‐ What about April? ‐ Mom.
‐ What? Is she the one calling you names at school?
‐ Oh, shit, Ellen's coming out again.
[laughter]
‐ If they're saying something untrue, then you should change the story.
‐ Look at that, sad. ‐ Oh, my God. Izzy.
‐ You know you don't need to prove anything.
‐ You know you don't have to be cool with things if you're not, right?
‐ Why wouldn't I be cool?
‐ She took your counselor story and wrote it as if it happened to her.
So...
‐ A year from now, I'll be at Yale and you'll be at Princeton,
and I wanted tonight to be special.
‐ There's a bonfire at Dano's if you want to come.
‐ You want to go because Trip and Lexi are going?
PEARL: Let's just watch the movie, okay?
‐ So Linda and Mark had all but given up hope,
and then, they got a call that there was a two‐month‐old baby girl
outside a fire station in Cleveland.
‐ I know where your mommy is, I do.
‐ That's my baby!
‐ Get her out of here! ‐ That's my baby!
♪ tense music playing ♪
♪
OBSTETRICIAN: Mr. McCullough, it's time.
You're going to be just fine.
‐ You can do this. I know you can.
‐ Nobody should have to do this.
‐ I know, I know.
♪ dramatic music playing ♪
♪
‐ I mean, it's just outrageous. They all come highly recommended.
‐ And I've known Fred and Tina since U of M.
They offered me my first job when I left the public defender's office
and they have the best family law practice in northern Ohio.
So I trust them. ‐ Well, so did I,
until they couldn't get us a hearing with Judge Doyle.
I just want this adoption over. ‐ Of course.
‐ Did you hear that?
‐ Linda, honey, you should eat something.
‐ She has been like this ever since it happened.
Either she's upstairs checking on the baby every ten minutes
or she's combing over the police report for the 100th time.
Honestly, I don't know what we're paying these lawyers for.
‐ No judge is going to give you an emergency hearing
without new information.
‐ How about a crazy woman coming here to try to steal our child?
‐ That's not gonna happen.
We don't even know she's the birth mother, and the police said
they don't even have a name, right?
‐ It's her.
I know it's her mother because I'm her mother.
BILL: Well...
the smartest thing to do is what you're doing.
Just lay low until your original court date,
and then finish that adoption.
And the good news is she hasn't come back.
‐ Yet. I mean, this isn't over.
‐ But Linda, you don't know that. ‐ Yes, I do. Okay?
[exhales]
‐ I think we should probably go, hon.
MARK: Thank you guys. BILL: Of course.
[groans]
Hey, can I take the police report? LINDA: Oh, I need that.
‐ Hey, hey, Linda, it's okay, it's okay. Let him take it.
‐ What if we need it? MARK: We, we don't.
It's okay. ELENA: Linda, I know how you feel.
But reading that over and reliving that night again and again
is not gonna be helpful.
‐ Elena, you have four healthy children that came to you easily
that no one can ever take away, okay?
So just don't tell me you know how I feel.
Okay? Don't.
IZZY: So are you gonna tell me what all this twine is for?
Or is that not part of our deal?
‐ The deal is I let you help me and you don't ask any questions.
I don't even let Pearl in here without me, Izzy.
Can you hand me that clear ruler?
Thank you. So what about you?
What is your process?
Where does the art begin?
‐ I usually just do something I think will piss off my mom.
Kind of go from there.
‐ So how much of this "studying at Carl's" bullshit
is your mother gonna believe?
‐ My mom believes what she wants to believe.
And she wants to believe I'm with Carl.
[phone rings]
‐ I'll be right back. ‐ Okay.
MIA: Hello? What? Wait, no.
Okay! Ju‐‐
Bebe, no, hold on. Listen to‐‐ listen to me.
Yeah.
Oh, my God. Okay. I‐I'll be right there.
Yes. Okay.
[phone clicks]
Um...
I'm sorry, Izzy, we're gonna have to pick this up another day.
‐ Sure. I can come back tomorrow. ‐ Okay.
