All language subtitles for Council of Dads s01e08_English

.

- Previously
on "Council of Dads"...

- That what Vegas was about?
Are you leaving?

- I was offered
a big opportunity.

2,500 square feet at Caesars.

- We just got an email
from the social worker.

We've been chosen
by a birth mother.

We have 24 hours to decide
if we want the baby.

- You can't even afford
this house.

- Ma, if I can get
this one done,

I can get a bank loan
and show them--

- No one's going to give
a black man

without a college degree
a loan.

- I might.

I'd like to come in
as an investor.

- My divorce is final.
Would you like to try again?

- Yes.

The answer's yes.

- And I'm asking you to stay.

- I'm not the man
you've built me up to be.

I'm no dad.

- Anthony, what is it?
You have to tell me.

- Luly, she's my daughter.

[soft music]

Larry: In AA, the ninth step
is to make direct amends

to the people you've hurt.

But the hardest part
is what happens next,

because on the other side
of your truth

is someone else's
reaction to it,

and you have no control
over that.

- And I understand
if that's too much to digest.

- Wait. Scott.

Did he know?

Did he ever suspect anything?

Was there, like,
a conversation of any kind?

- No.

- And when did you know?

- [sighs]

This past year

with Michelle and I
both back in town,

it became obvious.

But in the back of my mind,
I guess I always suspected it.

- But you said nothing?

- I didn't want to go there.

- Now, that, I believe.

Because it turns out,
you're a coward.

- [exhales]
You have every right to--

- Oh, I know I do.

And God help me, for the first
time since he died,

I am relieved.

- Don't, don't.
Robin, don't.

- I am relieved that he's gone.

Because this, you...

oh, you would've broken
his heart.

You betrayed him
in so many ways.

- You're right
about everything.

- Stop agreeing with me!
I don't need your validation.

All these years,
you held onto this.

I--I--uh...

I--you need to go.

- I am.
I'm leaving town first thing--

- No, no, now, now.
You need to go now, please.

And don't you dare
contact my children.

This, this--oh, my God.
This would break them.

- You never
have to speak to me gain.

- Go.
- But for the life of me--

- Please go.
[honks horn]

Please go.
- I am so--

[horn honking]
- Get out!

Just go!
- Robin, I never meant--

- Go! Get out!

- I hurt Luly.
- Get out!

[horn honking]

[Yoke Lore's "Chin Up"]

♪

- ♪ Your feelings,
they arrest you ♪

- And take these.
We don't need your guilt car.

- ♪ The tragic,
they will bless you ♪

[car lock chirps]

♪

♪ You don't respect the past

♪

♪ You think
the world's unsafe ♪

- You're 100% sure?

- I am.

- You knew?

- At church,
some lady mentioned

that they had the same smile.

- What,
you're going off a smile?

- I'm going off
medical records.

And I confronted Anthony
about it last night.

I should've called you
right away.

- Why didn't you?

If anything screams, call.

- I'm sorry.
I just wanted

to tell you in person.

- Let's not turn
on one another.

We need to lock in here.
Luly.

Do we tell her?

- Poor Lu.

Could she catch a damn break?

- Robin.

I give you my word.

We're gonna make sure
Luly's okay,

whatever we decide.

- He's right.

We're gonna get through this.

- How do I tell her?

- Okay, just to play
Devil's advocate,

does she need to know now?

I mean,
she's been through so much.

- A little time,
let Anthony settle in Vegas.

- If we don't tell her now,
we become a part of the lie.

She's been looking
for the truth all year,

in her writing,
in her life.

We have to tell her.

I want you guys to be there.

- We will be.

- When do you want
to sit down with her?

- Never.

- [laughs]
- Uh...um, tomorrow.

I just--I gotta clear my head.

I need to be calm and present.

♪

- ♪ Chin up, chin up,
chin up ♪

- Thanks.

- The flight's not
for another three hours.

- Early is on time.
Learned that from you, pal.

- Something else
you could learn from me,

accepting when
you hit a bottom.

- I gotta go.
This guy is waiting.

- You know what?
I'll be quick.

Down the road, you want
Robin and Luly to forgive you,

you're gonna have to work
on forgiving yourself.

