Original subtitles

Lino, can I have a little help here, please?

Yep, coming.

I don't know how I'm supposed to be spacing this over here.

- But... - The view is so nice.

You know, if I didn't know any better,

I'd think you were taking advantage of the situation.

- No. - No?

I just can't bend on my knee.

Poverino.

Are you sure that we can plant the cabbage this close to the sage?

Yeah, that way, they will nourish one another, Papa said.

Oh, just let me call him.

Hello?

Hey, Dad!

How is it?

I wish you were here, Dad.

You're a master when it comes to farming.

That olive tree you pruned?

It looks good.

- Does it? - Yes.

How about the rose bushes, though?

- The rose bushes? - Yeah.

Well...

they could be better.

Yes, yes.

Wait, hold on, another thing...

Uh...

The doctor.

- Yeah. - Yeah.

- We see him next week. - And then that's it, right?

Who knows, Dad.

The...

- Did you take your pills? - Yes, I took the final one this morning.

Good.

- Papa... - Huh?

Only time will tell.

I have good news.

The cancer is gone. All of it.

So... so it worked?

We'll need to continually monitor,

scans every three to six months, but, Lino, you don't have cancer.

Oh, my God. So that's it? That's it?

You'll need to build up Lino's immune system.

You'd be surprised how much holistic measures like acupuncture

and good diet...

I can't believe it.

I can eat a Florentine steak again!

I just don't know what to say.

You've been given a second chance.

Go out and live your lives.

Doctor's orders.

You know, I almost couldn't find a babysitter.

- Because your news, it was just so quick. - You should've brought him.

- Mnh-mnh. - No? No? Oh, okay, no.

No. Next time maybe, huh?

- So, what are you two gonna do now? - You should take a vacation.

- Uh, sì, yes. - Yeah.

Amy. Lino.

- What is that? - From all of us.

Guys...

- No, this... - No, this is... this is...

This is... this is too much.

No, it's not, not with all of your medical bills.

And Western medicine is a racket.

Western medicine did save my husband's life.

I just wanna say that.

Yes, this is true. But we love you, and we wanna help.

- To Lino and Amy. - To Lino and Amy.

We love you.

- Thank you, guys. - Salute! Salute!

Cin cin!

I wish I could toast with you, but doctor's orders.

- We got you covered. - Cheers.

Sorry. I need to call my parents.

I tried to catch up with them a couple of times, but...

- No, no. - Where's that picture?

- Oh, yes, it's right here. - Let's make sure that's your baby.

Mamma! I did the scan...

and it's all clear now.

Hello?

Mamma? You there?

Lino.

Your dad passed away.

His heart gave out.

But how can he be dead?

We just spoke last week, Mamma...

It happened yesterday, in the fields.

I didn't call sooner because I knew you had to do the scan.

I didn't want to give you the bad news.

Your health is important, my dear Lino.

He loved you, son.

- Mamma, I should come home. - No.

- No. - No, Mamma, I should come home.

There's nothing to be done. The Mass is tomorrow.

I can look after you.

For me, knowing you're okay is more than enough.

Now you have to promise me you'll put your health first.

Yes.

Amore.

What is it?

I wanted him to be so proud of me.

But he was.

In the end, he was so proud of you, Lino.

Grazie.

For what?

For putting my family back together.

I'm grateful.

- And you know what? - What?

I don't want to waste any more time in this life.

Never again.

I don't wanna waste any more time either.

I want us to be parents.

I wanna be a mom.

That's okay?

Sì. Let's do it.

Unfortunately, you and Lino's situation is not optimal.

I assumed we would just do artificial insemination,

since we banked Lino's sperm.

Well, with a limited supply,

actually your best odds for a viable pregnancy are through IVF.

This is a very personal choice,

so really take your time and think about what feels right.

And that's if the embryo takes after transfer.

But it's the only way that we can have a biological child.

If that is what it takes, amore, whatever you want.

I don't.

What's most important to me is being a mother, not being pregnant.

And when I think about us building a family,

I don't need biology to tell us who we can love,

and I definitely don't want more doctors in our lives, more needles and in vitro.

I don't want in vitro for us to start a family.

Thank you.

- Really? - Sì.

Amore, family is more than blood.

And besides, I don't... I don't want to pass on anything

that can cause problems to my child later on.

Like your stubbornness?

Oh, no, no. That I insist on passing on.

That's an important part.

I am a cancer survivor.

This means that I will have scans for the rest of my life.

But, um, I'm...