No, no, I'm going to be at Lucky Palace tomorrow.
‐ Oh, um, I could let myself in.
Cut all the twine. ‐ Yeah, okay, fine.
Great.
[door closes]
‐ I'm telling you, I haven't gotten, like, a single zit
since Brian and I started doing it.
‐ Yeah, you know, you‐‐ you're really, really glowy.
‐ Yeah. ‐ I mean, you guys don't know because you haven't done it yet.
But like, once you start doing it, it's, like, all you can think about.
I mean, Brian and I haven't done it for, like, two days,
and I am, like, literally dying.
‐ Whoa.
‐ I mean, so far, it's been pretty traditional.
Like, missionary or whatever, 'cause that's, like, what works.
But I told Brian that for prom, we can do something special.
‐ Wait, like, like how special?
[sucks teeth]
[laughter]
SERENA: Oh, my God.
Oh, my God.
MAN [on TV]: Let's go to Carmen Electra!
‐ Do you think that Carmen Electra is hotter than Jenny McCarthy
if you, like, didn't have to listen to her voice?
‐ I think you're vacuous and destined for manual labor.
I need the room. Get out.
‐ Since when are Lexie and Pearl even friends?
‐ Since Lexie realized having a black friend gives her street cred with Brian.
Give me that. ‐ No.
She friendzoned you, didn't she? That's why you're being a little bitch.
‐ Friendzoned?
‐ I just made it up. ‐ Yeah, I doubt that.
[Moody sighs heavily]
‐ Mood...
do you know what stop, drop, and roll means?
‐ Like when you're on fire? ‐ [chuckles] No.
Like, stop everything that you've been doing around Pearl,
drop the whole "I'm smarter than you" shit,
and roll with me tomorrow night.
‐ [scoffs] Roll with you. Cute.
‐ See, that's, that's exactly the kind of shit I'm talking about.
‐ Fine. Fine.
Then tell me what to do.
SCOTT: This isn't gonna work.
I got a solid two fuck‐ups rule,
and this makes two.
‐ You can't fire me just like this.
‐ I caught you stealing from the register.
‐ Yeah, but let her explain.
‐ I need help. My daughter is out there.
I need money. I need lawyer to fight.
‐ I'm not an ATM. I'm trying to run a business here.
‐ Well, two businesses, though. Right, Scott?
[Scott chuckles]
Would your parents consider...
getting busted for selling coke out of the kitchen
and then going to jail as one fuck‐up, or two?
‐ All right, fine. But anything else happens, you're out.
‐ How much money?
♪ tense music playing ♪
‐ The lawyer costs $30,000.
‐ What were you gonna do? Steal 30 grand out of the register?
‐ Why did you do this to me?
I tried to forget.
But you said you find her. I'm still her mother.
Now you find her, I'm still not her mother.
I can't touch her.
I can't hold her.
It's much more worse to know she's so close.
It's so much worse.
[sighs heavily]
‐ She didn't mean it. She's just scared.
‐ You know, being gay is a very rare thing.
I'm glad she's spending more time with Carl.
I just wish she would...
[scoffs]
I just wish she would talk to me. I...
feel like the children,
the children have always been able to confide in me about anything.
‐ Well, at least she's speaking to one of us.
Could be worse.
‐ We could be Linda and Mark.
I really just can't imagine it, honey.
Mirabelle belongs to them as much as, as our children belong to us.
And the idea that somebody could just come into your life
and take your children away.
It's just upsetting.
[exhales]
Oh, my God.
‐ What's the matter, hon?
‐ Nothing. I, I just...
BILL: Hmm.
[low whooshing]
PEARL: Mom!
Mom?
Mom? Mom!
‐ Pearl?
♪ tense music playing ♪
♪
Pearl, what's going on? It's the middle of the night.
[voices whispering]
No, no, don't get, don't get in that car.
No, Pearl, don't get in that car.
No, no, no, no. Don't go with them.
No, they can't take you. You belong to me!
You're mine!
[gasping]
‐ Hey. ‐ Hey.
