EPISODE 322
Written by: Bre L Drew
December 16, 2024
Last Time on Town and Country
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An emotional Lenny confided to Elijah that she is afraid that without finding a donor match, she won't survive to see 2025.
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Meanwhile, Samuel was stunned when Martha revealed that Murray kissed her, leading her to end their relationship.
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Max continues to struggle with Shauna's absence, unaware that she is staying aboard the yacht and secretly carrying Antoine’s child.
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Amidst it all, Esther strives to keep her family’s spirits up as Lenny’s becomes dire.
RADCLIFFE RECIEVING HOSPITAL
The sounds of Esther Saunders’s boots clicking on the linoleum floor reverberate through the quiet oncology ward of Radcliffe Receiving Hospital as she steps off the elevator. The hall feels unusually still, the soft hum of hospital activity distant, making her footsteps seem louder than they are.
She walks toward the front reception desk, where a plump nurse in her thirties, with a brown ponytail, immediately notices the older woman. Esther’s black leather coat contrasts against the clinical environment, and she holds onto her large carryall purse with a firm grip.
"I'm here to see my niece, Lynn Lockhart," Esther informs the nurse, her voice calm but steady.
The nurse looks up from the computer, quickly typing in the details. She confirms the patient’s stay on the ward and nods.
"All right... you are going to need to wear protective gear when visiting the patient."
Esther nods in understanding. She’s been through this before when she came to the hospital to see if she could be a bone marrow donor for Lenny—though, sadly, she wasn't a match. She had been meaning to come back, and today, she decides, is as good a day as any.
The nurse directs her to a station, where Esther sheds her coat and, in exchange, receives a plastic covering, gloves, and a cap. She puts them on carefully, then makes her way toward Lenny’s room.
As she enters, Esther sees her niece lying in bed, connected to various monitors. A dark blue headscarf covers her shaved head, the result of chemotherapy that’s stripped away not just her hair, but so much more—the parts of her that had always made her the person she always been
The room is decorated with a few balloons, some read “Get Well,” and a small tree on the end table with farm-themed ornaments.
Lenny is lying still, looking as if she had been asleep, but as Esther enters, she turns her head, surprised but satisfied to see her great-aunt. "Aunt Esther."
"Hiya, darling, it's good to see you," Esther replies in her trademark southern drawl.
She steps into the room, her eyes sweeping over the decorations before s focusing back on Lenny, her heart heavy with emotion. "So how are you feelin’?"
Lenny clears her throat, a raspy sound that betrays her dehydration. Her voice, when it comes, is low, almost a whisper. "Like this is going to be my last Christmas alive."
The words suspend in the air between them, and Esther's heart sinks.
LOCKHART LAKE COTTAGE
Despite taking this same turn onto the trail toward his girlfriend's home a hundred times before, this visit felt intensely different to Elijah Barker. The nervous knot in his stomach tightened as he steered his mother’s Volvo SUV down the familiar path, his hands gripping the steering wheel a little too tightly. When he finally pulled up to the two-story cottage, he exhaled deeply.
The radio murmurs faintly in the background as Elijah sits motionless momentarily, his mind racing. Her parents’ cars were parked nearby, with a final steadying breath, he shut off the engine, adjusting the vest over his sweatshirt, and stepped out into the crisp late morning air.
The wind seemed cooler than when he’d left his own house, but he wasn’t sure if it was the weather or just his nerves. The moist crunch of melting snow accompanies him as he approaches the front door.
Elijah paused, squaring his shoulders, and muttered under his breath. "Here goes nothing.”
He presses the doorbell, the faint chime echoing inside the house.
Moments later, the door swung open, revealing Louise Saunders Lockhart. her expression is a personable smile as she stares at him.
“Hey, Elijah. Come on in,” she said, stepping aside to let him enter.
Elijah nods and offers a courteous smile as he steps inside, his gaze falling on Sean Lockhart seated on the couch in the living room. Sean's eyes are fixed on the TV, where the news is airing a lighthearted story about a firefighter rescuing two kittens from a tree
Sean glances up and grins. “Elijah! What’s up, man? What’s going on?”
Elijah gave a small wave but remained standing, his posture stiff. His heart thudded in his chest as he hesitated, feeling the significance of what he was about to say.
Sean takes his focus off the TV, sensing something is up. Louise joins him, standing by the arm of the couch, her gaze now fixed on their daughter’s boyfriend. “Everything okay?” she asks gently
Elijah shifts his weight, his hands finding his hips as he lets out a nervous chuckle. “Uh, yeah. I mean… yeah, everything’s fine.” He pauses, then met their gazes. “I have something to ask you both. But I don’t know how you will react when you hear it.”
