Unexpected tragedy causes a coming-of-age woman to question the meaning of life, until she finds her purpose by helping others deal with the loss of a loved one.

During the 1980s the US is hit by a wave of nuclear attacks, and after the fallout those who remain pretend like everything is normal even though they are all experiencing radiation poisoning. A young girl named Mayday tries to make contact on a series of ham radios with her father who is in space on a shuttle mission.

A young skim-boarder supporting his single mother fights against all odds to become the man his family has never known but has always needed, pushing through trials within friendships, the drug scene, relationships, and competition.