Original subtitles

BILL: This seat taken?

That depends.

Where is your persistent wife?

Persistent?

Like a rash, fever.

Infection. It was the nicest word I could think of.

Well, to answer your question, she's at home.

I had a meeting with a client.

Then you may join me.

You're, um...

practically glowing.

Like you returned from battle...

...victorious and unafraid.

It's my aftermath attire.

Yeah, I am well acquainted.

You know, we've gone to battle together a time or two.

It was always more fun when we were on the same team.

Two of us against the world.

Like we were when Chelsea was missing.

What a relief--

we can put all that behind us now and go back to normal.

All right, a new iteration of normal.

We got our baby home again.

-God is good. -Yeah, yeah, but...

You know, seeing Chelsea like that, it's...

-I can't imagine what it must've been like. -Yeah.

Held hostage by that lunatic.

What she must've gone through,

not just physically, but emotionally.

Yeah.

Well, whatever she needs, we'll get it.

Hey.

Once she feels safe again, she will regain her confidence,

and then she'll go back to taking over the fashion world.

Now, you know I threw down at breakfast,

and I don't cook like that for everyone.

It smelled delicious. I'm just not hungry yet.

You understand?

Of course. There's no pressure from me.

Now, we get to go to the fun part.

The semi-annual wardrobe purge for charity.

-Now, Naomi... -What?

I can't help that I have

a personal closet curator of my own.

You know exactly what I should keep and what should go.

And you know that you don't need me for this,

but I appreciate what you're doing.

Your heart's just not in it, huh?

I'm sorry, I just feel off.

Like... like, I can't shake the feeling

that something awful is about to happen.

Healing from a traumatic experience...

It takes time. I know, I know.

And, unfortunately, there are no shortcuts.

So what do I do?

Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

You have a whole team of Duprees here to hold you up

till you're back to yourself.

Or some new, tougher version of me.

Whoever you are at the end of all of this,

you'll always have us.

-How's Chelsea doing? -The same.

I wish there was something I could do to make things better.

But having Madison there, so steady, reassuring...

Here's to the type of love that doesn't need a filter.

Purely, simply there for each other, no matter what.

Like us.

Challenging?

What fun would it be if everything was easy?

Slaying dragons, exploring new territories?

Sign me up.

When you're going where no man has gone before...

Tomas.

...you got to be ready for a few unexpected detours.

And I am definitely enjoying the journey.

So am I.

I'm glad to hear you say that,

because I'm not giving up on blowing your mind.

Been thinking of some moves, some different scenarios.

You know, I might even ask for a do-over.

Me losing my virginity for a second time?

Yeah, I'm not sure that's a thing.

Then we'll make it a thing.

Because when I find that special combination

that makes you purr...

Mmm, my...

You're in trouble.

Wow. Could my timing be any worse?

I am willing to bet it could.

But it's probably important.

-Right? -And it really can't wait.

♪ ♪

Come on in. Put your stuff wherever.

Nice place. This all yours?

Well, not entirely.

I work for my cousin's purse company,

and this is our headquarters.

Guess you can say it's my office.

Yeah. I've been seeing your posts about that.

You're looking good.

You are not blushing.

No, I'm not.

Sure are doing a lot of smiling.

Uh, I'm... I'm just excited about, you know,

getting a jump on the English project.

It's that good girl fever. I get it.

Got to be the first, the best, the hottest.

I don't, I don't know about all that.

I just... I don't know. I thought that we should have

a little extra time before school,

and since I knew the office would be free...

Thought we should get it started.

The-the project.

You got your projects and...

I've got mine.

Hey.

How are things in your rodeo?

You know how it is. Once you get saddled up,

you just kind of hold on tight, right?

We're figuring it out.

Well, Derek's lucky to have you.

You know, that's what I keep trying to tell him.

So still no prognosis or anything?

I know with injuries like his, it's prob...

It's hard to know what his future's gonna look like.

At least he has you there to help out.

That must be a really good feeling.

It is.

It's good to be there for the people we care about.

Like how you were there for Dani when Chelsea went missing.

