Original subtitles

I'm free

And after you take the stand, I'll ask you about how you've restructured your

life for your baby. Right, right. I need to stress the new work schedule, the

house in Tarzana. Yeah, yeah, yeah, all that. But what we really need to do, we

need to get to that assault charge.

We need to establish that Tony is volatile and unstable, a borderline

personality with narcissistic overtones whose similarity to my mother will only

increase my joy in taking away her child. If only someone had shown me that

of time.

Happy place, happy place, and I'm back.

You know what?

I think this assault thing is hitting a little below the belt. Yes, exactly.

That's where you need to hit if you want custody.

Fathers don't get custody unless the mother's blatantly unfit. I just think

unnecessary. Courtney Love got her baby.

Yeah, but the father was a dead heroin addict.

Still would have been a better choice.

No!

My... My board.

I don't think I'm going to take any sweatshirts or sweaters or anything.

I mean, it's supposed to be a lot hotter in Florida than it is in L .A. this

time of year, don't you think?

We lived our dream for 24 hours, Darnell.

And now you're leaving me out here in the wilderness with coyotes nipping at

ass. So that'd be a no on a sweatshirt.

I understand.

You have to go, Darnell. I get it, okay?

But why do you have to go today?

Because my job starts tomorrow.

I know, baby, I know. I told you to go for this, and I want you to, Darnell. I

do. But this is hard for me.

We just moved here. I don't know anybody.

You got coyotes all up and through.

I don't even know where I'm going to get my hair done.

Maya, Maya.

This is hard for me, too.

I just moved my family into our first house.

So what, you think I just want to up and leave you and Jabari?

You know, son, baby, it ain't even worth it. I just want to go. I'm going to go.

Maya.

No, I just wanted to see how long you were going to run with it.

Of course you have to go.

Are you sure?

Yeah.

But thank you for feeling bad about it.

That's all I really wanted.

Took you long enough.

God.

Isn't it a little early in the morning for attitude?

Yeah, you're right. I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

I just spent the night in a puddle on my own sick, and I need to be at court in

less than an hour.

I just need to make one little stop at home so I can change and get your money,

okay?

You don't have any money.

All I need is Monica's number. Mr. Dent, I am running out of ways to tell you I

can't give it to you.

And frankly, I'm running out of patience.

Well, so am I.

Look, I came to you because I was desperate to find a woman, but also

I'd given up on love.

I guess love hadn't given up on me.

Ooh, that's the corniest thing I've ever said.

You're not saying something.

The thing is, I keep running into Monica.

Two years ago in New York, then on your computer, then yesterday out on the

street. It's like fate telling us we belong together.

You know she told me she loved me?

Really?

It was strongly implied.

Mr. Dent, I don't see why... You have to see. You have to believe in love.

That's why you got into this business, isn't it?

I love her, Gina.

I love her smile, her wicked sense of humor.

The way she cocks her head when she finds something amusing. That rare look

gets in her eye when she's at a loss for words.

I love her. That's got to count for something.

You are trespassing.

I'm going to go to the other room to call the police.

They'll probably take about five minutes to get here.

While I'm gone, don't you dare look at my confidential files, such as this one.

that has all of Monica's personal information.

Damn.

Oh.

She's not picking up her cell phone or her home phone.

Still no answer at the taste spot. Mama, did you find Joan? Forget Joan, honey.

We've got to concentrate on that carjacking girl.

Now, I've got your sister, Eunice, fresh from Iraq.

Skye in the Crenshaw district for that hoodlum.

Once she coerces a confession, your problem's solved.

Mama, I'm already in enough trouble. It's not going to help having my sister

all Abu Ghraib on Tammy.

Every little bit helps, honey.

I'm going to call my prayer circle up in Fresno.

Tell them to start beseeching the Lord.

I can't believe John isn't here.

Last night she promised me that she would be here.

Just like my son was saying.

The friendship's breaking up, and all of us are being torn apart.

And this helps. How, Lynn?

Sometimes art doesn't help.

It just hurts.

How's it gonna make me... How's it gonna make me look when my main character

witness doesn't even bother to show up? You're gonna look fine, Tony, because we

are not being pulled apart, and we sure as hell are not gonna let Todd take our

baby, okay?

Maya's right, Tony.

We're gonna do this.

You know what? I'll put you Jones on her way here right now.

And I can say

that as an author and a mother myself, that Tony Charles Garrett is a superb

highly competent mother.

And I know this because I am an authoress and a mother myself.

Your Honor, we will stipulate to the fact that the witness is an authoress

mother herself if she would just stop saying it.

Duly noted.

I have no further questions.

Counselor, your witness.

Thank you, Your Honor. Miss Wilkes, I'd like you to tell us, if you could, about

a lunch you had with Mrs. Garrett at a restaurant called... Skia, on October

of last year. I can't recall every lunch I've had at Skia.

I mean, I go there so quite often.

Sometimes I go there to write as an authoress.

