Not Every Woman (2025) Movie Script

1
[upbeat music]
[ADAM CRYING]
Okay, okay, mommy's coming.
[ADAM CONTINUES CRYING]
[upbeat music]
[running steps while murmuring]
Oh, shit!
Well, hello to you too, beautiful.
[DARRYL] Hey.
[NAOMI] Mm-hmm.
[DARRYL] Oh, ho, ho, ho, ho.
[NAOMI] Mm-hmm.
Hey, you remember that time
he peed all over my rented tux?
Yeah, they almost didn't let me return it.
You were supposed to
be here 40 minutes ago.
I know, hey, hey, baby, look,
it's not like they call me into
work every Saturday, okay?
I got out of there as
soon as I could, I promise.
Darryl, if you were here 40 minutes ago,
this wouldn't have happened.
Okay, okay, seriously, hey,
hey, baby, baby, you gotta
calm down, okay?
If somebody, anybody tells
me to calm down one more time.
[DARRYL] Yeah.
Oh, I'm going to scream.
Oh, baby, come on now.
I like it when you scream.
You know, that's sooky, sooky now.
Is there ever a moment when
sex isn't top of mind for you?
Look, baby, listen to me, okay?
You gots to get into all
of this while you still can.
Okay, listen, the new guy at the firm,
he's just 39 and he's
already popping that Cialis.
All right, so come on,
come on, come on, get in.
I'm going upstairs to change.
They should be here any minute.
Can you please just listen out?
[eating]
Okay.
[uplifting music]
[doorbell ringing]
[patting the pillow]
[sighing]
[sighing]
Okay.
[opening door]
[DARRYL] Hey, Aneesha.
[ANEESHA] Hi.
[DARRYL] Hey, come on, get in here, girl.
[sighing]
[closing door]
How you doing?
Oh, I'm doing good.
Come on in here.
- Oh.
- Ah.
Oh!
[sniffing]
Mmm, you smell nice.
Ah, thank you.
Um, Naomi got it for me.
Haltani, Haltane, something like that.
I don't know how you say it.
Mi franais es asi asi.
Mm-hmm.
[laughing]
- My granddaddy was big on cologne.
- Yeah?
You could smell him before
he walked into the room.
[chuckling]
Mama said it was strong
enough to drown out chitlins.
[laughing]
[CHUCKLING] Chitlins, huh?
- Mm-hmm.
- Yeah.
But when he died of cirrhosis,
I figured that was his way of
covering up his drinking habits.
First thing, every morning, he
would pour cognac in his Folgers.
Irish coffee, he called it.
But when Mama went and got the DNA test,
come to find out, we
ain't got no Irish peoples
in the bloodline.
Get out of here.
[chuckling] Mm-mm.
[laughing]
Look, come on in, have a seat.
Naomi, she should be down in a second.
- Thank you.
- Yeah.
[chuckling]
Let me get that for you.
[ANEESHA] Oh, okay.
Yeah.
Hmm.
Ooh.
Fruity red sangria.
Ooh.
Y'all, y'all really do have a nice place.
Oh, you know, we just trying to do the best
we can with what we got.
I hope to get me a house
one day big enough for me
and DeMarcus and my Cherie Amour.
I'm sorry, my who?
My Cherie Amour, our rescue dog.
We call her Cher Cher for short.
Oh.
Well, that's-that's good for y'all, yeah.
DeMarcus promised to clean
up behind her and take her
outside and stuff.
"I got this, don't worry, Mama."
Of course, that only
lasted for a few weeks.
Guess who's doing everything now?
You.
Mm-hmm, I forgot how hard
it was to potty train a puppy.
Now, this is served cold, right?
I-I think so.
Yeah.
I'm just going to go
and put it in the fridge.
[DARRYL] How about that?
[ANEESHA] Okay.
[DARRYL] Yeah.
[chuckling]
[soft upbeat music]
[indistinct chattering]
[NAOMI] Hey, girl.
[CHUCKLING] Oh, hi.
[NAOMI] It has been entirely too long.
[ANEESHA] Yes. [laughing]
- Thank you so much for inviting me.
- Oh.
- I needed to get out of the house.
Only place I go these days is
to work and to the grocery store,
and that's pretty much it.
- Oh.
- Church sometimes.
- Amen. [chuckling]
[DARRYL] I figured y'all
ladies might be hungry.
Oh...
Is that right?
[DARRYL] Mm-hmm.
Hmm, I will leave you ladies to it, okay?
Baby, if you need anything,
I will be on Adam duty
just like I promised.
Well, I doubt you'll have to do much.
I'm sure he's napping real
good after that diaper explosion
that ruined my Oscar de la Renta.
Hey, hey, hey, hey, baby,
woosah, woo, okay, listen.
If the dry cleaners can't
fix it, your man will buy you
another one, okay?
- [kissing] Promise you.
- Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
[CHEWING]
[LOWERING VOICE] I
can't make your ass happy.
[NAOMI] What's that, honey?
[DARRYL] I said I never
saw you in that dress before.
Yeah, baby, you should wear more often.
Yeah?
[DARRYL] Yeah.
Hmm.
[footsteps]
Might not seem like it now,
but these are the best times, really.
When DeMarcus was born,
his giggle was as sweet
as Nana's 7UP pound cake.
[laughing]
And the people in the street
would stop us and be like,
"Ooh, he is so cute."
I could just cry thinking
back to that time.
Feels like I blinked and
looked up, and he's 6 feet tall.
Boy can't stop talking
about how he's almost grown,
but I still have to remind
his butt to put on deodorant.
[laughing]
You know what we need?
Jesus?
Wine.
Oh.
Well, all right.
Well, amen, sister.
[chuckling]
[soft upbeat music]
Did you want yours,
or do you mind if we
start with some cabernet?
[ANEESHA] You know, I don't
really drink like that, so I ain't picky.
Cool, I figured since this
one was already open.
Mmm, mmm, break it on down.
Girl, you poured that
like it was some Kool-Aid.
No way I can finish all this.
I still have to drive, you know?
Girl, you are more than
welcome to crash on the couch.
Lucky for me, all I have to
do is carry my butt upstairs.
And if I can't manage that,
I can get Darryl to assist.
[chuckling]
On y'all's honeymoon, did
he lift you up like they do
in the movies?
All those outdated traditions
only fuel the patriarchy, right?
Girl, you got yourself a good man.
And he has a great woman.
Cheers.
[glasses clinking]
[chuckling]
[door bell ringing]
Hmm.
[footsteps]
[opening door]
[NAOMI] Pat.
[PAT] Hey, girlie.
[chuckling]
[closing door]
[smooching sounds]
[shoe tapping sounds]
[screaming and laughing]
[yawning]
You'll have to excuse me,
my mind is still halfway across
the world in Fiji, and that's
probably where my body
should be, too.
I... I don't even know
why I bothered returning
to these divided states,
especially after, huh?
Don't even get me started.
Okay.
I hope you like Chianti.
Oh, thank you.
There is this vineyard in
Tuscany on a hill, everywhere
you turn looks like a
Michelangelo masterpiece.
Grazie.
[chuckling]
[ANEESHA] I always wanted to go there.
I love Italian food so much,
I could eat Alfredo sauce out of the jar.
[chuckling]
[chuckling]
Pat, you remember Aneesha
from the Sister Stride Walking Club?
How you doing, sweetheart?
It's been a minute.
Yeah, I only went one time.
I had to change my
schedule, so I had to stop.
But I can tell you've
been keeping up with it.
Thanks, just trying my best, you know.
You are doing way more than just trying.
You are an inspiration to us all.
Okay, okay, stop right
there before you slip up
and say you look so good for your age.
Because, baby, I look good, period.
[snapping fingers]
[laughing]
Pat, take a seat.
I will go grab you some vino.
Hmm.
[PAT CHUCKLING]
[Humming a song]
[soft uplifting music]
Here you are.
Thank you.
Hmm, what's this one called?
Oh, I think that's the Aged Gruyere.
[PAT] Ooh.
[NAOMI] Hmm.
Old cheese is fine by me, but old men?
