Broken Promises: Taking Emily Back

Pam Cheney struggles with depression after losing her baby during labor. Her husband Sean stands by her, and friends Ella and Terry Sabin offer support, both having also suffered losses. The emotional weight of their losses motivates them to consider building a family through adoption.

Pam decides to pursue adopting a toddler to fill the emptiness in their lives. They encounter resistance from official agencies due to Pam's age and the high demand for adoptable children. They are advised to consider adopting a teenage orphan, but Sean refuses.

Pam hires a lawyer she barely knows to arrange a meeting with a homeless couple, Gary and Lily Ward, who claim to have a daughter, Emily. At the meeting, Lily resists giving up Emily, while Gary hints at a quick, informal deal. Sean remains uneasy about the morality of the arrangement.

Gary ultimately allows Pam and Sean to adopt Emily, despite Lily's reluctance. The informal consent marks the start of an unofficial adoption process. Pam feels relief and excitement, though Sean's doubts linger.

Pam and Sean complete the adoption of Emily and begin adjusting to life as her parents. They form a bond with the child and start planning their future together. The happiness masks the precarious legal status of the arrangement.

Gary and Lily, now destitute, demand the option to reclaim Emily within the 30-day grace period. In secret, Pam buys Gary a car to influence him, hoping to seal the deal without Sean knowing. Sean senses something is off, but Pam remains determined to keep Emily.

Gary's pressure pushes Sean toward giving up Emily to avoid heartbreak. Pam refuses to surrender, clinging to the growing bond with Emily. The couple's relationship strains as emotions run high.

Pam identifies Gary as the source of trouble and persuades Lily to leave him. Gary games Lily again, but finally agrees to leave the Cheneys and Emily. The family dynamics begin to shift as Lily glimpses a safer future.

Ella convinces Terry to give parenthood another chance and they seek a lawful way to adopt Lily's unborn child. They meet with an attorney who outlines a legal route to adoption. Lily commits to the deal but later discovers Gary has arranged an unlawful adoption with another couple.

Lily delivers a baby boy, adding another potential child to the evolving complex. Gary returns to stake a claim on Emily and the boy. Lily realizes Gary's manipulation and the moral danger of his plans.

Gary confronts the situation at the hospital, trying to claim Emily and the newborn boy with legal backing. Lily argues that the children should be raised by the Cheneys and Sabins, not by Gary. The confrontation underscores the legal and moral battle surrounding the children.

Gary leaves the hospital empty-handed, abandoning his bid to seize the children. The adoptive parents keep Emily and the boy, solidifying their family despite the chaos. The film closes on a note of a fragile but enduring family unit.