The Present 2024

Taylor Diehl is a nonverbal boy who finds himself caught in the emotional storm surrounding his family’s looming separation. When he discovers a family heirloom—the grandfather’s clock—that can turn back time by 12 hours, he clings to a glimmer of hope and a chance to rewrite what’s to come.

Driven to change his family’s fate, he plans to rewind to the morning when his parents announce their separation, a moment shared by Jen Diehl and Eric Diehl. The idea is simple in his mind, but the path to a peaceful outcome proves far more tangled than a single reset. As he tests the clock’s gift, he learns that saving the day isn’t just about hitting rewind; every choice reshapes the world around him in unexpected ways. Along the way, he notices his mother’s growing interest in Richard Addison, a connection that adds another layer of complexity to the family’s already delicate balance.

In his attempts to steer fate, Taylor accidentally startles a Driver, sending a short-lived ripple through the day and into a confrontation that touches a man named Robert’s flashy convertible. Later, on a lunch date, he and his siblings see the repercussions of meddling when nuts are involved, prompting Jen to respond with urgent action via an EpiPen. Each alteration of the present brings fresh frustrations and fresh consequences, underscoring that the clock’s power comes with a heavy cost.

Seeking a cooler, more rational take on the situation, Taylor reaches out to his older sister, Emma Diehl. Emma offers a clear-eyed perspective and reveals the clock’s secret truth: Taylor has already reset this day more than twenty times. Their family puzzle becomes bigger than one boy’s experiment, and they bring in their younger brother, Max Diehl, whose youthful optimism adds a new dimension to their plans. Together, the siblings hatch increasingly elaborate, risky schemes to harness the clock’s power, hoping to salvage what their parents once had.

As the clock ages with each jump, it grows more fragile, and the window to fix everything narrows. The family’s chillier realities surface: some fractures in love and life can’t be repaired simply by turning back the clock. The children learn that their true power lies not in erasing the past but in understanding, accepting, and cherishing the bonds that remain. The deeper truth emerges that every attempt to control the timeline can rewind more than just minutes—it can change who they are and how they relate to one another.

In the end, the siblings discover that the most meaningful moments aren’t found by erasing pain or forcing a perfect outcome, but by embracing the present together, with love and patience as the guiding clock. The story invites readers to consider what it truly means to be a family when time itself becomes a test of resilience, unity, and grace.