Brothers & Sisters s03e07 Episode Script
Do You Believe in Magic?
- Aah! Jeez, Justin.
- I'm sorry.
- How long have you been there? - A few seconds.
- I was listening to you hum in there.
- Do you know how creepy that is? - It's not creepy.
- No, I'm serious.
I gave you a key, but next time maybe you could knock, ring the doorbell, give me a little warning? What? I love you.
Becca, I do.
I I love you.
Wow, Justin.
Thank you.
I better go get dressed.
Radio interview at 10, more election predictions.
- Okay.
- Then the call about renewable energy.
- What's the tracking on that today? - Up four.
- Excellent.
- Oh, speaking of what's on the ballot, - I prepared a statement against Prop 8.
- I'm already on the record against that.
I know you've been here a week, but the senator released his position on the act four months ago.
No one remembers four months ago.
People are paying attention now.
- Look, we realize this is your issue.
- My issue? The Supreme Court of California ruled it is illegal to discriminate against gay marriage.
Now, forgive me if I'm wrong, Robert, I thought you Republicans were all about respecting State's rights.
He's got you on that, Stu.
Sorry to interrupt you, senator.
Your 2:00 got pushed to noon.
- Tell them he's busy.
- No, no.
I have to be at that.
I agree with Stu.
We've already released our statement on Prop 8.
We're not coming out again.
- No pun intended.
- Yeah.
I'm gonna take the interview in the car.
And tell him about the other.
- All right, Kitty's brother.
- You can call me Kevin.
When you start referring to your boss as "senator," I will.
In the meantime, talk to this reporter from the Sacramento Tribune.
He's threatening to publish some cockamamie story about Governor Kern and the senator involved in some sort of intimate relationship.
- What kind of intimate relationship? - The schtupping kind.
- The story is he's schtupping her.
- I know what schtupping is.
That's ridiculous.
Isn't it? Let me know how it goes.
No, I agree with you, you know? - Excuse me.
Hi.
- Hi.
Wow, I just I can't believe this is actually happening.
I mean, of course, it should've happened ten minutes ago.
- Do you think anything's wrong? - No, no.
I'm sure she's just still in her appointment, and she'll be here as soon as she can.
Well, I hope she's not lost.
I mean, this hospital is like a maze.
You know, Robert, I think we should've brought her a gift.
I mean, maternity clothes are insanely expensive, and she shouldn't have to pay for that all by herself.
- This is just her first visit.
- She's our birth mom.
She's probably young and might not have a lot of money.
We're gonna have plenty of time to, you know, shower her with gifts.
You're right.
You're right.
Thank you.
I'm You're right.
Fine.
- Ah.
Hi.
- Hi.
I'm so sorry, I thought that we reserved this room for a private meeting.
- We did.
Sorry.
- Oh, with me.
Heh.
I'm Trish Evans, your birth mom.
Oh.
Oh, oh, wow.
Yeah.
- It's so It's so nice to meet you.
- Yes.
Yeah, indeed, doctor.
- Screw Holly.
- I'm out of the closet now, remember? You should've seen her, wielding George Lafferty's phone number around as if it was some weapon against my family.
I know.
You were terrified.
Well, I was.
Bringing William's illegitimate son into the mix was not something I wanted to do, and, ha-ha, too bad for Holly, it's not gonna happen.
What are you making anyway? Cupcakes for Tommy and Julia's party tonight.
I'm not saying telling George was easy.
It wasn't.
He was devastated at first, and then, in the end, he decided he didn't want Ryan to know anything about it.
Even if William is Ryan's biological father, George raised him.
- That's all that matters.
- Right.
Okay.
So pick a card.
Are you even listening to me? George Lafferty doesn't want anything to do with our family.
The whole sordid business is over, done, poof.
Right, exactly, poof.
Now, come on, pick a card.
- Remember what it is.
Okay, you got it? - Yeah.
Put it back.
Don't tell me.
Great.
You're like a child.
You're so excited we're going to Magic Manor tonight.
The last time I went there, Tommy was years 10 years old, I taught him his first trick.
Yes, I'm excited.
He's celebrating his anniversary there tonight.
Are you kidding? Hello? Oh.
George.
Oh, no.
No, no.
I was just thinking about you.
Now? Really? Okay.
Could you do it over here? Okay.
Fine.
See you in a while.
What? He's having second thoughts.
He's thinking maybe he should tell Ryan the truth.
There goes poof.
I take it from your reaction you didn't read my application.
- No, but we did.
- We did.
- We read it, like, a hundred times.
- A lot.
A lot.
I think that when you said your goal was to become a surgeon, we didn't know that you actually were a surgeon.
We thought it was more of a long-term thing.
And, you know, that you were still a student in Missouri.
Well, I'm from Missouri, but I'm doing my residency here.
It's a great surprise.
What's your specialty? - Neuro.
- Wow, a brain surgeon.
- Not yet.
I'm only in my second year.
- Congratulations.
- This is gonna be a smart baby.
- Yeah.
I can only speak for half of the chromosomes.
Oh, so the father wasn't exactly a neurosurgeon himself? - Honey, the father was listed as unknown.
- I know.
We hooked up at a conference.
Not my finest hour.
- It happens.
- And I know you guys said ethnicity doesn't matter.
- No.
- But he was white, and my mom's Korean, and my dad's black, so I guess you're in for a surprise.
Yeah, so brain surgery.
That must be a lot of hard work.
Is that why you made an adoption plan? Medicine's my baby.
I don't have the time or energy for another.
Was that decision difficult? Not really.
I weighed the pros and cons, and for me, adoption made sense.
- Right, right.
And how about your family? - Oh, completely supportive.
You won't have any long-lost relatives bugging you.
- Oh, we're not at all worried about that.
- Yeah, no.
I didn't mean it like that.
Oh, it's the ER.
You guys are great.
I feel really good about this.
- I gotta run.
- No, no, wait, wait.
I feel like we just got started.
Is that it? I have to travel to Houston for a seminar tomorrow.
I could do dinner.
We have the anniversary, but we could cancel.
But this is much more important.
No, that would be great.
Okay, I'll call you guys when whatever train wreck downstairs is over.
How's that? - Fantastic.
- All right.
- Thanks.
Thank you.
- She is fantastic.
- Yeah.
- She's perfect.
- Yeah.
No, she is.
What, you don't think so? What? No.
I'm I just, you know, I She did not admit to having any doubt.
Don't you think that's a little weird? No, I don't think it's weird.
I think it's decisive.
Look, this Honey, this is all good.
Don't over think it.
Really.
Okay? - Yeah.
- It's great.
- All right, I gotta go.
I'll see you later.
- Okay.
- George, can't I get you a cup of tea? - No, that's okay.
I really don't want to take up too much of your time.
Oh, that's okay.
I'm the one who opened Pandora's box.
What is it they say, ignorance is bliss? Yes, ignorance is bliss.
Total and complete and utter bliss.
George, maybe you were right the first time.
Maybe you should put it in the box, lock it up, throw away the key.
Let the past be the past.
That's what I thought I wanted.
Then Ryan called, and the whole conversation, I felt like I was lying to him.
You wanted to protect him.
That was your first instinct.
George, I think you should go with that instinct.
I don't know.
Sometimes I think it's me I'm trying to protect.
Ryan struggled growing up.
It never felt like he fit in.
Is this why? Would knowing help him make sense of things? And then I think again how hard he took his mother's death.
And now to tell him his whole identity was based on a lie, a lie she told him.
I don't think he can handle that.
That's why I called you.
That's why I can't sleep at night.
That's the cupcakes.
And you really look like you could use one.
At this point, I could eat the whole batch.
Well, let's just start with one.
Yeah.
- Kevin Walker? - Yes.
Spencer Travis from the Sacramento Tribune.
Thanks for coming by.
Take a seat.
It's good to see that nepotism's alive and well.
Okay, let's set the record straight.
I didn't get this job I'd rather set the record straight on something else, like that rumor floating around about the governor's affair.
We got a tip, camped out at the Hotel Gerard.
Did you try the restaurant? Four stars.
- I hear it's fantastic.
- I've got photographs.
That's Governor Kern arriving at 11 a.
m.
Through the back door.
That's 20 minutes later.
Senator McCallister through the same door.
- They both checked in under aliases.
- Irrelevant.