But we... we have a letter from his oncologist

who's a leader in the field,

and in the letter, it gives Lino a clean bill of health.

If you can just give us a chance.

Amy, Lino, I appreciate your candor,

but I want you two to know it's not up to me.

A big part of why Kindred Circle is different from the other agencies

is the fact that we have a "birth mother first" philosophy.

We don't make the decision.

It's up to the child's biological mother to decide who's a right fit.

We understand.

And birth mothers choose prospective parents

for all kinds of reasons.

While I can't make any promises,

I can offer you this.

Go home,

create an application that captures who you are as a couple.

Include pictures, letters from friends. Tell your story to her.

"I know I'm biased because I'm Lino's wife,

but he will make a great babbo."

"That's how you say 'dad' in Florence, where we met."

"From the very start,

I knew I wanted this woman to be the mother of my children."

Cheese!

"Because of what we've been through..."

"Because of what we have lost..."

"...we will cherish this child as part of our forever family."

"My husband..."

"My wife..."

"...will make an amazing parent."

How are you? There you go.

Yeah.

You look gorgeous.

Oh, I got you a bridesmaid's gift.

- Mm-hmm. - You gotta stop doing this, Z.

I already got the Frida Kahlo onesie and the "Kiss the Cook" apron

for a baby that...

...that doesn't exist.

Well, I can't help it when I see these things.

They're so cute. I want you to have them.

- I know. - In case.

But it's been months now, Z.

I don't want you to give up.

Mama, just make sure that it's not wrinkled in the front.

- I'm working on that part. - Thank you, Dad.

There, Maxine. That's beautiful.

It's just so all the embroidery is, like, super straight.

It looks awesome.

- She's here. - Who's here?

Barbara from the Kindred Circle made a call. It's a baby girl.

Are you serious?

We have to go. She's being released from the hospital now.

Go on. Y'all gotta go. Get out of here.

You have to, Amy.

Go!

- Careful, okay. - Aspetta. Let's go.

- I love you. - I love you too.

Oh, there she is. There she is. Barbara.

Hi. We came as fast as we could.

Where is she? How is she? When can we take her home?

There's still another step before you can take her home.

The birth father, he has signed over his parental rights, but the birth mother,

her name is Toni,

well, she would like to meet both of you before she does.

Uh, is something wrong?

It's all part of the process. They're young, anxious.

I think she just needs to look you both in the eye

before making the biggest decision of her life.

Yeah.

For her, this is also a goodbye.

- Yeah. - Come in.

Okay.

UCLA.

It has a beautiful campus.

Yeah.

We're glad we can finish now.

I feel underdressed.

Sorry, we came straight from my sister's wedding.

- Yeah. - Zora.

Yeah, how... how did you...?

Oh. Oh, yeah, yeah. I'm sorry. I'm... I'm, uh...

- I'm nervous. - It's okay.

This was part of it. Why I picked you.

Because of your families.

They've gotten you through a lot.

Um, I-I want to say that, um, um, I've been healthy for... for...

It's okay.

When I looked into her eyes...

I knew I wanted her to have the kind of love that got you two through

some of the biggest challenges in life.

I want her to have a big life...

and love to hold her up when things get hard.

And I want a village to raise her.

I want her to eat well.

I love Italian food.

Um,

if I start crying now, I won't stop crying, so...

It's time to meet your daughter.

Thank you.

She looks like my grandmother.

She does?

Her name is Rose.

And I thought...

We're thinking of naming her Idalia.

It means "behold the sun" in Italian.

But you know, Idalia Rose...

- That sounds... - Sounds beautiful.

It does.

Thank you.

Thank you.

You are a blessing. I am powerless against you.

Amore, this is our something great.

Lynn, I-I wanted to give you the choice of what you want Idalia to call you.

Grandmother, Nana, or Gigi.

Uh, "Gigi" sounds like the last girl standing when the lights come on,

on the inside of a New Orleans bordello.

- Hey, Maxi. - Mm-hmm.

You remember our trip down to the Big Easy in '96?

- Yeah, you remember that? - Yes!

"Call me Gigi."

Whoo!

Oh, um...

Uh, Mom, can you just be careful?

- She's been crying. - Whoa. Yes. I'm sorry, baby.

- Okay, let me go take the phone. - I'm sorry. Yes, baby. Yes, baby. I know.

I know.

Hello.

She's got strong lungs. This is good.

Ciao, Filomena.

So, when is the christening?

Uh, we're not sure about a christening, at least not right now.