She's lucky you were a free man.

What do you mean?

Just that if it wasn't for our silly misunderstanding...

...you and I might've been a couple right now.

If you'll just give me a minute, I know you'll want to hear this.

What I want is for you to disappear.

We were just talking about how important family is, right?

And she's technically part of that.

It's too much, Tomas.

She's right. I shouldn't have interrupted.

Thanks for trying.

Seriously?

Okay, whatever. Spill it.

What intriguing bit of news just cannot wait?

The floor is yours, drama queen.

Listen, something devastating happened to you.

It's your choice what you do next.

But that's the problem. I don't even know what my options are.

But there's no rush, right?

Take your time. You will figure it out.

I just hate the not knowing part.

Yeah.

You've never been cool about

chilling out in the cocoon phase.

You know, where everything's gooey and shapeless.

You always wanted to burst out

as a fully formed butterfly in your eye-popping glory.

Well, that's the thing.

I'm just not sure I'll be happy

being the center of attention anymore.

But you're an influencer, and a damn good one.

Yeah, and so good that I attracted

the attention of a sociopath.

She's been out there for years obsessing

over every detail of my life.

Naomi, she knew what kind of food I liked.

She knew my shoe size. I just want my privacy back.

I get it...

But?

But it just might be too soon

to make this big of a decision.

Try to be a cocoon for a little while.

You know, see what comes out.

You could be a luna moth

or some kind of killer butterfly, you know?

What if I just stay a goo-filled pod,

unsure of what I'll become?

Well, then at least you won't have to face a court case

depending on how that woman pleads.

If I have to see her in a courtroom...

I ran into her at the police station.

You did? And what happened?

She asked me to be her attorney.

I mean, can you even believe that?

Well, I hope you told her yes.

BILL: I said what I said.

My daughters are my priority, and they always have been.

Mm?

Okay, well, if Chelsea wasn't aware before,

then she damn sure knows now.

-Unconditionally, unequivocally. -That's right.

Mm-hmm. Mm.

Thought I'd have issue with her loving

whomever she chooses to love. Who does she think I am?

So you accept anyone?

Well, now, I-I never said that.

-Because if memory serves... -Look, hell yes,

I opposed of those clowns she brought around

in high school, and I'd do it again.

But you do approve of Madison?

Well, I mean, yeah, you know.

I'd be a fool not to, you know?

I mean, she's the neurologist responsible for my care

and healing after my stroke.

You know, it's a no-brainer for me there.

You know, Madison's a genius, and she's kind.

She clearly cares about Chelsea.

-She really does. -Yeah.

You sure you don't want to do a background check

on her family just to make sure her father's up to par?

Come on now. I'm not that elitist.

When Naomi started dating Jacob, a lowly cop

walking the beat on the mean streets of Chocolate City...

All right. Whatever. Okay. Now, that was a long time ago, Dani.

-I was a different man. -It wasn't until you found out

-his father was chief of police that... -Okay.

The point is, I'm capable of change.

-Yes, you are. -Yeah.

You, sir, held me together through a crisis.

Well, old patterns die hard.

Good ones never do.

I guess it was fate.

When I thought you were lying about breaking up with Dani.

ANDRE: I wouldn't go that far.

ASHLEY: I mean, if that hadn't happened...

Then I'd be feeding you breakfast in bed right now.

What? I can't even say it?

No, because if we had been a couple right now

and Derek had his accident, then he'd be all alone.

Oh, God, could you imagine

what that would've been like for him?

Yeah, I'm sure it would've been difficult.

Maybe everything really does happen for a reason.

As awful as this has been,

you've been right there by his side.

Yeah, we've reconnected in a way I never thought was possible.

It reminded me why

I fell in love with him in the first place.

See? Exactly.

-Yeah. -Take Dani and me.

Being that shoulder for her

during Chelsea's whole ordeal,

it made us connect on a deeper level, too.

Life has a funny way of doing that.

-Yeah, I guess so. -Yeah.

Yeah.

Hey, I hope Derek makes a full recovery. I really do.