- They're both public figures.
- That doesn't seem irrelevant to me.
It seems like they don't want anyone to know.
You know, there's an election going on.
I'm sure you could get a bigger story than this.
Heh.
Well, this is a big story.
It's not as big as the libel suit you'd be facing if you run with it.
That's interesting.
So far you've given me irrelevant, and now you've given me libel, but not once have you denied it.
- Look, I'm denying it.
- I'm gonna give you 24 hours to tell me what happened at that meeting, and then I'm running the story.
Fine.
All right, so call ICU, make sure they've got a bed ready.
Excuse me, Trish.
I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
Dr.
Evans.
Hi.
I'll meet you in postop.
Kitty.
What's going on? Well, I was just wondering if it would be possible for me to ask you a couple of questions before dinner.
Well, I've got about three minutes, so shoot.
Okay, okay.
Well, this might sound silly, but I've always been under the assumption that our birth mother would be Um Well, you know, some kind of messed up kid.
But you See, you could do this.
I mean, even if you work nonstop, you could hire a nanny.
Ha-ha.
I don't want a nanny.
I just keeping thinking about what you said this morning, how your career is your baby, and I used to say the same thing, and then I changed my mind.
So I just wanted to make sure that you've, you know, thought this through.
Kitty, I'm a surgeon.
I think everything through.
For now, but what about when you finish your residency? You know what happens to egg quality.
I really don't need a reproductive health lecture.
Oh, no.
I'm No, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
All I'm saying is that things change.
I mean, what's going to happen when you see the heartbeat or you see the little toes or - I've seen the toes.
- Okay, well, what about when your friends all start having babies, and all they talk about are strollers and onesies and Baby Mozart? Okay, stop, stop.
Look, they make us sit down for a reason: So we can see if this works for both of us.
- Right.
- Obviously, it doesn't.
No, no, no.
That is not what I'm saying at all.
- I just wanna be sure that you're sure.
- Kitty, I deal with enough neuroses with my patients.
I'm sorry.
Well, wait.
What about dinner? I've been on call for 36 hours.
Let's not waste each other's time.
Can we talk? Talk to Stu.
I don't weigh in by the hour.
That reporter has photographs of you and the governor sneaking into Hotel Gerard.
Kevin, I spent $40 million last year trying to get my face in front of the American people.
I'd like to think that I can't sneak in anywhere.
Are you having an affair? Kitty's my sister.
I have a right to ask.
You know, this morning it was the antigay marriage initiative, now it's your sister.
This job isn't about your personal issues.
It's about you supporting and protecting my professional agenda.
- I can't do that if I don't have the facts.
- The facts are I met with the governor to discuss a sensitive political issue.
- Beyond that, it is confidential.
- Oh, okay.
And the meeting you ran off to this morning, is that confidential too? That meeting was with our birth mother, who, by the way, happens to be amazing.
But if she picks up the paper tomorrow and reads a slanderous story about me and another government official, she could change her mind.
So if you're really concerned with your sister, not to mention your job, you'll suck it up and you'll figure out a way to fix it.
And you better figure out a way to trust me, or this isn't gonna work out.
If you don't mind.
Did you guys read the focus-group report? The web applications aren't user-friendly enough.
No way.
A chimp could navigate that program.
Well, we didn't test it on a chimp.
Listen, people just want to enter a product, and find out the greenest way to get it.
- What'd they think of our graph? - The colors are confusing.
If the asparagus is flown in from Argentina, it's red, but if it's trucked in from Mexico, it's orange.
It's because it's all about mileage.
More mileage, more gas, more damage to the environment.
I don't understand why that's difficult.
Because people think it is.
Page 26.
Oh, nice, E.
- Draw her a rocket ship.
- Look, I don't need to see his rocket ship.
- Heh.
- Nice.
Whoa, hey.
What's with this magic stuff? It's for my brother's anniversary party at Magic Manor.
Listen, guys, could we please focus? I don't know.
We may have lost him.
You're looking at the magic club president.
I don't care if he's David Blaine.
And the music? I married a failed musician.
I'd really prefer not to be working with one.
- This is our process.
- Well, it's not mine, okay? At my house, no magic tricks, no music, no fricking rocket ships or crazy robots.
I have two kids, a mortgage.
I don't have time for this.
- Hello.
- All right, I'm panicked.
The parlor magician canceled on the day of the party.
- What's a parlor magician? Oh, I know.
It's the guy from Victorian times who walked around the parlor doing tricks.
So much for the magic of Tommy and Julia.
What's a magic party without a magician? It's a disaster, that's what it is.
- I think I might have a substitute for you.
- You do? - Sarah, how is that even possible? It's magic.
He'll be there at 6.
This is just so crazy.
Ryan has five half siblings.
He doesn't even know who they are.
That's not how life's supposed to go.
You and I, we're the parents, before you know it, we'll be dead and gone.
- Oh, now that's cheerful.
- You know what I mean.
Your siblings are with you for the long haul.
Well, I can't argue with you there.
My brother Saul is my best friend, and my kids have always had each other.
They fight, but they've always had each other.
I actually wish I could meet them.
It's like I need a crystal ball or something.
I can't believe I'm gonna say this.
Why don't you come to the party tonight? You could see for yourself.
Maybe it would help you make a decision.
It would.
But then what if I decide not to pursue it? Your whole family would know.
Well, no one knows you except Kitty, and she's not even gonna be there.
So we just tell them I'm some handsome stranger you picked up? Yeah.
Bob.
Bob? No, I don't want to be Bob.
How about Mick Jagger? Well, I don't think they'd believe that.
How about Bob Jagger? And we met Wait, where did we meet? A widow's mixer.
First you wanna a rock 'n' roll star, and then you're trolling for widows? How about Dylan Jagger? You are so stuck in the '60s.
Come in.
- Just use your key.
- I thought you wanted me to ring the bell.
Seriously? I didn't mean never use your key.
That's kind of a mixed signal, don't you think? This is about this morning, isn't it? - Listen, I wasn't expecting - Please don't explain.
- I didn't want to say it because you said it.
- Rebecca You got to find your moment.
I wanna find mine.
Can we just drop this? Let's just go to the party, all right? Everything's fine.
Great.
Exactly what I'm in the mood for, an anniversary party.
Awesome.
Oh, hey.
I thought we were meeting at the restaurant.
No.
- Trish canceled dinner.
- Oh.
- Did something come up at the hospital? - No, actually, it's much worse than that.
She She changed her mind about the adoption.
- What are you talking about? - Look, I know how much you loved her, but I had a very weird feeling, so I went to the hospital, - I stopped by to see her.
- You stopped by? I wanted to talk to her.
And the minute I brought up some issues, she pulled out on the spot.
But things were perfect.
They were more than perfect.
- That's what you thought.
- No, that's what Trish said.
And now the whole adoption is off? What on earth did you say to her? I just told her that I was a career woman myself, and that I didn't want to have a baby, and now I did.
I just wanted to make sure that she considered what it would feel like to give up a baby at her age.
- You mentioned her age? - This is not my fault.
She was gonna change her mind no matter what, or she never would've reacted that way.
I don't get it.
Do you even want this? - Of course I want this.
- Then how, after everything we've been through, when we finally get chosen by a woman who is smart and talented and more than we ever could've hoped for in a birth mother, do you choose to go and confront her on her decision? Because we were about to get our hearts broken.
Well, if you're not ready to have your heart broken, you're not ready to be a parent.
- You don't have to walk away.
- Yeah, I do.
Now he did it.
I know.
- Tommy.
- Hey, guys.
Happy anniversary.
Yeah.
Julia went all out.
Guess she still loves me, huh? Must be nice.
I'm gonna go get a drink.
- What's? - Don't ask.
Hi, boys.
- Hey, Mom.
- Happy anniversary.
- Thank you.
- Sweetheart, hi.
- Hi, Mom.
Boys, I would like you to meet my friend Elton.
- Elton? - It's a family name.
- Lot of people named Elton.
- No, I didn't mean it like Sorry.
- I'm Tommy.
- Hi.
Congratulations.
- I hear it's your anniversary.
- Thank you.
Tommy runs the family business.
He's the one that put the winery in, and he has the most beautiful little daughter, Elizabeth, my granddaughter.
And this is my son Justin.
I know, I shouldn't have said that.
