There's something we need to talk about.
It's about Charlie and me.
When you're young,
you think adults have it all figured out.
You spoke at his funeral!
I trusted you!
If only that were true.
About the night Chad died.
Eric has your brother's heart.
It seems to me we're all works in progress.
You keep saying you need to know who you are without cancer.
Maybe I need to figure out who I am without you.
- We make mistakes... - Gary.
if you're gonna be this sexually active,
you need to be careful.
... but that's part of life.
Hey! That's a stop sign!
I haven't been with anyone since Chloe.
What really matters...
I'm gonna tell her. Now is not the right time.
... is what you do next.
- Take care of her. - We will.
I want to adopt a baby.
I want to save someone, too.
Okay.
Hey.
- I'm Rome. - And I'm Regina.
And we're the Howards.
- What are you doing? - What you told me to do.
No. I said that we can't say "We're the Howards" together.
It's creepy.
Seriously, would you let people
who said things at the same time like that adopt your baby?
No.
Any other notes, Mr. Spielberg?
Now that you mention it, you...
No. I love what you're doing.
Especially when you sit up straight like that.
I'm sorry.
It's just, you heard what the lady at the agency said.
Thousands of people are trying to adopt,
and if our video doesn't stand out, we'll never get selected.
Okay.
Let's do this.
- Thank you. - Yeah.
- All right. - Okay.
Okay.
All right, let's do this thing. And...
- Action. - Yeah.
Hey.
I'm Regina.
- _ - DELILAH: We're gonna get through this,
and we're gonna be better off for it.
Think about it, Charlie.
After we're done with your sleep training,
when you wake up in the middle of the night,
you won't need to cry for Mommy anymore.
You're gonna be a strong, independent young woman,
ready to take on the world.
Or at least ready to let Mommy sleep five, six hours,
'cause Mommy really needs her sleep.
We're doing it.
We're doing it. We're doing it, baby.
You got this, sweetie.
And we're making this video to show you who we are
and why Rome and I are so excited
to make a child part of our family.
And cut!
That was amazing.
Took, like, 17 takes... Nailed it.
Totally nailed it.
- Hey. - Hey.
How long you been, back there crunching?
Just for this last take.
The good one?
- Maybe no one will notice. - Yep.
I'm sure no one will notice some random teenage girl
just chomping on corn flakes in our kitchen.
Hey, I meant to ask...
I have a calculus test next week,
and I could really use some help.
No, relax. I-I didn't mean from you guys.
Are you sure? 'Cause... 'Cause if you really need help,
Regina's right here.
Actually, I wanted to know if my friend Jess
could come over tomorrow and maybe help me study.
- Sure. - W-wait, wait, wait.
So, this Jess...
is he a he?
No, she's a she.
Okay..
Love Jess. Support Jess. Team Jess!
Thanks.
Is it me, or is this parenting thing
not as hard as everyone says it is?
Good. You're awake.
There's your pants, there's your phone.
There's the door.
Yeah, that's what I was gonna say.
Last night was fun, but I should probably just...
... go.
Okay, three minutes away.
No.
No. No, no, no!
Excuse me.
Sorry to bother you, but my phone just died.
- I really need... - Here.
What, do I look homeless?
I'm keeping this!
- I'm so... I'm sorry. - No...
- I ju... - No, I thought... I'm sorry.
Hey. It's me.
Can you meet up?
I'm... I'm trying to write this article about loss,
and I would love to get your opinion.
Yeah, one for the club. Great.
Hi.
Hey, Dakota.
- They'll be a few minutes, okay? - Thanks.
He's lying.
What?
He said it'll be a few minutes, but it'll be more like 12.
So, are you a musician, too?
Yeah. You ever hear of the Red Ferns?
Nope.
- Okay, so that makes you... - Cool?
Pbht. I was gonna say "young".
Sorry. I tend to get snarky when I'm nervous.
Have you worked with these guys for a long time?
I actually haven't worked with them for a while.
I reached out to Trevor
because I used to have a deal here with my band.
Wait.