He has the golden nurse on his side already.

Thank you, Andre.

We're taking it day by day.

You've inspired me, you know.

You've inspired me to look outside of myself

and consider the needs of others.

You make me want to be a better person, Ashley Morgan.

You have completely changed my perspective on life.

You've shown me there is so much more to experience.

Yeah, um, well, maybe I should get out of here.

Um...

I'll see you around.

I'll see you around.

Yeah.

If you'll talk about Nella Larsen,

I'll do the part about Zora Neale Hurston.

Cool, cool, cool. I wanted to talk to you about that.

I haven't started on the research yet.

Oh, well, here's my notes,

and, uh, I'll do the slideshow for the both of us.

And, you know, just, you can make changes,

but run them by me, of course.

Hold up, what's the due date?

Next Thursday.

Why does it sound like you finished my part and yours?

I guess I just got carried away.

I mean, you know, they're both such incredible writers,

and I couldn't choose, so...

But you can totally make changes if you want.

Are you crazy? I'm not changing a thing.

You're my secret weapon now.

I'll have to find some way to show my appreciation

for you doing all the hard work.

It's no sweat, really.

I got it. Me and my brother, we got this side hustle going.

Event planning.

Oh, wow, that sounds exciting.

Yeah, we rent a house, do a cover charge,

get the refreshments popping. It's hella exclusive.

That sounds so lit.

So, you got me thinking, having a model on site,

and she's an actual Dupree?

That's next level. Iconic.

People are gonna be talking about us for months.

You're just saying that.

Nah, for real. You should come through,

and don't worry about the cover charge.

I got you.

You really want me to be at your party?

You will be the party.

Special guest. VIP treatment.

And it'll give us a chance to hang out

in a different environment.

I'd like that.

Go ahead, Eva,

since you thought this was the perfect time for an ambush.

What is so important?

I just wanted to say I'm sorry that my mom's plan

to buy a house near your family has created so much tension.

And what would she do without you running interference?

Being her champion?

Maybe she will shrivel up and blow away.

Then we can all get some peace.

Eva's trying to explain...

How she's sucking up to my dad

while doing her mom's bidding at the same time?

Kat, you're not being fair.

At least I'm clear.

Two feet firmly planted

on not trusting anything this one has to say.

Oh, my gosh. I have apologized and apologized.

"Sorry" is not an eraser.

No amount of DNA can erase what you did.

Forget this. I don't even know why I try.

Oh, just like her mother.

Loves to play for an audience.

Wow, you've really locked in

on this whole mean girl era, haven't you?

I was hoping you were on this morning.

You are always at the top of my list,

whether I'm working or not.

You look like you got some good news.

Did things go well in physical therapy?

About the same.

Loads of time to think about how I'm the luckiest guy

in the world, though.

Yeah. Why is that?

I got you. Great hospital.

Anything's possible.

I used to think there was no way I could love you more.

-Oh, stop. -I mean it.

You're completely selfless.

You can look at a total disaster like me

and not throw in the towel.

You are not a disaster, Derek.

It's just...

This accident has...

It's made me realize what's important.

Me, too.

None of that trivial stuff matters.

Sucks that it takes me wiping out on a triathlon

for us to realize that.

Hey, but it brought us back together.

Maybe even closer than we were before, right?

Feels weird to call it a blessing in disguise.

It was a revelation.

Mm.

There were some unexpected silver linings, for sure.

Seems like we're evolving.

Mature, logical conversation between exes.

[both laugh]

And that smile tells me it's coming to an end.

What are you dying to say?

I get the feeling that you are using me

to keep from going home.

Why would I do that?

I may or may not have overheard you telling Hayley

to stay out of family business when Chelsea was missing.

No, that was heat of the moment.

Hear me and hear me good.

Flowers are pretty. Jewelry's forever.

Is it too early to drink?

I just had a flashback.

If it doesn't cost as much as a week's salary...

BOTH: The apology wasn't sincere.

Yeah. Yeah, I remember.

Still sends shockwaves through my wallet.

Hey, you hurt a girl's feelings,

she's entitled to compensation.

