EPISODE 321
Written by: Bre L Drew
December 9, 2024
Last Time on Town and Country
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Dr. Saddleman informed the Saunders/Lockhart family and Elijah that Lenny’s infection, compounded by her cancer, makes recovery more difficult, requiring her to stay hospitalized until a bone marrow donor is found.
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Esther is the latest family member tested as a potential match.
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Meanwhile, Lena Choudhury and her daughter Jes attended Jai and Mala's wedding ceremony, with Jes openly flirting with Samuel.
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Martha, still avoiding the real reason her tour ended early, struggles to tell Samuel that Murray kissed her—a move she immediately rejected upon learning he wanted her, not SJ.
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Tanner reeling from Presley’s earlier coldness, is also keeping quiet about Tommy’s near kiss, which she stopped.
RADCLIFFE RECIEVING HOSPITAL
Lenny Lockhart stirs awake in bed, her eyes taken in the hospital room and the assortment of IV tubes delivering medicine to combat the infection that caused her collapse at home. Despite the discomfort in her body, months of chemo have made minor pain feel like a reprieve.
Her gaze falls on the flat-screen TV on the wall before the door opens.
Expecting a nurse, she adjusts her expression—but the figure in protective gear is taller, and noticeably male whose familiar bluish-green eyes give him away.
"Have I been out so long that you switched careers?" Lenny quips.
"Ha, ha, welcome back," Elijah Barker replies, stepping closer.
He kisses her forehead through his mask and embraces her. Lenny notices the balloons and cards neatly populating the room.
"Who knew I was this popular?" she jokes.
"Your family’s been down here almost 24/7," Elijah says, glancing around.
She grins. "And what’s your contribution?"
He moves to a small table, unveiling a miniature tree. "I wanted to wait until you were awake so we could decorate it together."
Lenny's smile fades. "I missed Thanksgiving, didn’t I? So, when am I getting out of here?"
Elijah hesitates, pulling ornaments from a bag. "How about we start from the bottom."
"Elijah," she presses. "Don’t leave me hanging. When am I getting outta here?"
LOCKHART LAKE COTTAGE
Tanner Lockhart gathers items from her twin sister Lenny’s bedroom in their lake cottage, packing the essentials Lenny will need for her extended hospital stay. Fighting an infection alongside acute myeloid leukemia has made recovery even harder for Lenny, and Tanner knows how critical a bone marrow transplant is, though no match has been found—not even herself, despite the odds favoring siblings.
Her phone chimes, and she answers on the third ring.
"Mom," she says, zipping up Lenny's duffel bag. "I’ve got everything she’d want or need... I know... I’ll be there in twenty minutes. Love you too. Bye."
As she hangs up, Tanner sighs, wishing for a miracle. The doorbell rings, pulling her from her thoughts.
She brings the bag downstairs, leaving it by the door before opening it. To her surprise, Presley McKnight stands across from her.
"Hey," the reverend greets. "Glad I caught you. Can I come in?"
Tanner hesitates, remembering their last tense conversation, but steps aside. "Uh, sure."
As she closes the door, Presley turns to her. "I know with everything going on, you probably don’t want to talk about us."
Tanner crosses her arms, exhaling slowly. "Well, last time I tried, it didn’t exactly go well."
FRANKLIN FARM: MAIN HOUSE
The sounds of cows, sheep, and horses reverberate across Franklin Farm, but inside the main house, Esther Saunders stands in the living room, on a call with the lab. Her face tightens as she hears the news.
"No, I guess that's it," she says in her signature southern drawl, placing the phone down.
Footsteps sound on the stairs, and Martha Saunders enters, dressed in a black mock turtleneck with extra-long sleeves and khaki pants.
"Dammit," Esther mutters, catching Martha’s attention.
"Is it about Lenny?" Martha asks, her tone concerned.
Esther sighs, hands on her hips. "The lab confirmed—I’m not a match either."
Martha frowns. "Why is no one in this family a match?"
The Saunders family had all been tested, but so far, none were compatible bone marrow donors for Lenny, Esther’s great-niece battling cancer.
