Nurse Susan Lansing (Sissy Spacek) takes in six-week-old Annie, an HIV-positive baby, and decides to adopt her after her drug-addicted mother Linda leaves her at a clinic. Two years later, Linda reappears, demanding Annie back, and Susan fights to keep custody, but ultimately loses the case. As Linda struggles with addiction and personal demons, she eventually opens up to Susan about her past mistakes, revealing a desire to be a good mother to Annie before it's too late. The story takes a heart-wrenching turn when Linda collapses, only to recover and later make amends by giving custody of Annie to Susan in a final act of selflessness.