[chuckling]
[PAT] Honey hush, don't
you get me to talking.
Girl, what are you waiting for?
I-I don't know.
Doctor says I need to lose some weight.
[NAOMI] You can be healthy at any size.
Everybody knows that.
[PAT] Look who's talking.
Mrs. Snatched two seconds
after popping out junior.
Come on.
[NAOMI chuckling nervously]
You didn't get one of those
C-section tummy tucks, did you?
I would never do that.
Well, I would.
[NAOMI] Aneesha, you are beautiful.
Why would you ever do something...
I ain't never been skinny,
but I ain't never been this big either.
[dramatic beats]
[NAOMI] Oh, honey.
[gasping]
That's you?
Meet Pat 1.0.
She tried to be everything for everybody.
[PAT] Then came the high
blood pressure and pre-diabetes.
Gout, too.
Did you get the surgery?
[PAT] No.
I said sayonara to that
sorry excuse of a man
I was dealing with.
[laughing]
And one by one, I cut out
all the toxic people in my life.
[PAT] Even my own sister.
That sounds intense.
Hmm.
Did you do anything else?
I stopped those crazy diets.
I went on walks every day.
And soon enough, I was able
to shop at regular stores again.
[ANEESHA] Ooh.
[PAT] Yeah.
But my big glow up
came when I quit my corporate
job and became a flight attendant.
[laughing]
Oh, lots of folks told me
I was crazy being over 40.
And you know the long list of
things they say about women of
[PAT] a certain age.
[NAOMI] Mm-hmm.
But I ain't living this one
and only life for lots of folks.
[NAOMI] Mm-hmm.
And this is Pat 2.0.
Okay?
[NAOMI] Okay, all right girl.
[laughing]
- Cheers.
- Cheers.
- Cheers.
- Cheers.
[laughing]
[PAT] Ooh, oh wee.
[door bell ringing]
[footsteps]
[opening door]
[NAOMI] Hey girl.
My apologies for my tardiness.
You know how the public transit is in the city.
Oh, stop, stop, stop, hmm.
Aneesha, Pat, this is Sade.
We used to work together at a nonprofit.
She was fabulous and I...
Naomi has a gift of overselling me.
I was just an intern,
summer intern, to be exact.
Six weeks
of unpaid labor in the name of
helping the formerly incarcerated,
secure mind-numbing positions
that probably made them question
whether or not they actually
had repaid their debt to society.
Honey hush, you were doing the Lord's work.
I fell in love with a
returning citizen once.
That man could work miracles
with some spam grits and siracha sauce.
[laughing]
[ANEESHA] Your name's Sade?
Like the singer?
[SADE] If there's one
thing I know for sure,
it's I have to become famous.
Whenever I introduce myself to people,
they either mispronounce
my name, Sadie, Sad-ee, not to
mention the occasional Shade,
or I get flooded with references
about this singer, which
granted, "Lovers Rock" is such a
layered and haunting album,
I'm not completely mad about it.
But still, people fail to
recognize that I'm me.
This is my fave, vegan Shiraz.
Oh.
Ain't all wine vegan?
Many winemakers use gelatin, fish bladders,
and other animal byproducts
during the fermentation process.
Thanks, Sade.
Did you want me to
pour you a glass of this?
Yeah, sure.
Okay.
Where's your bathroom?
Oh, follow me.
Right over here.
[soft instrumental music]
[pouring wine]
[spitting]
[PAT] No offense, but wouldn't that girl be
a whole lot prettier If she toned
down that makeup a little bit.
And if she toned down that mouth a lot.
A bit.
[chuckling]
[PAT] Mm...
[background soft music]
Didn't you taste the hints
of blackberry and cinnamon?
Mm-hmm.
[SADE] If you were to cut me
open, I'd probably bleed this shit.
Somebody's a serious fan.
I wish that was the only reason
for all this excessive drinking.
My stress levels have been
otherworldly since the election.
Uh-uh, hold that thought.
The night is still young, and so are you.
[SADE] You said we
were gonna talk about it.
Don't tell me I took a metro and two buses
here to exchange mac and cheese recipes.
Since when do you cook, girl?
[laughing]
Come on now.
The night is still young.
You ain't got to call me out like that.
[ANEESHA] Sometimes a 10-hour shift.
Sometimes 12, depends.
Wow.
Ooh, wee.
Your feet must be worn
out by the time you clock out.
[laughing]
At least I don't have
to wear heels, though.
Honey hush.
These dogs of mine could
bark up a whole symphony.
[laughing]
Okay, ladies, it's time to
call this meeting to order.
[NOAMI] Welcome to the
first official meeting of the
[NAOMI] Association of Colored
Girls all out of fucks to give.
Here, here.
I don't know about y'all, but I am not
comfortable with that sort of
language as a Christian woman.
[NAOMI] If Jesus was alive to
see what this world has turned into,
[NAOMI] I'm pretty sure he
would have some choice words.
Point taken.
I thought this was a non-religious thing.
[PAT] Oh, Lord.
You ain't one of those,
what do you call it?
Wicca witchcrafters, are you?
[NAOMI] For all this talk about
us being a so-called monolith,
it's clear that we're not, but
everybody's welcome here.
And it's the one thing that
unites us, it's our need to love
on ourselves and start using the N-word as
often as we feel like it.
- What?
- No...
[NAOMI] I'm talking about
no, or to put it more accurately,
hell no.
[ANEESHA laughing]
Oh.
Can't we just tone down
the profanity a little bit?
Please excuse my reach.
[SADE] Pass me some grapes, auntie.
Looks like somebody needs practicing, no?
I want to open up the floor for everyone
to share what's on
their heart, on their mind.
Nothing's off limits.
Who wants to go first?
Hmm.
[breathing heavily]
How am I feeling?
On November 5th, I was a little nervous,
but a little hopeful.
And on November 6th, I was this close
to Googling crack dealer near me.
I've gotten exactly zero sleep since.
Word to the wise, cocaine is a stimulant.
Mm-hmm.
Every time I try and not
think about it, I get some
sort of alert on my phone, and I...
[NAOMI] This is why I
logged off of all social media.
Dunzo.
[ANEESHA] Mm-hmm.
You all are talking about November 6th.
I've been giving this country the side-eye
since January 6th, but
I'm not entirely surprised.
I've seen enough to know.
It's like the whole country told us
to stay in our place and
never, ever forget that it's a
man's world.
Maybe... Maybe it won't be so bad.
I'm just saying.
[DARRYL] Hey, I'm sorry to
interrupt, but I think he's hungry.
[exhaling heavily]
[opening fridge door]
[SIGHING]
[rustling around]
Thanks.
- Mm-hmm.
[closing fridge door]
[TURNING ON FAUCET]
[TURNING OFF FAUCET]
Look, I'm not trying to rush
you, but how much longer do you
think this is gonna take?
[NAOMI] I'm with him
24 hours a day, and I ask
you for one afternoon,
and you can barely do that.
You know, I wonder how many of your friends
out there would be grateful
to God to have a man like me.
Oh, so we're going there?
You know, calm down, no, no,
scratch that, don't calm down,
because that triggers you, right?
Yeah, seems like every
damn thing I say around here...
I love you, Naomi, but
lately your attitude...
- What?
- Is shit.
[ADAM CRYING OVER BABY MONITOR]
[dramatic music]
You want me to feed him?
Yeah, I got it.
[DARRYL OPENING MILK POUCH]
Ho-honey...
I didn't mean to...
I love you, Darryl.
[tapping on surface]
[sensual music]
Lavell.
I love you, Darryl Lavell Brown.
[kissing sound]
Yeah, I love you too.
Oh, and you, um...
you best believe I'm gonna
be waiting up for you tonight,
you hear me?
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
[kissing]
I can't really hear nothing.
- I put money on that, it's her fault.
- Mm-hmm.
[SADE] Exactly, the
woman's always to blame.
Even in a storm, everybody
complains about mother nature.
You never hear a peep about father nature.
Ladies, I promise you this
will be the last interruption.
[PAT] Oh, honey, hush that talk?
[ANEESHA] Mm-hmm.
