The Mothers

In the spring of her senior year, six months after her mother’s death by suicide, 17-year-old Nadia Turner harbors a secret. Grieving and feeling disconnected from her emotionally distant father, Robert Turner, Nadia has begun a relationship with Luke Sheppard, the pastor’s son. When she discovers that she is pregnant, Nadia decides to terminate the pregnancy to protect her future plans. At the Hanky Panky strip club, she meets a stripper named Cici, who gives her money.

Luke provides the rest of the money for the procedure but fails to pick Nadia up from the clinic as promised, leaving her disoriented and alone. A nurse cares for Nadia until she can go home.

The church mothers comment on the unruly behavior of “pastors’ kids,” implying that Nadia should have known better than to get involved with Luke. They recall how, 10 years before Nadia terminates the pregnancy, her father, Robert, used his truck to help them protest the construction of the clinic. They comment on Robert’s reputation as a man always willing to help the community, often using his pickup to carry supplies and donations. On the evening after her procedure, Nadia tries to hide how sick she feels from her father.