01x02 - Ava's Story

[bunniefuu]

Why'd you do it, Ava?

Can we get just one word for the Herald?

Can you talk about the baby?

She has no comment, okay?

And she can't hear you.

Just let us through.

- Where's the interpreter?

- She's stuck in traffic.

- We need an interpreter. It's the law.

- Yeah, I know!

And if she'd taken the plea

deal, we wouldn't be here.

Right, she'd be in prison.

Look, I, I just

I'm worried the jury

won't find her sympathetic.

Okay?

Juries, uh they they feel

very protective about babies.

Hi!

Hi.

I was grocery shopping.

I just bought a few things.

I have a green juice for you.

It's much healthier than these.

A cookie or two won't hurt.

I know. God, I'm sorry.

I just overthink everything.

If I was carrying my own baby

I would have eaten

all the cookies by now.

Oh it's just so unbearable.

I worked full-time through school,

built a business in a world of men,

stayed married through IVF

but I have this stupid

incompetent cervix

so I can't do the one thing women

are supposed to be able to do.

That clueless teenagers do every day!

Oh, I, I'm sorry. I didn't

She says she was 16 and

she didn't know anything.

She's glad that she can carry your baby.

Um so, I have to go teach.

Oh, of course! We're good.

Right?

He is such a good guy.

I know this must be weird for him.

Can I?

I just

I want her to hear my voice.

I want her to know me.

You know, I'm afraid

that when she gets here

she won't know me.

You know?

Oh! What a kick!

Hi, little one!

I'm here! I'm your mama!

Oh, I can't wait to meet you!

Yeah. She takes after you!

Let me make you some lunch!

Oh, is that?

Oh, Ava!

Hey! What's goin' on? I'm just workin'.

Get your ass to the hospital!

We're havin' a baby!

Oh, my God! We're havin'

a baby! Okay. Whoo!

- Push, Ava! Push!

- You got this, Ava!

Oh.

Oh hello.

It's okay.

So, your baby is healthy and strong,

with an excellent Apgar score.

Great color, great heart rate,

great reflexes.

Uh, what about the the hearing thing?

Newborns fail hearing tests

all the time.

For fluid in the ears, for reasons

that aren't significant.

Yeah.

Um, if she can't hear,

it's not because we had

a deaf surrogate, right?

No. No, no.

There might be a genetic component,

but I understand you two

were the gamete providers?

My great-aunt Margo was deaf.

Oh! Then we'll definitely

want to follow up.

I'll schedule it now.

- Your who?

- My grandmother's sister.

She was an artist.

She used to give me drawing lessons.

They're gonna do more tests.

Max, it'll be okay.

It'll be okay.

Can we talk a minute?

Uh, I kinda need to finish this.

It's just that we have

the audiology appointment.

And I know these tests

have been upsetting for you.

Yeah, well, she cried

through half of them.

Weren't they upsetting for you?

They were.

But I think it would help

if we talked about it.

About

her being deaf.

I don't really know what to say.

You could tell me how you're feeling.

Because not talking about it

is k*lling me.

Okay

I'm feeling betrayed.

Betrayed?

You know, I just can't figure out

why you didn't tell me

about your deaf great-aunt.

Oh I guess I never thought about it.

So she's not why

you chose a deaf surrogate?

No! I loved the statement Ava wrote.

She was so genuine and kind.

And she lives so close.

- So we could be involved.

- Yeah, I just, I

I keep thinking how you were so

obsessed with every little detail.

All the organic groceries.

And so I wonder why

you didn't think of this

kind of crucial genetic fact.

Or why you would keep that a secret.

I didn't keep it secret.

What do I know about your great-aunts?

That none of them are deaf!

Let the record show that the

defendant is charged

with kidnapping and reckless

endangerment of a child.

The jury has received

my preliminary instructions.

We are proceeding to opening statements.

Hello.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I've never seen that face before.

- Are you comin' to bed?

- Look at this. Look.

- Hello!

- Look at her face when she hears her mother's voice.

She looks surprised.

Well, she looks amazed.

I've never seen that

Please come to bed.

Don't you want skin time with her?

You know, our insurance company

is not going to cover the

cochlear implants until she's 2,

that's way too late.

You know thank God for royalties.

We don't even know if she's a candidate.

I know you wanted a musical kid.

And that is still possible.

The technology now, it's just so good.

I mean, sometimes people can't

even tell their kid is deaf.

It's okay.

You're okay.

Let's go to bed, my love.

I was nearby. I thought you

might want to see the baby.

And you said you had milk?

Yeah, and she's gaining weight.

All on track. 96th percentile in height.

So maybe she'll be a supermodel!

Or a rower.

A volleyball player.

Uh, can I sit down?

Yeah.

