Joel
"No. I already told you. Julia is throwing it at the house. End of discussion."
"I shall discuss it with your Sister."
"Oh, great. This is gonna last a while."
"Our Sister was a Lawyer. She's gonna win the argument, so... It's really useless arguing with her." Adam told Renee.
"This should be good." Crosby commented.
Julia had put Syd and Victor in the car.
She gave Renee a bored look, crossing her arms against her chest.
"I can see why the priestess would think we were married."
"Shut up, Adam." Zeek told him.
"Yeah, shut up." Julia told him.
Crosby shook his head, laughing.
"Nobody can fit in your apartment, Renee. The house is more suitable for the size of the Braverman, Holt, Trussell, and... Graham family. So..."
"Fine. You win this time. Next time, you won't."
"We'll see about that."
"Just get in the car, Mom." Jasmine told her.
Her brown eyes bored into Julia's blue eyes.
Renee's eyes widened shortly before Julia's eyes widened.
Renee blinked first.
Julia got in her car.
Syd was laughing as was Victor.
"That must be fun."
"Excuse me?"
"You're stuck with her for the rest of your life."
"I think that's the first time I've ever heard somebody say that about her. And you're wrong."
"Got to deal with these crazy people."
Julia got out of her car.
"Back." Crosby told her.
"I will do something about it if she doesn't shut up. I will kick her out of the house, Crosby. I'm not kidding. Control your mother-in-law."
"Or what if I don't?"
"Hmm. What if you don't? You're his family, not mine. I can press harassment charges against you."
"You won't."
"Try. Me. Witch."
"Scared to curse in front of your father?"
"Nope. I just know better than to curse in front of him. All of us do."
"Mm-hmm." Crosby agreed with her.
"He is scary when he hears his kids curse in front of him. Nobody wants to deal with it. Especially one of them." Camille told her.
"Everybody will side with me, not you. Keep that in mind."
Julia got back in her car, pissed off.
She pulled out of the parking spot she was in.
Julia took off in the direction of the house.
"You coming, Joel?"
"Yeah."
"Good."
All of us left.
Julia
I set out the food I made from scratch last night on the table with Victor's help.
"You know your Sister was just mad when she said that, right?"
"Yeah."
"You are as much our kid as she is. I don't want you to ever question that. Question how much we love the both of you."
"Okay."
"Okay."
"Am I the reason Dad and you split up?"
"Of course not. It was on me. I made a mistake not telling your Dad something when he asked me to."
"Okay."
"Okay."
Joel
"You know your Sister was just mad when she said that, right?"
"Yeah."
"You are as much our kid as she is. I don't want you to ever question that. Question how much we love the both of you."
"Okay."
"Okay."
"Am I the reason Dad and you split up?"
"Of course not. It was on me. I made a mistake not telling your Dad something when he asked me to."
"Okay."
"Okay."
Julia
"That's the thing about my Sister. She doesn't have a problem admitting her mistakes. But, Jules, you got to learn to live with those mistakes. Mistakes and pain make us who we are."
"And who am I exactly? I'm spiraling out of control."
"That is true. Become a Lawyer again." Sarah suggested.
"A sick joke."
"Julia, you are not made out to be a stay at home Mom. It is just not who you are. It was not how you were raised."
Joel
"That's the thing about my Sister. She doesn't have a problem admitting her mistakes. But, Jules, you got to learn to live with those mistakes. Mistakes and pain make us who we are."
"And who am I exactly? I'm spiraling out of control."
"That is true. Become a Lawyer again." Sarah suggested.
"A sick joke."
"Julia, you are not made out to be a stay at home Mom. It is just not who you are. It was not how you were raised."
Julia
"You are our daughter. No matter how many mistakes you make, we are never gonna stop loving you. Just like I know you feel the same way about your kids."
Dad and me hugged.
"Isn't that ex of yours that Joel got in a fight with a Lawyer? What was his name?" Sarah questioned.
"I don't remember. It was a long time ago."
"Over 10 years ago." Crosby pointed out.
"Exactly."
Joel
"You are our daughter. No matter how many mistakes you make, we are never gonna stop loving you. Just like I know you feel the same way about your kids."
Zeek and Julia hugged.
"Isn't that ex of yours that Joel got in a fight with a Lawyer? What was his name?" Sarah questioned.
"I don't remember. It was a long time ago."
"Over 10 years ago." Crosby pointed out.
"Exactly."
Julia
"Most guys suck." Amber commented.
"Do not get married anytime soon, Sweetheart." Mom told her.
"You didn't tell Aunt Julia that."
"No, I didn't."
"Oh, that's nice." I commented.
"I trust your decisions, Julia."
"Don't trust them anymore. Cause they're bad decisions."
Joel
"Most guys suck." Amber commented.
"Do not get married anytime soon, Sweetheart." Camille told her.
"You didn't tell Aunt Julia that."
"No, I didn't."
"Oh, that's nice." Jules commented.
"I trust your decisions, Julia."
