03x23 - Core Focus

[bunniefuu]

Hey, have you guys seen jake?

Yeah. He's upstairs in the
bathroom lookin' in the mirror.

He's discovered the joy
of hair care products.

So young, so vain.

Do you like my hair,
like, the spiky thing?

you like that?

Mom, can we talk to
you about something?

Yuh-oh. Cheyenne's
using her serious voice.

Van, are you pregnant?

Cheyenne, I got this. Mrs. H,

You seem like the kind of
person who appreciates birds.

- Van, you're not
gettin' a bird.
- And you probably know...

That there comes a time when the
little birds have to leave the nest.

And is the mama bird
sad when that day comes?

Van, you're not gettin' a bird!

- We're moving out.
- What?

Yeah. Van and I think it's time.

We want our independence.

And that table and those knives.

So? Are you okay
with us moving out?

Well, I don't know
exactly how I feel.

I mean, on the one hand
I'd miss elizabeth like crazy.

- You wouldn't miss me?
- Yeah, but not like crazy.

Have you guys figured
how much you can afford?

Yeah. Yeah. W-we made a budget.

And according to van's salary,

We can afford a place
up to $700 a month.

Really?

You could probably get a
great place for $700 a month.

Well, $900 a month if we
eat all our meals here.

You can probably get a
great place for $700 a month.

So, mom, what do you think?

I think it's a great idea.
Really? You're not upset?

No. I think it's time for the
little birdies to leave the nest.

aw.

Great. [Giggles]

- Mom, where are you going?
- I'm gonna go measure
y'all's room.

Time for the mama birdie
to go get her a treadmill.

[doorbell rings]

I'm a-comin'!

[barbra jean] reba,
open up. It's me.

I've already left for work.

I fell for that one yesterday.

Barbra jean, I'm a little rushed
right now. What can I do for you?

Oh, nothing. I just wanted
to ask you somethin'.

- How do you like
havin' the name "reba"?
- Well, I prefer "knuckles."

But I guess it's just
fine. Why do you ask?

I wanted to know because if I wind up with
a girl, that's what I'm gonna name her.

If you name a dog "reba,"
I'm gonna slap you silly.

Not a dog. A baby.

Brock and I are
havin' another baby!

But brock had a vasectomy.
He's getting it reversed!

Wow. How'd you talk him
into that? He doesn't know yet!

You're completely crazy!

I've been wantin' to talk to
him about it, but, you know,

I just never know how to start an
important conversation with brock.

Well, I usually say,
"how long till halftime?"

See, you know him.

You know what's funny? You know
how when you sell someone a used car,

You share the little
tips on how to operate it.

You know, how to tune the radio,

What to do if the
heat won't turn on.

And we never did
that when I got brock.

I don't think you're obligated
to tell all the little tips...

When somebody steals your car.

Reba, please. No, barbra jean.

I'm not gonna talk to my
ex-husband about having a baby...

With the woman he left me for.

That's weird even
for our family.

It's not just talkin'
to him about that.

It's about anything.
Barbra jean...

Oh, reba, please! No.

fine. But I'm gettin' a dog,

And I'm gonna call it "reba."

And that way, I get
to do this... "Reba, no!"

[reba] ha, hey!

♪ my roots are
planted in the past ♪

♪ though my life
is changing fast ♪

♪ who I am is who I want to be ♪

♪ a single mom who
works too hard ♪

♪ who loves her
kids and never stops ♪

♪ with gentle hands ♪

♪ and the heart of a fighter ♪

♪ I'm a survivor ♪♪

[door opens]

We just saw the coolest
apartment in the world. Yeah.

You should really think
about renting it. Oh, wait.

You can't. 'Cause
we already did.

Mom, it is on the 20th floor
of this amazing building.

Twentieth floor? Yeah.

Does it have a xerox
machine and a watercooler?

- 'Cause you may have
accidentally gotten a job.
- No. Nah.