Sean arches a brow, exchanging a similar curious glance with Louise,
RADCLIFFE RECIEVING HOSPITAL
Samuel Gupta sits behind his desk in his office of the third floor of Radcliffe Receiving. Though his calendar is packed with afternoon appointments, his thoughts are far from the clinical cases awaiting his attention.
Instead, Samuel's mind revolves back to his recent and unexpected breakup with Martha. Her reason for ending things—that she needs to focus on her son, SJ, after the fallout with Murray in Portland—had seemed logical enough. Still, he can’t shake the hope that she’ll eventually change her mind. Despite this, Samuel knows better than to pressure her; he’d advise his patients to do the same in matters of emotional upheaval.
A knock at the door pulls him from his spiraling thoughts. He sits up straighter, his focus reluctantly returning to the present.
"Come in," he calls out.
The door swings open, revealing Max Covington standing in the doorway, clad in a dark quilted diamond jacket.
"Hey," Max says, leaning casually against the doorframe. "Do you mind having an impromptu session?"
Samuel blinks in mild surprise but motions to the chair across from his desk. "I could use the distraction," he replies
Max crosses the room, settling into the chair with a sigh. As he shrugs off his jacket and drapes it over the back of the chair, he studies Samuel, his sharp gaze taking in the subtle signs of stress inscribed into his friend’s features.
"You look how I feel," Max says dryly, breaking the silence.
ONE AND ONLY
The first thing Martha Saunders notices when she steps onto the docked yacht One and Only at Lake Hudson is how much Shauna Covington's belly has expanded. It’s been months since she last saw her best friend and the change is immediately apparent.
“Oh my god, look at you!” Martha exclaims, her voice filled with surprise and warmth as she pulls Shauna into a hug.
“I know,” Shauna responds, laughing softly, her hand instinctively resting on her growing stomach. She’s dressed in a green button-up short-sleeve shirt and black pants; her pregnancy is now unmistakable.
Once they pull apart, the two women make their way toward the yacht’s living area. The space is luxuriously outfitted with comfortable seating, and expansive windows offer a serene view of the water’s surface shimmering with a light dusting of snow. The stillness of the scene contrasts with the unspoken tension in the room.
“So, what brought you out here?” Shauna asks, her tone playful but filled with curiosity, sensing something is weighing on Martha. "And before you say it's nothing, let me remind you—I’ve known you way too long to know better.”
Martha hesitates for a moment, then inhales deeply before exhaling with a heavy sigh. “I broke up with Samuel.”
Shauna’s expression softens with empathy. She knows how much he means to her, and how much they had been through together. “I’m sorry. Want to talk about it?”
Martha half-smirks. “If only you got something strong?”
Shauna chuckles, the sound light but genuine. “That I do. But you’ll have to enjoy it for the both of us,” she declares as she walks over to the bar.
Martha follows her across the room, her gaze flicking to Shauna’s noticeably expanded belly. “So have you thought of your next step?” she asks, her voice quieter, more contemplative.
Shauna pauses as she reaches for a bottle of chardonnay. “I guess we’re on to me now,” she says with a small, bittersweet smirk.
Martha watches her friend carefully sensing the weight of the unspoken truth. Shauna had come out to the yacht to escape, to reflect on her own life—her pregnancy with Antoine’s baby, a result of their one-night stand during the rough patch in her marriage to Max after his accident.
Martha takes a strand of her short dark brown hair and tucks it behind her ear, her expression serious. “I know you don’t want to hear this,” she says gently, “but I think you need to tell Max, Shauna.”
RADCLIFFE RECIEVING HOSPITAL
Samuel leans back in his chair, running a hand through his hair as he recounted to Max what had gone down between him and Martha.
When he finished, Max let out a low whistle, shaking his head. “Damn, I’m sorry,” he said, his tone carrying a rare sincerity. “I don’t even know what the women in our lives are thinking anymore.”
Samuel let out a dry laugh. “I finally got my own place, and now I can’t even have alone time with her anymore. Life’s got a sense of humor.” He shook his head in frustration. “But enough about me—how are you holding up?”
Max leans back in the chair, folding his arms with a sarcastic smirk. “My wife left me, and I’m living under the same roof as the guy who helped scare her off. I could write a country song. Bet it’d knock Taylor Swift off Billboard.”
Samuel couldn’t help but chuckle at the absurdity, though the underlying pain wasn’t lost on him. “I know things between Martha and me aren’t ideal right now,” he said. “But like I told you before, maybe you should try reaching out to her again. I’m sure she knows—or at least has heard—from Shauna.”
Max’s smirk fades as he sighs. “I know. It’s just... I shouldn’t have to go through a third party to fix something between Shauna and me. I know I was a bastard to her last year, but I never wanted her to feel like she had no choice but to leave.”
Samuel nods, his expression thoughtful. “Have you tried calling her again?”
