Gracie's Choice Page #7

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No, they're mine!

Good luck with your

child support, Daddy.

You guys, what is this?

Well, wake up and smell the roses.

Congratulations!

- Thank you.

- You have to stay in bed.

- Breakfast in bed, like on TV.

- Oh, my goodness. One, four, three.

- Come here.

- One, four, three, Gracie.

This looks delicious.

Jarrod Tarlaton.

Gracie Thompson.

Yeah! All right, Gracie!

All right, Gracie!

Your parents must be very proud.

Exactly.

- Gracie!

- Hey, there you are.

- Hold it. Hold it, guys. I want to get this.

- Cheese!

- Beautiful.

- I am so proud of you.

- Congratulations.

- I told you you could do it.

- Hey, there's punch in the corner.

- Gracie, Tommy, there you are.

- Congratulations.

- Thank you, Mrs. Thurston.

- Let's get a picture.

- I'm so proud of you.

I am sorry I was a pain in the ass.

I hated your guts.

Don't worry about it.

I hated yours too.

I got a job this summer

doing books for an escrow company.

This from the girl who once told me

she couldn't do math?

I'm loading numbers into a computer,

that's all.

Whatever it is, you're starting a new life

and with a new scholarship.

Now, that is the best news.

You proud of that? I can't believe it.

Boys, do you want to say hello

to Mrs. Thurston? Say hello.

Hi, Mrs. Thurston.

So when were you gonna tell me?

I don't know.

- I just got all messed up.

- You found out you got a scholarship...

...and you threw it away?

How do I go to college

and leave the boys? A few years...

Robbie's 7 years old.

That's a long time, Gracie.

Look, I just gotta know.

Do you love me or not?

Tommy, you know that I do.

Say it, Gracie.

But I can't turn my back on the boys.

Even if I wanted to, I can't.

Let somebody adopt them.

It's a good opportunity...

If anybody's gonna adopt them,

it's gonna be me.

Do you know what you just said?

So you're serious.

- You're gonna try and adopt them yourself?

- I don't know what I'm gonna do.

Look, the boys adore you...

...and I know that you love them.

- I love you, damn it!

I want to be with you!

I want to marry you!

I want us to have our own kids,

not with them.

- Tommy, don't say that.

- You've got to make a choice.

Look, I'm sorry, Gracie.

I'm only 19.

Got my whole life ahead of me.

I can't.

Gracie, your family is ruining your life.

You don't even see it.

You expect me to take this pro bono?

I don't expect anything. I'm hoping.

- Do you know your mom will sign a release?

- I don't.

The only way she'd sign it

is if she was high on pot.

They'll assign her a lawyer.

You only get one shot in court.

You'd have to luck out

with an understanding judge.

- We had one before.

- And what about the fathers?

I don't know who half of them are.

Neither does my mother.

You have to get a hold of relatives. You

have to check out last known addresses.

You have to put ads in newspapers.

You've got to locate these people

so parental rights can be terminated.

- Ancillary costs can add up.

- I know. I'm prepared.

I went through all of this stuff

with an adoption worker.

There's little or no precedent for this.

A person as young as you...

Are you gonna help me or not?

Robbie?

Don't wrinkle it. I just ironed it.

It's an expensive shirt.

Belonged to my boss.

Come on. We gotta get going.

We can't be late.

- It got a big stain.

- Tuck it in and it won't show.

- Why can't we ever get anything new?

- Why don't you start mowing more lawns?

- Are you scrubbed good behind your ears?

- My hair okay?

What is that smell?

I used some of Tommy's cologne

he left in the bathroom.

- Well, you used too much.

- Is Mom gonna be there?

Come on.

All right, I want you to sit over here.

You're in charge.

Do not talk to anyone, okay?

Excuse me, while I go barf my guts out.

Would you mind if I had two of those?

- Aspirin?

- Yeah.

Yeah, sure.

I come here this morning

thinking I was doing some good...

...and they took my children away

from me.

What kind of people take babies

away from their mothers?

I don't...

Sorry.

I mean...

I hope... I hope it works out for you.

It's a great idea. Gracie's gonna love it.

- Hi, Gracie.

- Look who's here, Gracie.

Well, hi there, Gracie.

Hey, what do you think?

- They said I should look respectable.

- She looks pretty, doesn't she?

I do feel like my mother.

Maybe I should add more lipstick.

- You're beautiful, Mom.

- You look... You look fine.

- Mom wants to take us to Wyoming.

- Well...

We could all go.

Gracie, you too. You're invited.

- We could start over.

- We can take Lobo.

She's gonna sell Grandma Lou's house

and buy one in Wyoming.

We're gonna have a ranch house with

cottonwood trees and a pond and a pasture.

We're gonna have a huge garden.

Because we'll grow

all of our own food, right?

Oh, and she says we're gonna have horses.

Arabian horses like Shamire.

Yes, yes, yes.

I know I wasn't a good mother...

...but like I told the boys, I loved you.

I love all of my children.

I'm gonna make up for it now.

Please don't do this.

I'll raise them like I was raised.

My parents were good Christians.

I had a good upbringing. It's just that

I got a little off track, that's all.

- I'm in a parenting class now.

- You've only attended once.

Well, that's because I only found out

about it in the end...

...but I'm gonna go

to the next session, I swear.

Judge Marks, this is all a mistake.

I want my kids. I want to give them

a good life. I've always wanted that.

Are you prepared to get a job?

You won't raise them on welfare.

Well, I'm taking it one step at a time.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Will any of the children's fathers

be present here?

Oh, golly, no, no, no.

No, they owe me way too much

child support. I never had a penny.

But I will tell you that these kids

were conceived in love.

I understand, but according to the petition

signed by your daughter...

Oh, yes, I read that.

Gracie is a good kid,

but that's all she is is a kid.

If you don't see me fit to raise the children,

they should go to families that'll help them.

No one helped them more than I.

Please. I've gone over dozens of reports

from social workers.

They'll tell you I've been the one

that's been responsible...

...for feeding and clothing them.

I get them to school. It has always been me.

You should know that she has sex

with a boy in the...

- That is not the way it went! He loved me!

- Yes, it is!

- It is the way it is.

- And I loved him.

Will counsel on both sides please

try to get a grip on your clients?

Miss Larson.

I'd like to call the children

to the courtroom.

Let's.

Boys, the judge wants to see you.

- Come on.

- Come on, Robbie.

Ryan Walker...

...Jonny Blicker...

...and Robbie Locascio...

...you've been sworn in,

and I've explained what that means.

Now I'm going to ask each of you

a very hard question.

Ryan, you're the eldest,

so I'm going to ask you first.

Who do you want to live with?

One, four, three.

I love you, Mom.

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