Coralee is an elderly white woman who lives alone. Each day, her Black caretaker Hattie comes over to help her out around the house. Hattie and Coralee often sit with Coralee's photo albums and look at pictures of Coralee's children from when they were young. Coralee's children — Mindy, Penny, and Billy — are now adults, and they stop by Coralee's house often. Coralee doesn't recognize them and is often frustrated by the brazen way they move through her home. One afternoon, when all three children are visiting, they tell Coralee that all her silver is gone. They believe Hattie stole it from her. Coralee promises that she's just misplaced the silver, but her children tell her that unless Coralee can remember by the next day where the silver is, they will report Hattie to the police. They tell Coralee not to tell Hattie that they know about the missing silver. When her children leave, Coralee confides in Hattie that she cannot remember where her silver is. Hattie admits that she took and sold the silver to keep her son out of jail. Coralee calls her lawyer, Mr. Barnhill, and urges him to help her save Hattie from prison. Mr. Barnhill promises to write up a deed of gift stating that Coralee legally gave Hattie the silver. The next morning, however, when Coralee calls, Mr. Barnhill says he's decided not to write the deed. When Mindy, Penny, and Billy visit that day, Coralee tells them that she sent the silver away to her cousin in Maine. Her children are skeptical, but they leave to call and confirm with the cousin. After they leave, Hattie prepares to flee town. Coralee begs her to take her with her, and Hattie protests at first, but soon packs bags for them both.