From there, Joycelyn said, she'd walk to wherever Quentin was, despite her bad knees.

CNN: A momma's love

Hobbling, Joycelyn asked a police officer in a U-Haul truck for a ride.

CNN: A momma's love

Both Joycelyn and her son are security officers -- essential personnel who had to remain in the city during evacuation.

CNN: A momma's love

The hunch was enough to set Joycelyn in motion.

CNN: A momma's love

The good student and gifted drummer Lanisha (Kerry Washington), the sensitive, heavy-hearted Maria (Melissa Martinez), and the practical-minded Joycelyn (Anna Simpson) splendidly express the unpredictable ebb and flow of friendship and group spirit at a volatile stage of life.

NEWYORKER: Our Song