Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor Page #7

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You know you never could lie to me.

I'm your mother.

God's not pleased with this, daughter.

I knew when you moved here.

I knew the devil was gon' be after you.

I just knew it.

And look at you. You're fallen.

Look at you, you're changing.

Please, baby, come back.

Now, you know I taught you

the ways of the Lord.

You know better.

Come on out here, now. Come pray with me.

Okay, Mama. I'll come out there

and I'll pray with you.

But then what?

Am I supposed to stop wearing makeup?

And wear dresses down to my ankle,

and pretend like I'm all holy and happy,

and sanctified for the Lord like you do?

Nobody's pretending, baby.

Yeah, well, I'm just saying

it don't take all that to love the Lord.

Why you so disrespectful to me?

I'm just saying what my father

shoulda told you long ago.

Now, you can just leave him right outta this.

God bless the dead.

God bless the dead?

So, Mama, we're still doing that act?

When you gon' quit it?

We both know he's still alive. Yeah.

I found him in Youngstown, Mama.

And he told me all about you.

And how you left him

the second you joined that church.

How you kept him outta my life.

So what do you gotta lie about it for?

You trying to turn this all around on me.

But it's not about me. It's about you.

That fool out there,

'bout to make a bigger fool outta you.

That boy is gonna hurt you somethin' bad.

And he gon' take you straight to hell.

Well, I'll enjoy the ride.

Where you get that smart mouth from?

How dare you talk to me like that?

I done worked my fingers to the bone

to make sure you had a decent life.

I done cleaned more toilets

than you can think of

and then you would talk

to your mother like this?

Not today.

Not today!

What's going on?

Well, you know my mother.

She feels that the devil is after me,

so she in there hollerin'.

"Yea, though I walk through

the valley of the shadow of death,

"I will fear no evil.

"He maketh me to lie down

in green pastures."

Brice, I need you take care of my child.

I will, but tell me what's going on.

God, Lord, Jesus and the Host.

- Judith, what's going on?

- Please, not you, too.

Judith, I've never seen her or you

act like this. Talk to me.

Brice, okay, I just want to go take a shower.

It's really not that deep.

No, Judith, Judith, talk to me. Please.

Judith, talk to me. Judith!

Judith!

Please!

Wait a minute.

Those are not my hand-me-downs.

No, they are not. Take that for me.

Oh, my God. You caught on.

Wait a minute. Wait.

You caught on. Let me see.

- I am so proud.

- Like it? Yes?

This is my finest moment in life.

- Is Janice in?

- Yes.

Hi.

What, you don't knock?

Just the person I wanted to see. Have a seat.

No, I'll stand.

I wanted to thank you for the job,

but this will be my last week.

No. This is your last day.

I just got a call from Harley,

telling me that he's out of the deal with me

and opening a practice for you.

That's what we plan to do.

We?

Little girl,

you have no idea what you are in for.

But I wish you all the best

with your struggle.

You know, I've been meaning to tell you,

you are in an existential identity crisis.

I did my research on you.

You spent those two weeks in Paris

and all of a sudden

you got a French accent?

Girl, we know you from Georgia.

B*tch, you better

get your ass outta my office.

Now!

That should do it.

- Thank you.

- Thank you.

What's going on? You okay?

Yeah.

Why are you so quiet?

I'm sorry.

Brice, what's the matter?

Melinda, I'm fine.

No, you're not. Come on.

Everything you done for me here,

let me return the favor.

What's going on?

I think I lost my wife.

I'm sorry.

I'm so sorry. Are you sure?

I can't even believe it.

I don't know what I did wrong.

I didn't know it was that bad.

I just thought that...

Brice, sometimes we can

get comfortable with people.

And that's what causes the problems.

That's how it is.

But I didn't even know she was unhappy.

Well, she probably wasn't.

Most times you're happy

until somebody comes along

and shows you something different.

Maybe I did take her for granted.

Well, say you did. But this is wrong.

This is wrong of her, man.

You don't deserve this.

You can't take the responsibility

for what she did.

Because when people cheat...

I never said she was cheating.

She's cheating.

Miss Waco, I didn't...

Calm down! But the lesbian is right.

Lesbian? I'm not a lesbian.

You're not?

I'm sorry. I thought that you...

The boots and the sweater.

You know, she's met somebody

that's making her look at life differently.

Face it!

So what do I do?

If you see a mob fighting with bricks,

you don't join in the fight

unless you have one, too.

May I help you?

You have a prescription?

Hey, I wanna go home with you.

Judith!

- Hey, Brice.

- Come on, let's go.

Go home.

Judith, let's go, now! Get up!

I don't think she wants to go with you.

Judith, let's go!

- Baby, I'm getting tired of this.

- Baby? Get up.

- Get up.

- Hey! Hey! Hey!

Get offa me.

Get your damn hands offa me!

Get offa me!

What is wrong with you?

Get your damn hands off of me!

Have you lost your mind?

Maybe.

I'm at home waiting on you.

And this is what you're doing?

Well, stop waiting, Brice.

This is how you do me?

You're messing around with this clown.

Baby, you don't know how much I love you.

Baby, come home.

If you come home,

I promise you I'll never mention it again.

Just come home, please.

Please.

Oh, you're such a good guy.

And I really hope you find a nice girl.

What are you saying to me?

I feel so dead with you, Brice.

I do.

And I wanna feel alive. I wanna feel wanted.

I don't.

You took me for granted. You did.

I don't just want a good guy.

I want a phenomenal guy.

You're not phenomenal.

What are you... What are you saying to me?

We have someone I can pay

to help you through this

and help counsel you.

What?

Judith, you're not saying this to me.

I tried. I loved you.

I wanted to love you.

And I'm sorry if I failed.

I'm sorry.

Fine.

I will help you pack your sh*t.

I don't need anything. I'll just get my laptop.

I have everything I need,

everything I could ask for here.

Bye.

Here you go.

How are you doing? You okay?

No.

I understand what you're going through.

She was just so cold.

She wasn't herself.

Her mother warned me. She was right.

Brice, I'm so sorry.

I know this pain.

What are you doing?

We're not attracted to each other.

Okay, you're just hurting

and you'll do anything

to make the pain go away.

Trust me. I've been there.

I'm sorry.

I know it hurts right now.

And I'm not gon' lie to you,

it's gon' hurt for a long time,

and it's gon' seem like it's forever.

But you're gonna get through this.

I promise.

I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

You coming up?

Hell, yeah, I'm comin' up.

I wanna see how this dude has you livin'.

Well, he should be at work,

so he's not home.

Hey, move it! You're blocking the road!

Go around.

Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Lord.

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