The Civil War has finally ended, but for Carter Hensley, the battles continue to rage within. Spending time in a prison camp during the war has left a wound that won’t heal. Finally, a thread of hope returns when his wife, Effie, announces she is expecting their first child. But tragedy strikes and Carter spirals deeper and deeper into a pit of despair, leaving Effie to shoulder more responsibilities and grieve alone. Effie struggles to be the wife she vowed to be, but when the verbal abuse turns physical, she is forced to choose between being faithful and seeking protection.