Well, that about sums it up.
Pick a card.
- That's the one you want? - Yes.
- You sure? Positive.
- Positive.
Okay.
Was that your card? No way.
- How'd you do that? That's great.
- Thank you.
- He's great, Julia.
I know.
Sarah found him.
I have no idea how.
You know, I have my sources.
Okay, Miss Clara the fortuneteller knew everything about me.
Knew my first pet's name started with a W.
This miniature Bijon my parents used to have.
She knew I had trouble making decisions, which is not gonna affect us and our business.
Um Mm? - Hi, I'm Kyle.
- I'm Julia.
Julia, nice to meet you.
- Hi.
Holly.
Nice to meet you.
Sarah's business partner.
- Yeah, I'm consulting for Consulting? You're, like, one of the founders.
So is he.
We're starting an internet company.
Oh, I didn't realize that you were in business with a magician.
- Give it a break, Holly.
- Sarah, so who's your mom's new guy? - Mom has a guy? You don't know? She brought a guy.
Hmm.
Excuse me.
Thank you.
So how do you two know each other? - Ah-ha-ha.
It's funny.
- No, it is.
- It's really a funny story.
- It's very funny.
Hey, guys.
- Hey.
- Isn't this great? I feel like a kid again.
- This is my beautiful daughter Sarah.
- Elton.
Hi.
- Elton.
- Mom was gonna tell us how they met.
Oh, God.
I love the "how we met" stories.
Go on.
We were at a restaurant a Not together.
We weren't together, were we? And this man began to choke.
And Elton, he just went over there and gave him the Heimlich maneuver, - just like that.
- Nora called the paramedics.
And then we started talking, and we have just so much in common.
- Hilarious.
Wow, Mom.
Some guy almost dies, and you go score a date.
- Good girl.
- It's not a date, per se.
- Yeah, and don't worry.
He was fine.
- Yeah.
- Once he spit out the fish bone.
- Ham gristle.
- Ham gristle? - Was it fish bones? - It was a fish bone.
- Yeah.
Oh, it was a fish bone.
I didn't even know what it was.
Okay, so why don't you kids go have some fun? We're going to go and enjoy the magic and all that.
- Nice meeting you.
- You too, Elton.
- What was that? - Guess mom has a new boyfriend.
Elton? Really? Ah.
I see it.
Look toward the bottom of the cup.
See how the leaves form the shape of a heart? Sort of, if I squint.
- What does that mean? - It means there's a great love in store.
- Someone is out there waiting for you.
- Yeah, that would be my boyfriend.
He's out there waiting for me to say "I love you.
" Actually, the placement indicates the distant future.
- It could take years to meet this person.
- Years? What about now? What are you saying, that Justin's love isn't great? - I can only interpret what's here.
- You don't even know him.
I mean, you're just reading some leftover dregs from a stupid teacup.
It's not stupid, unless your spirit is closed.
My spirit is not closed.
I mean, who said that my spirit is closed? Your spirit is closed.
Look, I know you think you're in love, but I promise, another few years, a great love will come along.
You're not even going to remember this guy.
This is wonderful, Ethan.
Great.
Oh, Kevin, you're here.
You just missed some fantastic magic.
Not a fan, remember? I actually need your advice, okay? You worked for your brother-in-law.
What did you do when Dad did things you didn't like? I don't know what you're talking about.
Okay, you didn't tell Mom about Holly for one thing.
I didn't tell your mother because I thought I was protecting her.
My job is to protect Robert, and I'm not saying he's Dad, but he's asking me to cover for him without telling me what it is I'm covering.
All he says is I have to trust him.
Do you? I don't know.
We all know you're the family cynic.
I mean, certainly, that's why you hate magic.
You just are always looking for the angle.
You can't give in to the illusion.
But Robert is not an illusion.
That's what you're gonna have to decide for yourself, if he's putting one over on you or if Robert is the real thing.
And by the way, Kevin, if you can't trust him, don't work for him.
- Make it, you know? - Excuse me, sorry.
- Hey.
- Can I talk to you? Where you been? I've been looking all over for you.
I love you.
- You do? - Mm-hm.
Yeah.
God, that felt good.
Heh.
Wow.
- Damn right, that feels good.
- Ha-ha.
I know.
I feel like there's weight off my shoulders.
That woman had no idea what she was talking about.
Yeah.
- What woman? Nothing.
Just this fortuneteller.
She said that you're not my great love.
Whatever.
Wait, that's why you said it, because some fortuneteller told you we were doomed? So this is your moment? Rebecca, this seems like a lame protest to me.
- Why are you making such a big deal? - Well, I'm sorry, where I come from, saying "I love you" comes from the people saying it.
Okay, well, sorry.
I can't seem to say anything right.
Why don't you just write me a script? You know what? I'm gonna give you these back.
And when you figure it out, you let me know, all right? - So Elton? - Yes, Elton.
Why are you guys so hung up on his name? Have you guys done the dance with no pants? - Sarah.
- What? Come on.
One of us should be having sex, and sadly, it's not me.
Well, it's not me either.
Just because I brought a friend to the party does not mean we're sleeping together.
You brought two men.
I'm not accusing you of having a ménage à trois.
- Mom.
- Well, you're the one who brought up sex.
Well, I regret it.
Almost as much as I regret bringing Ethan and Kyle.
Holly practically did a cartwheel when she heard we were in business together.
Holly doesn't know what the hell she's talking about.
I don't know, Mom.
Maybe she's right.
I mean, a start-up in this financial climate? Bear Stearns can't even keep afloat, and I'm in business with a magician who wants to show me his rocket ship.
- Oh, no.
You think I made a mistake.
- Oh, my God.
- Oh, God.
It's bad.
I really screwed up.
- Oh, hey.
- Kitty, what are you doing here? I thought you were meeting with your birth mother.
- Yeah.
- Well, I It's a long story.
- Well, good.
Tell Sarah about it.
- Whoa.
- Ugh.
What the is up with mom? - I don't know.
She's been acting weird all night.
She brought this guy.
- Elton.
- Elton? Exactly.
What's with the briefcase? Robert won't give you the night off? - Kevin has a new job.
- Yeah, he's a lawyer-turned-Republican.
- I'm still a Democrat, dumb-ass.
- Why don't you be nice? - You'll embarrass your mother's date.
- It's not really a date.
Elton, there you are.
You know, it's such a lovely evening out.
- Why don't we take a walk? - That sounds like a date to me.
I was really enjoying talking to your family.
- Oh.
Hi.
- Kitty.
This is funny.
George? - What are you doing here? - This is Elton.
That's Mom's date.
Don't be rude.
Do you want a drink? - Ah.
You're dating Ryan's dad? - No, she's dating Elton Richards.
- I'm not dating him.
- What? I'm sorry.
Excuse me.
No, no.
This is George Lafferty.
What? - Ryan's George Lafferty? Mom.
- Mom, I knew you were hiding something.
Mom.
All right, fine.
George, this is my family.
Family, this is George Lafferty.
Hi.
Oh, my God.
Unbelievable.
I thought you Since when are you friends with George Lafferty? - He kicked us out of his house.
- You were to his house? - Look, this is really all my fault.
- No, it is not.
I invited you here to meet Ryan's half siblings.
I'm sorry we deceived you, but George needs to figure this out.
I thought meeting you might help.
What is this, a big audition to see if we're up to sibling snuff, Mom? - What's going on? Is everything okay? - Oh, hey, Julia.
- Yes, fine.
It's a lovely party.
- I heard yelling.
Our family? No.
- We're just all catching up with George.
- You mean Elton.
How about some cupcakes? - Can you believe our mom? - Nothing our mom does shocks me anymore.
- Why are you so out of breath? - I've been looking for you.
- Well, where's Scotty? - He couldn't get time off work.
- Where's Robert? - Robert's at home being furious.
Really? How furious? I went to see our birth mother.
Oh, of course.
Oh, good.
- Good, good, good.
- Oh, no.
No, Kevin.
Not good.
Bad.
Very bad.
She changed her mind about the adoption.
She's not gonna go through with it, not with us anyway.
What, did she hear something about Robert? No.
No, she loved Robert.
It was me.
I showed up with all of these questions because I wanted proof - that she wasn't gonna change her mind.
- What's wrong with wanting proof? Well, what's wrong with it is that she couldn't give it to me, obviously.
