Grace Howard is a young supervisor working at Short Term 12, a foster home dedicated to caring for troubled teenagers. Her life at work is intertwined with her personal life, as she lives with her long-term boyfriend and coworker, Mason, but she often struggles to express her deepest emotions and thoughts to him. Despite their close relationship, Grace finds it challenging to open up and share her feelings, which adds a layer of complexity to their bond.
The story takes a pivotal turn when Grace discovers she is pregnant. Faced with an uncertain future, she initially schedules an appointment to have an abortion, grappling with her emotions about the pregnancy. Over time, she confides in Mason about her situation, and he responds with overt joy, unaware of her plans to terminate the pregnancy. Grace chooses not to tell him about her decision, leading to an emotional conflict within their relationship.
At the shelter, Grace and Mason’s efforts are focused on various residents, especially Marcus, a teenage boy approaching adulthood who is struggling with the thought of leaving the home. Marcus’s situation highlights the challenges faced by the staff in helping adolescents prepare for independent life, often dealing with issues like trauma and loss.
One of the most emotionally charged parts of the story involves Jayden, a new arrival at Short Term 12. Jayden has a history of self-harm and tends to keep her distance from the other teens because she doesn't plan to stay long. Her behavior becomes more volatile when her father fails to pick her up on her birthday, leading her to react aggressively towards the staff. Grace comforts Jayden in the "cool-down room," sharing her own scars from self-harm, which helps establish a fragile but meaningful connection. That night, Jayden leaves the facility amidst her birthday celebrations, prompting Grace to follow her to her father's house. Finding the house empty, Grace and Jayden return to Short Term 12. Later, Jayden shares a metaphorical story she has written, which unsettles Grace as she begins to suspect that Jayden has suffered abuse at her father's hands.
A romantic milestone occurs when Mason proposes to Grace during a party at Mason's foster parents' house. She accepts, and the couple begins to envision a future together. However, their happiness is short-lived as Grace receives distressing news that her father, who is in prison, will be released soon. This revelation triggers a wave of emotional turmoil for Grace. She is deeply upset and refuses to be comforted by Mason, especially when she learns that Jayden has been taken back by her father overnight. Though she is frustrated and convinced that the abuse was ongoing, the facility staff insists that Jayden denied any abuse during her time there.
The emotional climax intensifies when Marcus attempts to take his own life after mourning the loss of his pet fish. Watching over him at the hospital, Grace is overwhelmed with feelings of helplessness and grief. Her mental state begins to unravel, and she confides in Mason that she no longer wants to marry him and that she plans to have an abortion. Her distress leads her to break into Jayden’s father’s home, with the intent to harm him while he sleeps. However, Jayden intervenes, suggesting they damage his car instead. During this confrontation, Grace reveals to Jayden her own traumatic background, confessing that she was sexually abused by her father and became pregnant because of it. Witnessing the bruises Jayden bears from her father's abuse, Grace and Jayden report him to authorities and return to the shelter.
In the aftermath, Grace seeks help for herself by starting therapy, working through her complex emotions and past trauma. The story concludes with a glimpse into her future: she views an ultrasound of her developing fetus with Mason, symbolizing a tentative step towards healing. Mason shares an optimistic update about Marcus, who appears to be doing well and has started to rebuild his life with a new girlfriend. Despite the turmoil and pain, the story hints at hope and the possibility of a new beginning for Grace.
> “I think I’m starting to believe I can be okay.”
Throughout this powerful narrative, the film explores themes of trauma, recovery, love, and resilience, portraying the difficult but vital work of caring for vulnerable teens while also highlighting a woman’s journey through her own personal struggles.