- Coming from a guy whose
daughter doesn't speak to him.

- You're right.
She doesn't.

Because unfortunately,
I didn't get the message

that I'm trying to pass to you
until it was too late,

but you got a shot.

- Why do y'all
keep trying to save me, hmm?

Oliver tried last night.
Just stop.

- Scott wouldn't stop.

He would've seen
the good in you,

like I'm trying to now.

- You're not Scott,
and neither am I.

- You're right.
I'm not Scott.

I'm a mean and salty
son of a bitch.

You think you've done bad?

I've done stuff
that would make you choke.

But Scott Perry
saw the good in me,

even in my darkest hour.

- Thought you said
you'd be quick.

- When you're out there
in Vegas,

cooking up whatever
fancy garbage it is

that you're cooking up,
you mark my words.

Shame is gonna hit you
like a truck.

But the real shame
you're gonna feel

is here today.

You ran away
from Scott's daughter.

Your daughter.

That's worse than any
stupid-ass mistake

you made all those years ago.

You hear me?

Anthony, do you hear me?

- Yeah, I heard you.

- ♪ And I look beyond

♪

♪ Valley of the shadow

♪ And I'll carry on

♪

.

- ♪ You make me
want to get ♪

♪ Want to go deep

♪ Intimate

♪ Let you in me,
inside ♪

- You built one killer shower
here, babe.

This water pressure...

- I'm just glad
we can pay the bill.

- [laughs]
- Keep the water on.

Thank you, Larry.

- You know why Larry's
investing in you, right?

- Ah, 'cause I'm married
to you,

and he didn't want us
to get a divorce?

- Uh--
[both laughing]

♪

Because you have talent,
vision,

and you work your butt off.

And yes, it's because
you're married to me,

which means you have
an impeccable eye for design.

- [laughs]

- What? You disagree?

- No, I agree.

You're just being so silly.

- 'Cause I'm drunk in love
with you, dummy.

[cell phone chiming]

Oh, it's my mom.

She says I need to meet
at the house

for a council meeting.

- You think they're bugging
about me and Larry

going into business together?

- I don't know
what they're bugging about,

but they're definitely bugging.

- Huh.

- Sage, 30.
Doesn't drink, doesn't smoke,

dad's not in the picture.

- Oh, I'm in love.

- "I was adopted
into a great home,

"but never got to know
my birth parents,

"so an open adoption
is important to me,

"because although I'm not ready
to be a mom,

I want to have a relationship
with this child."

- She loves our big,
extended family.

She specifically wants
a gay couple

'cause she thinks
we're more intentional

in creating families.

She's like made-in-a-lab
perfect for us.

- I mean, come on.
She really is.

- Look, the agency
has to know by tonight.

Diapers, baby-proofing,

our living room cluttered
with plastic toys that sing.

- Oh, God.
Plastic toys that sing.

Just--can we not allow
those in the house?

- So it sounds like
you want this.

- I mean, seeing her,
seeing that it's real,

I want this.

I can't believe
how much I want this.

- Me, too.

- So we're saying yes?

- Yes?

- Yes!

[upbeat music]

Whoo!

Let's wait to tell Tess
until it's official.

Will you call the agency?
I gotta go.

This Luly thing.

- Oh, right,
you're talking to Luly.

Poor baby.

- I know.

We're having a baby!

- Hey!
- Whoo!

Babies everywhere!

- ♪ Your mess is mine

[upbeat folk music]

- Hustle up. Time to leave.
Mom, we're leaving.

- Actually,
we still got two minutes

before our scheduled
time of departure.

- But it takes two minutes
to walk to the car,

and the Gay-Straight Alliance
vote is before first period.

If we miss the vote,
I'll be down two votes.

- Well, who says
I'm voting for you?

- Shouldn't you be
on your way to school?

- Thank you.
- Wait, why are you guys here?

- Uh, we're just
having a little--

- Council meeting with Luly.

- Without Anthony?

- Well, Anthony's gone.
He's in Vegas.

- He's going to Vegas.

- No, he left.

- Without saying good-bye?

- He left without saying
good-bye to you guys?

- Yeah, he did.

- Are you sure?
Can we call him?

- No,
because you have to drive us,

like, right now to school.

