03x02 - Cautionary Tale

[bunniefuu]

[Elizabeth] Previously on
The Baxters...

How come you're
back in town

and not off being
a famous painter somewhere?

I stopped painting
for the same reason

you stopped asking me out.

The sting of rejection.

The one year anniversary

of Tim's death is coming up.

[Lori] Maybe things are
happening too fast.

You've been through
so much and the pain
just doesn't go away.

Well, now you sound
exactly like my parents.

If we don't push it all,
we're gonna lose him.

We sinned, Luke, and now
we're being punished.

It is a mistake that I will be
forced to live with

every time that I
look at your face.

Please tell me there's
nothing wrong with the baby.

The baby?

[groaning]

[theme song playing]

♪ 'Cause life has a way
Of pulling us under ♪

♪ But we'll stick it out ♪

♪ If we got each other ♪

♪ When it all feels too much ♪

♪ I know you'll come running
For me ♪

♪ Through the highs and lows
We'll find our way home ♪

♪ Family ♪

♪ Oh, oh, oh ♪

♪ Family ♪

[grunting
and breathing heavily]

You're going to be okay.
You're going to be okay.

Let's get her to the OR.

The faster she delivers,
the better.

Guy's you're gonna
have to wait here.

[camera clicks]

[Ashley] Okay,
so how does this go?

"To whom it may concern..."

Ugh! No.

What do you mean, "No"?

I haven't even gotten
to the letter.

Don't start with,
"To whom it may concern..."

It sounds so boring.

I'm trying to
sound professional.

You sound
professionally boring.

I have to pick Cole from school

and I really want to get
one of these out before I go.

Okay. Which gallery
is that letter for?

One in Los Angeles.

I think you should address it
directly to the gallery owner.

Shows you did your research.

[Ashley] Wow!

Erika,

-these are amazing.
-Right?

Thank you. Thank you for
helping me with all this,

and pushing me to
submit to these galleries.

Hmm, don't get
all mushy on me.

I just want to be able to say,
"I knew you when."

Now, let's get these
query letter looking
just as good.

Delete, delete,
delete, delete.

[indistinct announcement on PA]

[indistinct] We'll get
some food sent up.

-Okay.
-Yeah.

Thank you. Thank you.

Hey.

Hi.

Hi. You must be
Reagan's mother.

We didn't really get
a chance to meet...

with everything.

Um... It's Landon?

-Right?
-Yeah.

How do you know Reagan?

I'm a friend
of the Baxter family.

So I know her
through Luke, her...

I know who Luke is.

It's nice of you
to have waited around.

She's been so... so isolated,
the past few months.

I'm glad that she
has a friend here.

Hmm. How is she doing?

She's well.

They are doing very well.

[laughing] It's a boy.

It's a beautiful baby boy.

Wow.

A Thanksgiving baby.

Thanks to God.

Oh, you're welcome to visit her

but I think that
she needs rest

-more than anything
right now.
-Yeah.

Thank you again.

You and your team,

you saved two lives.

[sighs]

[grunts]

Where are you going?

Just out with some friends.

Which friends?

Why does it matter?

'Cause I feel like
you're never here anymore.

Who you spending
all this time with?

People that are happy
to be with me.

What is that supposed to mean?

Luke, you're
always zoned out.

Your mind is
anywhere but here.

I mean, you won't even
take your headphones out
to have a conversation.

Happy?

Luke, when I first met you,

you were this
sweet charming guy,

you took me on fun dates,

made a point to remember
every single one of
my friends' names.

You wanted to
understand my world

and get to know
everything about me, and...

I loved that about you.

I haven't been that guy lately.

No.

And to be honest,
it's made me...

Made you what?

Nothing.

Why don't we just
meet up after school,

and we'll really talk.

How many times
do I have to tell you?
I don't want to talk.

Okay.

Lori, Lori, wait, hey!

[door slams]

Okay, so mine clearly has
the most texture which could
be a lot of fun.

-Okay, look...
-I clearly know your taste,

and this is your cut.

Okay, but Kari is
your maid of honor.

Wait, since when
are you maid of honor?

Kari, did you make
her maid of honor?

Um, I don't think so.

Yeah, we made that pact when
we were younger, remember?

When we were little,
we decided

that the oldest
is the maid of honor

for the next oldest,
so I'm Kari,

Kari is Ashley,
and Ashley is Erin.

-Wait, I wasn't Erin's.
-Okay, yeah,

because I didn't have
a maid of honor at
my wedding,

because it was
too impossible to choose.

-What...
-Well, I had Kari,

because she's
the next oldest.