[PAT] We are guest in your home.
Mm-hmm.
All right, now.
[chuckling]
Uh, father nature,
I've never heard of that.
I'm lost.
We were discussing...
Let's just get back to our little meeting.
Mm-hmm.
Everybody good?
Mm-hmm.
I could use a top off.
All right.
[dramatic beats]
After days of doom
scrolling, I decided that's it,
we need some fresh air.
So I took Adam up to the park.
We were by the playscape.
A couple minutes later, a white woman comes
in with her kid, and I'm
already bracing myself for some
awkward conversation that kicks off with,
"Can you believe what happened?"
I am good and tired of
everybody trauma dumping on us.
[ANEESHA] Hmm, ain't that the truth?
But she didn't say a word.
She just played with her kid,
and I was doing my thing with
Adam, and in my head,
I'm like, "Okay, cool."
But then her phone rings.
She turned to me, "Do you
mind watching her for a sec?
I really need to take this."
Hmm.
And before I could say anything,
she was already halfway
across the park with
her back turned to me, just
giggling her little head off.
And there I was, an instant babysitter.
For all she knew, you could
have been a serial killer.
Oh, when that woman looked
At me, she didn't see evil.
She saw Nanny.
Mammy is more like it.
Not to play devil's advocate, but were
you the only other parent around?
Why do you ask that?
I don't see everything through
the constructs of skin color.
Not to say that racism doesn't
exist, just sometimes there
are honest misunderstandings
between human beings.
I wish I could see the world the same way.
I really do.
Well, all you have to do is keep
an open mind and know that
not everybody's a flaming racist.
Nah.
Know your history.
Be aware of your surroundings.
And remember, if you stay ready,
you ain't gotta get ready.
[suspenseful music]
[PAT] Here, wanna hold it?
[ANEESHA] Mm-mm.
[NAOMI] Pat, I'm not really
comfortable with that in my house.
I understand.
If you want, I can lock it up in my car.
Yes, please, can you do that?
[soft slow music]
Listen, I know this ain't for everybody.
I get that.
But you gotta protect
yourself with something.
I don't care if it's a pocket
knife or pepper spray.
The whole world has gone cray cray.
Hmm?
How about some more hors d'oeuvres?
Sorry, I don't have many vegan options.
Nobody said I was vegan.
Just because I like this
particular wine doesn't mean...
Duly noted.
[upbeat music]
[dialing pad sounds]
[message alert sound]
[dialing pad sound]
[message alert sound]
I can't even think about getting one.
Not with DeMarcus in the house.
But I do keep a knife on me.
[ANEESHA] When I get off late
sometimes, walking back to my car,
[ANEESHA] I be so scared.
Stuff like that makes me
wish I was born a man.
Nasty as they be?
No.
My ex, he used to wear his
drawers and flip them the next day.
[ANEESHA] And guess
who did all the laundry?
[ANEESHA CHUCKLING]
But like I was saying, ain't no
gun or knife or whatever gonna
keep you 100% safe.
That's why we have to
trust in the Lord, right?
Please don't be offended,
but I'm not a believer.
You ain't Christian?
Religions are nothing
but tools of oppression.
Look at the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
[ANEESHA] Mm-hmm.
Our ancestors
were stripped of their cultures
and traditions and indoctrinated
[SADE] with Christianity
and forced into obedience.
Mm-hmm.
And on the topic of obedience,
why all the emphasis on wives submitting
to their husbands in the Bible
and not a peep about husbands
submitting to their wives?
You read the Bible?
The Bible, the Quran, the Torah.
Pick your propaganda, it all comes
down to selling the masses
on accepting their lowly station
in life and never complaining,
because heaven awaits.
[SADE] Isn't that the gist of it?
Hmm, girl, I'm gonna pray for you.
[NAOMI clearing throat]
Since you all are special,
I broke out the chocolate-covered cashews.
Ooh.
[door bell ringing]
[opening door]
[NAOMI] Hey, I'm sorry
that I made such a big fuss.
[PAT] Shh.
[closing door]
Take a deep breath, child.
Your feelings are totally justified.
Never mind if I agree.
But this is your house,
and I gotta respect that.
Mm-hmm.
Hmm?
As women, especially, as Black women.
We waste far too much
energy trying to live up to
everybody else's expectations.
Be smart, but don't outshine nobody.
Be attractive and never sexy.
[laughing]
Be the moral compass
for the entire country.
No, the whole planet.
Be the shoulder to cry on, even if
you're the ones falling apart.
That's why I can't even bring
myself to listen to Chaka Khan's
"I'm Every Woman" anymore.
What about Whitney's version?
Mm-hmm.
[laughing]
The whole point is I'm not every woman.
None of us are.
And don't even get me started
on all of this Black excellence.
I mean, what is the
obsession with being excellent?
[SADE SNAPPING FINGERS] This.
We gotta work twice
as hard for half as much.
That's what my grandmama always said.
I'm not doing that.
You think my grandmother had a choice?
[NAOMI] Of course she didn't,
but we do, and I think it's...
Uh, have you not been watching the news?
Roe V. Wade, like, choices
for women are at an all-time low.
That's the problem, I've been
following the news way too much.
Everybody out there is saying exactly
what's on their mind
about every damn thing.
The filters are off, the masks are off.
And the pointy white hoods are on.
Those are not the ones
you need to worry about.
It's the ones who feel the
need to explain everything away.
Just like racism and misogyny,
just as make-believe as the damn.
Easter Bunny.
[ANEESHA] Hmm.
Clearly that's why she lost.
I don't know.
It's not like she was perfect,
but Michelle, that's my girl.
She would have won.
No, they would have found
a way to tear her down, too.
You're probably right about that.
[ANEESHA] Mm-hmm.
All of those ugly memes
and all the stuff they're saying online,
it couldn't have just been about
the cost of eggs or whatever.
And if I have to hear one more
time about how the Hispanic
community can't be racist,
they got more colorism in their
community than we do.
Those Spanish kids at DeMarcus's school,
they calling him monkey and blackie.
Oh.
Even asked him for the nigga pass.
He told the teacher.
Teacher didn't do nothing.
One day, he couldn't take it no more.
He got into a fight.
But DeMarcus was the
only one that got suspended.
Principal said if it happened
again, he'd be expelled.
No child should ever
have to experience that.
His grades was already bad.
Now with him missing school?
See, this further reinforces
my decision to never have kids.
The planet can barely sustain
the human population as it is.
I have to take this.
[SADE] Sorry guys, I'll be back.
Why do you keep trying to say that?
It's my fault.
That's gaslighting me.
And I looked her dead in the eye.
Sweetie, you're going to
have to get that yourself.
- Maid is not in my job description.
- Mm-hmm.
[laughing]
You okay?
[SADE] Sure.
Actually, no, but...
Last I checked, that ain't vegan.
And neither am I.
You missed it.
Oh, when I put away old Harriet.
Harriet?
I named my Glock after
thee General Harriet Tubman.
Ooh.
Mm-hmm.
Y'all know she had a pistol
on the Underground Railroad?
Yeah.
And in the Civil War, she
had a sharp shooter's rifle.
Makes sense, those were dangerous times.
These are dangerous times.
[NAOMI] I know you're not comparing our
current circumstance to chattel slavery.
[PAT] Of course not,
but I'm going to say this.
As the elder in the
room, not that I look it.
But let me be clear, we are in the belly
of the beast, and you've got to
keep your head on the swivel.
Always.
[SADE] I reject the notion
of constantly living in fear.
No, fear is one thing,
awareness is different.
Not to mention the power of prayer.
Praise the Lord.
Mm-hmm, when I'm all
nervous and my blood pressure is
rising and I don't know what to do,
sometimes I just talk
to God in my mind and...
Let me guess, everything is all right.
By the time I say amen.
- Mm-hmm.
Things go from really bad to not so bad.
If the goal is not so bad,
then the bar is officially in hell.
I agree, we need to
think beyond not so bad.
Which brings me to my next point.
Even though it doesn't seem
like it now, we can still change
things for the better.
[PAT] I am done with all that activism.