Max gave a bitter laugh. “It goes to voicemail every time. I’ve sent her texts too—she doesn’t respond, but I know she reads them. It’s like she’s just... done.”
“Keep trying,” Samuel said strongly. His eyes drifts toward the office phone on his desk as an idea began forming. He leaning forward slightly, gesturing toward it.
“You know,” Samuel began, his voice tinged with purpose as his eyes flicked toward the office phone, “I think I might have an idea that could help.”
ONE AND ONLY
With a bottle of ginger ale in hand, Shauna takes a sip as she stares down at the table. The conversation with Martha can’t be avoided, and it hangs heavily between them as they sit across from one another. The silence stretches before Martha finally speaks; her voice gentle but firm.
"I still think you should tell Max about the baby. He would want to know. You haven’t seen him lately, but low-key he's blaming himself, which isn’t right, and you know that. I understand why you wouldn’t want to tell him—or Antoine, for that matter."
Shauna remains quiet for a long moment, her fingers tracing the rim of her bottle. Finally, she speaks, her voice low. "That’s why I had to leave. Imagine telling him about how I decided to keep the child that I conceived with Antoine... and God forbid if Antoine ever found out. All hell would break loose. You know that, Martha."
Martha takes a sip of her white wine, trying to process what her friend is going through. "So, what are you going to do? You can’t stay below deck forever, Shauna."
Shauna exhales deeply, a heavy sigh. "After I have the baby, I’m going to divorce Max and leave town."
Martha’s eyes widen in disbelief, and she sets her glass down. "Wait a minute. You’re going to be MIA for months, and then—bam! Not only drop a baby but end your marriage without giving him any reason why?"
Shauna’s face tightens, and her eyes flicker with emotion. "Martha, I know you think I’m being a heartless bitch right now, but what other options do I have?"
Martha shakes her head; frustration is evident in her features. "I don’t know why you’re choosing this, Shauna. It’s not fair to him."
Before Shauna can respond, the ringtone of her iPhone breaks the tension, and she looks at the screen, not exactly recognizing the number. However, the area code and first three digits seem somewhat familiar enough that she decides to answer.
"Hello?" she says, her voice tentative as she wonders who’s on the other end.
"Hi," comes Max’s voice, and hearing it immediately makes emotions rush through her, but she keeps her composure, trying to stay calm.
She’s silent for a moment, unsure of what to say. Martha glances over at her, sensing the shift in her friend’s mood.
"How are you?" Max asks, his voice strained, as though he’s been holding something back.
"I’m doing okay," Shauna responds, trying to keep her tone neutral. "How about you?"
Max lets out a dry chuckle, his voice a mix of sarcasm and bluntness. "So, we're really acting like we haven’t been apart for almost three months, huh?"
Shauna grips her phone, her thoughts drifting. "Max, I’ve got to go."
His voice changes: a subtle plea in it that makes Shauna hesitate. "Where are you?" he asks, pressing her for more. "You at least owe me that."
Martha watches the conversation unfold, her curiosity piqued, but she can tell this is something too heavy for her to interrupt. She wonders if Samuel is somehow involved, as she thinks back to her own complicated emotions about him.
Shauna places a hand on her growing belly, trying to steady herself. "Just know that I’m somewhere safe."
The words feel hollow, but they’re all she can offer. The silence that follows is thick with unspoken feelings. Shauna’s heart aches as she wishes things were different.
"I’ve got to go," she says, forcing her voice to stay even. "Please take care of yourself, Max."
Max’s voice softens, but there’s a sadness in it. "Shauna…" He hesitates before saying, "I love you."
"I love you too," Shauna replies, the words escaping her before she can stop them. She ends the call quickly.
Martha’s gaze lingers on her, a mixture of sympathy and concern. Shauna struggles to hold back from crying.
RADCLIFFE RECIEVING HOSPITAL
In Samuel's office, Max slowly hung up the phone, the faint sound of the receiver clicking into place and cutting through the silence. Across the desk, Samuel leaned back in his chair, trying to process what had just transpired,
“Well,” Samuel began, his voice calm but reflective, “I think it’s safe to say that didn’t go as expected.”
Max exhales sharply. “At least I heard her voice, and she’s okay, but I still have no idea where in the hell she is.”
Samuel nods slightly. “Like you said, at least we know now that she’s all right.”
Max shook his head, his brow furrowing. “I don’t think that’s the case... but I can’t figure out why.”
Samuel studies his friend, the frustration and uncertainty evident in Max’s posture. “Look,” Samuel said after a moment, his tone shifting to something more practical. “I don’t have my first appointment until twelve-thirty. How about we grab some lunch? My treat.”