No, no, no! Of course not.

Uh, my great-aunt Margo was

deaf, so maybe it's that gene?

And you can see, she's wonderful!

Not so good.

He's having a hard time.

Uh can I ask you a question?

I don't know if this is rude. Uh

The audiologist talked

about hearing aids

and sign language and cochlear implants.

Right. Did you ever think

about getting them?

But some people use them,

right? Like KJ has hearing aids.

The computer

processes sounds to send to the nerve.

Not the same as hearing.

Is it close, though?

Max really wants her to hear.

Music is everything to him.

And honestly, I want her

to hear, too, if it's possible.

It's an easier life, right?

Um, Max is my partner

and my baby's father

so I have to make

these decisions with him.

Parents make decisions

for their children all the time.

Yeah. Yeah.

Um, she's called Lucie.

Ava! Hi.

Oh! Well, that is

so generous of you, but

Um, come on in.

Hey! Ava!

I was driving around,

hoping she might sleep.

Ava brought milk!

Fantastic!

Hey, uh, Ava, I've been

watching this documentary.

It's called "Moonlight Sonata".

It's about a deaf kid

with cochlear implants

who's learning Beethoven on the piano.

Right, but the implants are

they're so much better now. Right?

Um, you know Jenny told me about

your your headaches.

But everything's just so

much more advanced now

so I guess that's just science, right?

Oh !

"Dear Max and Jenny.

I wanted to try and communicate

something better than I did in person.

Jenny says you're considering

cochlear implants.

Some people may think you

should let a child decide later.

There are benefits to deafness.

There's a beautiful culture,

and a beautiful language.

If you knew Lucie was gay, and

would belong to that culture,

you wouldn't get her

a straightness implant

to try to make her life easier.

Right?"

Um, it's not like being gay.

- She said, "How do you know?"

- No, I, I know what she said.

But it's just not the same.

No, no, we don't

we can't wait. I mean

The implants work best if you

get them as soon as you can!

Max, can I talk to you for a second?

Excuse excuse me.

I told you we can do the surgery!

- Just stop talking about it!

- Why do you want to lie to her?

I don't! I just don't want

to be insensitive!

I'm not being insensitive,

I am being honest!

And incredibly rude!

If you'd been honest about your

aunt Margo, we could have tested.

We wouldn't be in this situation.

Are you saying you'd

rather not have Lucie?

Our baby, that we tried so hard to get?

Jenny, be serious!

This is a child's life

we're talking about!

I know! Are you a eugenicist now?

No! No! I'm being rational!

You're being a nightmare!

No! I am being a parent!

I am being a father!

Did I marry a guy who

throws things at his wife?

I don't know! I don't know.

Are you gonna throw things at Lucie?

No! No. No.

I'm sorry.

I'm

I'm so sorry.

I'm so sorry.

We've got to get back to Ava.

I know.

Where's Ava?

Where is she?

Ava?

Ava!

Stop! Stop! Stop!

Mr. and Mrs. Peterson, please follow me.

We've reached Ava's mother.

Do you have family that Ava trusts,

or people that she might

be heading toward?

No. It's just us, just us two.

I was an only child. So is Ava.

What about her father?

She mentioned him.

I bet she said he left

because she was deaf

and that I blame her for it.

Ava tends to make

everything about herself.

I've always found her incredibly

generous and altruistic.

Does Ava know where her father lives?

No. I mean if she did,

she wouldn't tell me.

But he's long gone now.

Well, she might have looked for him.

Ava does what Ava wants.

She's always been stubborn.

Well, please call us

if she gets in touch.

I'm telling you, she won't.

You're her mother. Why

wouldn't she talk to you?

Just because you rented

my daughter's uterus,

you don't get to speak to me that way.

I have to go now.

My tour bus is leaving.

Yes, thank you for joining us

on your vacation.

I knew surrogacy was going

to be too much for Ava.

I warned her.

Ava said her mother was tough, but wow.

- Poor Ava.

- Poor Ava?

Imagine growing up

with a mother like that!

She stole our baby, Jenny!

It's hard for me to get worked

up about all the why of it.

Well, we put out a description

of Ava's car and plates.

We'll keep you apprised

when we know something.

Thank you.

Ava

So I'll be in touch when

we know something, okay?

Whoa. Wait, wait, wait, what?

You're not arresting him?

- He says he doesn't know anything.

- And you believe him?

There's no evidence

that he was involved.

And he came in of his own

accord, to talk.

Please, KJ.

I'm Lucie's mother.

If there's anything you know

about where my baby is

The baby you wanted to mutilate

and to send back like a

broken damaged package?

She's our child, dammit!

Yes, and I teach kids who

have parents just like you two

and they feel like failures

because they can't hear,

and that's all their parents care about.

