, ▁but ▁when ▁it ▁becomes ▁clear ▁that ▁H omer ▁is ▁going ▁to ▁spend ▁his ▁entire ▁child hood ▁at ▁the ▁or phan age , ▁Wil bur ▁trains ▁the ▁or phan ▁as ▁an ▁obst et ric ian ▁and ▁then ▁comes ▁to ▁love ▁him ▁like ▁a ▁son . ▁ ▁Wil bur ' s ▁and ▁H omer ' s ▁lives ▁are ▁complicated ▁by ▁Wil bur ▁also ▁secret ly ▁being ▁an ▁abort ion ist . ▁Wil bur ▁came ▁to ▁this ▁work ▁rel uct antly , ▁but ▁he ▁is ▁driven ▁by ▁having ▁seen ▁the ▁horror s ▁of ▁back - al ley ▁operations . ▁H omer , ▁upon ▁learning ▁Wil bur ' s ▁secret , ▁cons iders ▁it ▁mor ally ▁wrong . ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁young ▁man , ▁H omer ▁be fri ends ▁a ▁young ▁couple , ▁C andy ▁K end all ▁and ▁W ally ▁Wor thing ton , ▁who ▁come ▁to ▁St . ▁Cloud ' s ▁for ▁an ▁abort ion . ▁H omer ▁leaves ▁the ▁or phan age , ▁and ▁returns ▁with ▁them ▁to ▁Ocean ▁View ▁Or ch ards ▁( W ally ' s ▁family ' s ▁orch ard ) ▁in ▁Heart ' s ▁Rock , ▁near ▁the ▁Maine ▁coast . ▁W ally ▁and ▁H omer ▁become ▁best ▁friends ▁and ▁H omer ▁develop s ▁a ▁secret ▁love ▁for ▁C andy . ▁W ally ▁goes ▁off ▁to ▁serve ▁in ▁the ▁Second ▁World ▁War ▁and ▁his ▁plane ▁is ▁shot ▁down ▁over ▁Bur ma . ▁He ▁is ▁pres umed ▁missing ▁by ▁the ▁military , ▁but ▁H omer ▁and ▁C andy ▁both ▁believe