Tara Fowler can't wait to leave home. Raised by Maggie, her drunken mother, Tara, is desperate for love. With the help of her favorite teacher, Tara overcomes cold nights, empty cupboards, and an inappropriate teenage crush to finally graduate and leave Asheville, North Carolina.

On the campus of A&T State University, she finds hope and a handsome boy named Marcus Stallings. He shares his family and faith with Tara, eventually finding a place in her fragile heart. Now, they must overcome an explosive secret that threatens to tear them apart. Will they find their way to happily ever after?