And she shouldn't have to.
Mm.
But it has nothing to do with Robert? Would you stop trying to make this about Robert? - This is about me.
- All right.
Kevin, I'm serious.
I think I made a very big mistake.
I I couldn't trust her and And now we don't have a baby.
So fix it.
Here you go, sir.
Looks like someone is on the horizon.
Someone who will bring great upheaval into your life.
No, no, no.
I thought so too, but that's wrong.
- No, this reading's clear.
- The reading is wrong.
George is actually a very nice guy just caught in a really difficult situation.
I can identify with that.
Well, the way these cards are spread, this person represents a threat.
Maybe it's talking about his son Ryan.
And I'm telling you right now, I am done being scared.
Siblings should meet each other.
I think we're finally gonna get the chance to meet him.
And I'm actually happy about that.
- That's good.
- Yeah.
That's great.
What else do they say? Ladies and gentlemen, I know many of you don't believe in magic.
Instead, you search for an explanation.
There must be something I'm not telling you, something I'm hiding.
You're right.
Most of the time, magic is about sleight of hand, the principle of misdirection.
I make you look one way, so you forget to look the other.
Hi.
Have you seen a young woman, light brown hair, tall? I seem to have lost my daughter.
- No, but I'll keep an eye out.
- Okay.
- What her name? - Rebecca.
Thanks.
Uh Wait.
Are you Are you Holly? - Yeah.
- I'm George Lafferty.
Oh, my God.
You're Ryan's dad.
- I guess you've heard about me too.
- Yeah.
I hope you don't mind, but Nora told me about what happened with your daughter.
No, I don't mind.
It's just that she might not be the most reliable narrator.
Well, it's probably pretty complicated between you two.
No, actually, it's quite simple.
But I do know what it's like to be in your position, so if there's ever anything that I can do - Holly? - Hmm? Uh I do have a few questions.
Sure.
Watch closely because with Julia's help, you're about to see something so amazing, so improbable, it's hard to chalk it up to any fact or principle.
Man has always dreamed of conquering gravity.
In the 1800s, European audiences saw, for the first time, people rise unassisted off So you called me down here.
What do you got? There's an exit out that way.
Just maybe it's magic.
With one snap of my fingers, the lovely Julia will fall into a deep, deep sleep.
- Nora.
- Oh! Oh, George.
Sorry.
- I got sucked into watching the show.
- It's okay.
I have to go.
Go? What do you mean? You know, your family's lovely and very seductive Seductive? All right, which one of them hit on you? It's not like that.
I was right the first time.
This was a mistake.
It won't be good for Ryan, or any of us.
I'd rather leave it alone.
- I don't understand.
- Our families are what they are.
Let's not destroy anything.
Goodbye, Nora.
- Hi.
- Hey.
- How was the party? - Oh, God.
Never a dull moment.
I'll tell you all about that later.
Robert I am really, really sorry.
I never should've gone to Trish without telling you.
I don't know why, but I just let my anxiety get the best of me.
And I knew how you felt about her, and I didn't want you to think that I was crazy and I love you when you're crazy.
But what I don't love is when you go off, you know, without me and don't tell me about it.
You know, we're gonna be parents, so we need to be - Trusting each other.
- I do trust you.
It's just It's everybody else in the world that I don't trust.
And I just didn't know if I could do it again.
I mean, we've already lost a baby, and I - Oh, is that what this is all about? - Oh, it's everything, you know? It's all the fertility treatments that didn't work, and all the pregnancy tests that came back negative.
And I just I have had my heart broken.
Many times.
But I am ready to be a parent.
- I know.
- And I'm gonna fix it.
I'm gonna make this right with Trish.
I promise.
I'm I'm gonna fix it.
- There she is.
- Good morning.
Hey.
- Coffee? Thank you.
- What time is it? - It's on time.
- You laid down the law, remember? - Have you guys been to bed? Are you kidding? I worked a night at the Magic Manor.
- That's like playing Carnegie Hall.
- Check this out.
See that? New web application.
Simplified, streamlined, sexy.
- And a new carbon footprint graph.
- You did this last night? We may act like we're stupid.
- We're not.
- You don't act stupid.
- You act 20.
- We're older than that.
I know.
Sorry.
Listen, working with you guys, it's a little bit of an adjustment.
- I have a lot at stake.
- Yeah? Well, so do we.
You should see our credit card bills.
We're not gonna fail.
Miss Clara last night told me we're gonna make boatloads of money.
- Heh.
- You just gotta trust the process.
Maybe you're right.
- Ethan, draw me a rocket ship.
- Yes, ma'am.
You seen the paper today? No, I was just "Senator Robert McCallister had a private meeting with fellow Republican Governor Eve Kern urging her to release a strong statement against the limited marriage act in time for the general election.
" - Any word of an affair? - Nope.
Just a follow-up from the governor reaffirming all Californians' rights to marry.
Stu said make it go away.
I made it go away.
While forwarding your own political agenda.
You know, I'm gonna take about five minutes before I fire you.
- Look, I was just - This is grounds for termination.
When you're in a foxhole with someone, you need to know the man who's got your back, and right now, I don't know who you are.
I had to deal with that reporter on the fly.
That statement I had for Proposition 8 was in my briefcase.
It was at my disposal.
I used it.
Do I think you should've released it of your own accord? Absolutely, but I was not out to undermine you.
If you had trusted me with the actual information, I wouldn't have had to resort to this.
Okay.
The governor's having an affair.
And it's messy, and there are children involved, and she wanted to meet with me to get my advice.
And I told her she's gotta come clean, but I don't know where this is gonna end.
Kevin, you have my trust, but there are gonna be times when I'm not gonna be able to tell you everything.
Fair enough.
Here.
Wait.
This isn't Spencer's article.
No, no.
That's an op-ed piece by Henry Myers.
That guy's been pissing on me since the day I got elected.
Now all of a sudden, I'm a hero.
Good job.
Thank you, senator.
Seductive? Our family is seductive? No.
This came right from Holly.
Oh, you don't know that, Nora.
Maybe George decided on his own.
No, no, no, she had it written all over her face.
This woman lives to get at me.
First she pushes me to find George and tell him the truth.
The minute he starts connecting with our family, - she sends him running for the hills.
- Isn't that what you want? Poof? Remember? Holly doesn't have anything on you now.
It's all over.
Yeah.
I can't help feeling there's something looming on the horizon.
Oh, it's a bit overdramatic, wouldn't you say? Even the fortuneteller said that.
Now who's buying into magic? She said someone would come into our lives that would cause great upheaval.
And she said that I would meet a nice woman and I would settle down.
Oh.
Whoops.
All right.
You're right.
What am I worried about? This is exactly what I wanted, and it's the best thing.
It's the very, very best thing.
It's the best thing.
Just tell her to hold on one second because I'm here.
I'm right outside.
I was Oh! - Trish.
- Kitty, you can't keep showing up.
I know.
You're on your way to the airport, but I owe you an apology.
I just got scared because you remind me so much of me, and I know how much I want this baby.
And I know that that's me.
That's not you.
But I promise, I promise there will be no more second guessing.
I'm just gonna take the leap.
I'm gonna be like one of your patients.
My life is in your hands.
And not that you can't change your mind, because of course you have every right to.
It's just that I don't want to change it for you.
So I'm just gonna hang back and wait and And trust you.
Well, thank you.
But I already called my social worker.
She's sending me a new batch of files.
Oh, no, no, no.
Please, please.
Wait, wait, wait.
Don't do that.
Don't do that.
Robert and I are the same people that you picked.
- And we - Kitty, there are plenty of babies out there, and you will be great mom to one of them.
But this shouldn't be so complicated.
Life is complicating enough.
No, you're right.
You're right.
I agree.
I agree.
It shouldn't be so complicated.
You know what? It won't.
I'm sorry.
I really have to go.
Good luck.
Wow.
Hey.
Is this always how you make up? No.
No.
I've just been thinking.
You know that milestone we approached badly, the one we pretty much just smashed right into? Yes, I remember.
Yeah.
I was scared.
I've never said that to anyone before.
It always just kind of made things seem so final, and nothing ever felt final to me.
Except this.
I know that I said that I wanted to wait for the right moment, but there is no right moment because it's every moment.
I love you.
- Can I say it back? - You better.