‐ I figured I should probably do this now
'cause, you know I have that party tonight.
You'll have to find a way to light it, but it...
Are you okay?
‐ Yeah.
[laughs softly]
Who is the party with again?
‐ Oh, it's, um, it's with that girl, Serena, that I was telling you about.
‐ It looks great.
I'm happy you're starting to make new friends.
‐ Yeah.
[phone rings]
‐ Hello? ANITA: Hey, Mia. It's Anita.
‐ Hey, Anita. ANITA: Is this a good time?
‐ Yeah, it is now.
‐ I got your message.
I don't quite understand. ‐ So I just...
I just want to see...
how quickly you can sell some pieces.
‐ Did something happen? Are you okay? Is Pearl?
‐ No, she's fine. I'm...
We're fine.
ANITA: Okay, well, how much money do you need?
‐ $30,000. ANITA: That would be a lot of pieces.
‐ Yeah, I know it's a lot of money, but you know,
maybe you could sell some of the bigger pieces.
We have that 30x30 from Laredo still in, and then the Lafayette series.
ANITA: Mi, if you need that kind of money,
you know the piece you can sell to get it.
‐ Yeah, I'm not selling that, Anita.
‐ I know, I know, honey.
Then you have to get back to work. I...
Unless you can think of something else.
‐ Right.
Okay, I'll give you a call.
♪ tense music playing ♪
♪
[door closes]
Hey, I made chili for the kids
so they'd have something to eat besides candy tonight.
And there's a salad to go with it in the fridge.
‐ I'm surprised to see you here. I...
You haven't been around much lately.
‐ Um...
Well, there is something that I've been torn about.
‐ Okay. ‐ Um...
I got a call from my gallerist, and apparently,
there is some interest in my photo.
The one that you were so taken with.
And, uh, yeah, I know that I said it wasn't for sale, but...
They're offering a lot of money.
I mean, it would be a lot of money for me.
So I, um...
You know, it's killing me, the idea of‐of selling it to a stranger.
I'd much rather sell it to a friend.
‐ Are we?
Friends?
‐ Of course. ‐ Because I, I...
got a look at the police report the night of that party and, um...
‐ Huh.
‐ It seems like that Chinese woman
arrived at the McCulloughs in a blue Chevy hatchback.
Don't you drive a...
[clears throat]
a Chevy hatchback?
‐ I do.
Like every other broke ass in America.
‐ With a Shaker bumper sticker.
[Mia chuckles]
‐ How is Linda? She's been on my mind.
‐ Really?
Because you haven't asked about her. Not once.
‐ Well, I'm asking about her now.
I wasn't sure that you wanted to talk about it.
‐ Why wouldn't I want to talk about it?
Something terrible, awful happened to my friend.
I wouldn't want to talk about that with my other friend?
‐ I don't know, but I've been here almost every day,
and you haven't brought it up, so...
‐ Well because for the past couple of weeks,
the minute I get home, it seems like you're out the door.
It's almost like you're avoiding me.
‐ Well, I'm standing here right now.
So, Elena, if you want to talk, let's talk.
Okay, uh, well, I have to get to my other job.
[sighs]
[door closes]
PEARL: All right. MR. YANG: Here you go.
PEARL: Here you go.
[horn honks]
Good night, Mr. Yang. ‐ Good night, Pearl.
♪ "Honey" by Mariah Carey ♪
♪
‐ Don't even fucking say it. ‐ We know.
I can't believe we're both Posh.
You should have been slutty Michelle Kwan.
‐ ♪ MC ♪
‐ Whoa, this is sick. ‐ Oh, my God.
‐ ♪ MC ♪
‐ Hey. BRIAN: What's up? Hey, hey.
‐ Wait, what are you? BRIAN: I'm Bill Clinton.
"The first black President?"
SERENA: Hey, you. JIM: Want a drink?
LEXIE: Okay. Got it.
‐ She's here. Now what? ‐ Okay.
Um...
first things first.
‐ What the hell? ‐ Look, listen.
Phase one, okay? Ignore her.