"I just hope someone out there is," Martha says softly.
Esther nods. "We all do, darling."
The doorbell rings, interrupting the moment. Martha moves to answer, finding Samuel Gupta on the porch, dressed
sharply in a gray trench coat, a blue button-down, and dark slacks.
"Hi," he greets with a reserved smile.
"Hi," she replies, steeling herself for what she knows she must tell him.
Esther starts to consider Martha’s earlier words, and excuses herself with a polite nod, giving the younger pair some privacy.
JOJO'S CAFE
Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock
Jingle bells chime in jingle bell time
​Dancing and prancing in Jingle Bell Square
In the frosty air
The MisterWives’ cover of Jingle Bell Rock plays in Jojo's Cafe, its holiday decor cozying up the light weekday crowd.
Mala Gupta and Jesminder Choudhury step inside, order their drinks and settle by the large window overlooking Main Street, where a few bundled-up pedestrians stroll under a cloudy sky.
"I thought Mom would miss her flight after that long goodbye tour," Jes quips, sipping her coffee.
They had just dropped Lena off at the airport, sending her back to London after attending Jai and Mala’s wedding and spending a few days with old friends. Now, she was heading home to her husband, Raj.
Mala chuckles over her chai latte. "She means well. It’s been so long since we were all together. I’m just glad we’ve had more time with you. Your firm doesn’t mind you taking so much time off?"
Jes lifts her cup. "I’m in no rush to get back to Toronto. It’s been nice reconnecting with everyone—and not worrying about briefs for once."
Mala smirks. "Careful, your firm might not want to hear that."
Jes pauses. "Can I be honest?"
"Of course."
She exhales. "I gave the firm my resignation."
Mala leans in slightly. "Did something happen?"
Jes hesitates but opens up. "Let’s just say work was great, but my personal life… not so much. I broke up with someone. It wasn’t going anywhere."
"Do your parents know?"
"They do, but they think I’ll change my mind. I think I just need a fresh start somewhere else before I figure out what’s next."
Mala sips her drink, mulling over Jes’s words, the two falling into a quiet understanding.
LOCKHART LAKE COTTAGE
Presley and Tanner stand in the foyer, tension hanging between them. Presley slips his hands into his coat pockets, breaking the silence. “I guess I deserve that,” he admits.
He recalls her visit to the church, where he was distant and dismissive. His frustration stems from her connection with Tommy, whose lingering feelings for her are undeniable—not to mention his mother, Thora, confronting Tanner and accusing her of hurting not just Presley but his sister, Jordan. Jordan’s strained marriage to Tommy, held together only for their son Jeremy, complicates everything further.
Tanner rubs the bridge of her nose, her exhaustion evident. “Presley, I care about you. But if we’re going to make this work, I can’t keep dealing with the cold shoulder over Tommy. I get it—it’s complicated—but I have my own issues right now and I'm getting pretty tired of going round and round."
Presley nods, regret softening his expression. "I came to apologize—not just for me, but for my mother. She had no right to blame you for anything with Tommy and Jordan. I love my sister, but she knew what she was getting into marrying him. I don't want their issues to come between us. I care about you too. Can we try again? Please, give me another chance."
Tanner wavers, her mind briefly flashing to the kiss Tommy initiated—the one she stopped. She decides not to tell Presley; the fallout would do more harm than good.
“How are you holding up?” Presley asks gently, his voice breaking through her thoughts.
Tanner exhales, shaking her head. “I’m scared, Presley. I’m so scared for her.”
She steps closer, folding into his arms. Presley wraps her in a firm embrace, offering the reassurance she needs.
FRANKLIN FARM: MAIN HOUSE
Martha and Samuel sit in the living room, the air between them heavy. Martha shifts uncomfortably, readying herself.
"You deserve to know what happened while I was on tour," she begins.
Samuel nods, his psychiatrist instincts kicking in. "I figured something must’ve happened. You came home earlier than expected."
Martha crosses her arms, searching for the right words. "The Portland performance went great—the crowd loved it. Even Murray did."