I love you too.
You gonna kiss me? Well
- I'm sorry.
- How long have you been there? - A few seconds.
- I was listening to you hum in there.
- Do you know how creepy that is? - It's not creepy.
- No, I'm serious.
I gave you a key, but next time maybe you could knock, ring the doorbell, give me a little warning? What? I love you.
Becca, I do.
I I love you.
Wow, Justin.
Thank you.
I better go get dressed.
Radio interview at 10, more election predictions.
- Okay.
- Then the call about renewable energy.
- What's the tracking on that today? - Up four.
- Excellent.
- Oh, speaking of what's on the ballot, - I prepared a statement against Prop 8.
- I'm already on the record against that.
I know you've been here a week, but the senator released his position on the act four months ago.
No one remembers four months ago.
People are paying attention now.
- Look, we realize this is your issue.
- My issue? The Supreme Court of California ruled it is illegal to discriminate against gay marriage.
Now, forgive me if I'm wrong, Robert, I thought you Republicans were all about respecting State's rights.
He's got you on that, Stu.
Sorry to interrupt you, senator.
Your 2:00 got pushed to noon.
- Tell them he's busy.
- No, no.
I have to be at that.
I agree with Stu.
We've already released our statement on Prop 8.
We're not coming out again.
- No pun intended.
- Yeah.
I'm gonna take the interview in the car.
And tell him about the other.
- All right, Kitty's brother.
- You can call me Kevin.
When you start referring to your boss as "senator," I will.
In the meantime, talk to this reporter from the Sacramento Tribune.
He's threatening to publish some cockamamie story about Governor Kern and the senator involved in some sort of intimate relationship.
- What kind of intimate relationship? - The schtupping kind.
- The story is he's schtupping her.
- I know what schtupping is.
That's ridiculous.
Isn't it? Let me know how it goes.
No, I agree with you, you know? - Excuse me.
Hi.
- Hi.
Wow, I just I can't believe this is actually happening.
I mean, of course, it should've happened ten minutes ago.
- Do you think anything's wrong? - No, no.
I'm sure she's just still in her appointment, and she'll be here as soon as she can.
Well, I hope she's not lost.
I mean, this hospital is like a maze.
You know, Robert, I think we should've brought her a gift.
I mean, maternity clothes are insanely expensive, and she shouldn't have to pay for that all by herself.
- This is just her first visit.
- She's our birth mom.
She's probably young and might not have a lot of money.
We're gonna have plenty of time to, you know, shower her with gifts.
You're right.
You're right.
Thank you.
I'm You're right.
Fine.
- Ah.
Hi.
- Hi.
I'm so sorry, I thought that we reserved this room for a private meeting.
- We did.
Sorry.
- Oh, with me.
Heh.
I'm Trish Evans, your birth mom.
Oh.
Oh, oh, wow.
Yeah.
- It's so It's so nice to meet you.
- Yes.
Yeah, indeed, doctor.
- Screw Holly.
- I'm out of the closet now, remember? You should've seen her, wielding George Lafferty's phone number around as if it was some weapon against my family.
I know.
You were terrified.
Well, I was.
Bringing William's illegitimate son into the mix was not something I wanted to do, and, ha-ha, too bad for Holly, it's not gonna happen.
What are you making anyway? Cupcakes for Tommy and Julia's party tonight.
I'm not saying telling George was easy.
It wasn't.
He was devastated at first, and then, in the end, he decided he didn't want Ryan to know anything about it.
Even if William is Ryan's biological father, George raised him.
- That's all that matters.
- Right.
Okay.
So pick a card.
Are you even listening to me? George Lafferty doesn't want anything to do with our family.
The whole sordid business is over, done, poof.
Right, exactly, poof.
Now, come on, pick a card.
- Remember what it is.
Okay, you got it? - Yeah.
Put it back.
Don't tell me.
Great.
You're like a child.
You're so excited we're going to Magic Manor tonight.
The last time I went there, Tommy was years 10 years old, I taught him his first trick.
Yes, I'm excited.
He's celebrating his anniversary there tonight.
Are you kidding? Hello? Oh.
George.
Oh, no.
No, no.
I was just thinking about you.
Now? Really? Okay.
Could you do it over here? Okay.
Fine.
See you in a while.
What? He's having second thoughts.
He's thinking maybe he should tell Ryan the truth.
There goes poof.
I take it from your reaction you didn't read my application.
- No, but we did.
- We did.
- We read it, like, a hundred times.
- A lot.
A lot.
I think that when you said your goal was to become a surgeon, we didn't know that you actually were a surgeon.
We thought it was more of a long-term thing.
And, you know, that you were still a student in Missouri.
Well, I'm from Missouri, but I'm doing my residency here.
It's a great surprise.
What's your specialty? - Neuro.
- Wow, a brain surgeon.
- Not yet.
I'm only in my second year.
- Congratulations.
- This is gonna be a smart baby.
- Yeah.
I can only speak for half of the chromosomes.
Oh, so the father wasn't exactly a neurosurgeon himself? - Honey, the father was listed as unknown.
- I know.
We hooked up at a conference.
Not my finest hour.
- It happens.
- And I know you guys said ethnicity doesn't matter.
- No.
- But he was white, and my mom's Korean, and my dad's black, so I guess you're in for a surprise.
Yeah, so brain surgery.
That must be a lot of hard work.
Is that why you made an adoption plan? Medicine's my baby.
I don't have the time or energy for another.
Was that decision difficult? Not really.
I weighed the pros and cons, and for me, adoption made sense.
- Right, right.
And how about your family? - Oh, completely supportive.
You won't have any long-lost relatives bugging you.
- Oh, we're not at all worried about that.
- Yeah, no.
I didn't mean it like that.
Oh, it's the ER.
You guys are great.
I feel really good about this.
- I gotta run.
- No, no, wait, wait.
I feel like we just got started.
Is that it? I have to travel to Houston for a seminar tomorrow.
I could do dinner.
We have the anniversary, but we could cancel.
But this is much more important.
No, that would be great.
Okay, I'll call you guys when whatever train wreck downstairs is over.
How's that? - Fantastic.
- All right.
- Thanks.
Thank you.
- She is fantastic.
- Yeah.
- She's perfect.
- Yeah.
No, she is.
What, you don't think so? What? No.
I'm I just, you know, I She did not admit to having any doubt.
Don't you think that's a little weird? No, I don't think it's weird.
I think it's decisive.
Look, this Honey, this is all good.
Don't over think it.
Really.
Okay? - Yeah.
- It's great.
- All right, I gotta go.
I'll see you later.
- Okay.
- George, can't I get you a cup of tea? - No, that's okay.
I really don't want to take up too much of your time.
Oh, that's okay.
I'm the one who opened Pandora's box.
What is it they say, ignorance is bliss? Yes, ignorance is bliss.
Total and complete and utter bliss.
George, maybe you were right the first time.
Maybe you should put it in the box, lock it up, throw away the key.
Let the past be the past.
That's what I thought I wanted.
Then Ryan called, and the whole conversation, I felt like I was lying to him.
You wanted to protect him.
That was your first instinct.
George, I think you should go with that instinct.
I don't know.
Sometimes I think it's me I'm trying to protect.
Ryan struggled growing up.
It never felt like he fit in.
Is this why? Would knowing help him make sense of things? And then I think again how hard he took his mother's death.
And now to tell him his whole identity was based on a lie, a lie she told him.
I don't think he can handle that.
That's why I called you.
That's why I can't sleep at night.
That's the cupcakes.
And you really look like you could use one.
At this point, I could eat the whole batch.
Well, let's just start with one.
Yeah.
- Kevin Walker? - Yes.
Spencer Travis from the Sacramento Tribune.
Thanks for coming by.
Take a seat.
It's good to see that nepotism's alive and well.
Okay, let's set the record straight.
I didn't get this job I'd rather set the record straight on something else, like that rumor floating around about the governor's affair.
We got a tip, camped out at the Hotel Gerard.
Did you try the restaurant? Four stars.
- I hear it's fantastic.
- I've got photographs.
That's Governor Kern arriving at 11 a.
m.
Through the back door.
That's 20 minutes later.
Senator McCallister through the same door.
- They both checked in under aliases.
- Irrelevant.
- They're both public figures.
- That doesn't seem irrelevant to me.