No eye contact, no nothing. And then, phase two.
Right, right as you're leaving, say hi to her.
But like, real cold, you know?
You got to treat her kind of shitty.
Make her think that she did something wrong.
‐ That's your great advice? She's not gonna fall for that shit.
‐ Right, you, you got to make her fall for it.
‐ I can't believe I am taking advice from someone
who thought Forrest Gump was a true story.
‐ Well, then don't listen.
But I've done it with every Jen in my grade,
and there's, like, fucking five, so... I know what I'm doing.
‐ Yeah, not with Pearl.
You couldn't get a girl like Pearl in a million years.
‐ You know what? Just, uh, keep being yourself, then, Mood.
See how far that gets you.
‐ Hello?
Anyone home?
♪ "I Walk On Guilded Splinters" by Dr. John ♪
♪
‐ ♪ Some people think they jive me ♪
♪ But I know they must be crazy ♪
♪ Don't see their misfortune ♪
♪ Guess they just too lazy ♪
♪ J'suis the Grand Zombie ♪
♪ My yellow belt of choison ♪
♪ Ain't afraid of no tom cat ♪
♪ Fill my brains with poison ♪
♪ Walk on pins and needles ♪
♪ See what they can do ♪
♪ Walk on gilded splinters ♪
♪ With the king of the Zulu ♪
♪ Sing about it, kon kon the kiddy kon kon ♪
♪ Walk on gilded splinters ♪
♪ Ti' Alberta ♪ ‐ ♪ Ti' Alberta ♪
♪ I roll out of my coffin, drink poison in my chalice ♪
♪ Pride begins to fade, and y'all feel my malice ♪
♪ Put gris gris on your doorstep ♪
♪ Soon you'll be in the gutter ♪
♪ Melt your heart like butter ♪
♪ And, and, and I can make you stutter ♪
♪ Sing about it, kon kon the kiddy kon kon ♪
♪ Walk on gilded splinters ♪
♪ Kon the kiddy kon kon ♪ [doorbell rings]
♪ Walk on gilded splinters ♪
ALL: Trick or treat! ‐ Oh, my goodness!
You look so cute.
You're a hobo, I guess.
Okay. Woody, for you. [siren wailing]
‐ Hey, there it is, okay.
‐ Pocahontas. ‐ That's the siren, you guys.
Oh, wow. You guys look great.
Don't they look great, hon? ‐ Yes, they do.
‐ Now, buddy, it is your lucky day.
‐ Oh, my goodness. ‐ There you go.
‐ Share that with all of your friends. ‐ Yep, on the way home.
All right, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye.
CHILD 1: Thank you. CHILD 2: Thanks.
‐ What do you want to do? Should we order some takeout?
Maybe skip the takeout and just go straight upstairs?
[both chuckle]
‐ She's been treating me differently lately.
‐ Who has? ‐ Mia.
‐ Oh, come on, Elena. ‐ No, she has.
I, I tried to talk to her today, and‐and she was acting like
we were in some sort of weird fight.
‐ Hon, I just don't understand this, this weird obsession.
‐ It's not an obsession I'm just concerned.
‐ No, you're fixated.
‐ I have an instinct, Bill.
And my instincts are always right.
There's something about the situation with Linda and Mark...
What if she has something to do with it?
‐ Mia? ‐ Yes.
‐ You think Mia's in cahoots with a random Chinese lady?
Really? How would they even know each other?
‐ I need you to place an order at Lucky Palace.
♪ "Come Baby Come" by K7 ♪
‐ ♪ Come get some of this, don't forget the innuendo ♪
♪ Play me like Nintendo, never ever let go ♪
♪ Keep it so loud, you'll be hitting the crescendo ♪
♪ Do re mi fa so la ti do ♪
♪ Come baby, come baby, baby come come ♪
‐ All right, yeah.
‐ ♪ When you got to give me loving, then you got to give me some ♪
‐ I'm just gonna, I'm gonna go.
‐ ♪ Come baby, come baby, baby come come ♪
♪ Come baby, come baby, baby come come ♪
‐ Hey. ‐ Hey.
