EPISODE 203
Written by: Bre L. Drew
September 26, 2022
Last Time on Town and Country
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Steven and Esther devised a plan to determine whether Emma is truly a Saunders.
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Ernest and Thora got into it over the divorce.
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Tricia discourages Sean from remaining close to Louise while Jai expresses his feelings regarding Sean's dependence on Louise.
RADCLIFFE ANIMAL CLINIC AND SHELTER
Steven Sullivan returns with his medical bag to the veterinary clinic and shelter where he works. He had just come from a call at Downer's Farm where one of the farmer's dogs accidentally ingested fertilizer, which he managed to stabilize.
Grateful for the empty waiting room, Trudy, one of the few full-time receptionists, motions for him to come over to the window. The woman in her forties wearing green scrubs and sporting her signature pixie-styled red hair.
"Hey, Dr. Sullivan, here's your mail," she says, passing the small stack of standard envelopes to him.
Steven nods courteously.
"Oh, and this came about ten minutes ago," Trudy informs him while giving him a courier envelope. "I signed for it
"Thanks, Trudy," he says while he heads in the back. His eyes land on the sender, the lab where he sent the DNA samples of both Emma and his mother to determine if they share the same father.
WHEELER BUILDING: APT #424
Antoine Hall assures his good friend Tricia Lockhart, "I'm sure you and Sean will get things together like y'all always do."
He came by the fourth-floor apartment this afternoon to visit his friend and her nearly one-month-old son. It didn't take long for Tricia to fill her friend in on the dispute between her and her husband regarding his closeness to his ex-wife,
While Tricia is putting Dylan in his modular stroller, he uneasily nods. "We'll see,"
Antoine is about to open his mouth when Sean Lockhart enters his apartment with his keys in hand. He looks toward his wife and Antoine.
Sean puts up his hand at his wife's friend. "Hey, Antoine,"
"Sean, hey, how you doin'?" he responds. "You know what, something tells me y'all two need to talk." He then turns to Tricia, who stares at him bewilderedly. "How about I take little man out for a while to give y'all some privacy?"
Tricia is about to refute him when Sean nods permissively. "I think that's a good idea," the farm manager says. "Thanks, Antoine,"
"I'll text you when we are done," Tricia tells him.
Antoine finds himself pushing the baby out of the apartment while being told by her that the boy's stroller also converts into a car seat as well as his diaper bag hangs on the back of the chair.
When the two are gone, the husband-and-wife gaze upon each other.
"It's about time we get everything out in the open," Sean asks, seriously. "Because we can't keep things going like this between us, Tricia."
PRESLEY MCKNIGHT RESIDENCE
With her concentration on her laptop screen, Thora McKnight is trying to piece together a resume for herself in the living room of the rectory where she currently resides with Presley. The word document consists of her two summers working at the Frozen Cone as a teenager. And a year at Sampson University studying hospitality and hotel management before dropping out to be a full-time wife and mother. She knows she can't constantly lean on her son to take care of her financially.
The sound of the doorbell gets her attention since she isn't expecting anyone to visit today. She rises on her feet to make the pilgrimage from the living room to the door. Instead of an Amazon delivery person or someone possibly at the wrong address, she is surprised to see not only her daughter but her grandson through the window beside the door.
She quickly unlocks the entrance and sees Jordan McKnight wearing a red mock-neck fitted cropped tank and matching color jeans. She is holding Jeremy, who is looking around his current surroundings.
"Hi, baby," Thora says while taking him out of her daughter's arms and into his. "Do you know who I am?"
The one-year-old blonde with curly hair nods his head.
"Granma," he replies, with near-perfect pronunciation.
"I'm surprised he remembers me," she tells her daughter.
It had been a while since she had seen her grandson, and she hadn't expected Jordan to be forthcoming with a visit.
Jordan, by now, has closed the door behind her and remains civil.
Jordan mentions, casually, "Well, I thought you might need some cheering up."
But as a mother, she can discern when her children aren't exactly being straight with her.
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"And let me guess, Presley, you advised you to come over after he told you about the altercation your dad and I had while he was away, right?" Thora answers straightforwardly
Presley went to a last-minute conference in St. Louis regarding the church.
Jordan puts her hand on the strap of her purse on her shoulder.
"Something like that,"
THE WATERFALL BAR
Beyonce's rendition of "Make Me Say It Again, Girl" featuring Ronald Isley and The Isley Brothers plays on the sound system above the customers populating The Waterfall as Antoine crosses the threshold, pushing the stroller with Dylan inside.
Both Martha Saunders and Mae Jackson were somewhat surprised to see him with a baby.
"Don't tell me he's yours," Martha says half-jokingly.
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"I see you got jokes, huh," he comments while guiding himself and the infant behind the bar.
He is aware that he has been with his fair share of women, but he is also aware that he hasn't fathered any children with them.