- She's right.
Hey, good luck with the vote.

- Thanks, Mom!
- Bye, JJ.

- Bye!

[dog barking]

- Okay, you're freaking me out.

Did I do something wrong?

- No.

Uh...

let's go down by the water.

- Why?

- I wanted your dad
to be present.

You know you had
the greatest dad.

- I know that.

- I met you
at the very same time

that I met him in the ER.

And you were just the cutest
little button of a girl,

even though you'd fallen
off your bike

and you needed stitches.

And him,
the way he tended to you

and loved on you,
and you were both so cool

and funny and bonded.

- Why are you telling
this story?

- Because I need you
to remember that that bond

between the two of you is real,

and nothing
will ever change it.

- What's happening?

Why do you guys all look
like you're about to cry?

- [sighs]

There's no easy way
to say this.

- Say it.

God, you're freaking me out.

- We just found out
that Anthony...

- It's okay.

- He's your biological father.

[tense music]

♪

- That's...

How?

- From what Anthony
told your mom

and Michelle confirmed it,

they had some sort
of a one-time indiscretion.

- Okay, well, that is, like,
bizarre on every level.

But that does not mean
that he's my biological dad.

- I checked your blood
against Scott's.

It's not...

Luly, I'm sorry.
He's not your biological dad.

♪

- That's why he left.

I asked him to stay, and...

he couldn't face it.

He couldn't face me.

♪

- Lu, this doesn't
change anything.

He's not your dad.
Scott is.

And he always will be,

just like I will always
be your mom.

And these guys,

they are rock solid
here for you.

♪

- I need to go tell Evan.

- Hey, Lu.

Luly Perry,
you are our precious daughter,

and we love you
with our whole hearts.

♪

- Okay.

- [sighs]

♪

.

[upbeat music]

♪

- Surprise.

- Do you know
you've stopped by

every day this week
after your shift?

And it's so delightful.
It's also no longer a surprise.

- Oh, okay.

Well, how's this
for a surprise?

I made a reservation.

- Like a dinner reservation?

Because I can't...

With everything that Luly's
going through, I'm not--

- Are you done
trying to get out of it

before you even know
what it is?

- Yep. Sorry.

- You ready for it?
- Mm-hmm.

- Bowling.

- Bowling.
- People gotta bowl.

- Do they?

- Oh, it's throwing
heavy things

into other things,

resulting in a very
satisfying bang.

- I can't.

- Sure, you can.
I'll teach you.

- No, no, no,
I'm an excellent bowler.

I would impress you.

You would high-five me.

Our hands would linger
a moment too long.

And then after the game comes
to its natural conclusion,

after I beat you...

- Naturally.

- We'd end up at your place.

And my lips
would find your lips,

and it would all feel so good.

- Yeah?

- Yeah, so I can't.

- Because...

- Because all that
takes up space,

and my dumpster fire
is filled to the brim.

Like, for instance, right now,

Luly is meeting
with her birth mom,

and I am so worried about her.

And you shouldn't have to spend
so much time

listening to me and my worries.

- Why shouldn't I?

- Because you want
to go bowling.

- No, I don't.
I mean, I do, but only...

[laughs]

I just--I thought
it would make you smile

to see me in bowling shoes.

- [laughs]
- Well, mission accomplished.

[warm music]

♪

- It was just once,
my hand on a stack of bibles.

- Where was my dad?

- Rehab.

His drinking, you know,
had gotten really bad,

and he'd be gone
for days on binges.

Anthony and I had drove him
to the hospital for treatment.

He didn't want to go.

He got out of the car
and ran down the highway,

and Anthony had to tackle him.

I was crying.

I was...

It was a mess.

So when he finally
agreed to go,

I mean, we felt like
we saved his life.

And we went home, and...

ironically,
got really drunk and had sex.

- So I'm the product
of drunk relief sex?

- We regretted it right away.

Your dad got out,
stayed sober for a few weeks,

slipped again,
and then I was done.

Then we broke up.

And I thought, you know,
the stress of everything

was the reason
that I had missed my period,

but it turns out
I was pregnant.

And I did the math

and realized that
it was probably Anthony's.

I couldn't be sure, but...

either way,
I wasn't ready to have a baby,

and neither was your dad,
you know?