No. Nope. It was an apartment.
Mom, wait till you see the view.

You can see... The
curvature of the earth.

Van, I told you it's
impossible. You can see...

The curvature... Of the earth.

Well, I'll shut up as
long as I can come...

And hang out at your penthouse.

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Penthouse?

Mrs. H, do not worry. It has
nothin' to do with the magazine.

You found a 20th-floor
penthouse for $700 a month?

No. We found a
third-floor unit...

In the back of the
building for $700 a month.

Then we heard about the
apartment of the gods!

It's a little more
than $700 a month.

- I'll bet. How much?
- Keep in mind...

You can see the
curvature of the earth...

I'll keep that in
mind. How much?

Uh, $1,500 a month.

Fi... That's 700 times
two. Plus a little.

Mrs. H, I don't wanna get into a
math argument with you. We want it.

We want it, mom. We want it bad.

You can't afford it. Yeah, well,
that's what the landlord said.

So, that's why we need
you to cosign the lease.

No. No way. Why don't you just take
the apartment on the third floor?

We can't go to the
third floor now.

We've already been
to the mountaintop.

You can't afford
the mountaintop.

You're not even payin' rent
down here in the floodplain.

Mom... No. No way.

I'm not gonna cosign. End
of discussion. [phone rings]

Oh, if that's the people
from the american dream,

Just tell them we're not here.

Barbra jean, calm down.

Wh-what's the matter?
Oh, okay. I'll be right there.

We just have to
face facts, cheyenne.

Your mom's not gonna help us.

How much do you
think jake's worth?

Man, I wish we were in high school,
and we could just forge her signature...

Like we did when
we skipped class.

Yeah.

Van? Yeah?

- No.
- Cheyenne, yes.

We can't. [Chuckles]

But we're going to, aren't we?

Ah... Cha!

Okay, barbra jean,
what's wrong? Okay.

Reba, do you remember when I told
you before I have a really hard time...

Talking to brock about
important things? Yes.

Well, I still do.

Barbra jean, you lied to me.

No, I tricked you. See, I
know how to work you.

You need to teach me how
to work brock. Barbra jean...

Oh, reba, you have to help me.

Brock gets upset because I
always just blurt stuff out.

I'm a blurter, reba.
Help me not be a blurter.

You're not gonna lay off this
stuff until I tell you, are you?

No. And it could get worse.
You know how annoyin' I am.

That's the first decent
argument you've made.

Okay. I'll tell you. Thank
you. Thank you. Thank you.

Okay. What should
I say to brock?

- Oh, would it help if
I put on something sexy?
- Certainly wouldn't help me.

Okay. Say you want brock
to do something. Uh-huh.

For instance, you want him
to paint the upstairs hallway.

- Oh, we are.
- You are what?

Yeah, we are gonna paint
the upstairs hallway.

- What do you think
would be a good color?
- I don't care.

- Mint green?
- I don't care.

- Sea foam green.
- I don't care!

Oh, hey. You're the
one who brought it up.

Okay. All right!

Let's forget the upstairs
hallway. All right.

Whatever it is,
brock's gonna get you...

To argue about it until
you lose your cool.

And then he's gonna say, "oh, I
can't deal with a hysterical woman."

[Scoffs] you're right! I know.

He has done that a
million times. Me too.

Oh, but if he tries it tonight, I'm
gonna get all up in his kool-aid.

No, no, no. No, no,
no, barbra jean.

That's what he wants
you to do. Oh, you're right.

You're right. Stay
cool. Stay cool. Yeah.

Cool as a cucumber.

[Gasps] cucumber green.

Right. Right. You don't
care about the hallway.

Okay. Now, let's deal with
this blurting problem. Uh-huh.

You have to control the flow of

Information. You just
can't blurt stuff out.

Hey, sweetheart. Hey, reba.
What are you guys up to?

I think we should have a baby.

Way to go.

