Original subtitles

[soft music]

Dad?

What's up, Junior?

What are you doing out here?

I must have fell asleep on the couch. What's up?

You said you would drop me off at school today.

Okay, I'm up. Just let me brush my teeth.

I'll take you.

Morning, Junior. Morning, Calvin.

You good? You slept on the sofa, babe.

Yeah, I'm good.

Okay.

How you doing today, Junior?

-I'm tired. -[Laura] Why are you tired?

I'm always tired in the morning.

It might be because of those video games you play at night.

I don't get on until after my homework.

Mm. What do you want for lunch?

Donuts.

No, you cannot have donuts for lunch.

Boy! But you can have some water.

Some vegetables.

How about that?

Oh, and I have this tuna cracker kit for you.

Some fruit? Yeah.

Why are you gonna ask me what I want

if you're just gonna give me what you wanna give me?

[laughs] That's because... That's what mamas do.

Here, put this in your bag.

All right. All right, I'm ready.

-You ready? -I'm waiting for you.

-All right. -Don't forget your lunch.

-Okay. I get a good-bye kiss. -Of course.

Calvin, can we talk later today?

Okay, let me think about it.

You need to think about us talking, Calvin.

Yeah, Laura, I just wanna make sure I'm ready.

Okay, Calvin. Well, if you're ready or not,

I have some things that I need to unload, so...

-Got it. -Okay.

I'll think about it. Let's go, Junior.

-Okay. -Bye, Mama Laura.

Mama Laura.

Huh. Huh. I like that.

[knocking on door]

Oh. Now, what did y'all forget?

[birds chirping]

[airplane flying overhead]

[sirens wailing] [horns honking]

[helicopter blades whirring]

Oh, you just missed Calvin.

I didn't come here to see Calvin.

-Oh, no? -No.

-Can I come in? -Oh, of course.

Come in. Yes. Absolutely.

Laura, we need to talk.

-Yes, okay. -May I sit down?

Please, have a seat.

I can get you something to drink.

No, I'm fine. I'm fine. Fine, fine, fine. Thank you.

Okay, so how can I help you?

Laura, I just came by to say

I want to apologize to you

for anything that I have done to put us in this place.

This place?

Yes, this place of underlying anger and disdain

for one another.

Um, Miss Ella, I don't have any underlying disdain for you,

but I do feel like you and your family have disdain for me.

And I apologize for that, Laura.

So, can you tell me how we make you feel that way?

Miss Ella, can we have a real discussion?

Please. That's the only way I know how to discuss things.

Good. Well, I don't know.

I guess I just don't understand

how you don't know how we got here when you stood right there,

plain as day, in your living room,

in front of your whole family

and told me to take my narrow ass home.

-I did not say "ass." -Okay, "tail." Same thing.

But you told me to take my narrow tail home somewhere.

-You don't remember that? -Of course I remember that.

Okay, so then how are you saying,

like, you don't know how we got here?

Like, that's how we got here, Miss Ella,

you kicked me out of your home and told me to never come back.

Okay, that day I did tell you to leave.

Until a time where we could talk reasonably.

At that moment, our emotions were all flared up

and we were all over the place.

And I just thought it best

for us to just step back and breathe.

It was never my intent

for you never to feel welcomed in my home again.

I'm sorry, Miss Ella,

but that incident made me feel unwelcome.

Okay, Laura, I apologize.

I really do.

You are about to be married to my son.

Mm-hmm.

And I just think we should work on repairing this relationship.

Miss Ella, I don't think we ever had a relationship.

Oh.

Well, I thought we were doing fine.

Miss Ella, I can remember always asking you

to go shopping with me.

And you would always cancel on me.

I even invited you to come do wedding appointments with me.

And you would always cancel because you were too busy.

Yet when I come over to the house,

you'd be standing in the kitchen cooking with Miranda.

I just, I didn't know what to do.

I even went to my mother and I was like,

"Mommy, I want a relationship with Miss Ella.

What should I do?"

And she said, "You know what?

Why don't you go meet her at church?"

So I did that.

But you didn't even show up to church that day.

So I've just, I've given up.

I just, I mean, it's obvious you don't want

a relationship with me, Miss Ella.

I can see, Laura, how it could look like that.

Yes, it looks like that because that's the way it is.

[upbeat music]

More flyers.

-Oh, you got a good opinion. -Nope.

Ms. Wellington has been busy.

Wait, let me see those.

Oh, Dad, this woman is trying to trash our reputation

with all the neighbors.

Yeah, this HOA election thing is getting nasty.

Yeah, but you know that's how campaigns are these days.

Glo better get a response out soon.

Yeah, I told her that I would help her out with her campaign.

Okay, but what is the plan to combat all of this?

Well, just let people know

that the kind of people that we are,

you know, we've always been pillar in the community.

I know that's right, Dad.