We want Idalia to find her own faith someday.

I know my son says this.

But you, you have to make him see what's best for everyone.

You have to work men a little. You have to convince him.

Talk to him.

Our marriage doesn't work that way.

All marriages work that way.

Fine.

Fine, we'll let my granddaughter's soul hang in the limbo, then.

Well, goodbye then.

Bye, Filomena.

- Okay. - Right?

Oh, I thought it was my turn next.

Oh, I have to hold her, Maxine.

Physical contact for an adoptive parent is... it's crucial for bonding.

The bonding. Okay. I understand.

Uh, speaking of bonding. I got you this.

Check out your new Mother's Milk Breastfeeder Simulator.

I know. I know. Hold on.

So what you do is you fill this up with milk.

So that the baby can suckle through the nipples.

I know, you love it, right?

And I am in contact with a vegan woman in the Bay Area

who sells breast milk online.

Uh, well, I don't think it's a good idea to get bodily fluids from the Internet.

Hmm.

Well, you... you can use formula then, Maxine.

- I mean, you never done this before, so... - Okay, that's enough, Lynn.

No, that's enough.

Now, I have held my tongue over a lot of stuff.

And I held my tongue at the wedding.

- Wait. - No.

Now, I-I wasn't able to have children of my own.

Hershel and I couldn't have our own children. Lord knows we tried.

But there are a hundred ways to be a mother,

and your daughter is showing us that right now.

Yes, she is.

And what I was going to say is having never done this...

you might not know how lost I felt when I had my first baby.

Didn't know what the hell I was doing.

Done!

Oh, terrific.

No, no, let... let me try.

Okay. Okay.

Sì, sì.

Sì.

Sì, sì.

That's what I get for letting you meet her first.

Well, she's your daughter after all. Naturally, she falls for my charms.

- I'm going to check on dinner. - Okay.

- Okay... - Don't.

We have to work this out, her and I, okay?

All right, all right,

you're gonna bond with me, even if it kills us both.

That's it, yes, Idalia. Yes, I'm your mama.

Mama's here.

Yes, that's right.

I'm your mama, Idalia.

Yeah.

Okay, I know what you're thinking. Can I count on this woman?

If I were to scream for five hours straight,

can I break her?

And I'm here to tell you, sweet baby,

that you are stuck with me.

Yes.

Okay, okay.

Okay, okay, okay, okay, I'm here. I'm here.

Oh, go easy on me, girl.

Oh, you're so beautiful, Idalia.

I know, and she's such a good little sleeper.

Bye.

Aww, it's okay.

Is it Dr. Atluri?

Okay. Thank you, doctor. Thanks.

Is it good?

Sì.

Get your cancer-free ass over here.

Amore, have mercy on an old man.

Yeah.

Hi.

My darling Idalia.

Mommy has to go back to work tomorrow.

Which means...

I won't be spending as much time with you.

Daddy can't do what he loves so much anymore.

And he misses it a lot.

But he and I made a deal.

I go back to work,

and you and him spend all the time together from now on.

Somebody's gotta keep you in Pampers, baby.

I'm gonna miss you like crazy.

Okay.

- Here you go. - Hey.

- Here you go. - Hey.

- Okay. - Wow.

- Okay, bye. - Ciao.

- Bye. - Ciao.

Ciao, Mama.

Ciao, Mama.

Idalia, mommy's home.

Siamo in cucina.

Hi, pumpkin.

So...

...parsley.

Some think it's just a garnish,

but you and I, my smart daughter, we know it's not.

And the stems have more flavor because they're closer to the earth.

Amore, she's amazing. She just flipped her first frittata.

At four years old, she's a sous chef.

You did? That's incredible.

Oh, my goodness. I wish I could've seen it.

Come home sooner next time, Mommy.

Yes, I'll try.

- Hmm. - High five.

So Brigitte is from class?

No, that's Delphine.

She has her cubby between Idalia and Barley.

Oh, I thought Delphine was the one whose parents think

that the music from The Backyardigans is too racy.

No, that's Olive.

I thought Olive was from gymnastics.

That's Kale.

Oh, is this is a salad or a school?

I'm confused.

Okay. Are you guys ready?

I'm gonna turn off the lights.

Do you like it?

È bellissimo, amore.

Maybe you can put faces to the names at the school potluck.

Okay.

It's on Thursday at five. Do you remember that?

Why do they always have to make it at five?

With traffic, it means I have to leave Watts by three p.m.

Zora wanted to bring her class for a field trip that day.

