EPISODE 36
Written by: Bre L. Drew
Last Time On Town and Country
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Antoine told Shauna he is using Nichelle to make her jealous.
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Max invited Shauna and Mae to Christmas Dinner at Home Farm.
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Courtney is still dealing with her anger with her father.
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Sean and Louise agree to delay telling the girls about their divorce.
FRANKLIN FARM: MAIN HOUSE
Precisely over one-hundred Christmas celebrations have taken place in this household. And this morning is no exception, throughout the living room, members of the Saunders family are opening their gifts. While the vocal stylings of Andy Williams' Happy Holiday making it even more of a joyous occasion. Not to mention all of them are still in their pajamas, including Louise, Sean, and the twins since it has been a tradition since the girls have been born that they have spent the night at the farm on Christmas Eve.
Steven Sullivan is sitting on the floor wearing a Santa hat, finishing unwrapping his present, which he holds up the object. "A Shower Speaker, thanks, mom."
Esther Saunders is sitting on the couch, drinking coffee out of her mug smiles, "Hopefully, you won't sing with it as you do with your phone when you're in the bathroom."
Louise Saunders-Lockhart is on the floor beside Lynn, Tanner, and Martha, who is opening her present from her, which consists of a small envelope.
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"What can it be?" Peter asks aloud
"I don't know." Sarah Lynn replies to him also awaiting the outcome,
Martha is about to pop near the end of her pregnancy in a few more weeks.
She fishes out a piece of paper that peaks her intrigue.
"Come on, what is it cus? " Steven asks
"It's a gift certificate to a spa in Hudson Lake," Martha says to no one in particular.
"It includes a facial, pedicure, and massage," Louise replies
Martha is at a loss of words knowing she and her sister are not close.
"Thanks," she manages to communicate.
"You deserve pampering for one day," Louise says
As the rest of the family, our getting swept up at the moment. Sean Lockhart gets up from where he is sitting carrying his iPhone in which Louise and the girls don't miss.
"I bet you $5 that he is going to call her ?" Lynn Lockhart whispers to her twin sister.
Louise tells herself to keep her head up metaphorically since soon she won't have to play the role of a happy wife anymore.
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Bracing the wintery weather outside of the farmhouse only in his shirt and plaid pajama bottoms, Sean awaits to hear the woman he loves to pick up the phone.
Four long rings. She answers,
"Merry Christmas," were the first words out of his lover's mouth,
"Merry Christmas, how are you, babe?"
Sean is not surprised, Tricia is a flight attendant, and if he remembers correctly, she is on a three-day trip consisting of traveling from her base in San Diego to the Bahamas.
"How is it going on the homestead?" she asks in an exaggerated southern accent.
"Same old same old, I got a Christmas gift for you."
Tricia doesn't hide her excitement over the phone by asking what is it in anticipation,
"I signed the divorce papers, I'm officially a free man well sorta," he tells her
"Small mercies, huh?"
"Mm-hmm" he replies "I gotta go, I just wanted to tell you that soon we'll be able to be together without anything standing in our way,"
"I love you so much."
"I love you too, bye." he hangs up, thinking that this will be their last holiday considered to be some dirty secret.
MILLER INN:COURTNEY'S SUITE
Courtney Covington is very still accustomed to Christmas mornings marked by several memories such as her mother waking her brothers and herself around six-thirty in the morning to a multitude of presents underneath the tree, a roaring fireplace aligned with their stockings whether it was in their Upper East Side residence or their home in Aspen, Colorado. But this morning she wasn't woken by her mother, and instead of her bedroom, she found herself staring at the four walls of the hotel suite, that she has been staying in since she and her father disagreed with his incapability of meddling out of her own life. It also makes her realize she misses her mother today since it is her first major holiday without her.
She managed to get herself out of bed; into the shower at a rapid pace. Settling on a black Diane Von Furstenberg velvet long-sleeve jumpsuit with a sash. Now sitting down at the vanity, putting lipstick on her lips weighing the pros and cons of attending dinner at the estate.