I didn't even know that you were here.
‐ That's probably 'cause I know, like, a lot of people here.
Uh, I'm pretty much leaving, but... ‐ Okay.
‐ Spice Girls, huh?
‐ Yeah, yeah, I'm, I'm Scary.
‐ Seems kind of racist for them to make you be Scary.
‐ It was my idea to be Scary.
‐ Uh...
I wanted to give you this.
Um, for your poetry.
I noticed yours looked kind of beat up.
‐ Pearl, we need you. Jim just got hit in the nuts.
‐ Yeah, or whatever is down there.
‐ Um, you have a good rest of your night, Moody, okay?
‐ Yeah.
‐ ♪ When you got to give me loving, then you got to give me some ♪
♪ Come baby, come baby, baby come come ♪
IZZY: Dad. ‐ Mm‐hmm.
‐ Dad. ‐ Yeah, I'm in here. What's wrong?
When did you even get home? ‐ This was on my pillow.
From Mom.
[Bill sighs heavily]
‐ I'm sorry, honey.
It just came up.
‐ How? How does that just come up?
‐ This doesn't change how she feels about you.
‐ No, it fucking cements it.
‐ Izz.
[exhales]
[bell jingles]
♪ calm music playing ♪
♪
‐ Order for Bill? Right?
‐ Hello, yes, this is Elena Richardson. I'm a reporter with The Shaker Times
and I'm writing a story about the immigrant experience.
I was wondering if I could interview some of your employees.
‐ We hire local.
‐ In particular, there's a young Chinese woman who works there.
I saw her last time I was there, and she's in her mid‐20's, it seems like.
‐ Uh, yeah. I'm not sure...
‐ I also know that you posed as a reference for another employee.
Mia Warren.
I'm gonna need her name, her history, her address.
Everything.
[exhales deeply]
♪ tense music playing ♪
♪
[exhales]
‐ Will you bite the spoon?
‐ Oh, hi, honey. ‐ Hey.
‐ Here, let me help you. You must be exhausted.
‐ I'm fine. ‐ How could you be fine, honey?
After everything. ‐ I just don't understand.
I don't understand how the social worker
searched for months for the birth mother.
And then, out of nowhere, she just shows up at my house.
I mean, it was all supposed to be confidential, right?
How did she know where we live? ‐ I don't know.
‐ How did she even find us?
‐ I don't know. Should I get her?
‐ No, I got her, I got her. Oh, come here. Oh, mama.
[babbles]
Okay, here.
You want to see Lamby?
You want to see your little Lamby? Say hi.
I mean...
I feel like I'm in a nightmare and I can't wake up.
I can't lose her.
I mean, she's my world. She's my whole world.
‐ I know.
Look, I got a name.
I, I think I, I think I found Mirabelle's...
‐ What? How? ‐ It took a lot of digging,
but it seems like she's been in Ohio for a couple of years
and she's almost certainly in this country illegally.
She got caught recently trying to steal money from work.
Honey, I...
I think you were right. I think she's trying to hire a lawyer.
‐ Oh, my God, oh, my God.
‐ I know. ‐ Oh, my God.
‐ But we can't give her time to prepare for a custody battle.
‐ We have to go to court now? I'm gonna have to go to court?
‐ I mean, I don't know. ‐ And fight for my own child?
‐ I... ‐ This is crazy.
What world are we living in where this is even a question?
‐ I know, I know, Linda. But I have her address
and I think that you should go there and talk to her, mother to mother.
‐ Oh, no, she's not her mother!
She is an illegal alien
who left her baby in the fucking cold to die.
She chose that.
She made that choice. Not me.
She doesn't get to be Mirabelle's mother anymore.
‐ I know.
‐ No, you know, I will, I will, I will. I will go talk to her.
I'm gonna tell her to stay the fuck away from my family
and the fuck away from my baby I'm so sorry.
Oh, God, I can't do this. ‐ No, I don't think you should.
‐ I can't do this. ‐ It's too much for you, Linda.