Are you in the Red Ferns?
So you have heard of us.
Yeah. Can I get a selfie?
So, have I heard any of your songs?
Well, there was "Be My Katie".
Wrote that for my wife.
"Eyes Don't Lie".
Miss.
last year, I wrote a song called "Unexpected".
"Unexpected"?
I love that song.
- ? This was unexpected ? - Yeah!
- ? I blinked, and I missed it ? - Wow.
I can't believe you wrote that!
Wow.
Your meeting's gonna go a lot better than mine.
I'm pretty sure all these people think I'm a hack
and that I'm gonna get dropped today.
Or tomorrow. The point is, you will not last the week.
What?
I'm kidding.
Trevor has amazing taste. He would never sign a hack.
I thought you said he signed you.
Okay. Dakota, they're ready for you.
Michael will take you back.
Look at that. They called you first.
? This is unexpected ?
Hey, seriously, though, good luck.
Thanks.
You, too, Red Ferns.
Hi.
- So, Eddie. - Yeah?
Unfortunately, Trevor got pulled into something.
He's gonna have to reschedule.
- Really? - Yeah, sorry.
We'll be in touch.
- Hey, how are you? - Yes, please. Thank you.
- Thank you. Enjoy your day. - Thank you.
Hi, there. What can I get for you?
I just need to borrow one of those chargers.
Sorry. Chargers are for customers only.
Okay. I'll take this.
Who am I kidding?
I'll take these.
Sorry. Our machine is down.
- Do you have cash? - Do I have cash?
Of course I have... cash.
What can I get for $1?
- Nothing. - Really?
Not even a squirt of, pumpkin spice?
- That's, seasonal. - Isn't it the season?
The season starts tomorrow.
You're killing me, man. I just need to charge my phone.
I got him.
Hey, man.
Eric.
Ha! Thanks for being a part of my favorite day ever.
Gary.
- Rough morning? - Well, we can't all be Mr. Perfect.
Look at you, exercising with another man's heart.
Your doctor must be very proud. Or mad.
I mean, I don't know what you're allowed to do
with another person's organ.
That sounded more sexual than I intended it.
Hey, man...
I never got a chance to...
To tell you how sorry I am about...
how everything went down with... with you and Maggie.
I hope I wasn't a-a factor in all that.
Don't be silly.
You split up Maggie and her mom, not Maggie and me.
Well, it doesn't matter. I've moved on.
I'm... I'm glad to hear that.
Cappuccino and a soy milk latte.
That's me.
See you around, Gary.
Yeah.
Synced & corrected by QueenMaddie www.addic7ed.com
The partners are gathering in the conference room in 10 minutes.
- You got this. - Thanks, Carter.
And don't forget you promised Theo
you'd pick up new strings for his guitar.
- Shoot. I don't have time... - Yonk!
How did you know?
He's been breaking them so often,
I just ordered a half a dozen online.
Easy peasy.
Have I told you you're the best?
You have, but, raises speak louder than words.
- Hello? - Katherine?
It's Principal Taylor from E. Melvin Elementary.
Is everything okay?
Actually, no.
Theo's been in a fight.
- What? - We need you to
come down to the school.
Of course. I'll be there right away.
It's counterintuitive, but she's taking a long nap now
so she's not overtired.
Otherwise, she won't fall asleep tonight.
Babies are hard.
Especially when they're 16 and not talking to you.
How's all that going?
It's tough.
But you were right.
Some space is good, and...
she's in good hands with Gina and Rome.
She is. And you're doing the right thing.
Thanks.
But that's not why you're here.
You're here to talk about your article,
and really, it's fantastic.
Can you please tell my editor that?
He wants me to make all these changes.
He wants the last line to be more of a "gut punch",
whatever that means.
Well, I'm sure you can figure it out.
You've been crushing it.
Working, writing, traveling.
You're just finding the perfect balance...
I kissed Eric.
I'm sorry that Trevor canceled. That sucks.
Thanks.
Are you sure it's okay
you're missing the meeting with the partners?
It'll have to be. Theo comes first.
