practicing the violin in hopes of being admitted to the Conservatory. Now that the dream is within reach, she finds herself inexplicably drawn in another direction. She confesses to Billy that she met a fiddle player at Revere's, a local club, and is learning some new techniques. Amanda says that she has no idea why she is blowing off her violin lessons and risking her chances of being accepted at the Conservatory, but the one thing she does know is that thiswould devastate her mother.

Jill is doing her best to get back to a normal life, but the visions become more frequent and more detailed, making it difficult for her to move on. Adding insult to injury, Jill's relationship with her daughter is deteriorating. Amanda becomes increasingly aggravated by her mother's unpredictable and embarrassing behavior, especially when Jill goes on a date with Stephan (James Gallanders), a young man who offered her a ride on his motorcycle after her car had a flat tire. A visit to the hospital's support group for transplant patients doesn't seem to help her work through this difficult time, until she meets Glenn (Matthew Cooke), a fellow patient who can relate to what she's going through. Finally, Jill has found a friend in this ordeal. Glenn gives her the name of a doctor to see at Harvard who he thinks will be able to help. She meets with Dr. Amil (Marvin Ishmael), who explains that she's experiencing her donor's memories, and that once she figures out the message, the situation should work itself out.

Jill becomes determined to find out who her heart came from, despite the fact the donor's family wished to remain anonymous. During Thanksgiving dinner with Beth, Stan, Billy and Amanda, Jill tells them she plans to seek out her donor's family. In order to break the awkward moment that follows, Amanda announces her acceptance to the Conservatory. Everyone is elated to hear the news, especially Jill. Her joy proves to be short-lived, however. Amanda arranges for Jill to meet her and Billy at Revere's for a supposed celebration of her admission into the Conservatory and surprises her mother with a violin performance that is decidedly non-classical. Jill is captivated by her daughter's exhibition, but the thrill is soon gone when Amanda tells her about her decision not to attend the Conservatory so she can pursue this new interest. Jill is shocked and upset that Amanda would throw away all those years of hard work. The two get into a heated argument about it, which adds to the growing tension between them. Against Beth's advice, Jill insists on moving forward with her quest to find her heart donor. Convinced that her recurring dreams and visions have given her clues about the donor's identity, Jill logs on to the Internet and begins her investigation.