It seems like they don't want anyone to know.
You know, there's an election going on.
I'm sure you could get a bigger story than this.
Heh.
Well, this is a big story.
It's not as big as the libel suit you'd be facing if you run with it.
That's interesting.
So far you've given me irrelevant, and now you've given me libel, but not once have you denied it.
- Look, I'm denying it.
- I'm gonna give you 24 hours to tell me what happened at that meeting, and then I'm running the story.
Fine.
All right, so call ICU, make sure they've got a bed ready.
Excuse me, Trish.
I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
Dr.
Evans.
Hi.
I'll meet you in postop.
Kitty.
What's going on? Well, I was just wondering if it would be possible for me to ask you a couple of questions before dinner.
Well, I've got about three minutes, so shoot.
Okay, okay.
Well, this might sound silly, but I've always been under the assumption that our birth mother would be Um Well, you know, some kind of messed up kid.
But you See, you could do this.
I mean, even if you work nonstop, you could hire a nanny.
Ha-ha.
I don't want a nanny.
I just keeping thinking about what you said this morning, how your career is your baby, and I used to say the same thing, and then I changed my mind.
So I just wanted to make sure that you've, you know, thought this through.
Kitty, I'm a surgeon.
I think everything through.
For now, but what about when you finish your residency? You know what happens to egg quality.
I really don't need a reproductive health lecture.
Oh, no.
I'm No, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
All I'm saying is that things change.
I mean, what's going to happen when you see the heartbeat or you see the little toes or - I've seen the toes.
- Okay, well, what about when your friends all start having babies, and all they talk about are strollers and onesies and Baby Mozart? Okay, stop, stop.
Look, they make us sit down for a reason: So we can see if this works for both of us.
- Right.
- Obviously, it doesn't.
No, no, no.
That is not what I'm saying at all.
- I just wanna be sure that you're sure.
- Kitty, I deal with enough neuroses with my patients.
I'm sorry.
Well, wait.
What about dinner? I've been on call for 36 hours.
Let's not waste each other's time.
Can we talk? Talk to Stu.
I don't weigh in by the hour.
That reporter has photographs of you and the governor sneaking into Hotel Gerard.
Kevin, I spent $40 million last year trying to get my face in front of the American people.
I'd like to think that I can't sneak in anywhere.
Are you having an affair? Kitty's my sister.
I have a right to ask.
You know, this morning it was the antigay marriage initiative, now it's your sister.
This job isn't about your personal issues.
It's about you supporting and protecting my professional agenda.
- I can't do that if I don't have the facts.
- The facts are I met with the governor to discuss a sensitive political issue.
- Beyond that, it is confidential.
- Oh, okay.
And the meeting you ran off to this morning, is that confidential too? That meeting was with our birth mother, who, by the way, happens to be amazing.
But if she picks up the paper tomorrow and reads a slanderous story about me and another government official, she could change her mind.
So if you're really concerned with your sister, not to mention your job, you'll suck it up and you'll figure out a way to fix it.
And you better figure out a way to trust me, or this isn't gonna work out.
If you don't mind.
Did you guys read the focus-group report? The web applications aren't user-friendly enough.
No way.
A chimp could navigate that program.
Well, we didn't test it on a chimp.
Listen, people just want to enter a product, and find out the greenest way to get it.
- What'd they think of our graph? - The colors are confusing.
If the asparagus is flown in from Argentina, it's red, but if it's trucked in from Mexico, it's orange.
It's because it's all about mileage.
More mileage, more gas, more damage to the environment.
I don't understand why that's difficult.
Because people think it is.
Page 26.
Oh, nice, E.
- Draw her a rocket ship.
- Look, I don't need to see his rocket ship.
- Heh.
- Nice.
Whoa, hey.
What's with this magic stuff? It's for my brother's anniversary party at Magic Manor.
Listen, guys, could we please focus? I don't know.
We may have lost him.
You're looking at the magic club president.
I don't care if he's David Blaine.
And the music? I married a failed musician.
I'd really prefer not to be working with one.
- This is our process.
- Well, it's not mine, okay? At my house, no magic tricks, no music, no fricking rocket ships or crazy robots.
I have two kids, a mortgage.
I don't have time for this.
- Hello.
- All right, I'm panicked.
The parlor magician canceled on the day of the party.
- What's a parlor magician? Oh, I know.
It's the guy from Victorian times who walked around the parlor doing tricks.
So much for the magic of Tommy and Julia.
What's a magic party without a magician? It's a disaster, that's what it is.
- I think I might have a substitute for you.
- You do? - Sarah, how is that even possible? It's magic.
He'll be there at 6.
This is just so crazy.
Ryan has five half siblings.
He doesn't even know who they are.
That's not how life's supposed to go.
You and I, we're the parents, before you know it, we'll be dead and gone.
- Oh, now that's cheerful.
- You know what I mean.
Your siblings are with you for the long haul.
Well, I can't argue with you there.
My brother Saul is my best friend, and my kids have always had each other.
They fight, but they've always had each other.
I actually wish I could meet them.
It's like I need a crystal ball or something.
I can't believe I'm gonna say this.
Why don't you come to the party tonight? You could see for yourself.
Maybe it would help you make a decision.
It would.
But then what if I decide not to pursue it? Your whole family would know.
Well, no one knows you except Kitty, and she's not even gonna be there.
So we just tell them I'm some handsome stranger you picked up? Yeah.
Bob.
Bob? No, I don't want to be Bob.
How about Mick Jagger? Well, I don't think they'd believe that.
How about Bob Jagger? And we met Wait, where did we meet? A widow's mixer.
First you wanna a rock 'n' roll star, and then you're trolling for widows? How about Dylan Jagger? You are so stuck in the '60s.
Come in.
- Just use your key.
- I thought you wanted me to ring the bell.
Seriously? I didn't mean never use your key.
That's kind of a mixed signal, don't you think? This is about this morning, isn't it? - Listen, I wasn't expecting - Please don't explain.
- I didn't want to say it because you said it.
- Rebecca You got to find your moment.
I wanna find mine.
Can we just drop this? Let's just go to the party, all right? Everything's fine.
Great.
Exactly what I'm in the mood for, an anniversary party.
Awesome.
Oh, hey.
I thought we were meeting at the restaurant.
No.
- Trish canceled dinner.
- Oh.
- Did something come up at the hospital? - No, actually, it's much worse than that.
She She changed her mind about the adoption.
- What are you talking about? - Look, I know how much you loved her, but I had a very weird feeling, so I went to the hospital, - I stopped by to see her.
- You stopped by? I wanted to talk to her.
And the minute I brought up some issues, she pulled out on the spot.
But things were perfect.
They were more than perfect.
- That's what you thought.
- No, that's what Trish said.
And now the whole adoption is off? What on earth did you say to her? I just told her that I was a career woman myself, and that I didn't want to have a baby, and now I did.
I just wanted to make sure that she considered what it would feel like to give up a baby at her age.
- You mentioned her age? - This is not my fault.
She was gonna change her mind no matter what, or she never would've reacted that way.
I don't get it.
Do you even want this? - Of course I want this.
- Then how, after everything we've been through, when we finally get chosen by a woman who is smart and talented and more than we ever could've hoped for in a birth mother, do you choose to go and confront her on her decision? Because we were about to get our hearts broken.
Well, if you're not ready to have your heart broken, you're not ready to be a parent.
- You don't have to walk away.
- Yeah, I do.
Now he did it.
I know.
- Tommy.
- Hey, guys.
Happy anniversary.
Yeah.
Julia went all out.
Guess she still loves me, huh? Must be nice.
I'm gonna go get a drink.
- What's? - Don't ask.
Hi, boys.
- Hey, Mom.
- Happy anniversary.
- Thank you.
- Sweetheart, hi.
- Hi, Mom.
Boys, I would like you to meet my friend Elton.
- Elton? - It's a family name.
- Lot of people named Elton.
- No, I didn't mean it like Sorry.
- I'm Tommy.
- Hi.
Congratulations.
- I hear it's your anniversary.
- Thank you.
Tommy runs the family business.
He's the one that put the winery in, and he has the most beautiful little daughter, Elizabeth, my granddaughter.
And this is my son Justin.
I know, I shouldn't have said that.
Well, that about sums it up.
Pick a card.