Thanks for coming in.
I just have to say, I know there are two sides to every story,
but Theo is the smallest kid in the class.
For a student to be bullied on school grounds
under your watch is completely unacceptable.
I totally agree.
Thing is...
Theo's the one who started it.
What?
He pushed another boy to the floor.
I was so embarrassed.
I just ran out of there.
I mean, it's just a kiss. It's not that big a deal, right?
Well, I mean, last time I kissed someone, I got pregnant.
He hasn't been with anyone since his fiancée died.
And to be honest, I'm confused.
I mean, one minute,
I am swiping my way through the Boston dating scene.
The next minute, I am kissing the guy
who has my brother's heart.
Then there's Gary, and...
What about Gary?
I don't know.
I guess I just always...
thought that eventually, we would end up together.
And now who even knows?
Well, I-I once read in an incredible article
that...
"life is complicated, but sometimes
you're better off embracing the mess
than trying to clean it all up".
Randy's right. This needs work.
Between this footage of our friends with their kids,
the stuff that we're gonna get at Sophie's softball game tomorrow,
this video is going to be unbelievable.
You know what's also unbelievable?
That this could be us one day soon.
That we could have a kid
who's gonna look to us for all the answers,
and we may not have all of them,
but we are going to shape their world
almost as much as they're gonna shape ours.
I can't believe...
that I didn't get that on camera.
Can you say all those things again, but this time,
over by the window with the good lighting?
- And please don't squint. - I don't squint.
- You do. - Hey, guys!
This is Jess.
As promised, she's a girl.
Hey, I'm Rome.
I'm Regina.
And we're the Howards.
Nice to meet you.
You, too.
Yeah, and if you guys are editing,
we can totally work downstairs in the common room.
That's very considerate.
And, Jess, you're welcome to stay for dinner.
Yeah, we're having fish.
Just for the halibut.
That's my first dad joke.
Have fun.
Yeah.
- Sorry. - Tough crowd.
Just keep 'em coming, man.
Yeah, sure thing.
Crap. No.
No, no, no, no.
Hey, if...
If you like and then un-like a picture really quickly,
does the person know?
Not unless they were online when you did it.
Are you stalking an ex?
No!
Just checking out this guy she's dating.
Something off about this dude.
He's nice. Too nice, you know?
Like a... smiley face emoji took human form.
Did you check out this guy's social media?
Yeah. All his accounts are private.
Ran a search on the Web. Nothing unusual came up.
Okay, yeah, but did you check the results on page 1 or page 9?
What?
Tagging in.
All right.
You seem unusually invested in this.
Well, you should be, too.
Check this out.
What the Hell?
You are so welcome.
Excited to make a child part of our fam...
Hey. How'd the studying go?
Good.
Where are you going?
Bed.
- But it's 6:30. - And you sleep out here, girl.
I don't think they were studying down there.
Ya think?
You're gonna be okay, sweetie.
God.
I'm not so sure about me.
Okay, baby, here.
Hold this for a second, okay? I'll be right back.
Come on.
Okay, here's the plan...
One of us has to keep an eye on her
while the other one calls Delilah
and tells her what her daughter did on our watch.
Good luck in there.
Okay. Thanks for that.
Who loves being awake?
We do! We d...
No, no, no, no! Don't fall asleep!
No, no, no, no.
No, not enough. Not now.
Alexa, play baby Charlie's dance mix.
- We're gonna party. - Playing baby Charlie's dance mix.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Here we go. Here we go. Here we go.
- Hello. - Hey, D.
Is that "Who Let the Dogs Out?"
What? No!
Alexa, stop the music.
Okay.
What's up, Rome?
Not much. Not much at all.
Well, now that I have you, might as well give you
- a little update on Sophie. - Did she miss her curfew last night?
Not exactly.
Sophie's actually been here, studying, the whole time.
Well, at least we thought she was studying.
Her friend Jess came over.
That girl is nothing but trouble.
She is.
She really is.
On a related note...
Trouble snuck some wine into our place,
and she and Sophie got drunk in the common room.
