Parenthood

- My mom lost her job. - We cannot have her living here.

She's gonna take control of everything.

Where's the vending machine?

They took it away last June.

If elected as president,

I will bring back the vending machines

that used to be in our school.

It was hard for me to see you with Hank.

I feel like I gave up too easily

and I should have fought for you.

Get out of my room! I hate you!

Hey, don't talk to your mom like that.

She's not my mom!

Is not going through with the adoption

something that you're considering?

I don't know if I can do it anymore

Hello?

Wait.

Yeah?

Are you--are you home?

Okay--yeah.

Why don't you meet me at that place around the corner there?

Yeah.

Yeah, I'll be-- I'll be right there.

Who was that?

- Uh... - What time is it?

Yeah, don't worry, Millie.

Everything's okay.

It's just, uh-- you go back to sleep, honey.

What's going on, Ryan?

I can't sleep.

I never sleep, you know?

Just stare at the ceiling and then if I do sleep, I wake up.

I'm--my heart's pounding, I'm sweating like an idiot,

I'm--I'm freaking out

like I got something I'm supposed to be doing.

I don't know.

It's not working, man.

You know, I'm waiting for everything to get better

and it's not.

I'm just stuck.

So that's it?

You're stuck?

Well, what are you gonna do about it?

You start with a little thing.

I mean, however inconsequential it is.

I mean-- Like what?

I don't know. Something small.

Something that you can take care of.

Something that you can control.

Beginning, middle, end.

Task completed.

Jabbar, let's get your shoes on.

We have to be out the door in five minutes.

The boy's gotta eat his breakfast.

Yeah, buddy, you know what?

Why don't you eat your eggs

while you're doing your cards, okay?

I don't want eggs.

What do you mean you don't want eggs?

It's got cheese and mushrooms

and zucchini-- I don't want mushrooms.

I want a breakfast bar.

Jabbar, your father just made you some healthy...

- Just eat. - Breakfast.

But I like breakfast bars better.

Look, as long as he gets some calories in his body,

I guess it's okay with me.

Yeah, we--you know, we're just pressed for time.

He doesn't eat like this all the time.

Yeah, I do.

Both: No, you don't. - What?

That's--he does not eat like that all the time.

I just know that an hour from now

someone's in for a major sugar crash.

Bye. Come on, put your shoes on.

Here. Don't waste 'em.

Sarah.

Hi.

I was dropping off drew's term paper--um, history paper.

He left it at home. It's due today.

And you're a good mom. You had no choice.

Do you know where to-- Yeah.

- Okay. - Thanks.

All right. Um, I should probably get to--

- I don't wanna keep you. It's okay. Yeah.

I, um--

it's okay.

No, I-I just--

it's so--it's so awkward.

I'm sorry, I-I-- It's gonna be awkward.

Would--okay, would you--

would you want to maybe just get together at some point

and just talk all this through?

Or just--I don't know. Yeah.

I mean, I thought you didn't wanna...

- No, I-I do. - Talk to me.

And I--and I know that you're moving on

and I am too, but I-I still really care about you...

And, um--

are you late?

II am now technically late.

But I don't know.

Just something to get some--

yeah.

I think that would be really nice.

All right.

Now I really am late. Okay. Thanks.

See you.

- that's awful. - What do you think?

That's a good little song. Your v-it's the tone.

go higher.

I can't go to cedar knoll middle school anymore.

It is a fascist state!

- Whoa, hey, Max, take it easy. - Buddy, what is happening?

Mr. Mason said that we can't bring back

the vending machine anymore, that I have to give up.

Wait, what?

I'm sure that's very disappointing--

- it's not fair, okay? - Calm down.

I won--I won the election.

That means the kids voted for me to do this.

They absolutely 100% did.

So this is what we're gonna do.

Listen, we're gonna talk to the school

and see if we can change some of the rules, right?

No, it has nothing to do with the rules.

- That's what's fair. - It's the pta.

It's the parent totalitarian association.

I did everything I was supposed to do!

- Yes, you did. - Okay.

I wrote a letter, I got the signatures, I--

- calm down for a second. - Max.

I can't go to that school anymore.

You guys have to find me a new school to go to.

He's not wrong.

How long you been up?

I think all night.

Oh, honey.

Oh.

Your brain is like a hamster in a wheel.

You just don't even need coffee.

You start thinking and...

You're up.

Hey.

I just keep trying to tell myself that it's gonna be okay,

but I don't know that.

I don't know.

I don't know if it's gonna work.

Ever.

- We should finalize it. - What?

I think we should finalize it.

You know, just talk to the lawyers,

file the paperwork, dot the "I"s, cross the "t"s.

You know, if there's anything that's gonna tell our boy

that he's a part of this family, that's it.

I just think we need to, you know, just take the leap.

You do, huh?

Yeah.

I really do.

I just--

I'm sure of it.

I wish I were.

that energy, like, all that--

And I'd just be like--you just do whatever I said, you know?

Because you're the only girl and they wanna please you.

Hi.

All: Hi!

- How are you? - Hi. Good.

- So good to see you. - Good to see you.

- Good to see you too. - You're Max's mom, right?

Yes, we met at your jewelry party.

- Oh. - You make jewelry.

I'm Kristina.

How is your son doing?

And how are you feeling?

He's great.

We're all great.

Great.

You know, I actually wanted to talk to you guys about something

because I think that you're the ladies

that headed the initiative for the vending machines

to be taken out of the school. Am I right?

All: Ooh.

That was such a battle.

But it was so worth it.

I mean, it took two weeks of phone trees,

but we finally got it done.

Right, so, I know this might sound so crazy to you guys

because you fought so hard to get them out of the school,