Courtney's fingers lands on a pair of silver diamond infinity earrings that Steven gave her yesterday. The two of them decided to have their commemoration on Christmas Eve by having a meal at The Chateau. It is where she was given the piece of jewelry. She presented him with concert tickets to go see Green Day in February in Lexington. He asked her to go, which she agreed to even though she isn't quite familiar with the band prompting Steven to give her education to all things '90s music.
As she stares at herself in the mirror, she decides she will text him later praying that this will be the only year that they will spend apart from one another,
HOME FARM
Even though Mae Jackson has lived most of her adult life in Radcliffe, she never has driven much in the affluent area where the properties have their names, and no expense is spared when it comes to the upkeep of the landscape. She is directed by her granddaughter Shauna in the passenger seat of Mae's 2006 Toyota Camry to turn right.
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Making her observations whilst steering the vehicle up to the mansion. She sees that this place is bigger than she ever imagined. Passing by a grove filled with trees, she sees another path that leads up a separate way to the guest house.
"It's great, isn't it grandma."
"It's something,"
Mae parks the car in front of the large two-story house.
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The two of them step out of the car to the trunk where Shauna retrieves a bag of presents. They then make their moves towards the door.
"I hate that we left Antoine alone today," Mae says
Shauna turns her attention to her maternal grandmother. "It was just the three of us this morning, we watched him open his gifts from us, besides you cooked enough food, and this isn't his scene anyway, can you please be civil to the Covington's, please?" She presses the doorbell in which its grand sound can be heard.
"You must really like this boy," Mae says
Shauna hides her dislike of her calling Max a boy. "How can you tell? "
"I just can,"
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The door opens with a Hispanic woman wearing her dark hair in a ponytail with a somewhat happy expression on her face she wishes them Merry Christmas before she leads them in the foyer.
Mae takes off her coat, revealing an off-white turtleneck, she is about to carry her coat to the designated area, however, Gabriella the Covington's maid took both of theirs. As they step into the living room, she spots her granddaughter's interior decorating.
"You did a great job, Shauna,"
"Thanks,"
Seconds later, Daniel Covington, along with Max, and Tommy come to greet the Jackson women.
"Dinner should be ready in about twenty minutes," Daniel reports.
The staff has made a feast."
Mae suppresses her thought of having someone else prepare dinner.
FRANKLIN FARM: MAIN HOUSE
Louise has never really been the most confident cook, though she decided to help out her mother in the kitchen. She finds herself popping green beans on the counter into a colander bowl wearing a spare apron of her mother's. She has made various noises and chuckles overhearing her talking to her mother and sister over the phone. Sarah Lynn finally ends the call.
"Aunt Mindy, three sheets to the wind yet?" Louise asks
With her familiar apron on her, Sarah Lynn opens the oven, mentally determining that the ham has about thirty minutes to go whilst the turkey has about fifteen.
"Not yet, but wait till your Aunt Susan brings her newest guy to the house."
It is a bit of a tradition that Sarah's youngest sister Susan who often brings a new man in tow with her every year since she started dating. In addition, to taking care of their elderly mother, Betty Lou, and managing to host Christmas dinner at her house, Mindy often finds a bottle or two of liquor to raise her spirits.
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Louise sympathizes with Susan's twelve-year-old daughter knowing her mother constantly has men coming in and out of her life.
"I'm glad that Sean and you are giving the girls the best Christmas possible. Sarah Lynn says directly.
Louise sighs
"Looks like I am assuming?"
"It's not that, we both love Tanner and Lenny, so that is why we're together this year, I know he called her this morning, I'm happy that this day is almost over meaning we'll able to tell the girls were done."
Sarah gives her oldest daughter a well-meaning hug, sensing this isn't easy on her.
In the living room, Steven comes out of the kitchen with a can of ginger ale for his pregnant cousin, and a can of Pepsi for himself.
He sits down beside her on the couch.