Do you know how deep that goes?

- Max!

- Hey.

- How dare you! - Max!

- Hey!

You want an as*ault charge

mixed up with all this?

No, you don't.

- What'd he say?

- I don't know. Something you deserve.

Why am I the bad guy? Ava took our kid!

Because she thought

we were gonna hurt her!

And because her mother's a nightmare!

How do you not understand that?

Oh, Lucie!

Oh!

Oh, Lucie.

I love you.

I will always.

I'll always be here.

Oh, God.

I considered her a friend.

I trusted her completely

and I thought she trusted me.

It must have felt like a

betrayal, when she took Lucie.

- Objection. Leading the witness.

- Overruled.

It did feel like a betrayal.

I'm so sorry. It did.

I have no further questions.

No questions, Your Honor.

Are you kidding? No questions?

Order, please.

Are you familiar with

postpartum depression, Rose?

I've heard of it.

So you know it can be debilitating,

and can impair judgment?

I don't know about that.

Did you see any signs of

depression or stress in Ava,

when you saw her after the birth?

No. She seemed fine.

Do you remember when Ava was born?

Uh, how it was for you, afterward?

Yes. It was a long and difficult labor.

And Ava cried.

She cried all the time.

But I still went to work.

I still fulfilled my commitments.

I, um

uh, no further questions.

No questions, Your Honor.

Let the record show that the State

has chosen not to cross-examine.

Let's adjourn for today.

We'll reconvene at 9 am tomorrow.

Thank you all for your time.

We told you not to put her on the stand!

But you you were so sure you had it!

Look, I mean, who throws

her own kid under the bus?

Ava tried to warn you

but you just didn't listen!

You have to do something!

I'm doing the best that I can, okay?

I'm just trying to avoid her

getting 15 years, you know.

So she said no to the 2-year

plea deal but won't

Good morning.

Uh, this is Sari.

I've briefed her on the case.

And given her the football.

KJ was right. I'm no

the right lawyer for you.

The football?

Can I have a moment alone with Ava?

Can you tell me about growing up

in a family that didn't sign?

I'm nervous

saying this, in front of my mother.

We've never had this conversation before

and I don't want to hurt her feelings.

When I was growing up

I was always trying to read lips

to catch what people were saying

at home and at school.

Hearing people always

forget to look at you.

And when I would ask

why are people laughing,

they would say,

"Oh, it's not important".

But it is important to me.

When I was 10 years old,

I went to a deaf school

and finally, I was able to catch up.

But I'd missed so much.

Do you know why your family didn't sign?

- Objection. Irrelevant.

- Overruled.

When I was two, my father left.

My mother raised me alone.

She was working all the time.

You've given birth before, correct?

- That's required for surrogacy.

- Yes.

When I was in high school I was pregnant

for six months and I didn't know.

And I would imagine

if the adults in my life

were able to communicate with me,

if they were motivated,

if they really wanted

to communicate with me,

that wouldn't have happened.

But that experience led me to this one.

And Lucie

she's so wonderful.

When I was pregnant with her,

she would kick and I would think about

how she would be such a good dancer.

After she was born,

her parents didn't seem happy.

And then they started fighting.

And I could see, or I

thought I could see,

that all of the pain that I endured

for all those years

was about to come to her,

someone I cherished.

And at that moment

all I could think to do

was to protect her,

to make sure she was safe,

to give her all of the love,

and for her to be wanted.

Back in high school, the baby

that I had was hearing.

And maybe someday in the future

I might have a hearing child of my own.

I know that might not happen now

but I would sign with them,

I would give them options.

I would give them a hearing role

model, and music, and speech.

Surgery and devices might be helpful,

but they're not going

to make Lucie like you.

She isn't like you.

If you give her sign language,

she will learn everything

so much faster.

She will be able to study

all different things

and not just focus on learning

how to use her voice.

She will find who she is.

She will have a complete

language from the start.

I think you have to consider the child

for who they are,

not what you expect them to be.

Just let them be themselves.

Thank you.

I have no further questions.

Would the State like to cross-examine?

One moment, please, Your Honor.

May we approach the bench, Your Honor?

Your Honor, the parents

don't wish to continue.

You represent the State,

not the parents.

We've taken a lot of people's

time to get a jury.

I know.

But they're very insistent.

Well

I do think, based on what we've heard,

that it would be

a miscarriage of justice

to convict on kidnapping charges.

And no one has established

that the child was endangered.

If the parents are truly in agreement,

I would look favorably

on a motion to dismiss.

May I talk to Ava for just one minute?

Thank you.

I promise. I heard you.

We're gonna find teachers, a school.

And maybe you can come

see us sometime

with the baby.

Um

Bye.