I ain't putting on no more marching shoes.
[NAOMI] That's not what I'm
getting at, Pat, and I really...
Let somebody else protest for our rights.
That'll be the day.
I don't know about y'all,
but sometimes it feels like we
were born with these invisible
capes and that it's our
mission to be superheroes for
[NAOMI] everybody else.
Mm-hmm.
Well, I think it's time
to use our powers for us.
It's time to protect our peace.
Mmm, mmm, mmm, mmm.
Honey, hush, that is the best
darn thing you've said all night.
[laughing]
Okay, protect it how?
From who?
I'm sure there is a situation or a person
that you need to get rid of from your life.
I know you ain't talking about
putting a hit out on somebody.
Don't be dragging ole
Harriet into no mess now.
I am law-abiding.
Do I look like a violent person?
You want my honest answer?
[laughing]
[Naomi sighing]
Okay, but I don't understand.
What... what do you mean?
What are you talking about?
Pat has the blueprint.
[NAOMI] Pat, how did
you remove all of these
toxic people from your life?
Well, I can't repeat my exact words,
because I'm born again,
but I told all of them off
with a word that rhymes with duck.
Ooh.
[PAT] Use your imagination, kids.
So you cut all ties, just like that?
Pretty much.
They had it coming.
Well, I'm sure everyone else
in this room, with the exception
of Pat, can think of somebody
who should have it coming.
[ANEESHA] Hmm, that's kinda hard.
Just one?
[chuckling]
Yeah, I know, but who's
at the top of your list?
For me, oh, it's a no-brainer.
It better not be that
fine husband of yours.
No.
[soft low music]
Naomi, I tried to be
flexible in accommodating
your request for PTO days, but
without an actual doctor's note?
What is this all about, anywho?
We need you back, pronto.
I mean, you are the Serena
Williams of grant writing.
And if it's any consolation,
please understand.
I'm having a difficult time as well.
[indistinct] Personally, I find the P-word
grabber's language to be abhorrent.
I mean, I'm not sure
if you're aware of this,
but I come from a working class family.
I'm talking bologna
sandwiches in the lunch pail.
I mean, heck, I was driving
before I knew there was
other kind of lettuces besides iceberg.
[laughing]
Anywho, I put myself
through college waitressing at
a steakhouse, the businessmen
who stopped in there on their
lunch break, the things they
said, not to mention the
things they tried to do to me.
This was all way before Anita Hill.
[chuckling]
You do know who that is, right?
[chuckling]
The point I'm trying
to make is I'm your ally.
As women in this organization,
I mean as women period, we've
got to band together and
have each other's backs.
I mean, there's nothing more
that I want than to support you, but...
You're pushing the boundaries
of my kindness, and my days
of being a doormat are
in the rear view mirror.
So let me be clear.
If you don't return to
work by Monday, I'll have
no choice but to begin
the termination process.
Look, I don't want to lose you,
Naomi, but I'm not going to put
my own career in peril just
because you're having a difficult
time processing the
results of this stupid election.
And let me also point out that
while some people may have been
motivated by prejudice, an
overwhelming majority were clearly
concerned with bread and butter issues.
[indistinct] It pains me to say it,
but it's time we step out of
our liberal bubbles and see the
world as it actually is, not
the world we want it to be.
I still hold on to the
promise of Dr. King's dream
though, don't you?
I mean, you know, maybe one day your son
will experience that, or your grandson.
Oh, another thing, we're
shifting away from remote work.
I know, I know, it's
going to impact all of us.
My garden's gonna suffer immensely.
I just wanted to give you a
heads-up so you can make
childcare arrangements.
I mean, I'm even thinking
of putting Comet into
doggy daycare so he can be
stimulated throughout the day.
And coming back to the
office is not going to be a
problem for you, will it?
[SADE] I counted five, no,
six microaggressions in there.
[ANEESHA] Making this sound
like your son is the same as her dog?
[laughing]
[PAT] They serious about their pets, honey.
[ANEESHA] Mm-hmm.
[PAT] Some of them would rather give
[PAT] Fido mouth-to-mouth
before saving one of us.
When I started working
there, we grabbed lunch.
And I mentioned to her how
I volunteer at a nonprofit that
teaches girls of color how to code.
A few months later at
the office Christmas party,
she kept trying...
- Girl, I knew you were smart,
but I didn't know you could code.
If I could do that,
I would be in a basement
somewhere surrounded by screens
not dealing with any of these clowns.
Oh, I forgot my train of thought again.
You were saying something
about Christmas party?
Oh, yeah, so we did the
whole secret Santa thing,
and as always, I got something
lame that I didn't need or want.
A coffee mug warmer.
Well, I love mine.
Mm-hmm.
I take it on the road
with me and everything.
[NAOMI] But I don't even drink coffee.
[PAT] Oh.
And of course, Michael
in marketing had no idea,
and I'm sure he was just as
delighted with my bobblehead
paperweight that I got him.
At the office, the conversations
are all so surface level.
Weather, sports, kids,
you know how that goes.
So I helped myself to
another glass of eggnog.
[ANEESHA] Mm-hmm.
Okay, two, and as I was
leaving out, Katie stops me and
hands me this little red envelope.
I open it, and she made
a donation in my name to
the Melanated Coding Chicks.
Really?
[NAOMI] Mm-hmm.
How much was it for, if
you don't mind my asking?
$100.
$100?
That barely pays for a
keyboard for the babies.
A few weeks later, she invited
me and Darryl to her house
for dinner.
She broke out the Chilean
sea bass and we had
French wine on her patio as
we looked out over the garden.
And Katie's husband
gave cool white boy vibes.
No blaccent, thank God.
[PAT] If it's one thing I
can't stand, it's wiggers.
There's a bunch at my job.
Every time I hear, "What up, girl?"
[laughing]
I want to smack the mess out of 'em.
So what's the deal?
You need some more time off?
Those are my PTO days, and
I should be able to use them
however the hell I want to.
And Lord knows I needed
some time off to get my
head together after...
I mean, what sort of
doctors note did she expect
me to get exactly?
Patient is struggling to
come to terms with this
ass-backwards country, and
what makes me even matter is...
And by the way, I am
reclaiming all of my angry.
Black woman energy.
I am done with all the niceties.
No more good morning, have a nice day.
I am done.
Oh, I-I forgot my train of thought again.
Oh, that damn baby brain.
Oh, and the worst part, the
worst part about Katie is that
she tried to make everything about her.
I mean, is this what
empathy really looks like?
She kept going on and on
about her working class roots
and some jerks at a steakhouse.
I mean, please, if she would
have said something like...
Naomi, I can't possibly imagine
what you're going through
in this moment, but I am sorry.
America can be real shit-show sometimes.
Most of the time.
But when it comes to your PTO days,
by all means, use them.
However you want.
I mean, me and the rest of the team
can figure it out in this stretch.
Because when you come back,
and I hope you do come back.
Please, don't leave, because
when you come back, I want
you as whole and healed as possible.
Try not to be upset if
some banana nut bread
just happens to show up on your doorstep.
Oh, and I'm sure you saw
that memo about return
to office policy, don't worry,
I'm already in talks to push
that date back.
Between me and you, I'm in no rush to put
on a pair of pants every
day, and sit in traffic, and have [chuckling]
awkward conversations by the water cooler.
[laughing]
Oh, totally off topic.
Do you and Darryl like heirloom tomatoes?
I mean, I have more than
I know what to do with.
[chuckling]
If she said something like that,
at least I'd feel seen, you know?
She probably doesn't even
realize why you're so upset.
I don't buy it.
She knew exactly what she was doing.
She wanted to knock you down a few pegs.
The office manager at my
job, she be doing the most.
Like when I get my
hair braided, she'd be all
up in my scalp talking about,
"Anaya, are these dreadlocks?"
You should report her to HR.
She is HR.
Oh.
Oh.
So, what are you gonna do, honey?
Seems like you already
got one foot out the door.
I'm not really in the
financial position to quit.
But I got an email about
this mandatory team building
exercise next week.
Like, oh my God.
