Summary
Estranged sisters Ava, Rachel, and Sadie are all facing major life changes upon preparing to attend their grandmother’s 80th birthday party. Memories, wounds, and fears surface as they each travel and then arrive with intentions of keeping their present challenges hidden and just “getting through” the reunion.
AVA – Perfunctory, Unthinking One
The not so much rebellious, but impulsive youngest sister, AVA feels she has succeeded as a hard-working single mother until learning that her 16-year-old daughter, Cora, is pregnant the day before the reunion. Hiding the physical proof of pregnancy will be easy. But hiding the emotions, fears, and failures Ava must overcome through the weekend are more than difficult.
Being in the presence of her sisters stirs up parts of the past she’d long hoped to bury and never dig up again. That is until she learns of Rachel’s circumstances and is relieved that for once, the attention is no longer on her.
RACHEL – Passionate One
Middle daughter, RACHEL, married the pastor’s son from their church youth group when she was 18. They started their family right away, with their first child’s birth only ten months after their wedding day. They live a frugal, country life, homeschool their children and house missionaries from time to time. They have six children and their youngest is just two years old.
Weeks before the grandmother’s 80th birthday reunion, Rachel’s husband, Mark is diagnosed with cancer. With little savings and unsubstantial life insurance, they will have no choice but to ask their grandparents for help. The plan is to keep the situation a secret from her sisters, given all their years of claiming God’s provision. Fears mount far beyond what her sisters will think, but at the moment, Rachel doesn’t have the strength or energy to answer to them.
She doesn’t want to take away from the celebration by making their life the center of conversation. As usual, she intends to lean on her faith more than her family — that is until her four-year-old speaks a very detailed prayer during dinner and their secret quite literally comes to the table.
SADIE – Practical One
SADIE, the oldest daughter is a practical perfectionist, and planner. She does not make decisions when she can’t control the outcomes.
Married to her former college professor, they don’t pursue a relationship with each other until after graduating, when during a “chance” meeting at a book signing, they had coffee and admitted their attraction while she was in school.
After 10 years of marriage, and both working full-time, they are just days away from having their first child. For the first time in her life, Sadie is facing a life of uncertainty where her plans may be interrupted by an unpredictable life of motherhood. Many of her fears come from her witnessing her two younger sisters making what are in her opinion “irresponsible” choices regarding their own motherhood. But deep down, she is most afraid of not being able to protect her daughter.
Past and Present Collide
But God and their grandmother have other plans — plans that include healing, forgiveness, reconciliation, and recognizing the strength they can gain to persevere if they will lean on each other. As teenagers, the sisters experienced and shared a deep wound they haven’t spoken of in years — a wound they must come to terms with as the turning point for how they would live out the rest of their lives until this weekend.
Like a cord of three, will they discover the power in the bonds of sisterhood despite their differences?