Ashley and Erin are
more than welcome to do it,

but you all know that
I'm the most organized.

I mean, being maid of honor
does seem like a lot of work.

True.

Okay, yes.

Girls, I found it.
I found the perfect dress.

[all gasp]

[Elizabeth] What do you think,
Kari?

It's pretty, Mom.

Yeah, great.
Let's try it on.

After you try on the one
I picked out for you.

-Thanks.
-Got it.

-Okay.
-[cell phone chimes]

[sighs]

Sunset Hills?

No, actually.

Everything okay?

Okay,

I have not told
anyone else yet, but...

I've been submitting to
some art galleries,

hoping they'll showcase
some of my new pieces.

Ash, that's great.

Yeah, but they
haven't responded,

so every time I get
an email, I jump.

You'll be fine, you're too
talented to not notice.

I don't know.

Maybe I missed my moment,
and it's too late.

No, no. The moment is
what you make of it,

and you are making
this your moment.

Hmm...

You know, you're pretty wise
for being the youngest girl.

Thank you?

Okay, okay.
She's coming, she's coming.

[humming
"Here comes the Bride"]

Wow! You look
beautiful, Kari.

I love that on you.

[Kari] Yeah?

I'm guessing you're Kari.

Yes.

These are from
your husband to be.

Dibs on the chocolate.

-[Kari] Thank you.
-You're welcome.

Got yourself a keeper.

Hey, you do.
You have a good man.

Yeah.

He's loved you
as long as I can remember.

[Kari] I know.

Which is why I should be
running towards the aisle.

But... [sighs]

I... I don't think
this dress is for me.

I'm sorry, Mom.

It's okay.

That's okay. There are
dozens more. Here.

Oh!

[man] Thank you.

Thank you,
for your service.

Yeah, a lot of good it did.

You know, if it weren't
for brave heroes like you,

we'd be less free,

less safe.

Well, look at me now.
I paid the price for it.

Well, have a great day.

Yeah.

Hey, look, I know a...

a great little
hot dog vendor

in the park,
he has good chili.

I was just heading over there.

I could use
some company.

You care to join me?

Please?

Yeah.

I'm John.

Steve.

-Steve.
-Yeah.

Nice to meet you, Steve.

[laughing]

[baby crying]

Isn't he perfect?

Landon.

-[Landon] Hey.
-You stayed.

Look at this little guy.

Yeah, we're calling this
tiny fighter the miracle baby.

-Hmm.
-He is a miracle.

Miracle.

[nurse] Yeah,
more than you know.

His body was laying
in just the right way
against a tear in her uterus

that kept her from
bleeding to death.

He saved both their lives.

Oh, sweetheart, we need a name.
For the birth certificate.

You decided yet?

Thomas.

Thomas Luke.

[nurse] Perfect.

Luke?

Does he know about this?

No.

-Reagan.
-I know.

I just haven't been
ready to tell him.

Please don't tell Ashley.

Oh, I can't lie to her.

Landon,

this is my information
to share, okay,

when I'm ready
to share it.

Please. Please don't
take that from me.

Okay.

Thank you.

[church bell tolling]

Come on, Lori,
where are you?

Reagan?

[horn honks] Luke.
Hey, man.

Ryan.

You're a little far
from the football field.

Yeah, well...

What are you up to?

Just, uh, trying to
meet Lori after class,

but she's MIA.

[Ryan] My lucky day.

I just got out of
a new recruits meeting
for the...

For the team. Ran short.

I got some time.
Can we talk?

I should actually get back
and see where Lori is.

Next time, though.

Please.

[Elizabeth] Hi.
How's it going in here?

It's going.

[gasps]

Your wheels are turning.

What's on your mind?

I didn't realize
planning a wedding

would bring back so many
memories of Tim.

But of course it does.

I've done this all before.

Finding the dress,
picking a venue.

You think that's why
you put off the planning?

I still feel like
I'm reliving that day

over and over again.

Meanwhile, I'm supposed to be
this happy bride-to-be.

Honey, of course
you feel overwhelmed.

I really want to
be with Ryan,

in a real way.

Yes. And that's beautiful.

And you deserve that.

But there's no rush.

Let's call it a day
on the shopping. Hmm?

Everyone supports you, Kari.

No matter what
you need right now.

Okay?

[sniffles]

[cell phone vibrating]

[vendor] Here you go.
One hot dog and a chili.

Thank you. Keep it.

Hmm. Smells good.
Thank you.

You're welcome.

It's an honor to get to
spend some time with you.

Everything okay?