A baby? [Chuckles]

Barbra jean, can we not
get into this right now?

Oh, why not? Honey,

We could have another baby, and...
And then everything would be fine.

Everything is fine.
Well, it doesn't feel fine.

It feels like every night, I
hop into bed with a stranger.

And I haven't felt
that way since college.

Sweetheart, I don't want
to talk about this right now.

Please? Will you
quit pressuring me?

Good lord! I just
walked in the door.

We haven't had dinner,
and you want to have a baby.

Brock, i... No, I really
don't wanna talk about this.

Don't you think I have enough
to deal with in my life already?

Now, please. Just drop it!

Okay. You can name a dog "reba."

Okay.

[jake] van?

He makes me so angry.
Why, honey? What'd he do?

He used up all my mousse!

Look at my hair. I can't go
to the playground like this.

Well, honey, wear
a baseball cap.

hey, mrs. H.

Hey there, buddy. How you doing?
Ooh. You could use some more volume.

This is not over.

- Hey, mr. H!
- Get out.

Well!

I see where jake
gets his temper from.

You know, you could use
some more volume too. Get out!

Well, you're just yelling at
everybody today, aren't you?

What the heck was all that
before with the baby stuff?

- I didn't know
she was gonna blurt it out.
- Well, you didn't stop her.

That's not my job.

You two people are the
ones comin' barging in my door.

I thought when I raised you and got
you remarried, you'd be more independent.

And don't you come
in here yellin' at me.

I'm not barbra jean, and
this is not your house.

Oh, calm down. I can't
talk to a hysterical woman.

Get out of my house. Get out.

No.

You do things to make my life
miserable because you resent me,

And I am not leaving here until we
straighten things out between us.

Where was that
attitude three years ago?

Okay. You know what? That's
what I wanna talk about.

Do you? Do you
really wanna do that?

Because if you open
that door, I guarantee

You're not gonna like
what you find behind it.

I know I won't.
You did me wrong.

Flat-out wrong. No,
everything I did was wrong.

I know what you... What?

I'm trying to be honest, reba.

That's where we are
in my therapy now.

It's forcing me to be
brutally honest with myself.

And as the person
who knows me best,

You can just imagine
how unpleasant that is.

Well, that's a good
thing, right? I mean,

That's what you're supposed
to do in therapy, is be honest?

Yeah. Yeah, and that's what
I was supposed to be doing...

When we were in couples
therapy, too, only... I didn't.

Oh. You know, I
guess it was just...

Easier to blame my
unhappiness on everybody else.

And so because I was afraid,
everyone I care about got hurt.

My kids.

My best friend.

Calm down. I can't talk
to a hysterical man.

I'm just...

So sick of hurting
everybody, reba.

Uh-huh. Yeah?

Uh-huh. Oh. [Laughs]

That's great. No, no. Thank you.

[Squeals] oh, we
got the apartment?

No. What? Why?

They turned us down because
your mom has lousy credit.

[Gasps]

Yeah. You know, she
could have told us that...

Before we went to the trouble
of forging her signature.

God, van. This is
so embarrassing.

Oh, yeah. And first of all,

Do you know your mom
makes, like, nothing?

And she makes it every year.

But she is mom.
Don't they know that?

She's not penthouse material.

Think about it. Like, I mean,
we are about to leave her.

I mean, it's bad enough that she's
broke, but to leave her alone too?

Oh, van, I think I'm gonna cry.

- No, don't cry.
- Okay.

I just wish I knew there was
something that we could do to help.

We could pay her some rent.

Yeah, a-a-and we could
buy our own food.

Well, not both. We don't
want to rub her nose in it.

Hey, there. You guys come
down off the mountaintop yet?

There will be no
new apartment. What?

That's right. No new apartment.

From now on, if I want to see
the curvature of the earth,

I'll just have to
become an astronaut.

Well, that's something for the
space program to look forward to.

- Here.
- What's this?

