In the spring of 1991, Dionne, a 33-year-old beauty and style associate director for Essence magazine, takes an early train to a clinic in New Haven, Connecticut. Her life feels as if it has just collapsed, and she hopes to avoid being recognized. A friendly older Jamaican woman sits with her in the quiet car, offering comfort and predicting that Dionne has the strength to overcome her current trials. At the clinic, Dionne waits to get an HIV test. She reflects on her recent breakup with her long-term boyfriend, Darren, who appeared at her door two nights earlier after a six-month silence. During her intake with a health professional named Marlene, Dionne lies, stating she has only had three sexual partners. Marlene explains that the test results will take 14 days and must be collected in person. She gives Dionne a sheet of paper and instructs her to create a complete list of her past sexual partners. Dionne writes down the names of Kareem, a man she was with recently, and Darren. As she tries to write down her first partner, she is overwhelmed by a traumatic childhood memory. suggesting she was sexually abused.