Better Things

- (WATER RUNNING) - Max!

The dog is eating your pussy blood again.

Use the kitchen garbage!

Duke,

let's close that for a while, okay?

Come on, honey, let's do some homework.

No.

It is almost the weekend, and maybe

you're looking for something to do this weekend.

Let's check in with Trisha.

Ooh, let's check in with Asian reporter

Tricia Takanawa.

- She's gonna tell us all - She's gonna tell us all

- About the rain. - About the rain.

...this weekend in Los Angeles.

I mean, Cirque du Soleil

is at the Santa Monica Pier.

That'd be great.

Dukey, you want to help me with the layers?

Hello.

Hello...

Hello...

Hey, the Internet stopped.

...the London Philharmonic, headed up

by famed composer and conductor Arnold Hall.

Oh, my God, it's Grandpa.

...to celebrate the tenth anniversary

of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.

- (PHONE VIBRATING) - Mom, the Internet.

What, honey?

Hello?

Hello, Sam.

Arnold?

Yes, it is.

I'm coming to town.

We are having the jubilee

for Ludwig's Ninth,

and the girls will be there

to celebrate with me

at the second performance on Saturday.

Yeah. You can do this?

Um, Saturday?

It's the 100th anniversary,

and the girls will be there to give me flowers.

You know, Arnold, the girls have lives.

They have plans and stuff and...

- they want to... - Mom.

Mom, I don't... I can't get any Internet.

Oh, I don't know how to do that, honey.

You have to do the reset button.

Remember?

Can you just put the iPad away and do some homework now?

I don't have any.

Yes, I think you have homework.

- I'm taking... I'm taking the iPad. - No, no, no!

- I love you. - No, Mom, no!

Wait, wait, wait. - (CHEERING, APPLAUSE)

- Please... Cool!

Who's there?

Sam.

Hi, Arnold.

- Hi, Grandpa! - Hi, Grandpa Arnold.

I wasn't expecting you.

The performance is tomorrow.

Yeah, right, well,

they can't come tomorrow, so I thought I'd swing by today

so they can spend a little time with you.

But I've told everybody...

to expect them for the ceremony.

Right, well, as I said,

they have other commitments.

Commitments?

Yeah. Well, Frankie and I

have her friend Push's bar mitzvah,

and Duke has stuff.

Hey, that sounded so good.

You guys are really good.

Good job! I always forget

how much I like this kind of music.

Maybe you could take them for a little lunch today?

They would love to spend some time with you.

Where's Max? Don't know.

- Did you ask her to be here? - Yup.

And she had a commitment?

No, actually, I think they're just dating.

You should have insisted, uh, that she be here.

Arnold.

She's 17.

You needed to have put time in on her long ago.

I mean, she's grown up.

These two, however,

would love to have a little lunch

with their grandpa.

Okay, my daisies.

What about some ice cream?

- Sure. Yeah. - Come, come.

Take ten, everybody.

Hey. Why don't you two run off backstage,

and I will meet you there?

Give me just a minute with your mother.

Bye, sweetie. See you.

You know, Arnold, I'm-I'm not trying to cockblock

your fantasies here; it's just that they're growing up.

I mean, they don't even go to my events

when I have something anymore.

It's all right.

I understood.

So... what's up?

I would like to talk about Xander.

Oh, really?

I'd rather not.

I mean, that's why I divorced him.

I understand, though, that, uh, at the end of next year,

your financial support of him, uh, expires.

Uh-huh.

Which is why I thought you and I

ought to discuss it.

Oh, boy.

Ugh.

Oof...

This is really just...

- Oof... - Don't you think,

for the good of the children,

the father should be provided for?

He's not even in their lives; he's a ghost.

This is not my problem.

I see. Well...

Listen, Arnold, I don't think

this conversation's gonna go anywhere good.

I mean, what do you want me to say here?

I'm just worried about Xander.

I've been taking care of your son since the day I met him,

which is Max's age plus nine months ago.

And I did it. I did my time.

I paid.

I paid what I was told to pay.

And if you think, now, that I'm gonna volunteer

to help this guy, who takes no part in his children's care,

you're high.

Why don't you take care of him?

Oh, well...

Seriously.

Write him a check; you're doing fine.

But money's money.

Yes, and I'm keeping mine.

You should give him yours.

When he turned 18, I told him,

as my father told me,

a boy of leisure has two ways to provide for himself

find a skill...

or find a woman who can provide.

He chose the latter.

Yeah, but that's why we're divorced now.

Why am I having this conversation?

Is this really happening?

This is like a bad dream.

- Sam... - (EXHALES)

He can't take care of himself.

I sometimes think, uh, the boy might do...

himself in.

Yes.

Yes! Yes, please!

Okay, then.

At least I tell to his mother

that I tried.

Thank you for bringing my girls.

- (SIGHS) - And, uh...

Sam, uh...

Oh...

boy.

This place is so cool.

It's really cool.

Oh, I got a good one.

My ex-husband's father...

We divorced in whatever.

Anyway, I've been paying him support

while I take care of the kids.

Oh, I know this story, believe me.

It's like the same for everybody.

And I get to stop paying him next year,

and his father just asked me to keep paying

because, oh, poor him.

You know what the worst part is?

You're gonna do it.

You're gonna take care of him for the rest of his life.

- No, I'm not. - My ex-husband,

I took care of him.

Then, when the kids moved out,

he started sniffin' around.

He lives in my basement.

I would never do that.

You're gonna. I said exactly the same thing.

You're gonna do it.