What?!
Now, don't worry. Sophie is safe.
Although she and our bathroom are paying the price right now.
Maybe I should come over.
No, no. No.
I just wanted to let you know what happened.
That's the update. You've been updated.
Now back to your dance party.
Let them dogs out, girl!
Sophie's gonna be fine.
And, hopefully, so will I.
I just don't understand why you pushed Auggie.
He's a friend of yours.
Hey.
Hey, Theo.
Let's put down the Legos.
Talk to me.
What's going on?
Nothing.
Hi.
Hey.
What are you doing here?
I have exactly 47 minutes until she goes down for the night,
and I need to make sure Sophie's okay.
Not happening.
What? What do you mean, "Not happening"?
I mean, your... Your body is not...
... is not going through that door.
God. When did you get so strong?
Power Pilates twice a week. At this point, I'm addicted.
D, the whole point of this reset is to re-set.
She can't see you be concerned about her.
- Right. - Yeah.
You're right.
Hi.
Would you stop?
You're only gonna make me hurt you.
And besides, if you go in there right now,
what message are you sending?
It's just like sleep-training Charlie.
This is Sophie's way
of kicking and screaming and testing me,
and if I go through that door, she wins.
Exactly.
But if I can't go in, you need to do what I can't.
Believe me, she's gonna find out
that there are consequences for her actions.
Perfect.
But also, you need to set limits for her
so she knows you can protect her.
And more importantly, that she's worth protecting.
You're such a good mom.
So good that my daughter lives in your apartment.
That's okay, Max. I got this.
Gary. What's up?
If you're here to pay me back for those cookies,
forget about it... my treat.
I know what you're hiding.
What are you... What are you talking about?
There's a wrongful death suit against you, man.
From the family of Chloe Myers.
Now, would that be the same Chloe
that you were engaged to?
Yeah, it is. Yeah.
Does Maggie know what you did?
Is that not really what you two talk about on your little dates?
You're right. You're right.
Describing how you murdered your fiancée
is probably not the best foreplay.
Y-You don't know anything.
Hoo!
Based on how angry you're getting, I think maybe I do.
Maggie and I are not together.
But you know what we do talk about?
We talk about what a mess you are,
and no wonder she wanted out.
Hey! What's going on?!
I'm okay, Max.
- You ready? - It's go time.
Rise and shine! Come on.
Come on, party girl. Time to get ready for your big game.
- No. I'm not going. - Yes, you are.
Otherwise, you're gonna be hearing
this old-school jam for the next four hours.
Okay, okay! All right, okay!
Just make it stop!
We leave in 20.
We're gonna be excellent parents.
You know, we got this in the bag.
You know what?
- I should get my camera... - Nope.
Not going in the video.
- We'd have to reenact it and yeah. - Keep it moving.
Walk away.
_
Hello?
Eddie, my man! There you are.
Trevor.
Big sorry about yesterday.
I was putting out fires all day.
But I finally got a chance
to listen to those new tracks you sent over.
Yeah?
They're great, man. So great.
But they're just... not...
what we're looking for right now.
Thank you for the phone call, Trevor,
but you could've just e-mailed that to me.
I'm actually... calling about that girl you met in the lobby.
Dakota?
What about her?
Put me down on 2.
Hey, Soph, you want to look about 10% less miserable?
We're trying to show that we're good with kids,
not that we crush their dreams.
Nailed it!
Hi.
How's Soph?
Maybe this could be good for her.
Maybe she'll never drink again.
No, she will.
But hopefully, it bought us another six months.
Yeah..
For later.
What's this?
It's my way of being there for her
without actually being there.
It's her favorite.
First week on the job, you let Sophie get drunk.
Well done.
What's next? You gonna buy Danny some weed?
Okay, Gary, we're gonna go again.
But this time, you mind saying something
that would help me get a child?
That's right... Your adoption video.
No wonder you're all dressed up.
Thought maybe Sophie's softball game was business cash.
Gary, just look into the camera
- and say... - Eat it.
