Beautiful and intelligent, Teri is an ambitious attorney with a cool demeanor. Anxious not to repeat the mistakes of her first two marriages, finds herself in love with a younger man, but her blunt and sometimes opinionated attitude tends to alienate anyone who tries to get close to her -- including the rest of her family. Maxine is happily married to Kenny, and the mother of three young children. Possessing the same passion and wisdom as her late Mama Joe, Maxine seems able to hold the family together through all their trials. Bird is juggling a new baby (Jeremiah), a new business and an unemployed husband (Lem) -- and struggling to make it all work. Although see hopes to expand her business some day, for now, she's deep in debt and just trying to focus on keeping her family together.
Kenny Chadway, owner of a small tow-truck business, is married to Maxine and the loving father of three. Underlying all of Kenny's decisions in life is his profound desire to make his family proud. His strong traditional values and expectations sometimes collide with a strong-willed Maxine. Lem Taylor, a hard-edged man from a rough upbringing, is currently on parole, but struggling to be an honest man. He is deceptively smart and analytical and longs to support his wife Bird and son through lawful means. Ahmad, the 12-year-old son of Maxine and Kenny, is an intelligent and quick-witted young man who attends an exclusive Chicago prep school; often called an "old soul" because of the knowledge passed down to him by his grandmother, Ahmad vacillates between adult-like insights and childish naivete.