Let's come together
as an organization to uphold
our values and celebrate all
of the countless things we have in common?
Ah.
[GUZZLING WINE]
[NAOMI] Who else needs a refill?
I desperately need this
before delving into the
details of who's at the top of my list.
But I don't want to cut you off, Naomi.
Were you finished?
I think that is enough about
Ms. Katie for one evening.
[PAT] It could be worse.
She could be named Karen, right?
[laughing]
Hey, the coolest white
chick I know is named Karen.
- Oh.
- Oh.
Actually, I haven't told anyone about...
What?
Three years.
It feels like a lifetime, especially
in this city where relationships
only last three months.
And this is the guy who rubbed
my feet when I wore stilettos
the size and a half too small
and brought me ginger ale
when my cramps were so bad.
I wanted to dissect my own
uterus without anesthesia.
Child.
When I say we've been through a lot,
it doesn't even begin to...
This is without a doubt
the closest I've ever been to real love.
Oh.
But...
Going through my phone?
What the hell?
I've never done that to you.
I've never even thought
about doing that to you.
So much for privacy.
So much for trust, right?
You need some serious therapy.
Mm-hmm.
Clearly, this is bigger than...
I'm not sure what pisses me off more.
The fact that you did it, or the fact
that you have the nerve
to be mad at me now.
This is just crazy!
Okay, maybe I shouldn't
have lied to you, but it's
not like your head was ever in
the right space to hear anything
remotely close to the truth.
For all your talk about tolerance,
it's only for people you agree with, right?
Tell me something,
does one vote really make
me some sort of racist, sexist,
ableist, whatever the hell ist?
I can't even keep up with
all these marginalized groups and all their
grievances and agendas.
That's the real problem,
you get to be proud of
everything you are.
But me?
That's not allowed, is it?
You're actually thinking
about breaking up with me.
Because why exactly?
This shit is ridiculous.
You know me, you know what I'm about.
I was raised not even to look at color.
And if we're being
honest here, no race has a
monopoly on assholes.
You are always in my
ear about the struggles of
being a black woman, but
do you honestly think it's
easy for anybody?
[chuckling]
In case you haven't
noticed, I'm still waiting
for my white privilege
mansion filled with millions.
You used to be fun.
Remember that?
Vacation we took to Aspen.
You on the skis in your puffy coat.
I guess that doesn't matter.
Remember the night we were
having dinner at that sushi restaurant
up on the rooftop drinking
sake and you said I treated you
better than any other guy?
I guess it doesn't matter either.
All that seems to matter are
these people and these things
that don't have crap to do with us.
I want us to take things to the next level.
Get a puppy, buy a condo,
maybe even get married.
Unless you think that's too patriarchal.
[somber music]
Sade, I know you're in an
emotional state right now, but I'm
asking you, begging you, to
think sensibly for one millisecond.
I've been feeling waves of anxiety nonstop.
I could just tell that something was off.
Jared was on his phone
a lot more than usual,
and I'm not an insecure
person, not in the least.
I even explored polyamorous
relationships in the past.
You talking about man-sharing?
Ooh, that's just nasty.
A lot of us are sharing
whether we realize it or not.
[NAOMI CLEARING THROAT] Sade has the floor.
Go ahead, Sade.
One night, we're watching some silly movie,
and he fell asleep on the couch.
And I thought about it for half a second.
Maybe like maybe I shouldn't
do this, but a better part
of me just had to know.
I held up his phone and unlocked
it with the facial recognition.
He was asleep the whole time?
Shit, edibles are incredible.
That's why I leaves that sticky icky alone.
You ain't gonna catch me slipping.
If I was not nursing, I'd totally
be down for some chronic.
Totally.
[laughing]
Sorry, we keep going off
on all of these tangents here.
I don't mind, not at all.
So you broke into his phone and?
I'm expecting to see
evidence of another woman.
There's this new girl at his
job, and he keeps bringing
her up randomly in conversations.
Isn't that always how it starts?
- Mm-hmm.
- Mm-hmm.
[SADE] I'm just thinking, like, here we go.
But what I saw made
me wish he was a cheater.
In a group text with a bunch of dudes,
they were like, "I'm so
glad that-that cunt lost,
and these bitches
better learn their place."
- Mm-mm.
- And there was my Jared, a
self-proclaimed male feminist
with bell hooks on the living
room shelf and Lauryn Hill on his
playlist, giving nothing but
thumbs up and laughing emojis.
I know you didn't just say bell hooks.
The worst part was when he said,
"You better not tell
your girl how you voted.
We won't get any ass
till the next election."
And that got the most likes.
See, that's why I leave
the white meat alone.
They hit on me all the
time, but no, thank you.
I'd have to pistol whip
somebody with ole Harriet if
they ever got out of pocket like that.
[PAT] Honey, hush.
I gots to stick to my brothas.
Problematic as they may be.
Uh! Some Black men think that way.
I don't think most brothers are like that.
[ANEESHA] Men in general,
only want to use us for what
they can get out of us.
When a man tells me he loves me,
something bad usually happens right after.
[PAT] Well...
[SLAPPING HANDS]
[SADE] The craziest thing is that
he was pretending this whole time.
We met at a BLM rally.
[PAT] Jesus.
Keep me near the cross.
[SADE] He keeps saying I
shouldn't take it personal.
It was just guy talk,
joking around, you know?
How am I supposed to take it?
Women are literally dying
because they don't have bodily autonomy.
- Yeah.
Broke my heart when I heard
about Amber Thurman and the
other woman in Texas.
It's too many to name.
When I think about
everything that I've done
just so that he can have
sexual access to my body
without using a condom.
In what world would a man shove
a copper device up his genitals
just to avoid a pregnancy?
I just... God.
[ANEESHA] Yeah.
That IUD is serious.
My periods are the worst.
To be a woman is to be
born into a lifetime of pain.
[PAT] It's always been that way.
[ANEESHA] Yeah.
[PAT] And to be born a black woman,
[PAT] doctors won't even
listen when we say we're hurting.
I can't even sleep because it feels like
I'm laying next to a stranger.
Every time I look at him, I just...
[ANEESHA] Y'all live together?
Unfortunately, which makes
leaving that much harder.
Mm-hmm.
[SADE] I haven't been able to
find a job since I got laid off
four months ago, and not to
mention my student debt.
Jared pays most of the bills, so...
[NAOMI] You are more than
welcome to stay in our guest room.
But I can't make any promises
in the sleep department, seeing
that Adam wakes up three
times a night on average.
That's really nice of you, Naomi,
but my grandma already told
me I could move in with her.
She never liked Jared, so I
guess her intuition was spot on.
And she'll be serving up salmon croquettes,
and I told you so for
breakfast, if I decide to go over.
[PAT] Ain't no shame
in accepting help, child.
Too many sisters have suffered because
they refuse to reach out for
help when they needed it most.
Why do you think we have [chuckling]
the highest rates of every
ailment under the sun?
Mm-hmm.
Three years.
The Jared I thought I knew
would have just said something like-
Would it make you feel better
if you let out a big scream?
Go ahead.
[laughing]
Want to punch the wall?
Wait, whoa, whoa.
Just not too hard, okay?
I'm trying to get our
security deposit back.
I was just kidding.
Oh, I love you so much.
I'm sorry about... I know you
were hoping things would turn
out differently, but the
way I look at it, America still
made history.
A convicted felon was
elected to the highest office.
[chuckling]
What? What?
Too soon to joke about that?
[laughing]
There it is.
The most alluring smile
I've ever laid eyes on.
You know one of the
things I love most about you?
You always make room
in that big heart of yours
to care for so many different
people and different causes.
The way you advocate for social justice.
How you go out of your way to
separate compost from recycle.
[chuckling]
I saw those things in you
and I thought to myself,
"If a woman like that
loves me, I know it will be
immersive beyond anything I can imagine."
The other women before
you, it was all transactional.
But the way you love me, it
reaches down into my soul,
and I want to spend the
rest of my life with you.
One moment at a time,
one election at a time.
Whatever comes, I want to be right here
for my beautiful Black queen.
Is it all right if I say that?
[laughing]
There's that smile again.