Max stood, slipping on his coat as he let out a half-hearted chuckle. “Rain check, man. I don’t really feel like being out in public right now. Besides, you’ve got enough on your plate to stew over with your own relationship issues.”
Samuel smirks lightly, standing as well. “I’ll call you later—and Max, it’s going to work out.”
Max shrugs as he moves toward the door, a trace of doubt crossing his face.
Esther pulls up a chair beside her niece’s hospital bed, taking Lenny’s frail hands gently into her own. "Look," she begins, her voice steady but soft, "You gotta put that doubt out of your mind. I know it’s hard, but you can’t forget to have faith.
Because that's what’s gonna get you through this. They will find a donor match for you."
Lenny turns her gaze toward her great-aunt, the corners of her mouth tightening as she tries to hold back a bitter response.
She doesn’t want to upset Esther but can’t bring herself to feign optimism. "Come on, Aunt Esther," she says, her voice laced with resignation. "Everyone who’s related to me has already been tested—even Grandma Felice, Grandpa John, everyone. If there was a match, they would’ve found one by now."
Her voice cracks at the end, and her shoulders begin to shake as tears spill freely down her cheeks. Esther immediately rises, crossing to the counter where a box of tissues sits. She retrieves a handful and offers them to Lenny, who accepts them. She dabs at her drenched eyes, sniffling. "I’ve been doing a lot of this lately," she admits with a shaky laugh that quickly dissolves into another sob. "I think I freaked Elijah out."
Esther shakes her head, her expression softening. "Oh, I doubt that darling," she reassures her. "He like the rest of us, wants you around for a mighty long time."
As Lenny leans into her great-aunt’s embrace, burying her face against Esther’s shoulder, her earlier words replay in Esther’s mind like a tape player replaying itself.
If there was a match, they would’ve found one by now.
Esther’s arms tighten protectively around Lenny, but her thoughts drift elsewhere.
LOCKHART LAKE COTTAGE
"Come on, Elijah, this isn't like you. What is it that you have to tell us?" Sean remarks
"Don't leave us in suspense," Louise adds, her voice a mix of curiosity and gentle impatience.
Elijah glances around again, his eyes drifting over the bare walls. The absence of the usual Christmas decorations is stark, a reminder of the difficult circumstances they’re facing. Lenny is spending the foreseeable future, including the holiday, in the hospital. There isn’t even a wreath on the door or holiday cards lined up on the mantel. It’s a far cry from what this house usually looks like around this time of year.
"I think it’s safe to say that Lenny needs something... anything to fight for," Elijah says, his voice thick with emotion.
Sean nods in agreement without a second thought. "I think we all can agree on that."
Louise, her face soft and concerned, lowers her gaze. "I know that deep down Lenny is afraid. And if there’s something that can give her that strength back, it will be a miracle."
Elijah feels a pang of doubt but pushes forward. This moment feels too important. "I think I have something that can do that."
The room falls into a quiet hush, the weight of Elijah’s words hanging in the air. Sean and Louise both remain still, waiting for him to elaborate.
Elijah laughs nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "Uh, I came to ask for your permission."
"Permission for what, Elijah?" Louise asks, her voice laced with curiosity and concern.
Elijah swallows hard, his stomach doing a shaky somersault, though he tries to steady his nerves. "As in... I want to ask Lenny to marry me."
The room goes still. Sean and Louise turn to each other, their expressions a mix of shock and disbelief. This was the last thing they expected to hear today—or anytime soon, for that matter.
Louise crosses her arms over her chest, her face serious. "I know you love Lenny, but marriage is a huge step. And marrying someone in her condition is a lot for anyone, let alone someone as young as you two are, Elijah."
Elijah jerks his head, his voice steady but filled with urgency. "Look, I know Lenny's main focus is to get better, but I care about your daughter deeply, and I know she feels the same about me. But it scares the hell out of me that there’s nothing I can do for her, but asking her to spend the rest of my life with me... That can give her something to hold on to until she gets that donor match, I can’t just sit back and watch her..." He falters, choking back the words before he finishes.
Sean, who has been silently listening, suddenly interjects. His gaze is steady, and his voice is firm. "You have my blessing."
Elijah’s head snaps up in surprise. Sean's words hang in the atmosphere, causing Louise to turn to him in shock.
Sean moves toward Elijah and extends his hand. "Do whatever you can to give our little girl the hope to fight to come back to us."
Elijah, overwhelmed with emotion, stands and takes Sean's hand, shaking it firmly. "Thank you, Mr. Lockhart."
Louise remains still for a moment, processing Sean’s unexpected response. Her eyes soften, though a touch of worry still lingers.
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END OF EPISODE
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ON THE NEXT EPISODE OF TOWN AND COUNTRY
Brynn and Nathaniel voice their concerns.
Joel is adamant to get to know Skye.
Esther puts her pride to the side.
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