"Well, you can't really blame me for asking," Martha quips.
"I'm watching Dylan for Sean and Tricia for a little while."
Martha quickly frowns at the mention of Tricia since she still holds the breakdown of her sister's marriage partly on her as well as Sean.
Mae bends down to see if the baby in his stroller is looking steadily at her with his brown eyes.
"Hey sweetie, and no, you're not the first baby in this bar," Mae cheerfully says.
Without any warning, the baby begins crying, which makes Antoine unsure of how to handle him as he picks him up.
"Well, his diaper isn't full or wet, so it could be that" he states somewhat worriedly.
Both Martha and Mae glance at each other with their mother's intuition with a hint of humor.
"Oh, look, thirsty customers, I better get to it," Martha indicates as she gets back to work.
Mae motions to her surrogate grandson to let her hold the baby, which he does.
"He took a nap in the car, so he can't be sleepy. I dunno what else I should do."
She hushes him softly while rocking him gently in her arms. "Antoine, it's not that deep; he's probably hungry," the bar owner says knowingly.
"How do you do that, Mae?"
"Do what?"
"Know what babies need,"
Mae looks down at the baby, who is slowly quieting down. "It's part instinct, and the rest is what you pick up along the way. I think it's a good thing you're doing from what I hear from Esther about those two. They need all the time to get things straightened out."
"Yeah, tell me about it,"
Mae hands the baby back to the sitter.
"Now take that angel upstairs and get him a bottle."
"Thanks, Mae,"
"No problem,"
Antoine takes Dylan and the rest of the things towards the door that leads to the apartment, while Mae assists Martha behind the bar.
Meanwhile, Mala Gupta settles into the booth near the back of the bar. Across from her, Jai Gupta sits.
"Thanks for meeting me here. I know this isn't your normal scene. He says to her
His former wife waves her perfectly manicured hand dismissively. "It's not, but after being surrounded by construction for the last few weeks, anywhere I do not hear jackhammers suits me just fine." She answers in her British accent.
Jai takes a sip of beer from the bottle. "How's the hotel ballroom renovation going?"
"So far, not bad; if everything comes together, we shall be on schedule," Mala says in response. "How are you doing?"
He tells her about how well the store is doing, and he delves into the status of his relationship with Louise, which is at an impasse due to her closeness with her ex-husband Sean.
"It is never easy to get involved with someone who is divorced. I mean, we are both prime examples of that. " Mala points this out to her ex-husband.
"Don't get me wrong; I knew what I was getting into when Louise and I got together. I knew the baggage she had with Sean. "
Mala smirks mischievously at him. "Try being in your forties and dating someone without baggage. Look, I understand that perhaps she can handle the situation better with her ex-husband; you have reason to be concerned but be a bloody man about it and address your issues with Louise."
"You still don't hold back, do you?" Jai asks light-heartedly
"Not with the people I care about," she says frankly.
Jai takes another drink of his beer, doing his best to adhere to his ex-wife's advice.
WHEELER BUILDING: APT #424
"You know I love you, don't you?" Sean says to his wife.
He and Tricia were in the compact kitchen of their apartment, hoping to talk out their latest marital issue.
Tricia lifts her head to fully acknowledge her husband; "yeah, I know you do; why are you asking me this, Sean?" I bet you told Louise you loved her too while you were together behind her back before she found out about us. Tricia says bluntly
The farm manager expresses uncertainty throughout his body. "Oh, this is what this is about," he replies earnestly. "I haven't cheated on you, and I don't intend on doing so with Louise or anyone else."
"You can love me all you want, but you keep going to your ex-wife every time we fight. What does that say every time we have a problem? " Tricia says vehemently.
"So, you think putting limits on when I can see Louise will solve everything?" Sean demands
Tricia recalls that she had told her husband that the only time he should have interacted with his former wife was when talking about the farm or their daughters.
Tricia sighs exhaustedly.
"Maybe I did, but now I don't know,"
Sean decides to grab his wife's hand gently and look into her eyes. "I haven't been intimate with Louise in years. Look, I know I'm no saint, far from it, but you ought to know that I wouldn't do anything to jeopardize what we've built."
Tricia is silent for a moment before replying.
"Since we're being upfront with one another, when I was at the cafe the other day catching up on some work, Samuel came over to me... nothing happened this time except that we talked."
Sean's affable demeanor becomes more cautious, remembering that last fall, he found out about the kiss they shared at The Waterfall, which came in between them. "Go on, what did the doc say this time?"
"That I can't control your every move, and that maybe I'm being unreasonable in telling you about not being with Louise." She answers amicably. "Look, I have to trust in you that you won't break us apart and to be mindful that you and Louise will have a connection and no time apart from one another can't sever that, as long as you come home to me, and Dylan and you don't forget what you'll be missing if you choose to be unfaithful."
The cafe manager leans over the granite countertop to passionately make out with one another.
