After hours

Abstract

"After hours" follows Thea, a Cleveland suburbanite, as she contends with childhood trauma from her estranged alcoholic father. Thea thought she left this all behind as she has made a life with her wife Maxine. But when she learns her father has had a stroke and is in a coma, she and Maxine return to her childhood home in rural Wisconsin. Twelve years have passed since Thea has seen Jerry, a dairy farmer who runs a family farm with the help of his AA sponsor - and best friend - Dale Booker. Booker and Maxine help Thea navigate through doubt as her narrative weaves through painful childhood memories and unforeseen twists of fate. As discovery intersects with memory, Thea is forced to reconcile with difficult news about the farm and her father's past. "After hours" explores whether reconciliation is possible, and if so, how it takes shape between a once-inseparable father and daughter.