We were stupid kids
who made stupid mistakes.

- [sighs]
I can deal with that.

I can deal with
an unwanted pregnancy

and confusion
about whose baby it was

and being a stupid kid.

But you're not a kid anymore,

and neither is Anthony.

So what I can't deal with

is you two continuing
to act like you are.

- ♪ You can say only love

♪ It's far too late

♪ And then you come awake

[vocalizing]

- [exhales]

Where is she?
Is she not coming?

Oh, God, I knew it.
It was all too perfect.

- [shushes]
She's here, she showed.

She's just in the bathroom.

She's pregnant.
It's a thing.

- Right, right.
Well, how is she?

Is she as good in person
as she was on the phone?

- No.

She's better.

- Don't do that to me.

- Sage? This way.
- Hi.

- Come in!
- Hi!

You must be Peter.

I'm a hugger.
Is that okay?

- Of course.
Come on in!

- Oh!
- Welcome.

We are so happy
to have you here.

- Oh, me too.
Thank you guys again

for letting me stay.

I thought it'd be better
for the baby

if he or she
are in your home,

absorbing your smells
and hearing your sounds.

Where's Tess?
- Oh, spring break.

Yeah, she goes to stay
with her birth mom, Natalie,

for a week up north.

- Oh, I love that.

- Natalie's a part
of our family too.

- Aww.
- Eat.

- You made all this food?
You guys.

- Well, no, this is all Peter.
He knows how to cook.

- Well, I know how to eat.

[laughter]

So I thought that a good
icebreaker would be

to do the big gender reveal.

What do you think?
- Yes!

- Let's do it!
- Yeah? Okay.

- Please.

- All right?
- I wasn't expecting this.

- All right.

- I'm so nervous.

- [shrieks]
[gasps]

We're having a boy!
[laughter]

- Come here.
Oh, my God.

May I?
- Yeah.

- Hey, buddy.

- [laughs]
- We're having a boy.

- We're having a boy.
[laughter]

- So the blue stickies
are foreclosures.

The orange are vulnerable
properties, correct?

Hey, you with me?
- Yeah, I'm with you.

And I'm with my wife.
She met with Michelle.

[door opens]

Hey, babe.

- I'm gonna leave
and let you two talk.

- No, I'm glad you're here.
Call him.

- Excuse me?
- Anthony.

I've tried him seven times.
Straight to voicemail.

He'll pick up your call,
won't he?

Get out your phone.
Call him.

Get him on the phone!

- Babe, what happened
with Michelle?

- Nothing happened
with Michelle.

More excuses, but at least she
agreed to sit down and face me.

He left town
rather than look me in the eye.

- Look. Trust me.

He's sitting
in a world of shame.

You're not gonna get
what you're looking for there.

- Man, of all people
to kick down that advice.

- What's that supposed to mean?

- His shame is not her problem.

Look, you're one of her dads?
Act like it.

She's telling you
what she needs.

Are you listening?

- I'm going to Vegas.

- Wait.

Let me come with you.

[solemn music]

- Okay.

.

[upbeat music]

♪

- Blackened, not charred.

And then just let the butter
do the work.

- Chef, some tourists are
asking for you on the floor.

- I'm cooking.

- I told them.
They said they'd wait.

- Foodies.
- You take it.

- So Lady Gaga
has a party of ten

coming in day after tomorrow.

She wants that
off-menu crab sandwich

you made last time.

- Cool.
Have 20 blue crabs overnighted

from my guy in Georgia.

- Okay.
- Where'd--

- Sorry to ambush you,
but you won't pick up my calls,

and I need to talk to you.

I know, Anthony.

- Luly.

Robin made this very clear.

- This isn't up to her.

This is between me and you.

- Back home,
you mentioned that my daughter

doesn't speak to her dad.

You daughter flew across
the country to speak to hers.

[emotional music]

♪

[knocking on door]

- Hey. Got your text.
Luly went to Vegas?

- They landed two hours ago.

They gotta be
at the restaurant by now.

I should've gone.

- All right,
I think you need to stop

thinking about it
for a second, okay?

Luly is strong.
Larry's there.

They got this.
So will you put your phone--

just put your phone down for...