Samuel’s jaw tightens at the mention of her ex and SJ’s father. "I don’t think I like where this is going."
Martha raises a hand. "Let me finish."
"Go on," he says, tension clear in his voice.
"Murray stopped by my hotel room afterward. He said he was impressed with my performance… and then he kissed me."
Samuel clenches his fists. "Do I need to book a flight and deal with that son of a bitch."
"No," Martha interrupts. "I told him off when he admitted he came back into my life for me, not SJ. I threw him out, packed my things, and left the next morning."
Samuel’s expression softens as she takes a seat on the couch. He sits beside her, placing an arm around her.
Martha tucks a strand of her dyed brown hair behind her ear. "I thought he’d at least try to connect with SJ, but it’s been two weeks and nothing. I don’t know how to explain to SJ why his dad hasn’t called or Facetime with him."
Samuel squeezes her hand gently. "Take it one step at a time."
Martha hesitates before meeting his eyes. "I’ve made another decision… one you need to know about."
Samuel stays quiet, giving her space.
She grabs his hands, her voice trembling. "I think we need to end this—for now. Not because of what Murray did, but because I need to focus on SJ. He deserves my full attention."
Samuel shakes his head. "Martha, don’t do this because of him—"
"It’s not just him. I need to get my priorities straight," she says firmly.
"Even though you didn't end up with Murray," Samuel says, his voice tense with frustration. "He still gets what he wants—breaking us up. So, I guess in a way, he won."
"Samuel—" Martha starts
Unable to say more, he leaves the house, pausing on the porch steps, stunned by the breakup.
Inside, Martha collapses onto the couch, sobbing.
In the kitchen, Esther, having overheard, steps in and wraps an arm around her niece.
"Just let it out, darling," the older woman voices
RADCLIFFE RECIEIVING HOSPITAL
Lenny lay in her hospital bed, her shaved head concealed beneath a soft scarf. Her fingers toyed with the corner of her blanket as Elijah held up a small tractor and barn ornament in his hands, attempting a smile.
“I think you should do the honors,” he said, his voice gentle.
Lenny raises a skeptical eyebrow, her weariness evident. “Whatever this is, it must be really bad if no one’s giving me a straight answer about how long I’m stuck here.” Her tone turned sharper, her frustration brewing over. “Dammit, Elijah, just tell me the truth. It’s not the infection, is it? It’s the cancer, isn't it?"
Elijah set the ornaments down carefully on the bedside table and moved closer. “You want the truth? Okay. No, the prognosis isn’t great,” he admitted, his eyes clouded with worry. “But you beat the infection, Lenny.
That’s a big win. You can keep fighting this. I know you can.”
She let out a heavy sigh, shaking her head. “What if I’m tired, Elijah? What if… it’s not meant for me to see 2025?”
Elijah’s heart twisted as he saw the fatigue and fear in her eyes. He pulled up the chair beside her bed, taking her trembling hands in his. “That’s not going to happen,” he said firmly. “Lynn Felice Lockhart, you are going to get through this. You mean too much to me, and to everyone who loves you.”
Lenny swallows hard; her throat tight as she tried to find her voice. “So let me guess,” she rasped, “I still don’t have a donor.”
Elijah’s silence spoke louder than any words could.
Lenny’s lip quivers as she whisperes, “I’m not going to make it, am I?”
“Don’t talk like that,” Elijah said quickly, his voice thick with emotion.
“That’s how I feel,” she said, her tears spilling over as her composure cracked.
Elijah reached up, brushing away the tears that streaked her cheeks. "If there’s anything—anything—I can do to give you a reason to fight just a little harder, I’ll do it. You hear me?”
For a moment, neither spoke, the weight of the moment plowing down on them. Elijah leaned closer, placing a kiss on her knuckles, his mind racing to think of some way—any way—to lift her spirits, even as the world seemed to close in around them.
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END OF EPISODE
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ON THE NEXT EPISODE OF TOWN AND COUNTRY
Elijah stuns Sean and Louise.
Esther gets confirmation.
Martha is shocked by Shauna's admission.
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