"Don't trust them anymore. Cause they're bad decisions."
Julia
"This is what you get for getting married young. I waited until my 30's."
"Oh, so just go sleep with random guys? That's great advice, Cros. Thanks for the brotherly advice. I'm done taking advice from any of my siblings."
"I've gone through this, Jules." Sarah told me.
"I don't want to hear it."
Joel
"This is what you get for getting married young. I waited until my 30's."
"Oh, so just go sleep with random guys? That's great advice, Cros. Thanks for the brotherly advice. I'm done taking advice from any of my siblings."
"I've gone through this, Jules." Sarah told her.
"I don't want to hear it."
Julia
"What happened?"
Adam and Crosby looked away.
"Well, clearly my daughter and son-in-law aren't gonna tell me. Adam?"
"A guy kissed her."
"That's... Something."
Joel
"What happened?"
Adam and Crosby looked away.
"Well, clearly my daughter and son-in-law aren't gonna tell me. Adam?"
It was the same face Julia makes when she's getting somebody to crack.
"A guy kissed her."
"That's... Something."
Julia
"I need to talk to you. Now."
Joel and Dad walked away.
Joel
"I need to talk to you. Now."
Zeek and me walked away.
"We didn't raise Julia to be a stay at home Mom."
"I kind of figured that one out."
"She needs you. Whether she believes it or not. She's unraveling. Not every woman can keep it together. I know Sarah and Camille don't. And Julia looks up to Sarah. If Sarah can't keep it together, neither can Julia."
I looked over at Jules and Crosby talking.
They started laughing.
"I hate Ed and you together."
"Absolutely not."
"It's not like you kissed him back. It's dumb."
"Right. Yeah, it is. I don't know how much longer I can put up the charade with the kids. Because you have no idea what it's like."
"I do remember Joel and you fixed mine and Jasmine's relationship."
"You can't fix this, Crosby. You can't fix me."
"I know you. Better than him. I know that woman is still inside of you. You just have to be willing to dig deep inside yourself to find her. You made me do that."
"And look what happened. You got married."
"Because you helped me."
"Mom, can you help me?"
"Yeah."
Julia was helping Victor with something.
The sun was reflecting off her ring on her left ring finger.
"Cool. I've never seen what happens when the sun reflects off your ring." Syd told her.
"Sunlight bounces off of it, Sweetheart." Kristina told her.
"Mm-hmm."
She smiled at Julia.
"Mom, can I go play baseball in the backyard with Drew?"
"Why don't you eat something first?"
Victor groaned.
"If you don't eat something first, you're not playing baseball."
Julia took the baseball from him.
"Dad!"
"Listen to your mother and eat something."
"Unbelievable."
"Unbelievable yourself. Eat something and I'll give you your ball back."
"You are the worst Mom ever!"
"I'm sorry you feel that way."
"I hate you!"
"Well, that's not something new."
"You are the worst Dad too!"
Victor stomped upstairs.
"Jeez. That boy's got lungs." Crosby commented.
"I'm so happy you find this funny."
She threw the baseball at him.
Crosby groaned as it hit him.
"Mean, mean lady."
"Big wuss." Zeek told him.
"That baseball hurt."
Julia sighed, heading upstairs.
Julia
I opened Victor's door.
"Am I allowed to play baseball now?"
"No. After you eat something you can."
"Why can't I play baseball?!"
"You didn't eat breakfast, Vic. I expect you to eat something."
"But I'm not hungry."
"Just eat something and you can play baseball."
He groaned.
"And you will apologize to Dad for yelling at him."
"Fine."
Joel
Victor walked downstairs in front of Julia.
"I'm sorry for yelling at you, Dad."
"Totally okay. Thank you for apologizing."
"Small victories. That's what it's about, Jules." Zeek told her.
"Yeah, well, that's funny coming from you."
All of us laughed.
"Um... Where is your mother-in-law?"
"In the backyard."
Syd was eating with Nora on her lap.
She wanted her.
Vic ate pancakes, eggs, and bacon.
Julia gave him his baseball.
"Drew, come on!"
"You can chase Renee back into the house. Probably think I poisoned the food or something."
"That why you ain't eating it, Jules?" Zeek joked.
She laughed.
"Girls suck." Drew commented before walking outside with Victor.
"Don't worry about it."
"Is it a certain brunette?"
"Mm-hmm."
"Blondes and brunettes. Why are they always causing problems?"
Renee came back in.
"Does that apply to males too? Or is it just some sexism thing?" Julia retorted.
"Ooh." Kristina commented.
"It applies to males too, Jules."
Sarah whispered something to her.
Julia's drink came out of her nose she was laughing that hard.
All of us laughed.
She cleaned up the mess on the floor so nobody tripped and fell on the iced tea.
"This is your fault." Julia told her.
Sarah laughed, wrapping her arm around her shoulders.
"Eat something, would you?"
"Maybe."
"Fine."
Everybody was picking at the food since everybody except Julia ate.
She got up.
Julia ate pancakes, eggs, and bacon.