Waterproof

Thaniel is forced by older kids to rob a deli at gunpoint. The store owner, Eli Zeal, is shot in the arm. Tyree searches the rainy streets for Thaniel, tends to Zeal's wound with antiseptic from a local mini-mart, and realizes the wound is not fatal while recognizing Zeal is alone and vulnerable.

Realizing that hospital reporting would bring police attention to them, Tyree chooses to keep Zeal out of sight and safe. She applies dressings and makes a plan to move Zeal and Thaniel to Waterproof in Louisiana. She believes the only safe place is with family who can protect Thaniel and Zeal.

They drive through rain and darkness for hours, heading toward Louisiana. Tyree watches over Zeal and Thaniel as they push through fatigue toward safety. The overnight journey tests their endurance and resolve to reach a better place.

They arrive the next morning in Waterproof, a Delta town with cotton fields that feels stuck in the past. Tyree is greeted by her mother Viola and the rest of the family, including Sugar the grandfather. Tyree hopes to regroup and find temporary stability for Thaniel and Zeal.

Viola and Sugar take Zeal under their care as Tyree tries to enroll Thaniel in a local school and keep him safe in Waterproof. The family begins arranging a supportive home life for Zeal while Tyree focuses on the boy's schooling and safety.

The painful reasons Tyree left home fifteen years ago begin to surface, affecting her brothers and grandfather. Old wounds threaten to reopen old rivalries and test the fragile balance of the household. Tyree fears the past could tear the family apart before any healing can happen.

Back in Washington, D.C., investigators uncover Zeal's empty deli and realize Thaniel and Tyree may be en route. The case puts pressure on Tyree to keep moving and to shield Zeal and Thaniel from capture. The pursuit intensifies as police connections start to close in.

In Waterproof, Tyree confronts the long buried memory of a romance with Chris Hardwick, a young white boy from her past. The memory reveals how love caused damage she could not undo and explains why she ran away. The revelation helps explain much of the hardship she carries into Waterproof.

Zeal finds a kinship with Sugar and Viola and even attends church with them. He begins to feel at home in Waterproof, something Tyree has struggled to imagine. The town offers him a sense of belonging and stability.

Encouraged by Zeal, Tyree decides to come clean about her past to the family. She reveals the story she told Zeal to the broader clan and seeks forgiveness that only family can give. The moment marks a turning point as trust starts to rebuild.

The truth settles in, and the family recognizes that the past cannot be changed although they can choose how to move forward together. Tyree accepts the limits of forgiveness and works toward a safer present for Thaniel. The revelation reshapes the family dynamics in Waterproof.

In a post-credits scene, Eli has sold his store in Washington and plans to live out the rest of his days in Waterproof. The sale creates an unexpected bridge between Tyree's past and Zeal's present, hinting at future intersections in Waterproof.