They then part from each other.
"You won't be getting that from Louise," Tricia says flirtatiously.
"I guess now we should text Antoine about bringing Dylan home," Sean states.
Tricia raises her eyebrows suggestively. We could do that after, uh, we can make up for lost time, if you know what I mean."
The two then rush off to the bedroom with their renewed trust.
PRESLEY MCKNIGHT RESIDENCE
In the living room, Jeremy is on the floor watching Mickey Mouse Funhouse on his iPad with his headphones on. While mother and daughter were on the couch, though, Jordan couldn't help but feel a bit awkward since she couldn't remember the last time, she conversed with her mother that didn't involve an argument.
"He's so precious," Thora says positively. "So, how are you doing?"
"Um, for the most part, I'm doing all right. I've been mostly taking care of that little guy and doing a lot of shopping. " She answers.
Thora puts a loose strand of her blonde hair behind her ear.
"Have you given any thought to going back to school?"
Jordan turns to her mother with a look of bewilderment on her face. "I haven't really; why are you asking me this?"
The McKnight matriarch exhales, preparing for a verbal disagreement.
"You have the means to do so with Jeremy's nanny, and I'm sure Tommy or Daniel will give you more than enough financial support."
"Like I said, I haven't really given it much thought, and anyway, I don't think college was for me, and, like you said, I have the means to be a stay-at-home mom.
"For the past forty-five minutes, I've been trying to put together a resume so I can start applying for jobs... which is something I haven't done in thirty years. And let's just say my qualifications and work experience won't get me anywhere because of the choices. I made it when I was your age."
Jordan sees her son engaged in his show, then shakes her head at her mother.
"What are you getting at, mom?"
"That you can't depend on anyone to take care of you long-term without costing you in the end," Thora replies strongly,
"Whatever you do in life, make sure you have your own. Don't be like me when you're staring at fifty and realize all the things you should've done. It's too late, and you have to settle. I don't want you to settle, baby. "
"We're in two different circumstances, mother," Jordan says defensively.
"That may be so, but what I'm saying is the truth. At least I can say you're handling your mental health better than I did. My doctor suggested I see a psychiatrist after your brother died. I didn't. I lied to her that I was coping, and I didn't need any medication because I was so strong, and I believed in God and that was for crazy people. But now things are different, and you're doing better and being a mommy to your son."
Those words took Jordan off guard, knowing how lately she's been out of sorts with losing her keys and hearing cries from Jeremy, though she quickly found out it wasn't him. She thought counseling was enough, but maybe she had to do more.
"Hey!" Thora changes the subject. I'm going to make Jere a snack. Is there anything he doesn't eat? "
"Uh, no, he's not a picky eater in the slightest," Jordan tells her.
As she sees her mother heading out of the room to go to the kitchen, the young mother reaches for her iPhone in her purse and finds the specific number, which she dials.
"Hi, my name is Jordan McKnight. I need a prescription filled... It should be in the system. "Dr. Pierre Toussaint prescribed it to me. "Yes, I'll be able to pick it up then. Thanks bye, "
When she gets off the phone, she is determined not to constantly fall apart like her mother had when her eldest brother was killed. Her psychiatrist had prescribed mild sedatives to her, knowing she might need them to be a better mother to her child.
RADCLIFFE ANIMAL CLINIC AND SHELTER
Steven hears a rhythmic knock on the door of his office.
"Yeah," he answers casually.
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"It's me," the familiar tone calls out.
"Come in,"
Esther Saunders wanders into the room. She received a call from her son telling her to get here as quickly as she could. Esther ignores her son, gesturing for her to sit on the other side of the desk, wanting to remain standing.
"You didn't open it yet. Did you?" She asks quizzically.
He shakes his head. "I think you should have the honor or dishonor, and anyway, I know if I did. I wouldn't hear the end of it."
Not long ago, Steven snuck into Home Farm to obtain hair from Emma's brush in her bedroom to help solve whether Emma and Esther, our half-sisters from Deirdre's affair with his grandfather Jimmy, over thirty years ago, With the strands of his wife's aunt's hair and his mother's hair, he sent them off to a lab near town.
He holds the envelope in his hand. "I had the lab send the results here since the rest of the family would be suspicious if they had come to the farm. No one would question me getting mail from a lab here at the clinic."
Esther exhales slowly as her hands lie on the parcel. "There's no turnin' back now."
She tears the seal of the envelope; then obtains the documents that pertain to the answers she has been searching for.
Steven watches partially in anticipation. "What does it say, mom?"
"Well, we finally have confirmation that Emma and I are indeed sisters. "Dear lord, Esther says, in sheer amazement.
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END OF EPISODE
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ON THE NEXT EPISODE OF TOWN AND COUNTRY
Esther reels in the news of finding out Emma is her sister.
Emma tips the scales.
The anniversary of EJ's death affects the McKnight's.
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