Let's go, Soph!
I just talked to Maggie.
I figured she'd have some insight into what Theo's going through.
She offered to come by later to...
What are you listening to?
apparently, this is the future.
I just talked to Trevor.
Trevor? That... That's a good thing, right?
No.
He didn't call to sign me.
He called 'cause he wants me to supervise
this millennial artist.
Her name's Dakota.
She's been a bit of a problem for them,
and he wants to hire me to... help out.
And after all that, I told him I'd think about it,
but there is no way.
I cannot believe this is what my career has come to.
This Dakota...
she sounds talented.
What difference does that make?
You always say that making great music is your dream.
Maybe... this is a way to do that.
I'm sorry. I get that this is frustrating.
But you should know
that when I heard "Unexpected" on the radio last year,
I didn't care that it wasn't your voice.
They were your words.
You made that.
And I was so proud of you.
Right?
I know Rome is gonna hit "pause" if Sophie starts to puke,
but I want this on video.
So...
Any chance you two didn't see that?
Nope.
I...
I just got this ridiculous idea
that something was going on with her and Eric,
and I went down a hole.
It's fine.
What was that?
What... What? What was what?
That face. What was that?
You would tell me if something is going on, right?
Gary, you two really need to...
You should just talk to Maggie about it.
I don't need to, because you just answered my question.
No! I didn't...
- I need to go for a walk. - No. Gary...
I'm just gonna get a pretzel, all right?
Can't a guy get a pretzel?
Here she goes.
Drunk.
Okay.
Strike!
Dixon! Get your head in the game!
Come on, Sophie.
Who is that guy?
I've never seen him before in my life.
- That was not pretty. - Strike 2!
Come on, Soph! You got this!
Come on, Soph!
You got this, Soph!
Yes!
God, she's got the hit!
- He's not a dad. - I needed that.
Yes!
What the... What the Hell are you doing?
I could ask you the same thing.
You think we wouldn't notice you coming out here
and taking pictures of our girls?
Look, man, it is not what you think, all right? Just...
What I think is that you're hanging out in a place
- that you don't belong. - Hey!
Gary!
- Get up! - Are you...
- Stop! - Brad!
- Wait, wait, wait, wait. - My God.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no.
Gary. Stop. Gary!
- I will kick your ass! - Stop!
You're lucky, man! Lucky day!
This is ridiculous! You should be arresting
the racist dude who tried to break my friend's camera!
Guys, just do what they say.
Well, Gina, we got attacked by some D-bag,
and now the cops are putting us in the back of a car!
I can't believe this.
Neither can I.
What the Hell were you thinking?!
What?
Why do you keep tightening those strings?
Just makes me feel better.
You know, your mom told me what happened at school today.
Was that other kid saying mean things or something?
No. Auggie's my friend.
What happened?
Today was desk-switching day.
Why do we even have to switch desks?
That's my desk.
Is that why you pushed him?
Everything keeps changing.
You're right. It does.
You're dealing with a lot of new things.
New sister, new desk.
Can I tell you a little secret?
I don't like change much, either.
But it's been good for you.
What do you mean?
You were gonna die.
But now you're not.
I heard them talking about it.
They always think I'm not listening,
but I hear lots of things.
Wow.
That must...
be really hard to handle all by yourself.
What do you do when you hear stuff like that?
Nothing, I guess.
So you just keep it all inside?
Well...
I find that when you hear something upsetting,
the best thing to do is talk about it
because if you leave all of it unsaid,
you'll burst.
Dude, all I did was have your back.
If that's having my back, I don't need it.
You want to know why I'm wearing a button-down shirt
to a kids' softball game?
Because you're going on camera and you're super vain?
Because I knew I might be the only black man here today.
And I knew that wearing a hoodie, like you,
might put me and my wife in danger.
I love you, bruh, but we live in two different Bostons.
Come on, dude. I'm half-Mexican.
Passing for white!
You ever notice when I go in a grocery store,
I telegraph everything I take off the shelves?