I'll give anything to hear that.
You still love him?
I love the guy I thought he was.
[SADE] But it feels like I
never really knew Jared.
Before I got pregnant with
DeMarcus, Ed was a decent man.
Even had the nerve to be sweet sometimes.
[NAOMI] You scare me
when you say things like that.
I doubt you have to worry
about Darryl switching up on you.
Ain't about worrying.
It's about understanding that
if something goes sideways,
you need to have a plan B.
Mm-hmm.
All the way to plan Z.
They'll probably outlaw that, too.
What?
Plan B, all forms of birth
control, they're dead set on
controlling our bodies.
Their ultimate goal is to have us
in our careers and force us to
have babies we don't even want.
I don't know what world you're living in.
But Black women
have always had to work
and take care of home.
My mama
was a school janitor.
Lady across the street, Mrs.
Howard, was a domestic cleaning
white folks' homes.
And my Auntie Sarah was a laundry woman.
They got up every day and can't see
in the morning and busted
their behinds for nothing
remotely close to a living wage.
Came home and cooked a
hot meal from whatever
scraps they could piece together.
Loved on their babies, and
when the witch and I were rolling
around, and they were dog-tired.
They had to find that last drop of energy
to please their husbands.
[ANEESHA] Yeah.
So please remember, however
hard it may seem right now,
you got a lot more
choices than they ever had.
[ANEESHA] Mm-hmm.
But for how long?
Exactly.
- I lived just like those
women in your family.
In some ways, I still do.
I'm not going to be able to
pick up DeMarcus this Saturday.
Something came up.
We'll see about next weekend, though.
What?
Don't look at me like that, Aneesha.
That's why I can't talk to you.
You always complaining about something.
If it wasn't for DeMarcus...
You know, my mama, she
raised me and my brothers without
one dime of child support, not one penny.
She did it all by herself.
No welfare, no food
stamps, none of that shit.
She just figured it out on her own.
Look at you, barely keeping it together,
blowing up my phone
over every little thing.
That boy is going to be grown in two years.
He going to have to fend for himself,
or he'll never know what
it's like to be a real man.
Of course, you wouldn't
know nothing about that.
Society done got soft.
All these government
programs and safe spaces.
Hope they get rid of all that shit.
People need to wake the hell up.
I know you ain't gonna like to hear this,
but I'm happy about
how everything turned out.
Oh, don't get me wrong,
I didn't vote for the man.
Shit.
In fact, I didn't vote at all.
I don't believe in none
of that political bullshit.
I just think that America, no,
the world, is about to get the
wake-up call that it deserves.
Maybe then sisters will start
respecting a man's place in
the home, finally stop
putting dresses on our boys.
And I am sick and tired
of people blaming racism
for every single thing.
[chuckling]
Kevin Samuels, Rest In
Power, he always talked about
putting our families back together.
Hell, I'm down if you are.
Be good for DeMarcus to see that.
Hmm, that little dog y'all
got, he cute for a mutt.
You know, there's always
something I'm gonna love about you, girl.
[chuckling]
Turn around, let me see it.
Hmm.
[chuckling]
All right.
The hardest part...
is not talking about Ed, especially,
when DeMarcus is around.
That's still his father.
[PAT] Mm-hmm.
[SADE] What you're going
through is wrong on so many levels.
But I just can't comprehend why people
always scapegoat the LGBTQIA+ community.
And what do those letters stand for again?
As a Christian, I can't lie.
That is something that I
have always struggled with.
And that is until it came to
my doorstep, in the form of my
Uncle Walter.
All through the years, Uncle
Walter was a consummate bachelor.
He'd bring a lady friend around
the house from time to time.
But they never seemed to stick and one day.
I think, I'm guessing, he must
have been in his mid-30s by then.
And he was driving my Auntie
Sarah back home from church.
Mm-hmm.
He put the car in park and said, "Mama,
I got something I want you to know.
I'm gay, I like men."
And she was like,
"You gots to be joking.
That's just foolishness."
[ANEESHA] Mm.
And when she saw he
was serious, she practically
ran out of that car, calling him
everything but a child of God.
[ANEESHA] Ooh.
Hmm.
She flat-out disowned him,
and the rest of the family followed suit.
It didn't matter that most
of them had been divorced a
few times over or had children
out of wedlock.
Oh, no, Uncle Walter's
sin was unforgivable.
Mind you, this was at a time
when most people assumed that
all homosexuals had AIDS.
[ANEESHA] Mm.
Okay?
That first Christmas without
Uncle Walter, I had to hold back
the tears.
I missed uncle Walter's laughter, and how
he knew everything there
was to know about classic cars.
[ANEESHA] Mm-hmm.
[sighing]
That night, I walked to the
pay phone at the corner store
to call him.
"Merry Christmas, Uncle Walter."
[ANEESHA] Oh.
He was happy to hear from me,
but his voice still sounded sad.
We didn't talk for very long.
He rushed me off the phone.
I think it was a bit much for him
not being with the family on Christmas Day.
And so I said before you go,
"When can I see you?"
And we met up for lunch the very next day.
- Oh.
- Oh.
[chuckling]
Oh, when I walked into that restaurant,
I almost did not recognize him.
I mean, don't get me wrong,
Uncle Walter always looked good.
Come on now.
But there was just something
about the way the light was
shining through the window,
mixed with the light in his eye.
I sat across from a man who
was free, and he was still my uncle.
[ANEESHA] Yeah.
[PAT] And I still loved him.
How in the world does anything else matter?
I never understood why people
are so obsessed with what
adults do in the own privacy
of their bedroom anyway.
[PAT] Hmm.
[SADE SNAPPING FINGERS]
This.
Back to the business at
hand, you got to put Mr. Ed
on child support.
Oh, everybody keeps telling me that, but...
What?
If he don't pay and get
locked up behind that,
DeMarcus will think I'm
some type of monster.
[PAT] How is you struggling to
do it all on your own, the solution?
[PAT] Hmm?
Last time I got some money
from Ed, he gave me $50
for DeMarcus's football
uniform a few months ago.
I just wish there was some other way
that I could do this
without going to court.
When I got with Ed, he was different.
I can just hear him say it.
Hey, how you holding up?
I know it's a lot.
Crazy as this is,
our people done been through way worse.
At least, that's how I look at it.
How's our boy holding up?
I saw that picture that you posted of him.
But I know one thing, you
sure are feeding him good.
[laughing]
That boy is growing like nobody's business.
From the looks of it, he
gonna be taller than his daddy.
How about that?
Listen, if it's okay with
you, I'm gonna pick
him up for the next few weekends.
Now, I know, it's supposed
to be every other weekend but.
I really think I need to be around
DeMarcus as much as possible.
There's a lot I gotta teach him.
Especially about being a young Black man.
This country is something
else, but when shit pops
off, and it definitely will,
I want him to be ready.
Aneesha,
I don't say this enough,
but I appreciate you.
The way you hold our boy
down, it's a beautiful thing.
I'm going to do a lot more.
A lot more.
Matter of fact, I'm not
just gonna talk about it.
I'm gonna be about it.
Here.
Yeah.
[chuckling]
I know it ain't much,
but hopefully, it'll help.
Lord knows that boy can throw down a plate.
[laughing]
I don't blame him.
Ooh, I miss your cooking.
What I wouldn't do for some gumbo,
a little sweet water cornbread.
[laughing]
[exhaling]
I really had a good thing with you.
I know I messed that up.
Hey, how's it going with that new puppy?
Why'd you name her that?
[laughing]
I used to play that song all the time.
Every time I used to come
home from work, Stevie Wonder
just blasting through the speakers.
My cherie amour.
[laughing]
You know I still love you, right?
You know that, don't you?
Most of these bitch-, females
nowadays ain't about shit.
But you and me, we had something good.
Who knows, maybe it'll come back around.
Until then, I'm gonna be
more present in DeMarcus's life.
And, uh, there's plenty
more what this came from.
La, la, la, la, la, la.
Hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm.
[laughing]
Just to hear him say,
one time that he appreciates me.
That would have really been something.
[NAOMI] How do you even...
