Sins of the Preacher’s Wife

God, I love how the trees

are framed by the sky, don't you?

When Ruth sees this painting at the art gallery,

she is going to lose her mind.

What do you think, Cass?

Cassie?

Cassie.

Cassie!

No.

Cassie!

You okay?

Has she been fussing a long time?

Barely started up.

But your mom ears are in full effect.

I've always been a light sleeper, Dan.

True, medically, when you become a mother,

your sleep cycles change.

I didn't medically become a mother.

I can't have kids remember.

Situationally, it, it's, it's really the same thing.

Just...

Can we just stop diagnosing me?

I'm not your patient.

Okay, okay, all right.

It's the force of habit.

Is it a nightmare?

What?

Well, you're making a lot of sounds in your sleep.

It's, it sounded like a nightmare, but, you know,

here I go again diagnosing.

It wasn't a nightmare.

Look, I'll be fine, don't worry.

Oh, honey.

Here we are.

Welcome to Willowvale.

God, oh, you scared me.

I scared you?

Yeah, I just jumped outta my skin.

Didn't you see me?

I gotta go to the clinic.

What's wrong?

Nothing.

Nothing?

I, I just put my hand on your shoulder,

you acted like I was an ax murderer.

Well, I guess you married a crazy lady then.

Hon...

What?

This house is a little creepy, don't you think?

No, I, I happen to think it's quite nice, actually.

I mean, look at it.

We live eight miles away from humans.

Dan, we've been here two weeks

and I've seen the same squirrel twenty times.

And I'm starting to imagine people outside in the bushes.

Aren't you the one who wanted to get outta the city?

Yeah, I wanted to leave our neighborhood,

but not escape life itself.

You said you wanted to go somewhere safe

and be closer to nature.

Well, look, there's nature and this is small-town-safe.

Well, then, I guess I'm happy, huh?

Ugh, I'm sorry.

Okay. I'm sorry.

I'm just worried about her.

She never reaches for me.

I don't know.

Hey, look, I'm your mom.

You're supposed to reach for me.

She loves you, honey.

I didn't say she didn't love me.

Look, you just, you gotta get out there.

Start talking to some people, you know,

be a part of the community.

I do talk to people, okay?

The grocery store counter people, sales people.

That's not what I'm talking about, you know it.

- Oh, you think so. - Yeah, yeah.

I love you and I just, I, I want you to be happy.

That's it.

I am happy.

I'll see you later.

Do you wanna go shopping, little girl?

I know, me neither. But it won't take that long.

A couple errands and then we're gonna be right back.

Do you feel like we're being watched or am I losing my mind?

That's what you always say.

You know your mom isn't crazy, I promise.

And I'm gonna do like your annoying daddy says,

and try to be happy.

Alright, let's back up.

Great job.

Good job, ooh, you're getting so big.

Yeah.

Here we go.

In you go.

In you go, good job.

Oh, God.

Can I help you?

Look, I, I have mace in my purse.

Your purse is in the back seat.

Are you threatening me?

You should leave here.

Well, I'm trying, but you're in my way.

I don't mean here.

I mean here.

Look, you need to get outta my face

or I'm gonna put this key in your eye.

I'm trying to tell you something important.

You don't belong here.

Bad things will happen to you here.

Bad things will happen to her.

Get away from my baby, you psychopath.

You're not listening.

This place isn't for you.

It isn't for your kid.

It isn't for your husband.

You don't belong here.

Okay.

I'm, I'm just, I'm just trying to tell you the truth.

I'm just trying to tell you.

Like, really strange...

You all right, ma'am?

No, this man is threatening me, officer.

I didn't want her to fall, Tim.

You need to arrest this psychopath.

I don't know about that, ma'am.

What do you mean "you don't know about that"?

This man is threatening me because, I don't know,

because he's crazy.

Boyd, are you threatening this woman?

I didn't want her to fall.

Wait, why are you asking him?

I'm telling you what happened.

From your point of view.

Because he was threatening me.

Do you guys not have this word in your vocabulary?

Threatening.

We have that word, ma'am.

You're just letting him go?

Ma'am, look...

No, don't "ma'am" me, officer.

Sheriff, not officer, ma'am.

Excuse me, Sheriff.

What is going on around here?

This is a small town, ma'am.

We all know each other around here.

We don't jump at the least little thing.

The least little thing?

Oh, my God.

And we don't take the Lord's name in vain.

We're not like the city people

moving here with their problems and drugs.

We don't like problems and drugs around here.

Well, that's a shame

because I love problems and drugs, officer.

Have yourself a nice day, ma'am.

Thanks for your help.

Listen to me, Dan.

I had a panic attack on the way home

and nearly drove off the road.

Hon.

No, don't "hon" me.

We need to get out of this town.

I am just trying to say that maybe you are overreacting.

I don't overreact, Dan.

We have moved three times, Beth.

First the condo's bad, then the suburbs are bad.

And now you, you just, you cannot fault me for thinking

that maybe there is something else

besides just one, admittedly very bad, confrontation.

It wasn't a confrontation.

He threatened me.

I, I understand that, okay, I do.

But we just sunk a lot of money into this clinic.

You're choosing the clinic over your family.

I am not choosing the clinic.

If we really must move...

We must.

Okay, fine.

But that cannot happen this second.

It can't.

So in the meantime,

why don't we look into getting you a therapist.

A therapist?

Are you kidding me?

I know how you feel about therapy,

but these panic attacks that you were having,

they are getting worse.

Fine.

Okay, fine.

I will go to therapy and they can pump me full of meds

like my parents did when I was 13 years old

if it will just get us out of this hell hole.

Okay?

Okay.

So Beth,

what's going on?

I hate this town.

I hate the people in this town.