Uncle Curtis says this whole thing

is going to backfire on her anyway.

Well, this lady's declared war.

This makes me want to help Glo with her campaign.

So what's on your agenda today?

The councilman's having a food drive down at First Christian.

[Janine] Oh, that's nice.

Yeah, I actually have to give a report to the board

about the amount of money spent

in the calls towards the unhoused in the county.

You know, the councilman talks about that all the time.

I mean, we expend so many resources,

for the needs of the unhoused,

I mean, we might as well spend the money to house them.

Oh, every city is dealing with this.

Yeah, yeah.

Hey, what time is the meeting today?

-1 p.m. -You know what?

I'm going to try to make it down there and listen in.

No, that's good, son.

Let me know if you decide to come.

What about you, babe?

I'm training two new PR associates

down at the fire department.

So if things get any worse and you need my help,

just let me know.

What you got, Jazz?

My day's going to be challenging.

Challenging?

Why? 'Cause of math class?

No, my journalism class.

So what makes that so challenging?

I have to meet with my media group.

What's tough about that?

I don't like one of the members.

Damn. Who?

[knocking on door]

No, please, don't get up. Let me.

That better not be Miss Wellington.

Hello, Mrs. Payne. Is Jazmine here?

[upbeat music]

Come on. Have a sit.

Laura, let me say this to you.

That is absolutely not how it is.

Now, do you remember?

On that afternoon,

you bust into my home all riled up.

-Miss Ella. -Oh, you were.

You were now. You were upset.

It was all in you.

You came into a wonderful afternoon.

An afternoon you could have joined.

And before we could get our hellos out good,

you snipped at Miranda.

Well, I wasn't talking to Miranda, so.

Miranda is a part of my family. And she was a guest in my home.

So when you barged in and did what you did,

how did you think that was going to go?

-Oh, I'm sorry, Miss Ella. -What was I supposed to do?

I saw you come in and disrespect a guest

in my home in front of my face.

Would you allow someone to come in your home

and disrespect your guests in front of your face?

-Would you? -No, Miss Ella, I wouldn't.

[Ella] Okay. Okay.

So then why should I stand for it in my home?

I'm sorry, Miss Ella. That's how it came off.

I apologize.

Like you said, Laura, it came off that way

because that's the way it was.

-Hey, Ma. -Hello, Calvin.

What's going on?

I came by just to talk to Laura

so that we could clear the air, baby.

Okay. Everything okay?

No, Calvin, everything is not okay.

Okay. What can I do?

There's nothing you can do, Calvin.

Laura and I need to just talk this thing through.

Well, I don't know as much talking that can be done, but...

[deep breath]

But we have no choice, but to talk it through.

We have to.

I mean, that's what I was trying to get you to understand

yesterday when Miranda came up.

Calvin, you want me to do all this talking.

But when I asked you to talk this morning,

you said you weren't ready, isn't that what you told me?

Well, yeah, something like that.

Okay, then. Why I got to do all the talking?

You get to sleep on the couch and just put me off.

Look, can we not do this in front of my mom?

That's our business.

You're right.

Miss Ella, I apologize.

I am sorry for disrespecting you and your family.

-Laura, wait. -No, Calvin.

Miss Ella, I'm sorry. I'm really sorry.

What do I do? Am I supposed to go after her?

Calvin... I don't know.

[upbeat music]

Speak of the devil.

Jazmine, looks like you have a guest.

Jazzy, don't be rude. Come speak with your guest.

Please, come on.

-Girl, are you deaf? -All right.

Well, we all have to get to work,

so we are going to leave you two to talk.

Jazmine, be nice like I taught you.

Okay.

-What you want, dude? -Hey, that's not it.

Hey, can y'all let me handle this my way, please?

-Yes, ma'am. -I love y'all.

Have fun at work.

What is it?

Look, I know you told me to never talk to you again.

Oh, so you're not just a cheater.

You're also deaf.

No, I'm not trying to not listen to you. I'm not.

I respect your decision to never speak to me again,

but I at least had to come and say sorry.

Okay.

My grandpa taught me

that sometimes in life a man makes a mistake.

He said, in those moments,

you have to acknowledge it and apologize.

I just wanted to at least come and say that.

You tried to help me, and by being lazy

and trying to rush to a baseball game,

I took the easy way out and copied your paper.

I don't know if I could ever make it up to you,

but I did want you to know that I feel terrible about it.

And if you ever did forgive me,

nothing like that will ever happen again.

Okay. Well, that was it. I'll go.

I hope you have a good rest of your day.

I'm perfectly fine with working alone, so.

I'll respect you and not show up to group.

Okay. Cool.

Hey.

I don't care if you come to group.

You sure?

I don't trust working with you.

But if everybody else is cool with it,

then I'll go along with it, too.

I really appreciate it. Well, um...

See you.