It's a blank check for rent.
Fill it in for a hundred dollars.

Oh, honey. You
didn't have to do that.

Oh, take the money,
you proud, brave woman.

But you guys were so excited
about movin' out. What happened?

What happened? What happened?

This. [Exclaims] this.

Y-you put food on the table. You
put a roof over our heads. Mm-hmm.

Mrs. H, we owe you.

yes. well, thanks.

You mind signing your name
there at the bottom? Sure.

What did we say? Fifty?

Now that you're paying rent, I
guess you want the good parking spot.

Nah, the parking
situation is fine.

It's the menu I'm having
a problem with, reba.

- What did you call me?
- Reba.

See, now that we're
renters, I don't think

It's right for me to
be callin' you mrs. H.

oh, and I'm cutting down on my
carbs, so keep that in mind. Okay, "rebe"?

Sure thing. I just have one
little bitty question for cheyenne.

- Yeah. Sure. What is it?
- Do you have a life insurance
policy on your husband?

I think so. I think so. Why?

'Cause he's not gonna make it.

- Mom.
- Hey.

I know you admire directness,
so I'm just gonna get to it.

Barbra jean said she
saw you in bed with dad.

What?

She's crazy, kyra. You
know that's not true.

Of course I do. But she swears
something happened this afternoon.

- At exactly 4:17.
- Exactly 4:17?

She swears, after seeing
it, her watch stopped.

Good lord. Honey, I was
just hugging your dad.

- It was nothing.
- Well, it wasn't nothing
to barbra jean.

Look, I know it seems like
I'm mean to her all the time.

But I'm really not. 'Cause most
of it just goes over her head.

She thinks I like
her, and I kinda do.

I don't wanna see her like this. Then
just go tell her what really happened.

I don't think she's
gonna believe it from me.

Fine.

But I'll tell you one
thing... I will never hug again.

Hey, reba. Just thought I'd come over and
tell you what a wonderful friend you are.

Oh, what's brock doing here?

Aaah! Adulterers!

Barbra jean! Hey. Hey.

Are you hittin' your
dolls with your skillet?

No.

No, I was, uh, just
cleanin' up some trash.

Hey, let me guess.
You're lookin' for brock.

No. Actually, I was comin'
over lookin' for you.

As in, seein' if the coast is clear so
you and your boyfriend could make out?

Oh, gross. Look, barbra jean,

I know what you think you
saw brock and me doin', but you...

- It wasn't
what you think.
- You were touchin'.

You were... You were stuck together
like two gummy worms on a hot summer day.

Brock and I are divorced.

The perfect cover for an affair.

Everybody worries
about the other woman.

Nobody worries
about the original.

You're blowing this
way out of proportion.

I was just huggin' brock
because he was talkin' to me...

About what he's goin'
through in his therapy.

He tells you about therapy?

No.

I know something's
wrong, reba. I can feel it.

You know, it's not just the two of you
pawing each other like sonny and cher.

It's him being unhappy...
The therapy, the pills.

It's like he thinks everything
with me was a mistake.

Barbra jean, it'll be fine.

He just needs time
to figure things out.

You know, I don't know, reba.

I'd like to believe you,
but I don't know if I should.

Why can't god
just give me a sign?

[brock] barbra jean? I'm back.

See? There's your sign. He's
come home to the one he loves.

Yeah.

Hey, barbra jean.

I think we should talk.

See? Bye.

Yeah, I think so too.

But could you give me
a minute with reba first?

You want me to leave?

Okay, I'll leave.

But make it a good
minute, brock.

Make sure that at the end of that minute,
you've figured out whatever it is...

You need to figure out,
because I can't keep living like this.

Brock, go after her.

She thinks that you
think you made a mistake...

By leaving me and marrying
her and everything.

Go tell her she was wrong.
I don't think I can do that.

And why the heck not? Because...

I do think I made a mistake.

acme! [Coughs]