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.