One tiny moment of carelessness can change everything. In West Virginia, a baby girl named Cissy is abducted, then swiftly returned to her parents. She is so young when it happens that she cannot remember, but, still, the legacy of those few terrible days haunts her family for the next 20 years. Though she has no proof, Darla, Cissy's pot-smoking bartender mom, blames Butch, her former football star boyfriend and Cissy's father, for the abduction. She's convinced he was stoned and lying to her about what actually happened. Her constant accusations push Butch into a life of twelve-stepping, self-righteous Holy Roller-ism. While her parents fight over how best to raise her, Cissy grows up to become a sexually promiscuous, fearless and sometimes callous young woman with a penchant for her mom's stash and innocent boys. When she becomes pregnant at 14, her family implodes, leaving Cissy and Darla clinging to the past while Butch chases after a more promising future. How Cissy Grew is a nonlinear drama exploring defining moments in one family's life as they struggle to stay together in the face of guilt, blame and addiction. Unit set. Approximate running time: 75 minutes.