There you go.
And open this gift.

- What is that?

- Well, that's the funny
thing about a gift.

You gotta, you know, open it.

[warm music]

♪

Yeah, see, I figured maybe
it was the rental shoes

that were freaking you out,
you know?

'Cause they're used
and smelly and weird.

- Sam.

- Look, I--I know that
your life is very full

and that
you're worried about Luly,

but that's why you need this.

Because it's okay
to put your life

down for a minute to bowl,

to breathe,
to take time just for you.

Say yes, Robin.

It's just bowling.

[knocking on door]

- Knock, knock.
Rob?

Oh, and--

- Sam.

- Oh, the cop.
- Yeah, the friend.

- Yes, this is my friend Sam,
who was just leaving.

- Yes.

Okay.
- Thank you.

- Why are you holding
bowling shoes?

- He wants to bowl with me.

- Is that a euphemism?

- No.
He wants to go bowling,

but I know where
bowling leads to,

which is why I'm saying no.

- To the very hot cop
who just gave you

a very strange,
yet seemingly sweet gift?

Why?

- Because we're just friends.

- And again, why?

- Because Luly is in Vegas
talking to Anthony,

trying to get closure
or healing or something.

- And that's a reason to say no
to bowling with a very hot cop?

- Why are you in my office,
Oliver?

- Oh, Peter and Sage
just parked.

- Let's go meet your son.

- You're not getting
off the hook that easy.

- Oh, my God.
You're having a baby!

- That man is fine!
Girl, what are you thinking?

- After my adopted mom
passed away,

I went to try to find
my birth parents.

There was no record of my dad,

but I had a name
to go on from my mom.

I spent a good three months
trying to track her down,

only to find out that she died
when I was seven.

Wow.
[laughs]

That sounds really sad
when you say it all at once.

- It is sad.
You've been through a lot.

- It's okay.
It really is.

Ooh.

Just a little lonely,

which is why
it makes me really happy

that this guy is gonna have
a nice, big family.

- [gasps]
- There he is.

Oh.

- That's our boy.

- Hey, little fella.
These are your daddies.

- And your godmother.

- And your birth mother.

- Your family.

- He's gotten so big.

- [vocalizing]

- I've been going to therapy,

journaling...

trying to write
my way through it.

But I keep going back
to this one thing.

I can't understand
why you chose to run.

You could've told me the truth.

I could've dealt with it.
- I couldn't.

- Why not?

- Because I'm a screw-up.

I betrayed your dad...

hurt you and your family.

I don't deserve you guys.

I ruined everything.
That's why I left.

You're better off without me,
Luly.

- I won't let you do this.

- Do what?

- Invalidate
who you've been to me,

who you've been to all of us.

You left your restaurant,

dropped your life so that you
could move and be with us.

You showed up,

and you've been there
for all of us.

Even the last time I saw you,

when I left on my bike...

you called out to me.

I heard you.

I heard it in your voice.

You wanted me to be safe.

You know who does that?

- Who?

- Dads do.

- I'm no dad.

- You're so wrong.

- ♪ You came to take us

♪ All things go...

- You know...

I didn't know what
I was gonna do when I saw you.

I thought
I was gonna yell at you.

I was so upset with you.

Now I'm realizing that
I've come here to forgive you,

and I'm not gonna allow you
to deny that you love me.

And I love you.

And yes, I will always
be Scott Perry's daughter.

But you--you are also,

and will always be,

one of my dads.

- [vocalizing]

[heartfelt music]

♪

.

[light music]

♪

- So I spoke to Luly,

and she said you guys
took the redeye back.

What are you doing out here?

- Ah, thank you.

[sighs]

Just needed a little time
with Scott.

That daughter of yours.

Somehow she found it
in her heart to forgive him.

It seemed like some real
healing happened out there.

- Good.
She needed that.

- Oh, Robin.

I can't help but wonder...

my daughter.

You think she could ever...

possibly forgive me?

- I hope so...

for her sake.

'Cause the Larry Mills I know
is a great, great dad.

- [cries]

- ♪ But most of all

♪ He taught me to forgive

♪ How to keep a cool head

- Dear Dad,
all your life,

you wrote letters
to the people you love.