And we have to talk to her calmly and, and rationally and explain to her
that you and Mark can just provide a better life for Mirabelle.
I can make her understand that.
‐ What if it doesn't work?
Then...
Then what?
Then what, I...
I lose my baby?
Again?
I lose another baby?
They're gonna take my baby.
[exhales] No.
‐ Do, do you have Mark's checkbook?
‐ Yeah.
TEACHER: This is why it’s called a practice quiz, people.
You have two days to get these grades up.
I suggest you use the time to your advantage.
‐ [exhales] ‐ Mr. Bailey.
Stop doodling in your notebook.
‐ Could be worse, right? TEACHER: Let's try a little harder next time.
‐ I could help.
If you want. Or not. It's, you know, it's whatever.
So in this problem, we have to solve for sine.
Right, uh, what, what exactly is a sine?
It's just the measurement of an angle.
Sine is the ratio of the opposite side of the triangle
over the hypotenuse.
♪ "Killing Me Softly" by The Fugees playing on radio ♪
I'll show you. ‐ [chuckles softly]
‐ You smell like, um...
something.
‐ I don't know. VO‐5, maybe.
‐ Right, maybe.
Isn't that, like, tomato juice?
‐ [laughs softly] That's V8.
‐ Right, right. Lot of V's.
‐ ♪ I'd felt he found my letters ♪
♪ And read each one out loud ♪
[Trip exhales sharply]
‐ ♪ But he just kept right on ♪
♪ Strumming my pain with his fingers ♪ ‐ ♪ One time, one time ♪
‐ ♪ Singing my life with his words ♪
‐ I'm sorry. ‐ No, no, it's, it's okay.
Should we, like, do this in my room?
‐ Do, do what?
‐ Do you have, like, you know...?
‐ Yeah. Yeah.
[knocking]
‐ Hi, um...
I'm Elena Richardson.
Thank you.
This must be incredibly hard for you.
‐ Yes. Very hard.
‐ I really admire you.
You cared for your daughter with so little support
and very few resources all by yourself.
But when you knew that she needed a life
that you couldn't give her,
you made the biggest sacrifice a mother can make.
You did what was best for her.
And you're such a good mother.
I know you would never do anything that would hurt your daughter.
And taking her away from her home,
that would harm her more than you can possibly imagine.
‐ She's my daughter. I just want her here with me.
‐ I know, I know. It's‐it's very hard to do what is best,
and especially when life is not easy.
But we, we want to make your life easier.
‐ What do you mean?
‐ We have lawyers who can have papers drawn
that will grand Linda and Mark full custody.
But they are good and reasonable people,
and I'm sure they would grant visitation if you wanted to still see Mirabelle.
‐ May Ling. Her name is May Ling.
‐ And we want to get you an immigration attorney
who would make it possible for you to stay in this country
and, and be here legally.
So that if you had more children that...
they could grow up knowing May Ling.
Is it the amount?
Because I'm sure we can come to an agreement.
What would be the amount?
‐ You have children, Miss?
‐ Yes, I do. I have four children.
‐ How much you sell them for?
‐ You know, you should have gone to jail for what you did to that baby.
‐ I just want my baby. ‐ She's not your baby!
‐ A mother is a mother. I'm always her mother.
‐ Don't fight them, Bebe. You're gonna lose.
You should take the money. It's that or nothing.
PEARL: Did‐‐ did I do something?
What's wrong? What happened?
‐ Nothing, I just... I just‐‐ I have to go.
‐ But we did it, right? I mean, like, we were doing it.
That was it, right? ‐ Yeah.
We were doing it.
And I just, I couldn't keep...
‐ I mean, was it, was it me? Did I do something wrong?
‐ I don't know. Maybe you did, Pearl.
Okay, this has never happened to me before, ever.
And, and...
my brother, he fucking likes you.
And, and you go and you kiss me?
What am I supposed to do? I'm human.
And...I don't know what you're trying to do,
but it's really, really fucked up.
‐ Wait, Trip.
[door closes]
♪ soft music playing ♪
♪
ELENA: I'm sorry, um, why are you still here?