"Thanks, Steven"
"You got it,"
"Hey, you talked to Evan? " Martha asks
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Steven takes a sip from the can. "No, Lorraine did call a few days ago saying she received the gifts I sent down to Orlando."
Steven misses his little boy who now lives in Florida with his ex-wife who recently got a job teaching dance at performing arts high school,
Martha reaches for her tablet that is nearby on the table where the lamp is on.
"I love you, but you are the hardest person to shop for, so I decided to do something else entirely for you this year."
"And what is that?" he laughs.
Martha passes him the electronic device he then his lips curve into a grin seeing his son in his new apartment waving uncontrollably on the screen.
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"Hi, Daddy!"
"Big Man, Was Santa good to you?"
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Martha gets off the couch, she had called Lorraine four days ago to help her to set it up. She might not like her cousin's ex-wife for various reasons though as a mother-to-be, she knows that if a good man wants to be in their kid's life, no one should stand in the way of that.
Steven moves his head, he mouths out, "Thank you." he gets back to listening to Evan talking about how he loves riding his new scooter in warmer weather.
HOME FARM
Daniel, Max, Shauna, Tommy, and Mae in that order, all retire into the living room, after eating dinner in the dining quarters.
"I must say that was a delicious meal, Daniel." Mae finds herself complementing the man of the manor.
"Thank you, nothing but the best for my family and our guests," Daniel says with a hint of reflection.
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His mother Deirdre is spending her Christmas with her wealthy girlfriends at the family's vacation home in Aspen and his sister Emma is jet-setting around the world dropping a small fortune as well. He knows they're apart because it is easier for them because it is also their first year without Patrick.
They start to pass out each other presents from under the decked-out tree that looks as if it belongs in Rockefeller Plaza.
"Merry Christmas, Everyone." Courtney greets them
Daniel stands up, unsure of whether or not to hug his only daughter. Although, Courtney objectively embraces him.
Max is thankful she took his verbal invitation.
So what did I miss? " Courtney questions
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"I was about to give Shauna her gift. " Max retorts proudly.
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"You were?" Shauna inquiries happily.
Max grabs a pair of new blue and black skis sitting behind the tree.
Shauna physically shows her confusion about the gift. " Thank you, Max, I don't know how to ski."
" I know,"
Shauna can feel someone else's eyes on her as she finds something else taped to it.
"It's two plane tickets to Sun Valley, Idaho."
Max takes her by the hand. "I think it is time the two of us go away, the tickets are first class, and the lodge we'll be staying at overlooks the mountains, we'll leave tomorrow night and stay until New Year's day what do you say? "
"You're so thoughtful, Max, she kisses him more respectively since his father and her grandmother our in the room. " I might have to start on the bunny slopes though,"
Various laughter is made at her comment.
"Don't worry, I'll make you an expert by the time we leave."
"If you want to go shopping before you leave tomorrow for the trip I'll go with you." Courtney offers
"I'll like that thanks, Courtney," Shauna answers positively.
"Okay, my turn," Tommy says, awaiting to open one of his gifts.
FRANKLIN FARM: MAIN HOUSE
In the corridor near the kitchen is where the dining room is positioned. At the center of the long table is where food dishes and deserts our sitting. Most of the family already had taken their place around the table,
Sarah Lynn comes out of the kitchen where she receives applause from her family of the beautiful looking ham she brings out, She then takes a seat at the end of the table.
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Now dressed in a flannel shirt with a vest and blue jeans, Peter stands from his chair.
"Before we chow down, I like to say thank you to my wife Sarah for going to all of this trouble to prepare this food for all of us. "Also, I want to say I love this family that is here and the ones who couldn't be here with us today. I don't say this a lot, but I'm very blessed to know that we will always have this house, this farm, and more importantly each other,"
He lifts his glass of red wine." Now we can eat."
Chatter begins to fill the atmosphere as relatives began to pass around various platters of food.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
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END OF EPISODE
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ON THE NEXT EPISODE OF TOWN AND COUNTRY
Countdown to the New Year.
And Much More!
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