Nurse Susan, Sissy Spacek cares for six-week-old Annie, a baby born with HIV. Rather than watching Annie wait to die at Treemont Centre, Susan decides to adopt and keep her close. After a heartfelt conversation with her son, Jack Noseworthy David, who is understandably concerned about such a bold move, Susan files the adoption papers and Annie becomes legally her foster daughter. To ensure Annie has steady care, Susan hires a babysitter and brings in Dorothy, Joan Plowright, to help with the daily routines and to provide a stable presence in Annie’s early life.
One year later, on Annie’s first birthday, S. Epatha Merkerson as Alice arrives to tell Susan that Annie’s mother, Linda, has completed rehab and wants to regain custody, taking the matter to court with Alice representing her. Susan fights to keep Annie but loses the case; Linda is granted only supervised visits while the court reviews the situation. The competing pull of family ties and the risk Annie faces weighs heavily on everyone involved.
As visits unfold, Susan grows increasingly wary of Linda’s seeming apathy toward her own daughter, a coldness that hardens Susan’s resolve to protect Annie. Although Linda agrees to follow Susan’s care plan, she refuses to phone or keep Susan informed about Annie’s progress. When Susan and David find Linda’s cluttered apartment, they remove Annie to keep her safe, but the judge rules in Linda’s favor the very next day, awarding custody back to Linda. With limited options, Susan opens her home to Linda so that Annie can have stable housing while Linda learns to be a mother again under better circumstances.
Linda finally shares the stories of her difficult childhood, including the pain of being disowned by her own parents. This backdrop helps Linda understand why she pursued motherhood for Annie, hoping to redeem herself in at least one important way. She learns that Susan’s generosity is rooted in a life where responsibilities and love were freely given, even when they could be costly. A later attempt to contact Linda’s family ends in disappointment, underscoring the long shadows cast by past choices.
During a visit to the hospital, Linda collapses in the hallway and is rushed to emergency care. In the ambulance, she tells the doctors that she may not survive and that, when the time comes, they should let her go. Susan visits her in the hospital, and Linda vows to turn her life around if she survives, while expressing a wish for Annie to have every opportunity.
The following day, doctors reveal a startling change: Annie no longer tests positive for HIV antibodies. It appears Annie’s exposure was limited to antibodies at birth, not the virus itself, suggesting she can live a long, normal life. This news shifts the sense of peril into cautious hope, and Susan approaches Linda with renewed warmth, inviting her to stay and participate in Annie’s future. Linda recovers further and returns home to Susan, where she is welcomed and encouraged to pursue a better path. She checks on Annie, speaking softly of a hopeful life ahead, and, moved by the moment, decides to step back from the immediate need to care for Annie alone.
As the family navigates these revelations, Linda chooses to move toward hospice care to spare Annie witnessing her decline. Susan supports this painful but compassionate choice, recognizing it as the right thing to do. Before leaving, Linda hands Susan a letter—her surrender of custody to Susan—so that Annie’s life can continue under the care of the person who has already become her mother. The two share a quiet, hopeful goodbye as Linda departs for the hospice, leaving Annie in a future that promises greater health and stability than anyone anticipated.