- That's the one you want? - Yes.
- You sure? Positive.
- Positive.
Okay.
Was that your card? No way.
- How'd you do that? That's great.
- Thank you.
- He's great, Julia.
I know.
Sarah found him.
I have no idea how.
You know, I have my sources.
Okay, Miss Clara the fortuneteller knew everything about me.
Knew my first pet's name started with a W.
This miniature Bijon my parents used to have.
She knew I had trouble making decisions, which is not gonna affect us and our business.
Um Mm? - Hi, I'm Kyle.
- I'm Julia.
Julia, nice to meet you.
- Hi.
Holly.
Nice to meet you.
Sarah's business partner.
- Yeah, I'm consulting for Consulting? You're, like, one of the founders.
So is he.
We're starting an internet company.
Oh, I didn't realize that you were in business with a magician.
- Give it a break, Holly.
- Sarah, so who's your mom's new guy? - Mom has a guy? You don't know? She brought a guy.
Hmm.
Excuse me.
Thank you.
So how do you two know each other? - Ah-ha-ha.
It's funny.
- No, it is.
- It's really a funny story.
- It's very funny.
Hey, guys.
- Hey.
- Isn't this great? I feel like a kid again.
- This is my beautiful daughter Sarah.
- Elton.
Hi.
- Elton.
- Mom was gonna tell us how they met.
Oh, God.
I love the "how we met" stories.
Go on.
We were at a restaurant a Not together.
We weren't together, were we? And this man began to choke.
And Elton, he just went over there and gave him the Heimlich maneuver, - just like that.
- Nora called the paramedics.
And then we started talking, and we have just so much in common.
- Hilarious.
Wow, Mom.
Some guy almost dies, and you go score a date.
- Good girl.
- It's not a date, per se.
- Yeah, and don't worry.
He was fine.
- Yeah.
- Once he spit out the fish bone.
- Ham gristle.
- Ham gristle? - Was it fish bones? - It was a fish bone.
- Yeah.
Oh, it was a fish bone.
I didn't even know what it was.
Okay, so why don't you kids go have some fun? We're going to go and enjoy the magic and all that.
- Nice meeting you.
- You too, Elton.
- What was that? - Guess mom has a new boyfriend.
Elton? Really? Ah.
I see it.
Look toward the bottom of the cup.
See how the leaves form the shape of a heart? Sort of, if I squint.
- What does that mean? - It means there's a great love in store.
- Someone is out there waiting for you.
- Yeah, that would be my boyfriend.
He's out there waiting for me to say "I love you.
" Actually, the placement indicates the distant future.
- It could take years to meet this person.
- Years? What about now? What are you saying, that Justin's love isn't great? - I can only interpret what's here.
- You don't even know him.
I mean, you're just reading some leftover dregs from a stupid teacup.
It's not stupid, unless your spirit is closed.
My spirit is not closed.
I mean, who said that my spirit is closed? Your spirit is closed.
Look, I know you think you're in love, but I promise, another few years, a great love will come along.
You're not even going to remember this guy.
This is wonderful, Ethan.
Great.
Oh, Kevin, you're here.
You just missed some fantastic magic.
Not a fan, remember? I actually need your advice, okay? You worked for your brother-in-law.
What did you do when Dad did things you didn't like? I don't know what you're talking about.
Okay, you didn't tell Mom about Holly for one thing.
I didn't tell your mother because I thought I was protecting her.
My job is to protect Robert, and I'm not saying he's Dad, but he's asking me to cover for him without telling me what it is I'm covering.
All he says is I have to trust him.
Do you? I don't know.
We all know you're the family cynic.
I mean, certainly, that's why you hate magic.
You just are always looking for the angle.
You can't give in to the illusion.
But Robert is not an illusion.
That's what you're gonna have to decide for yourself, if he's putting one over on you or if Robert is the real thing.
And by the way, Kevin, if you can't trust him, don't work for him.
- Make it, you know? - Excuse me, sorry.
- Hey.
- Can I talk to you? Where you been? I've been looking all over for you.
I love you.
- You do? - Mm-hm.
Yeah.
God, that felt good.
Heh.
Wow.
- Damn right, that feels good.
- Ha-ha.
I know.
I feel like there's weight off my shoulders.
That woman had no idea what she was talking about.
Yeah.
- What woman? Nothing.
Just this fortuneteller.
She said that you're not my great love.
Whatever.
Wait, that's why you said it, because some fortuneteller told you we were doomed? So this is your moment? Rebecca, this seems like a lame protest to me.
- Why are you making such a big deal? - Well, I'm sorry, where I come from, saying "I love you" comes from the people saying it.
Okay, well, sorry.
I can't seem to say anything right.
Why don't you just write me a script? You know what? I'm gonna give you these back.
And when you figure it out, you let me know, all right? - So Elton? - Yes, Elton.
Why are you guys so hung up on his name? Have you guys done the dance with no pants? - Sarah.
- What? Come on.
One of us should be having sex, and sadly, it's not me.
Well, it's not me either.
Just because I brought a friend to the party does not mean we're sleeping together.
You brought two men.
I'm not accusing you of having a ménage à trois.
- Mom.
- Well, you're the one who brought up sex.
Well, I regret it.
Almost as much as I regret bringing Ethan and Kyle.
Holly practically did a cartwheel when she heard we were in business together.
Holly doesn't know what the hell she's talking about.
I don't know, Mom.
Maybe she's right.
I mean, a start-up in this financial climate? Bear Stearns can't even keep afloat, and I'm in business with a magician who wants to show me his rocket ship.
- Oh, no.
You think I made a mistake.
- Oh, my God.
- Oh, God.
It's bad.
I really screwed up.
- Oh, hey.
- Kitty, what are you doing here? I thought you were meeting with your birth mother.
- Yeah.
- Well, I It's a long story.
- Well, good.
Tell Sarah about it.
- Whoa.
- Ugh.
What the is up with mom? - I don't know.
She's been acting weird all night.
She brought this guy.
- Elton.
- Elton? Exactly.
What's with the briefcase? Robert won't give you the night off? - Kevin has a new job.
- Yeah, he's a lawyer-turned-Republican.
- I'm still a Democrat, dumb-ass.
- Why don't you be nice? - You'll embarrass your mother's date.
- It's not really a date.
Elton, there you are.
You know, it's such a lovely evening out.
- Why don't we take a walk? - That sounds like a date to me.
I was really enjoying talking to your family.
- Oh.
Hi.
- Kitty.
This is funny.
George? - What are you doing here? - This is Elton.
That's Mom's date.
Don't be rude.
Do you want a drink? - Ah.
You're dating Ryan's dad? - No, she's dating Elton Richards.
- I'm not dating him.
- What? I'm sorry.
Excuse me.
No, no.
This is George Lafferty.
What? - Ryan's George Lafferty? Mom.
- Mom, I knew you were hiding something.
Mom.
All right, fine.
George, this is my family.
Family, this is George Lafferty.
Hi.
Oh, my God.
Unbelievable.
I thought you Since when are you friends with George Lafferty? - He kicked us out of his house.
- You were to his house? - Look, this is really all my fault.
- No, it is not.
I invited you here to meet Ryan's half siblings.
I'm sorry we deceived you, but George needs to figure this out.
I thought meeting you might help.
What is this, a big audition to see if we're up to sibling snuff, Mom? - What's going on? Is everything okay? - Oh, hey, Julia.
- Yes, fine.
It's a lovely party.
- I heard yelling.
Our family? No.
- We're just all catching up with George.
- You mean Elton.
How about some cupcakes? - Can you believe our mom? - Nothing our mom does shocks me anymore.
- Why are you so out of breath? - I've been looking for you.
- Well, where's Scotty? - He couldn't get time off work.
- Where's Robert? - Robert's at home being furious.
Really? How furious? I went to see our birth mother.
Oh, of course.
Oh, good.
- Good, good, good.
- Oh, no.
No, Kevin.
Not good.
Bad.
Very bad.
She changed her mind about the adoption.
She's not gonna go through with it, not with us anyway.
What, did she hear something about Robert? No.
No, she loved Robert.
It was me.
I showed up with all of these questions because I wanted proof - that she wasn't gonna change her mind.
- What's wrong with wanting proof? Well, what's wrong with it is that she couldn't give it to me, obviously.
And she shouldn't have to.