A letter was how
you proposed to your wife,

how you told your trans son
you'd always love him,

how you asked three friends
to take care of your family

after you died.

And now a letter will be

how I tell you that you were,

are,
and always will be my dad.

But you're not my father.

- ♪ I haven't seen
my father in some time ♪

♪ But his face...

- JJ, get the parsley
out of the fridge.

- Charlotte,
mince that garlic finer.

- What is going on in here?

- A welcome-home feast
for Luly.

- Pasta primavera with shrimp.

- Theo is bossy.

- All chefs are bossy.

- Mom, I got a 98
on my science test.

- High five, JJ.

- Good job, bro.
You're smart like Charlotte.

- Did you just compliment me?

- I think I did.

- Mom, Theo's acting weird.

Jules made him nice.

- Luly!

- Hey!

- We missed you.

- Aww.
- How was Vegas?

- Hey, did Anthony say why
he didn't call me back?

- I missed you guys too.

It smells good in here.

- Welcome home, Lu.

- Um, but I really need
to talk to Anthony.

- Well, he's super busy, bud,

but what you making?

- Did he ask about us?
- Of course.

He misses everybody.

- Can we video chat him,
like right now?

- No, Theo--
- Because there's this

cooking school in Vegas.

If I get my GED
and Anthony vouches for me,

I could totally get in.

And then I could just
move in with him.

And on the weekends,
I can work at his restaurant

for extra money.

- What?
- Theo's moving to Vegas?

- Can I have Theo's room?

- Nobody's moving to Vegas.

- Jules goes to UCLA
next year.

If I live closer to California,
I could see her more.

And I love cooking, Mom.
It's my passion.

- Since when?

I mean, last I heard,
theater was your passion.

Before that,
it was football.

Now all of a sudden,
it's cooking.

- I'm good at cooking.

I want to be like
Dad and Anthony.

I want to be with Jules.

- You're not dropping out
of high school.

- I suck at school.

I'm not like JJ or Charlotte.

- You're not going to Vegas,
Theo.

- She got to go.
- Yeah, she's an adult.

- I want to go too.
- Me too.

Can we bring Cowboy?
- Nobody's going to Vegas.

Okay?
Can I talk to you outside?

- Yeah.
- Yeah.

[melancholy music]

♪

- They know something's up.

- [laughs]
I know they do.

That's okay.
That's okay.

We just gotta let
the dust settle.

- I don't like lying to them.

- Oh, we're not lying to them.
We're protecting them.

- ♪ But I swear
I'll risk it all ♪

♪ To make you mine

- I wrote Dad a letter.

Will you read it?

- Of course.

- ♪ Say it

♪ Say the words I see

♪ Behind your eyes

♪ If it's not hard to say

♪ Then it's a lie

♪

♪ I know you think
we cannot heal ♪

♪ But we can try

♪

- This is such
a beautiful letter.

I feel like
I'm right there with you.

Right there when Dad died.

Right there when we told you
about Anthony.

And the way
you talk about forgiveness...

Lu, you've got such a gift.

- Hmm.

I remember that Dad
used to write us letters.

When I imagined him
reading it,

it was easy to write.

I put it on my blog.

- You have a blog?

- Yeah, I do now.

The leader
of my writers group, Coralee,

she said that
I should have one

so that when I submit stuff
to get published,

they can look at my blog
and get a sense of my voice.

- Smart, but--

- Yeah, and she also said

that I should send it out
to magazines.

Like local ones,
and she thinks it's that good.

- Lu, you can't publish this,

especially not locally.

The kids will read it.

And I love
that you have a blog,

but this letter can't be on it.

- The kids
are going to find out.

- I know,
and I plan on telling them,

but not now.

- Theo's almost 17,

and Charlotte's more mature
than most adults.

- Look, you're an adult,

and this took you
a month to process.

A hard month.

I know you don't need
protecting anymore,

but they still do.

I hate to ask it, but...

- No, you're right.

This family does not need
more drama.

- [laughs]

- Needs less.
[both laughing]

- Yeah.
Thank you.

- That's weird.

- What?

- I feel happy

for the first time
in a long time.

- Well, then so do I.

- That's such a codependent
thing to say.