Mm-hmm. Maybe you can just try.

Yeah, I'll try.

Let's color Pinot's shoes. It's beautiful.

The last time we left Tonino and the goat,

they were climbing up this really, really big and high hill.

- Lino. - And then... yeah.

We're ready for you.

Okay.

Amore, I'll be right back.

Be good with Anet, okay?

Ciao.

Okay. Let's go.

Can I see what you're drawing?

Ciao, Anet. Say "ciao."

It's Mr. Elephant. Look how cute.

Do you remember where we left the story? Tonino and the goat?

From the top of the hill...

...they could see all of Sicily.

And the goat...

...turned green from eating all the vegetables!

And then the frog said...

"Stop copying me, silly goat."

Okay, you guys, it's time for you to go to sleep.

- Oh, no. - Mm-hmm.

Amore, join us.

What happens next?

Um...

Well...

...the next thing you know, the goat eats a carrot,

and he stops being green.

Oh, but that wouldn't really happen.

Tonino had already banned the carrots from the kingdom.

- Hmm. - Right?

Well, of course he did.

It's time for you to get some sleep. Good night. Un bacio a mamà.

Ciao.

- You didn't like the story tonight. - It was fine.

It didn't make a lick of sense, but, you know, it was okay.

All right, my kids are gone now. Amy, what's wrong?

I'm a monster, right?

Who doesn't want their child to be close to their father?

And I shouldn't be jealous. It's just that I'm feeling so...

...I'm feeling so out of step with them.

One minute she's a baby.

The next she's off to college, and then I'll miss it all.

Okay, child, slow down.

You skipped over the all-wild teenage years,

which I for one am dying to watch you get payback

for all the crazy shit you pulled.

I was an angel.

Do you think she likes him more than me?

I mean, they cook together.

They have their own secret stories.

Hell, he's even trying to teach her Sicilian.

Next I know, they're gonna have their own language.

Oh.

I want them to have that. I do.

Lino should get more time with her because he...

He should get... you know, he... he needs more time with her.

Because...

The cancer could come back?

It's like it's gone, but it's not gone.

And it's like it's still here with us,

and it keeps taking things from us.

Because he can't work, I have to miss out on her life,

and I hate it.

I hate what cancer's done to our marriage.

I hate what cancer's done to me too.

I hate being a mom who's fucking jealous of her husband

and the story about a fucking goat, Zora.

A goat.

I'm tired of missing her life.

Then don't. Not today at least.

Go.

Go. I-I can straighten all this up.

You go to the potluck.

Nothing says motherly love

like eating food from folks' kitchens you don't know.

I'm home!

Lino, you're amazing.

Oh, amore, what a surprise.

Yeah, it is.

Hi. I'm Amy.

Brigitte.

Oh, I thought you were four.

Oh, no, Delphine, her daughter, is four and at Idalia's school.

Brigitte is her mom.

The girls are fine in there, Lino.

- Hi, are you a new parent? - Hi.

Oh, no, she's Amy.

- Hmm! - Your wife. Wow!

We were wondering what the story was.

It's so good to finally meet you. Can we get you something to drink?

We're doing vodka sodas.

- Uh, it's 3:30 in the afternoon. - Tuesday's our usual day, but...

And I'm helping Lino with his dish for the potluck tonight.

He's a chef. He doesn't really need help, but...

Brigitte is learning Italian cooking.

She's French.

- Uh, by the way, here you go. I'm sorry. - Hmm. Oh!

Parsley from our garden. This is not like your French herbs.

Don't underestimate it. Enjoy.

- I'd be lost without you, Lino. - You know what?

I think I hear one of your kids crying.

Might have fallen and busted their heads.

- Yeah, you guys should definitely go. - Oh, okay.

- Ciao. Pardon. - Ciao.

Ciao.

Why did you give her parsley?

What?

Brigitte.

- Ah. - You gave her parsley from our garden.

Yes, well, you know how important parsley is in Sicilian food.

She's a good cook herself. French cuisine.

- But she's still good... - Okay, but I planted that parsley.

Yes, I know.

Amore, I don't understand. You don't even use the kitchen.

It's my parsley, Lino!

Okay, I just gave her a tiny sprig. I don't know where it's...

Where... where is this coming from?

I just think if I plant something,

that you should think about me first before you go giving it away.

Mommy, why are you yelling?

It's all right, don't worry.

Hey.

- Did she go to sleep all right? - Yes.

Out like a light.

Thank you. You can put it on the table.

Yeah.

Amore.