I couldn't imagine doing it all by myself.
I hope you don't think it's
rude that I'm asking this, but...
Was it a planned pregnancy?
We didn't plan on having no
baby, and we didn't plan on
not having one either.
It kind of just happened.
Like everything else in my life.
If you could go back, would
you make different choices?
I never knew that I could love somebody in
this world so much when DeMarcus was born.
He is the reason why I'm able to get up.
[NAOMI] When the doctor
first put Adam in my arms,
and he looked at me with
those big old brown eyes,
it was the closest I ever felt to God.
[NAOMI] I saw me and Daryl.
I saw our parents and all the
generations that came before.
All wrapped up in his adorable little face.
[SADE] No offense, but we need to
use that same energy for ourselves.
[SADE] This whole idea of
motherhood as our destiny, we have to
break away from that.
I love being a mom, but it's perfectly
okay if you don't want to be one.
Thank you for saying that.
You don't have any kids either, right?
No, honey, I sure don't.
Did you ever want any?
I think we should pray.
Oh, you know how I feel about it.
[PAT] Take my hand, girl.
Almighty God, we need
you here in this house.
Please wrap your arms around us
and help us to be strong when we are weary.
And please help us to see that
you are the one who's able to
make a way out of no way.
[ANEESHA] Yes.
We ask this in the matchless name
of your only begotten son.
[ANEESHA] Yes.
Jesus Christ.
Amen.
- Amen.
- Amen.
What?
I needed to check in with the
Lord before saying my piece.
For the life of me, I
cannot get how you can
shape your mouth to say that you too busy.
My first-born child can't
even pick up the phone.
It's been 48 hours, Patricia.
Anything could have happened to me.
Anything could have happened
to me in that time frame.
I mean, I could have up and died.
Would you even know?
I mean, did you even
think about that, Missy?
And you can say what you
want to about your sister.
Now, she checks in on me every single day.
And twice on Sunday.
Not to mention that she
knows how to keep her a man.
[chuckling]
Shoot, come to think of it,
that's at the crux of all
that confusion in your life.
I want you to look me in
my eye and tell me that you
wouldn't be better off
if you had settled down.
With a God-fearing man, of course.
You could have at least given
me one grandchild, just one.
In your prime, hmm, you was a real looker.
I mean, I remember all
those men fawning all over you,
[chuckling]
tripping over themselves,
just to open up the door for you.
Open up the door for my Patricia Ann.
Your beauty was a gift from God.
[laughing]
And you managed to throw
all of that down the drain,
along with any hope of you
living a good Christian life.
Hmm, the Lord said,
be fruitful and multiply.
And you defied Him,
doing whatever, whenever,
with whomever, running
around like some kind of heathen.
But I guess that's what you wanted.
[chuckling]
And then you say I'm
judgmental, I'm judgmental.
[chuckles]
I'm judgmental.
What you need to remember
is I'm your mama, girl.
And the one thing I'm never
gonna do, I refuse to lie to you.
Remember when you said
you weren't gonna get married
because that wasn't the
key to your happiness?
Well, people do such foolish
things as chasing happiness
like it's a butterfly.
They can seal up in a jar.
I was 19 years old when
your daddy came courting.
And one night, in the backseat
of that Thunderbird, before I
knew what was what, you went
from being a twinkle in
my eye to a secret I was
desperate to hide.
Huh, I could have gone
across town to the fixer
woman, and she would have
just nipped that right in the bud.
But hey, maybe, maybe then I
could have found all my happiness.
But I decided to marry your
daddy down at the courthouse
the day before they
shipped him off to Vietnam.
Can I ask you something, Missy?
Where was my happiness when he'd have
those nightmares about the war
and start screaming and hollering
in his sleep?
Hmm?
Where was my happiness
when he couldn't hold down a job?
They didn't even know
nothing about no PTSD.
They didn't know nothing
about that back then.
Tell me where was my happiness when
they posted all those eviction
notices on my front door so
that the whole neighborhood
could see, where was my happiness?
[sighing]
[chuckling]
And now look at you,
with your passport and
your cosmopolitan ways.
[chuckling]
Girl, you ain't never once had to worry
about nobody and nothing besides yourself.
But me, I done spent my
whole life putting everybody
else's needs in front of my own.
But no.
Reason why I don't complain?
[chuckling]
I know come judgment day, I'm gonna
walk through those pearly
gates and walk down that street
of gold, and I'm going to
have every bit of happiness
I can hold.
Hallelujah.
All the happiness I can hold up in heaven.
There ain't no need for
me to be worked up over
all this madness and all these,
these, these worldly things.
Child, oh, Lord.
[sighing]
And that's why I'm not
bothered about this election.
Not one bit.
And who I voted for ain't
none of your business.
None whatsoever.
Folks just need to learn
how to keep their mouth shut.
Especially them old young girls that's
flouncing around and acting
like there ain't no tomorrow.
Ain't nobody want to hear
all that fussin' and whatnot.
Anybody want to hear that?
And why you going around with
your bloomers all up in a bunch?
Can't nobody even get close enough
to you to even get you pregnant.
Them eggs of yours.
[chuckling]
Them eggs of yours now turned into powder.
[chuckling]
Crazy thing about it is,
Mama, with all her melodramatic
antics, she actually helped
make the case as to why I should
never have children or jump the broom.
I can't remember a single
time I ever saw Mom happy.
Don't get me wrong, there
are photographs of her smiling.
But a smile always looked forced.
[ANEESHA] Mm-hmm.
Like, come on, hurry
up and take the picture.
You know?
[chuckling]
I assume you've been to therapy together.
I assume you missed the memo about.
Colored folk of a certain
age not fooling with that.
[ANEESHA] Mm-hmm.
But I did go a time or two.
But there is no way Mama
is ever gonna step foot into a
head shrink's office.
Mm-mm.
No.
I can't imagine if my mother...
Oh... After everything that I
have been through, and it's
been a lot, she has
always been there for me.
And a second mother to DeMarcus.
Without her, I can't even...
You think your mother has
undiagnosed depression?
Bipolar disorder?
Mental illness does run in the family.
But, nobody ever
talked about it or ever really
tried to do anything about it and...
Except pray.
And try to carry on as if
everything was normal.
We need to normalize
therapy in our community.
We need to normalize a lot of shit.
At the end of the day, that's
still your mother, though.
[SADE] My old roommate
went no contact with her mother.
Full stop, blocked and
deleted on her phone.
When her mom sent her a letter, she tossed
it into a bonfire, lit up a
joint, said she'd never speak
to that condescending bitch again.
Oh, the way I was raised,
you never turned your back on your peoples.
All we really have in life is family.
Mama tells me all the
time that I'm selfish.
It started back in high
school when I applied
to colleges on the
other side of the country.
I aimed to get as far away
from that woman as possible.
But in the dorm room,
when I watched other girls
opening up care packages,
butterscotch candy,
perfume, warm winter scarfs,
[PAT] I kept checking
the mail, hoping, maybe.
But of course, it never came.
The little girl inside of me wanted to cry.
[ANEESHA] Oh, yeah.
Even at this big age, I still
wish things were different.
I just got two questions for you.
How are you?
And where are you?
[chuckling]
I just can't keep up.
I can never keep up,
with you just are
flying all over the place.
Child, you remember Miss Harrison?
You remember Miss
Harrison, right, from church?
Well, anyway, every time I tell her
about any of those gifts
that you send me from all over
the world, her lazy eye starts twitching.
[laughing]
I think she's jealous of me, you know?
Her son sent her a Mother's
Day card from the dollar store.
[chuckles]
Pray tell.
[laughing]
[sighing]
I know I haven't said it in so many words.
But Patricia, you are my firstborn.
You are the smartest and
the prettiest in the whole family.
And if you tell your sister I
said that she'd be fit to be tied.
You went out into the
world dancing to the beat
of your own drum.
And me?
Shoot, I'm just a simple country girl.
I couldn't even wrap my
mind around the way you live
your life, but I can tell you are happy.
You have to understand
that the way I grew up,
it was too dangerous for
us to think outside of box.