And isn't jewelry or a luxury vacation

a small price to pay for peace everlasting?

-You're ruthless. -I'm pragmatic.

No, you're a dangerous woman is what you are.

What's up, man? Uh, you're in my seat.

So you're the...

missing breakfast companion, I presume?

Yeah, guilty as charged.

And Nicole recently brought me up to speed.

Seems like I have a lot to learn and process

about the women in my life.

Ooh, is that what I am?

Whatever makes you happy, Dani.

Look how well I've trained him.

Still avoiding an argument,

even when he doesn't have to pay in rubies.

My private life is no longer your business.

Oh, and yet you feel the need to comment on mine?

I'm sorry. Um, am I interrupting something?

-Actually, bro-- -Of course not.

We're finished here.

Bill's already had breakfast.

Right.

Always a pleasure.

Andre.

Okay, maybe it's time we had the ex chat.

Do you believe in fate?

Or... do you think there are other universes out there?

[Derek chuckles]

What is so funny?

You're asking me about other worlds, and...

I still can't figure you out in this one.

You really never think about it?

Middle of the night "what ifs"?

A-Ash, I-I don't think of any other existence because...

...I don't want a world without you in it.

That's why I do what I do.

Handle emergencies, keep life safe.

For my one and only.

Your what?

Ashley...

...this is the only world I care about,

because this...

it's where I know we're together.

At least for a little while.

Uh... too much?

Never.

-I got to get back to work. -Okay.

[door opens]

[door closes]

Why would you want me to represent

the woman who kidnapped you?

Because you'd be making sure she's going to prison for life.

You want me to intentionally throw the case?

That's exactly why no judge would ever allow that.

But what if she pleads insanity and the judge agrees?

Then she'll be sent to a mental facility, and given the charges,

she'll be there for a very long time.

But as far as your other concern...

other stalkers...

unfortunately, that's the danger of being a woman

and walking the planet.

There are millions of women right now

being stalked and harassed online.

Happens to so many of us, on and offline.

What can I do?

You can't go back to being the person you were before,

but before you know it,

you'll be a whole new version of yourself.

You'll have a different perspective.

And I, for one, cannot wait to meet her.

Yeah, me, either.

But if you're giving up on being an influencer because of fear,

if you are turning your back on the millions of people

who follow you because you're scared...

...will that make you happier?

Safer?

I'd be giving Allison the power over me that she wanted

and giving up on work that is genuinely so important to me.

Exactly.

I'm not gonna pretend that this didn't rock me,

but you're right.

That bitch took all she'll ever take from me.

My future has to be my decision.

And as far as my mean girl era,

remind me, which one is the wrecking ball

and who's the one standing in the rubble?

Okay, what can she do to prove herself to you?

Emancipate herself.

But she won't.

Because they're one and the same, so it's moot.

And when a pariah becomes a parasite,

living not only off my family but in our community,

on our street, mooching off of my father...

-He's her father, too. -Oh, my God, Tomas.

What is it about little Evil Adjacent

that's turned you and my dad?

Do downtrodden women appeal to your Captain Save-A-Ho

instincts or something?

Come on. She's just looking for a family, that's all.

Where are you going? We haven't even finished breakfast.

You want to save the world, and I applaud you,

but you're wasting that empathy and care on someone

who helped to destroy my family.

-She is your family. -Which makes it worse.

So take your pity for that basic bitch

and choke on it.

You're safe, probably.

What about you? Everything okay?

I'll be fine. I do owe you an answer

about representing your mother, though.

Are you serious?

If you took my mom on as a client,

you'd be looking for another job

and another girlfriend before sundown.

Okay? That girl does not play.

I don't know. I do like a challenge.

She's fun. We get along, you know.

Until you don't.

It's like as soon as something doesn't go her way,

or she-she's not in complete control...

What are you gonna do?

I don't know.

But people like us, we're used to life lifing.

There's peaks and valleys and you just got to learn

to roll with all of it.

We learn that lesson early on.

Can I just be real with you for a second?

Of course.

