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As Ed Bingham prepares
for a ceremony to honor his heroic efforts as a fireman, his wife,
Sarah receives a terrifying letter. Carl Atwater, the man who raped
her six years ago is eligible for parole. Frightened of Ed's reaction
if he found out, Sarah conceals the letter from him. Instead she
visits a Crisis Center and meets Tess, the receptionist, and Monica, a
counselor. Although the caseworker angel fails to draw Sarah out, the
distraught mother invites her to attend the parole hearing. There
Sarah is crushed when Carl, who apparently found God in prison, is
released. Despite a briefing by Andrew, his parole officer, Carl
violates the most important condition of his parole by making contact
with Sarah. Although he merely seeks her forgiveness, she panics,
threatening him with garden clippers. Monica urges her to report Carl,
but Sarah refuses. The angel does, however, convince her to confide in
her husband. Meanwhile, Andrew witnesses Carl's simmering anger that
his ex-wife, Emily will not let him see their son. Sarah reluctantly
shows Ed the letter regarding Carl's release, and his annoyance is
interrupted when their daughter, Lorrin has a nightmare. The next
morning, the couple encounters Carl, who is working as a bagger in a
supermarket. Ed loses his temper and attacks the ex-con. Later, the
Binghams visit Monica where years of unspoken recrimination and blame
for the rape come to the forefront. Unbeknownst to his wife, Ed goes
to a gun store and starts the process to purchase a pistol. After a
sleepless night, he is unable to respond to a fire. Carl, in the
meantime, grouses to Andrew that reforming his life is not so easy.
The angel responds that quoting the Bible isn't enough; Carl has to
start living it. Afterwards, he doesn't realize that Ed is stalking
him while he himself is stalking Emily, and Andrew is observing the
both of them. Upon returning home, Ed and Sarah argue when he won't
divulge his whereabouts. The next day--six days after he started the
paperwork--the fireman picks up his gun. He catches Carl breaking into
Emily's house and plans to shoot him. Andrew reveals himself to both
men, while Monica appears to Sarah. When asked where God was during
the rape, the angel responds, "in the voice of a child."
Then-baby Lorrin's tears stopped Carl from killing Sarah, which was
his original plan. The police arrest him, and Tess informs him that
God can still help him find his way.
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