And all the men who thought
that way, they ended up lynched.
And the women, what happened to them,
I am sure they wished they were dead.
I never thought about happiness for myself.
Surviving was the only option.
And that's why I leaned into the Lord.
Because I figured in the afterlife,
I would get everything
that I never got in this one.
Mm-hmm, and that has always been enough for
me to just keep going.
Patricia, hear me out.
I know that you are disappointed
in this country and all the
mess that has gone down.
Huh, we have our faith
and we have our strength
and ain't nothing, ain't
nothing gonna shake that.
I mean nothing.
And if you ever start to feel
like hope is disappearing,
huh, you best trust
and believe that is not.
Mm-mm.
It's not.
[slow uplifting music]
[fire cracking sound]
Maybe one day, Mama
will say she's proud of me.
Mm-hmm.
Maybe.
[laughing]
I don't know about y'all but I
needed this more than I realized.
Just being able to speak my
mind without holding nothing
back and getting it all out of my system.
Hmm.
Feels so good.
You know?
Yeah.
This even tops my weekend
in Monterey, tripping
off 'shrooms, watching the
sea lions and all their tranquility.
Yeah, but we can't stop here.
Like Michelle said, we
have to do something.
I thought we were done
talking about the election.
I did everything, I made
calls to swing states,
posted on social, I voted
early, I even donated.
Ain't you between jobs, though?
- I...
- This is beyond politics.
I'm talking next-level resistance.
Here we go.
[NAOMI] I think we have to
be the change we want to see.
And I think you've had way too much wine,
Dr. Martin Luther X.
How's this?
Hi, Katy, please consider this
email my official resignation.
Effective immediately.
Warm regards, Naomi Brown.
P.S. Most of us have everything
we need to get through a crisis.
We just have to tap into it.
- Anita Hill.
Girl, you didn't even give two weeks.
Shouldn't you talk to Darryl first?
If I got fired, I wouldn't
even get a two-minute notice.
[snapping fingers]
And my husband doesn't
call the shots in my life.
Ooh, I'm feeling this queen energy.
[NAOMI] Okay, okay, okay, who's next?
Hey, Granny.
Did I wake you?
I, I just...
Is it still okay if I come and
stay with you for a while?
I don't think things are gonna
work out with me and Jared.
[ANEESHA] Aw.
Thanks, Grandma.
I'll let you know when I'm on the way.
Love you.
Well, that was the easy part.
Now I gotta figure out if I'm gonna break
up with Jared in person or...
Is it true about the young
folks breaking up over text these days?
My last boyfriend, he's 50.
[PAT] No.
And he did it just like that.
His old triflin' butt.
To hell with it.
I can't forgive you.
And I don't have to.
We're done.
I'll come pick up my stuff on Saturday.
[breathing in and out heavily]
That's heavy.
How are you feeling, girl?
Like I should have done
that a long time ago.
Probably for the best
that you didn't meet face to face.
These men, they can be downright possessive
and don't know how to act right.
If you want, I can meet
up with you on Saturday.
Me and ole Harriet can
keep an eye on things.
[chuckling]
Make sure everybody stays cool.
Mm-hmm.
And I can give you a ride to
your grandmama's house tonight.
Thanks.
[SADE] Well, you all going
to let us be the only ones?
Well, I guess it's our turn next, huh?
Mama usually turns in at 8:00 every night.
So I have to wait till
tomorrow to call her.
When I get her on the phone,
I'll make it clear that I love her.
And if she starts in
again with that negativity
about me and how I
choose to live my life again,
I'll hang up.
That's all there is to it.
[ANEESHA] I'm going to call in tomorrow,
and I'm going to use my last
PTO day so I can go down to
the courthouse and file child support.
[NAOMI] Isn't it beautiful how we all are
putting up boundaries
and protecting our peace?
Let's keep this energy
going, and if we can do that,
we're going to be all right.
No, ma'am.
Sorry, but you wrong.
So wrong.
This is how it's going down.
We ain't going to be just all right.
We're going to be amazing.
But the one thing we are not
going to be is every woman.
Come on now, cheers.
[screaming and laughing]
Take these shoes off.
Oh!
[low sensual music]
Hey babe, you up?
[DARRYL] Um, yeah.
[DARRYL] Yeah, babe, I am now.
[DARRYL] How was it?
Good.
Better than good, actually.
[DARRYL] Mm-hmm.
[DARRYL] Yeah.
[DARRYL] Yeah, that's what's up, babe.
My biggest takeaway is that
I am done chasing perfection.
Hell, I think we all are.
[DARRYL] Mm-hmm.
[DARRYL] Naomi?
Babe, who the hell asked you to be perfect?
Because I know damn well it wasn't me.
I'm talking about
societal expectations of us.
We're at large, you know?
We at large...
Hey, baby, I love you.
Okay, good night.
How would you feel
about me quitting my job?
[DARRYL] No.
No, baby [indistinct], no.
Baby, how much wine
have you had tonight, huh?
You know how I've been feeling,
and with the whole return to work thing,
I want to stay home with Adam,
at least for the long stretch.
- No, no, no, baby, are we
even having this discussion
right now?
I've already drafted the email,
but I just need your blessing.
Lord, Lord, Lord, Lord, girl, come on.
Okay, just, just, seriously,
baby, baby, just, just, just, just,
give me a second, okay, just...
Um...
I take it you're not on board.
[DARRYL] Okay, look, hey, do we
have to talk about this right now, huh?
Fine.
Okay, okay, okay, okay.
I know that you're going
through a lot right now but...
No, no, no, no, no,
no, no, no, look, Naomi,
you need to know life
ain't been no crystal stars
for me either, okay?
[NAOMI] I never said that.
Yeah, every time I go into that office,
it's like I'm going to hell most days.
You need to know that, okay?
Folks... Folks looking at me like
I'm some DEI token nigga...
As if I don't deserve to be there.
Yeah, never mind the fact that
I graduated magna cum laude
from Howard Law School, or
that I saved a client $2 million
on that Whitlock settlement,
or that I even helped to build
- that damn company from the ground up.
- Baby, I know, I know.
And I appreciate everything
that you've done and more, but...
No, no, no, baby, but listen
to me, my point is, you don't
see me quitting.
I want to quit, too.
Yeah, but baby, I am hanging in there.
Okay, I'm hanging in there for you,
I'm hanging in there for Adam,
baby, I am hanging in there
for our future.
Okay, listen, in five
years from now, me and
Cordell, we can strike out and we can
strike out and start our own firm, okay?
That's the plan.
[somber music]
No, no.
[Darryl sighing]
[somber music]
Okay, okay, okay, okay,
hey, we'll make it work, okay?
[indistinct] I guess less steak nights, more, more meat loaf.
We'll make it work, huh?
Oh.
[kissing sound]
Thank you.
Thank you.
Seeing you like this... [laughing]
Right here.
Right now.
That means everything to me.
[sensual music]
- I love you.
- Yeah?
- Mm-hmm.
- You do?
I love you too.
Naomi
Kenya.
Brown [giggling]
[sensual music]
[ADAM CRYING]
Oh, um...
Hold that thought.
[indistinct]
- Come on, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby.
- Mm-mm, mm-mm.
Ah.
[sensual music]
In this season, it's important
to abandon the things and
people that no longer serve
us, to hold on tight to what does.
Our happiness is not up for
negotiation and neither is our peace.
We are deserving, and we are enough.
[DARRYL] Hey, babe, what you working on?
I'm publishing a new blog.
Not Every Woman: A Sista's
Guide To Burning The Cape.
[DARRYL] Huh, that
actually sounds interesting.
[DARRYL] Now is it monetized?
Hmm?
Look, I'm just happy to see that you are
working on something productive.
Now can I get a sneak peek?
I'm on my first draft, but
it's about exposing fakery.
Because there's plenty of foes pretending
to be friends out there.
Ooh, may the church say amen.
I came up with a list of signs
to know if somebody really,
really has your back.
And there's only one person
who checks off everything.
And more.
Hmm.
Oh, it is you.
[kissing sounds]
[moaning sounds]
[music playing]