‐ It's my job to be here, unless you'd rather I not be.
‐ Did you think you were just going to waltz into my house
and pretend like nothing ever happened?
‐ Elena, this isn't about you. It's not about me.
It's about a child who belongs with her mother.
‐ Exactly. Her mother is Linda.
‐ You and I are never gonna agree on this because we are very different people.
‐ I agree.
You're manipulative and deceitful,
with no sense of the rules or consequences.
Just like your friend, Bebe.
‐ Okay, Elena, sure. ‐ I'm sorry, but someone has to say this to you.
You know what else you have in common with your friend?
You're both terrible mothers.
I mean, honestly, it's a miracle
that Pearl is as lovely and wonderful as she is.
‐ It's not a miracle. She is mine.
And I am a good mother.
‐ Oh, really? Because in my book, a good mother
puts her daughter's needs before her own.
A good mother makes good choices.
And she doesn't drag a child from town to town, school to school.
She doesn't smoke marijuana
and just leave her daughter to fend for herself.
And she really doesn't leave a baby alone in the cold
in front of a fire station.
‐ You didn't make good choices.
You had good choices.
Options that being rich and white and entitled gave you.
‐ Again, that's the difference between you and me.
I would never make this about race.
‐ Elena, you made this about race when you stood out there in the street
and begged me to be your maid.
‐ This is not working out. I think this is gonna be your last day.
‐ [scoffs] You think?
‐ Was this all just a plan with you and Bebe
to worm your way into our lives to get to Mirabelle?
Why did you even take this job?
‐ I took this job to protect my kid.
‐ From what? ‐ From you.
‐ I thought we were friends.
‐ White women always want to be friends with their maid.
I was not your maid, Elena.
And I was never your friend.
[Izzy sniffles]
‐ Really, Isabelle? You barely know this woman.
Moody's the one who was friends with Pearl.
If anyone should be upset, it should be him.
‐ What? Why?
‐ Well, who knows if Mia will ever allow her to come here again.
‐ Pearl should be able to do what she wants.
‐ What, like you're hanging out with her anyways?
I mean, I'm the one who should be upset.
MOODY: And your friendship is so genuine.
It's not at all self‐serving in the least bit.
‐ Moody, your sister is allowed to be upset. ‐ You don't know anything about that.
‐ But I'm not?
‐ Apparently, the only reason that Mia was even here
was to protect Pearl from us.
LEXIE: From us? Are you kidding?
‐ Yes. ‐ That's insane.
‐ After she lied on her application
and then sent that lunatic Chinese person
to go and harass Mark and Linda.
‐ She's not a lunatic. She's her mother.
‐ Who basically threw away her child.
No one should have babies if they can't take care of them.
‐ Exactly. BILL: Mm‐hmm.
What are we going to do about Windsor? Clearly, they can't keep living there.
‐ Why not? ‐ Can I be excused?
‐ You barely ate anything.
‐ You can't just kick them out. It's not Pearl's fault.
‐ No, it's not her fault, honey.
Pearl is a wonderful girl and her mother is a terrible mother.
‐ Maybe you're a terrible mother.
‐ Excuse me? What? ‐ Yeah, I'm going.
‐ Why would you do this to me? It's not even your business.
‐ Is it yours?
‐ This is about some coworker you barely even know.
You don't know anything.
You don't even know these people.
How do you know that Mirabelle isn't better off‐‐
‐ It's May Ling. ‐ Whatever, May Ling, Mirabelle.
You know what I mean. ‐ Watch your mouth, Pearl.
‐ They're just like the Richardsons. I mean, is there even a question?
Of course they can give her a better life than Bebe can.
[Mia sighs heavily]
‐ You are not to go back there again. ‐ Wait, no, Mom.
‐ I mean it, Pearl. ‐ No, you can't just do that.
‐ I just did. Clear your plate. [knocking]
Bebe.
What...
What is it? Are you okay?
♪ soft music playing ♪
♪
[door slams]
Okay, I'm sorry. Come, come in.
