Life for Cherry has always been a struggle. She could be popular, and halfway is as a high school cheerleader, but her scruples and fear of germs and of disobeying her parents keeps her in a private hell that stifles her. In college, being accepted by her five roommates in the Highland Street rental frees her to loosen until loosening leads to pregnancy before graduation. Cherry sees that as a just punishment, and locks the truth of the baby's father, along with the return of her fears, deep into her being. As much as she loves the baby and two more as she settles into family life, she remains haunted, and unwittingly transfers that onto her family, especially the first hapless child. Breaking her lifelong, self-imposed exile from all that would bring her happiness requires her to change the direction of her convictions, a feat scarier than all of her fears combined.