Cheri ran away from her home in Sioux City, determined to find some place bigger and better. She arrived in New York City with nothing but suitcase and dreams of making something of herself. Then she met Ramon. Within weeks of arriving in the Big Apple he had her turning tricks. Then she got pregnant—so she ran away again, this time to the depths of Alphabet City, for fear of what Ramon might do once he found out she was carrying his child. There, in a squalid apartment on Avenue D, Cheri gave birth to Jennifer—the only thing that gives her hope in a meat-grinder of a city. Although she is a loving mother, Cheri lives in constant fear of Child Protection Services taking her baby away from her. But when she makes the mistake of taking the wrong trick back to her room, Cheri suddenly finds herself doing what any mother would to keep her child safe—with unexpected results.