I often take my child there as a mother.

Well, maybe this will jog your memory.

It was the day of Morgan's first appointment with a pediatrician.

Oh.

Okay. I think we can go on with this.

Sure.

All right, Tony missed her baby's first checkup. All right, I mean, sure, Tony,

you know, had some trouble when her baby was first born.

But she's a good mother now.

I mean, come on, Todd, you've seen her. You have to admit it. I mean, come on,

Tony's done great with Morgan.

I don't even see how you could sit there and accuse this woman. Mrs. Welp, you

will refrain from addressing the petitioner and answer the question.

Yes, I remember that lunch.

And I also remember reassuring Tony that mothers sometimes make mistakes and

that the important thing is that she loves her baby.

And that is what she's done.

Nobody could love a baby more than Tony loves Morgan.

You know, I look out at everyone sitting in this courtroom today.

And it reminds me of when I was a bridesmaid at Todd and Tony's wedding.

On one side was everyone who came because they loved Todd.

And on the other side was everyone who came because they loved Tony.

Just like today.

But there's one difference.

Because everyone on both sides also loves Morgan.

So can't we all just put everything else aside and do what's best for her?

Your Honor.

Will the witness please answer the question that was asked?

I'm sorry.

Lynn Searcy.

Hello, Monica.

What are you doing?

I'm your knight in shining armor.

You look like leftovers.

Will you try finding a knight costumed this early in the morning?

This is crazy.

No, it's not.

If you want her tonight in shining armor, I want to give you everything

want. Who are you? Monica, every relationship I've had these past three

has failed.

It's never felt right.

And then I saw you the other day, and I realized something standing out there in

the traffic.

I realized that it's never felt right with any of the women that I dated

none of them were you.

I love you, Monica. I've loved you this whole time.

I thought I could suppress it because I didn't think you could love me back,

but... Monica, please.

Give me an answer.

Because I'm cooking in this thing.

Throw in some butter and onion. I'm serving 20.

Well... You and me have to worry about serving one.

I think it's going really well.

Maya, this is the easy part.

They haven't even brought up the assault charge yet.

I know.

Tony, it's going to be okay.

You know, if I win or lose, I've got to start feeling guilty about the mistakes

I've made because I am a good mother.

A damn good mother.

Yeah.

Thank you so much for being here for me.

Come on, Tony.

What kind of friends would we be if we weren't here for you?

Why'd you have to go and bring her up?

Maya!

Darnell, what are you doing here?

I was on my way to the airport, and then I started thinking. You were right.

We should not be apart anymore, all right?

You can come with me.

You can write anywhere.

Baby, sweetie, but what about the house?

We can sell the house, all right? With this crazy, jacked -up real estate

market, we can probably make 50 grand in the month that we own it.

Baby, but Jabari... Jabari is going to be done with school in a few weeks. He

can come down there, spend the summer in Florida.

Baby, but what about all the... I know, I know.

A lot has changed in the past year.

You know?

Look, we're back together.

I'm in a pit crew.

Your writing's taken off. Jabari's wearing deodorant.

All I know is that we're finally living our dream, but we're living it small.

Let's live it big.

Come with me.

David, this is a lot to throw on me right now. I need to think about it.

all I'm asking, right?

Look, I gotta go.

I love you.

I love you.

And the place has a swing set and a nice big yard for her to run around in once

she learns how to run.

Well, it sounds very nice. You're obviously providing a wonderful

for Morgan.

So let's talk about the environment Mrs. Garrett is providing. Do you remember

an incident about two weeks ago when you came to drop Morgan off at Mrs.

Garrett's apartment?

Yes.

Can you tell us what happened?

Well, Tony wasn't there.

Her friends Lynn and Maya were.

Well, did you ask them where she was?

Yes, I did.

And what did they say?

Dr. Garrett, what did they say?

I can't hear this story.

Your Honor, may I request a brief recess so I can confer with my client?

We'll take a 20 -minute recess.

If there is a line at the smoothies cart out front, please be advised that as a

judge, I get cutsy.

What are you doing? Do you want your baby or not? What I want is what's best

my baby.

Tony, I'm going to drop the petition.

For real?

I don't even know why we're here. I got caught up in the fight and I didn't know

how to stop.

You are a good mother.

I'm so sorry.

Thank you, Tom.

Well, does this mean what I think it means? Yes, Mama.

We've settled.

Oh, I'm so happy.

I'm going to call my prayer circle up in Fresno and tell them to get back on

Deacon Hill's new hip.

Hallelujah!

What did I say?

When did we fall apart?

I broke your heart.

I don't know what to say.

Apparently Dempster hated the storyboard, so I don't know what time

be home tonight.

Damn it, Stuart.

Today was the day we were going to come home early and take Evan to baseball

practice. Maria can't do it all.

Just do this.

Mom, Dad, there's a silver portion in our swimming pool.

What are you going to do about this incessant lying?