Parenthood

Introduction

Back when the show first aired, I started watching because I was a big fan of Gilmore Girls, and Lauren Graham was on both shows. But after about the 8th episode of season one, I got so angry about the relationship between Sarah (Lauren) and her daughter, Amber. It was like the writers wanted to make them SO different from Lorelai and Rory, that they made Sarah look stupid and inept and so totally incompetent as a mother that I stopped watching.

But I have started watching the show again on Netflix, after six seasons and the show ended. And when I got to that particular episode, I didn't care much anymore.

But the reason for this story is because of something that happened that had nothing to do with Sarah and Amber. It involves the story line about Adam and Kristina's daughter, Haddie, and her falling for Alex – the 19 year old working at the soup kitchen. Even though Adam admitted he liked Alex, he still felt like Hattie was too young (at 16) to be with a high school dropout and an alcoholic who has his own apartment. So when they told her to stop seeing him, she sneaked out to do just that. And when Adam and Kristina put their foot down, she went to her grandmother, Camille, stay with her, and she let her.

And the way everything was dealt with I felt was completely wrong. Maybe I'm just a hard-assed dick, but the following is how I would have handled it.

The story starts out with Adam going to Camille and Zeek's to make Haddie come home.

Chapter One

Camille

As Adam pulled into the driveway of his parents' home, Kristina unbuckled her seat belt.

"You don't need to come in," Adam said. "This won't take long."

"Are you sure?" Kristina asked, a little unsure.

"I'm sure," he said, giving her a comforting smile; which comforted her not at all.

Adam walked up to the front door and rang the bell. After a half minute, Camille opened the door.

"You ring the doorbell now?" she asked, not surprise to see him there.

"I – we've, come to get Haddie."

"I don't think she's – ready to go."

"Just tell her we're here, and to get her things together."

"I think she wants to stay here – for a while, a little while."

"That doesn't matter. I'm her father and I say she coming home with us."

"Are you sure this is the right way to handle this – drag her home when she obviously doesn't want to be there right now?"

"What she does or doesn't want isn't the issue. She disobeyed us, sneaked around behind our backs to see him, and now she needs to pay for the consequences for her actions. And you letting her stay here only tells her that you approved of what she did, and it is okay for her, at sixteen, to dictate when and where she will live."

"I don't see it that way. I see a confused and angry young woman trying to make the best of a difficult situation."

"I can't believe what I'm hearing!" Now Adam was getting a little bit angry. "After everything you and Dad went through with Sarah and Seth? Don't you see that this thing with Haddie and Alex is starting out the exact same way? And don't forget – this isn't the first time this has happened - Haddie sneaking around behind our backs to see a boy."

"No, I don't see that at all. I don't see this as the same thing. But I do think that Haddie is old enough to choose where, and with whom, she wants to live."

For a few seconds Adam bit his bottom lip, and took several breaths, trying to calm down, with little success.

"Okay, that's the way you want it, you think you can deal with this Haddie and Alex situation, fine! She's yours. She can stay here as long as she wants. And when you discover she's been sneaking out at night just like Sarah did, she's yours! And when you find out she's been at his apartment, and then comes home pregnant, she's yours. She's all yours!"

Adam turned to leave, then turned back around.

"Oh, and don't expect us to come around – for any reason: holidays, birthdays, whatever. You have Haddie, and we're done with you!"

When Adam got back into the car, he slammed the door harder than he planned.

"Where's Haddie?" Kristina asked. "Is she coming?"

"No. She's not coming. Camille told her she could stay as long as she wants. So she's staying. And as long as she is there, we won't be going over there, at all, for anything."

Kristina opened her mouth, but nothing came out; she didn't know what to say. Not right now, anyway.