Being with someone who lets their triggers

turn them into a whole nother person?

It kind of starts to wear on you after a while.

So, it's settled, you're coming to the party.

I am so glad that Dr. Babb made us partners on this project.

Not surprised.

She probably thought your good influence would rub off on me.

What if your bad influence

rubbed off on me?

Wonder how close I got to get to, uh,

turn you into a bad girl.

Samantha, you better start talking.

Aunt Kat, it's not what it looks like.

It looks like you're entirely out of your league,

and this boy needs to leave now.

♪ ♪

-Hey. Thanks for coming over. -It sounded urgent.

-What is going on? -Uh, it's Derek.

Versus Andre.

Did you just make me drop everything at work

so we could debrief the boys?

Mom, I only have a short break. I need you.

Go ahead.

Okay, so Andre and I had this thing going,

and then I pushed him away

because we had a misunderstanding.

-Okay. -We got that clear

right as Derek had his accident,

which brought Derek and me so much closer together,

and it's like I forgot

why we even broke up in the first place.

I made a vow to myself to be there for him.

But you still think about Andre.

Every time I'm with him,

something inside of me comes alive.

It's electric, like anything's possible.

I mean, should I be feeling something like this?

You are hardly the first to have butterflies over the edgy guy.

Am I being foolish?

I thought I was making the right decision,

but now I'm not sure.

Help.

Talking about exes before coffee?

What's to discuss?

So you want me to pretend that I didn't just interrupt

something between you and Bill, then?

We were discussing his desire to be more present

in Chelsea and Naomi's lives.

Yeah. I see. So, co-parenting

your adult children is challenging.

Interesting.

It is when the parents are at each other's throats.

-The girls and I... -You're tight.

We are,

and Bill doesn't want to turn into

some fixture in the background. That's it.

-Mmm. -Now, your turn.

Which ex has inspired this talk?

I ran into Ashley.

Oh, she's been elevated to an ex, even though

you were never more than just friends. How precious.

She talked about Derek

and how she's been taking care of him since he got injured.

He's a lucky guy.

Crazy how locked in she is, though.

She doesn't know if Derek will ever walk again or

what this does for her life, but she's committed to being there.

Yeah. Crisis like that can make you re-evaluate.

Establish new perspectives.

It's like you realize how much your happiness

depends on the people around you.

Yeah. It was a good talk.

I think we both got some closure.

Talking.

It's so exhausting sometimes.

Yeah, breakfast is the most overrated meal of the day.

Why are we still here, then?

[clears throat]

One man offers stability,

and the other is the embodiment of the thrill.

No. Okay, it's not just that, Mom.

Andre represents the possibilities.

He makes me consider a future I've never even imagined.

Well, what have you imagined?

Exactly what I have now.

For as long as I can remember, Derek is everything

I thought I wanted.

You know, he's-he's dependable,

he's genuine, he's a great guy.

Mm-hmm.

Whose stories could you listen to

a million times and never get bored?

Who do you want to have breakfast with

for the next 50 years?

And who can you trust will hang on

even when the sun isn't out?

Mm.

Because when everything goes pear-shaped,

and the landscape is nothing like you expected...

And whose eyes always come home

to you

no matter how many sparkly distractions swirl around?

You need a soft place to land.

And your guy...

is that guy.

A sure thing.

Versus potential that

sets my mind on fire.

It's a big decision.

What are you gonna do?

It must be Try Kat Day, 'cause what in the world

were you thinking having a boy in here?

You betrayed our trust.

You gave me a key.

You said that I could come by whenever I wanted.

To work, not to bring in some random

who only has one thing on his mind.

But nothing even happened.

It was, it was literally just a kiss.

A kiss is not nothing.

I'm sorry, Aunt Kat, okay?

We were just working on a project, I swear.

Okay? I'm sorry. I will never even talk to a boy again.

Just please don't rat me out.

If you want to have a friend over,

you need to do that at your house with proper supervision.

I know. I just...

I wanted to spare him the parental interrogation.

I couldn't even date until recently,

even though all of my friends have boyfriends.

You know how everybody gets.