Yeah.

- Me and Brigitte are just friends. - I know flirting when I see it, Lino.

I would never do that.

Amore, my heart is yours and yours alone.

It's not just the Brigitte thing.

You know Idalia's life in a way that I don't, and it makes me feel...

It makes me feel like a bad mom.

Um, I envy what you two have.

Amy,

I love being at home with my daughter.

But I envy what you have.

You don't even understand what I'm struggling with.

I'm a chef who can't make a living cooking for people.

Okay?

This is not the way I saw my life either.

- Okay. - Okay.

Then what do we do about it?

Because I'm not happy.

I'm not, uh, I'm not happy.

Amore, amore.

No, no, no, no, no. Shh! No, no, no, no, no.

No, no, no. Shh, it's okay.

It's okay, look.

Um...

Okay, Brigitte gave me an idea.

No, no, I'm serious, amore. I'm serious. I'm serious. I'm serious.

I think that I should start a cooking class.

I... I'd love to be in a professional kitchen again.

I mean, we could use the extra money.

I can talk to Antonio about cutting back my hours.

It'll give me more time with Idalia,

and I can spend more time painting.

I want more time for my art, and I want more time with us.

- Because I miss us. - Sì.

I do.

But let it be clear,

Brigitte is not to take this fucking class. I mean it.

- Okay, okay, deal, deal, deal. - Do you understand me?

And I-I also have to ask you for another favor.

Mm-hmm. Anything, my love.

Can you please explain to me the whole story with Tonino and this fucking goat?

- Shh. Okay, okay. - Because I don't understand it.

Hey!

- Mommy! - Hi.

Ooh! How are you?

Thanks, Sharon. I'm feeling so close on this latest piece.

Oh, please, she made us strawberry crepes.

Idalia's welcome anytime.

Thank you. Bye.

And how's the smartest girl in her second grade class?

Good. Today we learned that butterflies taste with their feet.

No way.

Hey, do you wanna get your hands dirty with me?

Okay, come on.

So,

the sweet of the basil

reminds us that the delicate flavors can be the strongest.

Here.

- Make it a skirt. - Okay.

- No, yellow, yellow. - Fine.

Signore Elefante's gonna eat all the salad.

Hey.

And there you go.

Corn dogs?

Yes.

- Amore. - So many classes this week.

I'm a working man, after all. Again.

And I'm a bit tired.

- Enjoy. - Should we dig in?

Wait, mustard or ketchup?

You okay?

Babbo.

I'm good. I'm good.

It just went down the wrong way.

Drink some water.

So you do the ketchup. I do the mustard. I wonder what Babbo eats it with.

Hi, Anet.

Thank you for squeezing me in early, especially on a Friday.

Dr. Atluri wanted this done right away.

You feeling okay?

Let's see.

Idalia, if I give you that snack, we're so close to, like, dinnertime,

then you're not gonna have your dinner.

- Mom! - Grandma!

- Buttercup! - What are you doing here?

Well...

Amore, what in the world?

Date night.

Just a little bit more.

♪ You're knowing that time will pass ♪

♪ But hoping that it lasts ♪

♪ That's where it's at, oh, yeah... ♪

What?

Let's dance.

Wait a minute. Wait.

- Wait. What if you fall? - Then I fall.

I wanna dance with my wife again.

♪ Oh, yeah, oh, yeah, and oh, yeah! ♪

♪ Oh, yeah Let me tell you this one thing ♪

♪ To say it's, it's time to go ♪

♪ And she says, "Yes, I know" ♪

♪ But just stay one minute more ♪

♪ That's where, that's where it's at ♪

♪ Oh, let me say it one more time ♪

♪ That's where it's at, pretty baby ♪

♪ That's where it's at ♪

♪ I know that's where it's at ♪

♪ That's where it's at, pretty baby ♪

♪ Ha ha! ♪

♪ That's where it's at ♪

Did I ever tell you about the time

when Tonino and the goat wanted to play soccer together?

There was a big problem, because the goat only had dress shoes.

What did the goat do?

Well, the goat was able to borrow an old pair of soccer shoes from a cousin.

But the goat has four feet.

Exactly. So he needed a second pair of shoes.

Being a good friend, Tonino let the goat borrow his soccer shoes,

but when the goat tried on Tonino's soccer shoes,

they were too big for his hooves.

The goat was heartbroken.

But then he and Tonino had an idea.

Hey, Idalia has to get to sleep.

But Babbo didn't finish the story.

Five more minutes, amore.