[soft music]

[knocking on door]

-Oh, hey, Mr. Payne. -Ella's not here.

How do you know I came to see Miss Ella?

Who else?

Well, maybe I came to see you and to check on you,

and to see how you're doing.

-Fat chance. -All right.

Guilty as charged. Where's Miss Ella?

Hmm. I don't know.

Maybe down at the church.

You don't know where your wife is?

-Miranda. -Huh.

Ella got all kinds of places she go to.

I can't keep up with her. I need one of them things.

-GPS? -Yes.

-Or a tracker. -Okay.

Um, well, when you see her, can you please...

Oh, speak of the angel.

There we go.

Miss Ella, are you okay?

[Ella chuckles] Okay. I've been better.

-I've been better, baby. -What?

Something happen down at the church, baby?

I don't know, Curtis. I didn't go to the church.

I went to talk to Laura.

Oh. I'm gonna sit down for this one.

-You went to talk to Laura? -Yes.

I told you that, Curtis.

Maybe you know why. I don't remember.

Mr. Payne, you are the worst.

I asked you.

Okay. So, Miss Ella, what happened?

I went over there to bury the hatchet

because you just don't have

that kind of drama in this family.

-It's not what we do. -And she's mad.

Oh. She is so mad.

And now I'm mad.

And I'm mad at myself for letting it get to this point.

Mm-mm, Miss Ella. You cannot blame yourself.

This is not your fault.

Miranda, I can. I can and I must.

-Baby. -Curtis, no.

Now, that girl has been trying to get my attention.

And I just brushed her off.

And now there is no way I can convince her that I

or anybody else in this family wants a relationship with her.

And on top of that, I threw her out of this house.

[nervous laughs] Hey, God, I just want...

I just want bygones to be bygones,

and it's just not that simple.

Y'all, excuse me for just one minute, please.

I'll be right back, Miranda.

[soft music]

Hey.

You don't want to talk?

Thought you weren't ready to talk.

I'm sorry.

We need to keep the lines of communication open.

I would think so. Especially between us.

I would argue my family, too.

Touché.

-Where were you? -Shopping.

I know that credit card's burning.

Oh, yeah, it's on fire.

-Laura. -What?

It's my therapy, Calvin.

Why can't you go to the gym or on a walk or something?

-So you calling me fat? -No, babe.

I'm just saying. Retail therapy can be dangerous.

Okay. Well, it helps me.

Well, what did you want to talk about?

Calvin.

I just... I didn't understand how you were so mad

about me not wanting Miranda in my home.

I don't know how many women would allow their man's ex-wife

to have open access to their home.

Look, I just want us all to get along, Laura.

Okay. And what if we don't?

I want us to.

Okay. Well, Calvin,

sometimes the things that we want don't always happen.

Well, why can't they happen? I know you don't like Miranda.

I don't.

-But it's Christian's mom. -Yep. She is.

-Do you love Christian? -Yes. I love that boy.

Okay. So isn't that enough reason

-to get along with Miranda? -Yes.

You do have a point there, Calvin.

Well, you try.

[deep breath] Okay.

Fair enough. I will try.

So you'll talk to Miranda. Bury the hatchet.

I will work towards moving in that direction, yes.

But you gotta promise me one thing.

Okay. What's that?

You have to be patient with me.

And you have to give me time, Calvin.

-Okay. -Okay.

And you can't be sleeping on the couch.

That's not cool with me.

-Okay. I'm sorry. -Okay.

-Now let's go to bed. -Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

-Can I have a kiss? -I guess.

[soft music]

Mr. Payne, what are we missing?

Everybody's all emotional.

I mean, I don't think I'm emotional.

Well, sure you are. You don't like Laura.

And you're mad at her.

And I have good reason to be, don't you think?

Yeah, of course you do.

Everybody's got a right to feel what they feel, Miranda.

But what does it solve?

I mean, it's fine if you're in a situation

that you don't have to deal with a person again.

But if you have to have constant interaction with them,

-then you gotta figure it out. -Yeah.

I'll tell you what. Your virtue better kick in.

Because you gotta drop them emotions

and do what's right.

I hear you, Mr. Payne. Thank you.

I need to get out of here, but I love you.

-I love you too, baby. -I know, I know. [laughs]

-Sike. -Hey, hey, hey.

You can't take it back.

Oh, God.

You are the truth and the living.

I come to you right now, God, and I thank you.

Thank you for all that we're going through, God.

It is good. [laughs]

God, I thank you that you will come

and take a seat with me, and hear my petition.

I need you. I need your wisdom.

[exhales] I need your grace.

Oh, God, your mercy. For we're guilty, God.

How I bless your name.

Challenge us to live your way. Hey!

[taps foot]

God, challenge us to live your way.

I just want to be careful to do your will, God.

Oh, how I love you, Jesus.

Oh! How I love you, Jesus.

[music]

[music]