Just... please, don't tell.

I won't say anything, but I mean it.

This can never happen again, okay?

And you need to come clean to your dads on your own.

I promise.

I really like him, Aunt Kat,

and you just reminded me of how Pop can get sometimes.

BILL: There we go.

NAOMI: Are you sure you're comfortable, Dad?

Uh, yeah. Yeah.

Look, wherever my brilliant daughters are,

that's where I'm happiest.

-Unless I'm in the way. -No, Dad, you're not.

-You're not in the way. -Okay.

You didn't have to track us down.

I'm here, I'm safe, and I love you.

Well, I love you, too,

but there's no ulterior motive here.

I'm just checking on both my girls.

So...

Uh... Naomi, what's new in your life?

You know? Tell me everything.

Well, I've been busy with the new case.

Uh, there's this unhoused woman, June.

I've been helping her get on her feet.

Oh, good for you.

But the kicker is,

she is Tyrell and Samantha's biological mother.

-Wow. -NAOMI: Yeah.

That's, um...

That's incredible. Did you know about this?

I work with Samantha.

Meeting your mom isn't something you really keep a secret.

That was a closed adoption.

Do Martin and Smitty need a protective order,

like, yesterday?

I'm sure they can't be happy about it.

Actually, the kids said they're good with the status quo.

So, life goes on as normal.

Not ours.

Because from this moment on, if it's important to you,

it's important to me, okay?

I don't want to miss another thing from your lives.

Listen, I'm going to be so involved

that you're gonna be begging me for space.

Yeah?

Thanks for coming back.

I wasn't sure you were gonna text me back.

Are you crazy?

I had to make sure she didn't send you to juvie.

-You okay? -Yeah, I'm fine.

I-- My aunt was having a bad day. You know how it is.

Actually, no,

'cause I was having a very good time with you.

Remind me what we were doing before we got interrupted.

I've never had anyone who stands up for me like you do.

It's admirable...

but you should stop.

What Kat fails to realize is that,

if you weren't in Leslie's life, keeping her in check,

they'd be in way more danger.

But your girl won't listen.

You deserve more credit than you get.

You're a good person, Eva.

Kat doesn't see it...

but I do.

I really appreciate you saying that.

Deserves to be said.

Well, um, I better go find my dad.

Yeah, I'm glad we ran into each other.

Me, too.

Good luck, and I hope you and Kat work things out.

I was just about to buzz you. You're never gonna believe this.

Hold that thought. I don't mean to be rude,

but there's something I need to say before I forget how it goes.

Okay...

When you first moved in,

I treated you like an invasive species.

I wanted you to adapt to my ecosystem, my way of living

the second you arrived, which was totally unfair.

I should've been more welcoming and-and patient

and we should've figured out a way

to occupy the space together.

No one wants to live with a Neanderthal,

no matter how handsome he is.

You joke, but....

everything always leads me back to you.

I think I just needed to remember that.

You are where I belong, Derek.

You're home.

What are you saying, Ashley?

We could build a life together, Derek.

A beautiful, meaningful life

that is as solid as you have always been.

That's what I want.

And you said that I was your one and only, so...

I guess that brings me to just

one single question.

Don't you dare get on one knee.

Derek Baldwin...

...will you marry me?

[Derek breathes deeply]

♪ ♪

♪ I need deliverance♪

♪ If you want to come♪

♪ And set me free♪

♪ There's no forgiveness♪

♪ For the way you're touching me♪

♪ I've been waiting♪

♪ My body's aching.♪

You still haven't told me where we're going, lover boy.

Place A. Place B. Choose.

Okay, let's go with A.

ANDRE: Vegas, baby.

-Life goes boom. -We go boom.

And just now, it was...

it was like old times.

Like the man I fell in love with.

But it's not enough, is it?

Never seen this side of you before.

I like it.

Come on over here and help me with this.

To knocking down that scheme and praying that Leslie

hasn't already thought of another idea to screw with us.

Wakey, wakey, Teddy Bear.

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Captioned by Media Access Group at WGBH access.wgbh.org