Mm.
But it has nothing to do with Robert? Would you stop trying to make this about Robert? - This is about me.
- All right.
Kevin, I'm serious.
I think I made a very big mistake.
I I couldn't trust her and And now we don't have a baby.
So fix it.
Here you go, sir.
Looks like someone is on the horizon.
Someone who will bring great upheaval into your life.
No, no, no.
I thought so too, but that's wrong.
- No, this reading's clear.
- The reading is wrong.
George is actually a very nice guy just caught in a really difficult situation.
I can identify with that.
Well, the way these cards are spread, this person represents a threat.
Maybe it's talking about his son Ryan.
And I'm telling you right now, I am done being scared.
Siblings should meet each other.
I think we're finally gonna get the chance to meet him.
And I'm actually happy about that.
- That's good.
- Yeah.
That's great.
What else do they say? Ladies and gentlemen, I know many of you don't believe in magic.
Instead, you search for an explanation.
There must be something I'm not telling you, something I'm hiding.
You're right.
Most of the time, magic is about sleight of hand, the principle of misdirection.
I make you look one way, so you forget to look the other.
Hi.
Have you seen a young woman, light brown hair, tall? I seem to have lost my daughter.
- No, but I'll keep an eye out.
- Okay.
- What her name? - Rebecca.
Thanks.
Uh Wait.
Are you Are you Holly? - Yeah.
- I'm George Lafferty.
Oh, my God.
You're Ryan's dad.
- I guess you've heard about me too.
- Yeah.
I hope you don't mind, but Nora told me about what happened with your daughter.
No, I don't mind.
It's just that she might not be the most reliable narrator.
Well, it's probably pretty complicated between you two.
No, actually, it's quite simple.
But I do know what it's like to be in your position, so if there's ever anything that I can do - Holly? - Hmm? Uh I do have a few questions.
Sure.
Watch closely because with Julia's help, you're about to see something so amazing, so improbable, it's hard to chalk it up to any fact or principle.
Man has always dreamed of conquering gravity.
In the 1800s, European audiences saw, for the first time, people rise unassisted off So you called me down here.
What do you got? There's an exit out that way.
Just maybe it's magic.
With one snap of my fingers, the lovely Julia will fall into a deep, deep sleep.
- Nora.
- Oh! Oh, George.
Sorry.
- I got sucked into watching the show.
- It's okay.
I have to go.
Go? What do you mean? You know, your family's lovely and very seductive Seductive? All right, which one of them hit on you? It's not like that.
I was right the first time.
This was a mistake.
It won't be good for Ryan, or any of us.
I'd rather leave it alone.
- I don't understand.
- Our families are what they are.
Let's not destroy anything.
Goodbye, Nora.
- Hi.
- Hey.
- How was the party? - Oh, God.
Never a dull moment.
I'll tell you all about that later.
Robert I am really, really sorry.
I never should've gone to Trish without telling you.
I don't know why, but I just let my anxiety get the best of me.
And I knew how you felt about her, and I didn't want you to think that I was crazy and I love you when you're crazy.
But what I don't love is when you go off, you know, without me and don't tell me about it.
You know, we're gonna be parents, so we need to be - Trusting each other.
- I do trust you.
It's just It's everybody else in the world that I don't trust.
And I just didn't know if I could do it again.
I mean, we've already lost a baby, and I - Oh, is that what this is all about? - Oh, it's everything, you know? It's all the fertility treatments that didn't work, and all the pregnancy tests that came back negative.
And I just I have had my heart broken.
Many times.
But I am ready to be a parent.
- I know.
- And I'm gonna fix it.
I'm gonna make this right with Trish.
I promise.
I'm I'm gonna fix it.
- There she is.
- Good morning.
Hey.
- Coffee? Thank you.
- What time is it? - It's on time.
- You laid down the law, remember? - Have you guys been to bed? Are you kidding? I worked a night at the Magic Manor.
- That's like playing Carnegie Hall.
- Check this out.
See that? New web application.
Simplified, streamlined, sexy.
- And a new carbon footprint graph.
- You did this last night? We may act like we're stupid.
- We're not.
- You don't act stupid.
- You act 20.
- We're older than that.
I know.
Sorry.
Listen, working with you guys, it's a little bit of an adjustment.
- I have a lot at stake.
- Yeah? Well, so do we.
You should see our credit card bills.
We're not gonna fail.
Miss Clara last night told me we're gonna make boatloads of money.
- Heh.
- You just gotta trust the process.
Maybe you're right.
- Ethan, draw me a rocket ship.
- Yes, ma'am.
You seen the paper today? No, I was just "Senator Robert McCallister had a private meeting with fellow Republican Governor Eve Kern urging her to release a strong statement against the limited marriage act in time for the general election.
" - Any word of an affair? - Nope.
Just a follow-up from the governor reaffirming all Californians' rights to marry.
Stu said make it go away.
I made it go away.
While forwarding your own political agenda.
You know, I'm gonna take about five minutes before I fire you.
- Look, I was just - This is grounds for termination.
When you're in a foxhole with someone, you need to know the man who's got your back, and right now, I don't know who you are.
I had to deal with that reporter on the fly.
That statement I had for Proposition 8 was in my briefcase.
It was at my disposal.
I used it.
Do I think you should've released it of your own accord? Absolutely, but I was not out to undermine you.
If you had trusted me with the actual information, I wouldn't have had to resort to this.
Okay.
The governor's having an affair.
And it's messy, and there are children involved, and she wanted to meet with me to get my advice.
And I told her she's gotta come clean, but I don't know where this is gonna end.
Kevin, you have my trust, but there are gonna be times when I'm not gonna be able to tell you everything.
Fair enough.
Here.
Wait.
This isn't Spencer's article.
No, no.
That's an op-ed piece by Henry Myers.
That guy's been pissing on me since the day I got elected.
Now all of a sudden, I'm a hero.
Good job.
Thank you, senator.
Seductive? Our family is seductive? No.
This came right from Holly.
Oh, you don't know that, Nora.
Maybe George decided on his own.
No, no, no, she had it written all over her face.
This woman lives to get at me.
First she pushes me to find George and tell him the truth.
The minute he starts connecting with our family, - she sends him running for the hills.
- Isn't that what you want? Poof? Remember? Holly doesn't have anything on you now.
It's all over.
Yeah.
I can't help feeling there's something looming on the horizon.
Oh, it's a bit overdramatic, wouldn't you say? Even the fortuneteller said that.
Now who's buying into magic? She said someone would come into our lives that would cause great upheaval.
And she said that I would meet a nice woman and I would settle down.
Oh.
Whoops.
All right.
You're right.
What am I worried about? This is exactly what I wanted, and it's the best thing.
It's the very, very best thing.
It's the best thing.
Just tell her to hold on one second because I'm here.
I'm right outside.
I was Oh! - Trish.
- Kitty, you can't keep showing up.
I know.
You're on your way to the airport, but I owe you an apology.
I just got scared because you remind me so much of me, and I know how much I want this baby.
And I know that that's me.
That's not you.
But I promise, I promise there will be no more second guessing.
I'm just gonna take the leap.
I'm gonna be like one of your patients.
My life is in your hands.
And not that you can't change your mind, because of course you have every right to.
It's just that I don't want to change it for you.
So I'm just gonna hang back and wait and And trust you.
Well, thank you.
But I already called my social worker.
She's sending me a new batch of files.
Oh, no, no, no.
Please, please.
Wait, wait, wait.
Don't do that.
Don't do that.
Robert and I are the same people that you picked.
- And we - Kitty, there are plenty of babies out there, and you will be great mom to one of them.
But this shouldn't be so complicated.
Life is complicating enough.
No, you're right.
You're right.
I agree.
I agree.
It shouldn't be so complicated.
You know what? It won't.
I'm sorry.
I really have to go.
Good luck.
Wow.
Hey.
Is this always how you make up? No.
No.
I've just been thinking.
You know that milestone we approached badly, the one we pretty much just smashed right into? Yes, I remember.
Yeah.
I was scared.
I've never said that to anyone before.
It always just kind of made things seem so final, and nothing ever felt final to me.
Except this.
I know that I said that I wanted to wait for the right moment, but there is no right moment because it's every moment.
I love you.
- Can I say it back? - You better.
I love you too.
You gonna kiss me? Well