- [laughs]

I'm a mom.

When my kids are happy,
I'm happy.

- No pressure or anything.
[both laughing]

.

[light music]

♪

- Surprise!
- Um, yeah, hi.

Something wrong?

- I want to go
bowling with you.

- Uh, okay.

- And to dinner
and then the movies

and for a walk.

I want to do this, Sam.

I--my kids are fine.

Everybody's good, and...

I don't know if I have an hour
or a week or six months,

but I'm here right now, so...

ask me.

- Uh, to go bowling?

- To come in.

I know where bowling leads,
and I want to do that.

♪

- Okay, hold on.
Let's go inside.

- Yeah.
[laughs]

- Thank you
for agreeing to come.

- You said it was urgent.

Are you dying?

- [sighs]

No.

- So you tricked me
into coming here.

How am I not surprised?

- Lauren,

I understand the anger
that you feel toward me,

but as your father--

- My father?

Larry...

you lost that title years ago.

- I know.

15 years ago.

June 8, 2004.

I wasn't just drunk.

I was angry.

I was always so angry.

And you and your brother
and your mother

bore the brunt of that.

I never should've been
behind the wheel

of that car that night.

I wrecked our family,

I wrecked my marriage,

and I wrecked your trust in me.

So I get it,
why you won't forgive me,

why you've kept Ivy
away from me.

Why you won't call me Dad.

I'm so...

I'm so deeply sorry
that I put you in harm's way.

- Are you done?

- Wanting to make things
right with you,

no, honey.

I'll never be done.

[somber music]

♪

- Hi.

- Hi.

- Are you hungry?

- Always.

- I have ice cream,

crackers,

and frozen chicken pot pie.

[both laughing]

- That actually sounds
really good.

- Right?
Ah, yes.

[cell phone chimes]

- Oh.

- What?

- Oh, no.

Um...

Uh...

I have to go.

[thunder rumbles]

So you don't know anything

about your birth family's
medical history?

- No.

- And the adoption agency
didn't do any genetic testing?

- I don't think so.
They just made me pee in a cup.

Is something wrong?

- Um...

Have you hear of Gerstmann
Straussler-Scheinker syndrome?

- Gesundheit.
No. What is it?

- It causes
the progressive degeneration

of the part of the brain
that controls coordination,

and it usually develops
between ages 35 and 50.

- Okay.

- You tested positive.

- Oh.

Well, I--I feel fine.

Do I need medicine
or something?

- Sage, there's no treatment
at this point,

and there's no cure.

- I don't--
I don't get it.

Are you saying I'm gonna die?

- I'm saying
that you have this gene,

and you will develop
this disease,

and there is no cure for it.

[dramatic music]

- My birth mom died at 36.

Oh, my God.

♪

- I want to set you up
with a genetic counselor, okay?

And she can talk you
through your options.

- What about the baby?

- Sweetheart, this is so big.

It's okay to just think
about you right now.

- Does he have it?

My mom had it.
I have it.

- We don't know yet.
Okay, this isn't my specialty.

But it's possible--
- Don't tell them.

- I'm sorry.

- Oliver and Peter.

They won't want him
if they know.

- I wouldn't assume that.

- You can't, though, right?

Because of the doctor-patient
thing.

If I don't want to tell them,
you can't.

- Yes.

But you need to tell them.

They deserve the truth.

Larry: They say the truth
will set you free,

and that's what
we're all hoping for.

- What was I thinking?
My mom's right.

The little kids would freak.

- But eventually,

the time will be right
for you to share.

- In a year or two.

I took it off my blog.
[cell phone chimes]

Not like anyone reads my blog.
I got, like, 14 followers.

Coralee and some of the other
people in the writers group.

- Babe?

- But at least
I have a blog now.

I can write something else.

- Someone shared it.
- Shared what?

- Your post.
- I took it down.

- Not fast enough.

I just got a hit
on a Google alert.

Your letter, it's online.

The "Savannah Gazette"
published it.

- What?
They can't.

- Well, they did.

Larry:
But the truth is powerful.

It can heal,
but it can also destroy,

and you don't know
which way it's going to go.

So once it's out there,

you better be prepared
to ride out the storm.

[sentimental music]

♪