The Characters
AVA
Ava is a mid-20s single mother trying her best to provide for her daughter while her husband, Isaac, serves his prison sentence. Struggling with their separation and how it affects her young daughter Stacia, Ava often loses sight of her own needs.
Married young and in love, Ava was blindsided when Isaac was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter after a bar fight. Years later, another surprise comes in the form of a new pregnancy, a baby conceived during a prison family visit. Through all this, Ava has been forced to grow quickly beyond her years, balancing the complexities of life, financial independence, and the stigmas and hardships of a prison wife.
As Ava finds her footing, she learns that the family visitation program that has held their family together is ending. Ava must decide whether to continue in this marriage or permit herself to forge a new future alone.
ISAAC
Isaac grew up in a volatile environment. His parents were never married and they passed him back and forth between households. His mother was an addict. Through these traumas, Isaac never experienced a stable family life.
Although Isaac is a gentle husband and father, his quick temper cost another man his life. Now counting down a fifteen year prison sentence, he powerlessly works to keep his family together from inside his prison cell.
At first ecstatic over the news of Ava’s pregnancy, Isaac sobers to the reality that he has no means to support his family and questions whether he has anything to offer them from behind bars. He fears this will ultimately lead them to a true separation.
Although Isaac knows he should let Ava go in order to live a more full life, he desperately holds on to the only meaningful thing he has - his family.
STACIA
Stacia is a curious, sweet, and stubborn five-year-old little girl. Stacia was raised by her mother and has had limited time with her estranged father, whom she believes is living and working in another part of the state.
Although shy at first, Stacia quickly opens up to her dad and becomes thoroughly attached. She craves his attention and physical embrace. Stacia is sensitive and empathetic, with big feelings and an expressive heart.
Stacia is also playful and imaginative. She often drifts into her own world, creating stories through her drawings, and daydreaming about adventures.