Get some...get you...
[doorbell rings]
‐ Hi, honey. Um, Moody's at Carl's and‐and Lexie and Trip are out.
‐ I didn't come here for them.
‐ Come here, come here.
[Pearl sniffles]
[sobs]
‐ They can't just throw money at you.
The McCulloughs cannot. Elena Richardson cannot.
They don't get to have your child just because they can easily afford to.
‐ It's true.
She's safe there. She grow big there.
‐ She will be happy when she's with you.
I don't care how big their house is or how much money they have.
I don't even care how much they think they love her.
May Ling is your child, and right now,
she needs you to fight for her.
Because that's what a mother does.
‐ I want to fight for her.
‐ Then fight. ‐ She's my daughter.
But how can I fight without any money?
‐ We'll get the money.
‐ How? How can we get the money?
‐ I'll get the money.
‐ Are you sure this is all okay? ‐ Oh, yes, of course.
It seems like Lexie is always at Serena's lately.
There you go, honey. ‐ Thank you.
I'm sorry about everything.
My mom and, and what she did and what she said and is doing.
‐ Listen to me.
You are not your mother.
Okay?
♪ soft music playing ♪
♪
[sniffles]
[sighs heavily]
[exhales shakily]
[sobs]
ELENA: Are you okay with just one pillow? PEARL: Yeah.
My kids never let me do this.
‐ Are you sure? Thank you. ‐ Yeah, of course.
[sobs]
[sniffles]
[knocking]
‐ Pearl.
Pearl?
[rain pattering]
[screaming]: Get in the car!
[exhales sharply]
I'll be right here when school lets out.
‐ Great. Because this car isn't embarrassing at all.
‐ Hey, you are never to set foot in that house again.
Do you understand?
♪ "Chilly Wind" by Maxine Weldon plays on radio ♪
‐ ♪ The chilly wind don't blow ♪
♪ Yes, I am, baby ♪
♪ I'm going where ♪
♪ The chilly wind don't blow ♪
♪ I'm going where ♪
♪ The chilly wind don't blow ♪
[knocking]
‐ Hi. Sorry to make you wait, Ms. Chow.
MIA: Hey.
‐ I know this is a lot, but you're gonna do this, okay?
They're gonna say all kinds of things.
But we're gonna say the truth, and we're gonna say it first.
All right?
LINDA: That wasn't so bad, right?
We did it, huh, baby Belle?
We did it.
[babbling]
‐ Ms. McCullough, do you have a statement
on the recent developments regarding your pending adoption?
‐ No. REPORTER: Can we get a few words?
Are you aware that the baby's biological mother
intends to fight for custody?
Are you going to keep May Ling away from her mother?
And that‐‐ ‐ I'm her mother!
I'm sorry, baby girl.
‐ And up next, what happens when an American dream
becomes an American nightmare?
Well, one woman is fighting back.
REPORTER: Alone and unable to work,
Bebe Chow struggled to provide for her daughter.
What little she had went to the baby she named May Ling.
And when she could no longer feed or take care of her daughter,
she left her at this fire station behind me
in the hopes that someone would protect her only child.
BEBE: And this is the baby card.
REPORTER: What Bebe Chow did not know was that the state placed little May Ling
in the temporary custody of a local Shaker Heights family
who’d been trying to adopt for years
and was finally in the process of adopting her daughter,
the daughter they’d renamed Mirabelle.
Are you aware the baby's biological mother intends to fight for custody?
Are you going to keep May Ling away from her mother?
‐ I'm her mother!
BEBE: They tried to buy my baby. To make me not fight.
They paid $10,000 to me to go away.
ED: We are looking into the legal ramifications...
‐ They offered her money? ‐ They were trying to help.
ED: In search of a better life.
She's taking steps to become a proper citizen of this great country.
A country that is not in the business of separating children from their mothers.
And she will remain here as long as it takes to get May Ling back.
We will take this fight to court. And we will win.
♪ soft music playing ♪
♪
[camera clicks]
♪
CHILD: Best day ever!