Yeah.

Thought I saw my son.

Does he live around here?

No.

I have a son.

His name is, uh...

His name is Luke.

He's struggling right now.

My wife and I don't know
how to help.

Sounds familiar.

Hmm.

I just...

wish I could figure out
how to get through to him.

But he...

He doesn't wanna hear
anything I have to say.

Yeah, well my son Adam
joined the army

right out of high school.
Against my will.

I knew what
it did to me.

I didn't want him
to carry the same baggage.

You wanted better for him.

Every father wants that.

Yeah.

We just fought for years.

I couldn't let it go.

So you were scared
for his life.

Yeah.

For good reason.

He was k*lled in Iraq,

before we could
make things up.

I'm so sorry.

I was devastated
when I lost him.

I was more upset
over all the years
wasted fighting him.

Take it as
a cautionary tale,
my friend.

Life is too short
and fragile.

It's here, now it's gone.

No guarantees.

[sighs]

Thank you.

[Ryan] We all really missed you
at Thanksgiving, Luke.

[Luke] Yeah.

Well, I need some space.

[Ryan] Yeah.
I get that.

But you been talking
to anybody at all

about what you
went through?

There's nothing
to talk about.

So Kari and I really started
planning the wedding.

There's actually something
I wanted to ask you.

Luke, would you be
one of my groomsmen?

Ryan...

You don't want me
standing up there with you

when you take your vows, man.

I don't even believe
in marriage anymore.

Where is that coming from?

I'm saying what's the point?

You know, 50% of marriages
end in divorce?

Human beings aren't meant
to be together forever, man.

Monogamy goes against
our biological nature.

Wow.

I don't know you
felt that way, I mean...

That seems like a 180
from where you were with R...

Sorry, I...
I didn't mean to.

It's fine, you can
say her name.

Well, you heard from Reagan?

No.

Well, have you thought about...

being the one
to reconnect with her?

Ryan, I'm not interested in
a free therapy session
right now, okay?

Okay, let's change
the subject, okay?

You know what, man? Actually...

I should probably get home.

-Don't even worry about it.
-Luke.

Hmm.

Thank you.

Mmm.

[sighs]

[chuckles]

[cell phone ringing]

This is Ashley.

Ashley Baxter.

Cynthia Wellington with
the Wellington Gallery
in Los Angeles.

Yes.

Wow. Hi.

I'm impressed
with your work.

We do a showcase for
developing artists here
at the gallery,

and I think you'd be
a great fit.

I don't know what to say.

Say you'll come to L.A.
to meet in person
as soon as possible.

Yes, I'll do whatever you need.

That's what I like to hear.

Okay, I'll email
over the details.

Looking forward
to meeting you.

You too.

[squeals]

[cell phone ringing]

Pick up! Pick up! Pick up!

[Erika] Hey!

Erika, you're not
gonna believe this.

The L.A. gallery
wants to fly me in

to look at my artwork
in person!

Yes!

Sorry, Bert.

God!

Hello?

Gonna be...

[Erika grunting]

She's dancing.

Erika!

I'm back.

I just wanted to say
this is all because of you.

You made me
submit the work.

I mean, I'll take 30 to 40%
of the credit, but...

Your work's amazing, Ash.

You deserve this.

Thank you.

Ae we gonna celebrate tonight?

I'm at home with Cole.

Then I'll bring a feast
of our favorite takeout

so we can celebrate.

You're the best.

Mmm. I know.

Bye.

"Not only so,

but we also glory
in our sufferings,

because we know that suffering
produces perseverance,

perseverance, character,
and character, hope."

[cell phone vibrating]

You can take a call
if you need to.

No, it's okay.

[sighs]

[knocking on door]

[Luke] Hey, Lori.

Yeah, yeah,
just a minute.

I waited for you,

after class,
but you weren't there.

Listen, uh...
I'm ready to talk.

[Elizabeth] Next time
on The Baxters...

Are you having doubts?

I just...

I have a lot on my mind.

Jessie's first birthday,
and Tim's...

[Ryan] Isn't Ashley going
to L.A. for a few days?

Why don't you tag along?

[Erika] Aren't you excited
to see Landon?

[Ashley] Kind of feel like
he's been avoiding me.

He doesn't even
know I'm coming.

There's no way Landon
would do something like this.

I told you,
he's been weird lately.

I'm really ready
to start a family.

And I don't think Sam is.

Miss Wellington, it's an honor.

[Ashley] What if they realized
this was all a big mistake?

[Kari] If you don't
keep trying,
you'll never know.

[theme music playing]