I never put my hands in my pockets,
and I practically staple my receipt to my forehead
when I walk out so everyone knows I didn't steal anything.
Half the time, I don't even know I'm doing it.
But that's my reality.
That's how my dad raised me.
He taught me how to stay out of situations like this.
And that's how I'll have to raise my child.
And in one move,
- you've wrecked everything. - I...
It's one thing to mess up your life...
... but now you are messing with mine.
All right, Mr. Howard. You're free to go.
What about me?!
So, all of this over switching a desk?
I mean, why wouldn't he just talk to us?
I don't think it's totally about the desk.
What do you mean?
I'm... I'm... not sure I should...
Please.
I think he's struggling.
With you guys almost getting divorced
and then getting back together
and a new baby half-sister...
It's a lot for him to process.
Of course.
But why won't he just talk to us about it?
Because the thing that he fears the most is change,
and I think a part of him is worried
that if he questions the way things are,
they'll change again.
I'm going to refer you to my colleague Susan.
She will be able to help.
I have her card here.
Excuse me.
Hello?
Yes, I'll accept.
Who is it?
It's Gary.
Hey. U...
You what?
Okay. I'll be right there.
What is it now?
Gary's been... arrested.
Katherine, I'm sorry for dragging you out here.
You're the only lawyer I know,
and I saw 10 guys and one open-air toilet,
and, I panicked.
Great. I was hoping you'd be here.
Did you bring any of my other exes to see this?
I'm not here as your ex-girlfriend.
I'm here as your friend.
I'm... worried about you.
Well, thanks for that,
but, we were never friends.
I mean, not like you and Eric.
By the way...
there's something off about that guy.
I don't trust him, and you shouldn't, either.
Gary, this is not okay.
You need to talk to somebody.
Well...
that somebody is not gonna be you.
But here's the good news... You did it.
I saved your life, you picked me up from jail, so...
we're even.
Hang on a second.
How dare you.
What?
She's here because she cares about you.
I mean, we all do.
Katherine, the last thing I need right now
is another lecture, okay?
Well, that's too bad, because you're getting one.
When Eddie and I made you Theo's guardian,
it was not a decision we took lightly.
Out of everyone in the world,
we thought you were the one best equipped to raise our son
in case something happened to us.
Well, we were wrong.
How could you possibly take care of him
when you can't even take care of yourself?
Find your own ride home.
See ya.
Hey, D, okay. What do you think about this?
"After a loss,
sometimes the hardest part of moving on isn't having to change yourself.
It's accepting the fact that you can't change others."
N-No, it's...
It's about my family.
But...
Yeah, I guess it could be about him, too.
I'm sorry I pushed Auggie yesterday.
We know you are, bud.
We know there is a lot going on right now.
But...
you can talk to us about anything.
Like Dad's new job?
You know about that?
I heard you talking earlier.
Does this mean you're not gonna be home as much?
Bud.
Well...
Dad, you should probably sit down
and tell us everything about this new job
so that we can know exactly what the plan is.
That is a great idea.
So, I am gonna be working with this super cool new artist.
Her name is Dakota.
And you are gonna love her.
It's hot.
- Be careful. - Thanks.
Listen...
I want to be really clear.
If you're gonna live in this house,
there are rules, and you have to follow them.
Yeah, I know. I'm...
I'm really sorry.
Just so you know,
we're not being tough on you because we don't care.
We're being tough on you because we do.
Sophie...
...you matter.
This is my favorite, by the way.
How'd you know?
I didn't.
They say that parenting is
a series of impossible challenges.
How do you teach your kids independence...
She's really good.
... while letting them know that they're not alone?
How do you teach them to let go of the past...
... while encouraging them to embrace the unknown future?
_
How do you teach them to admit defeat...
... while helping them learn to never give up hope?
We know that being a parent
isn't just about the happy times.
It's about the struggles.
The bad days.
The meltdowns and the tantrums and the fights.
It's about how you get through all of that.
And our promise to you
is that we're gonna be there for all of those good moments.
But more importantly...
for all of the tough ones.
And we can't wait to meet you.
credits