Milton is sitting in his office when Kate walks in.
Milton: Wow, you’re visiting without Ellie? Is that allowed?
Kate: You joke, but I’m pretty sure she believes that the job of the Whip is just to be my sidekick or something.
Milton: And she’s had this job for how long?
Kate: I just don’t have the heart to tell her she’s wrong!
Milton: It’s not that big of a deal, it’s not like the whip has much to do anyway.
Kate: Speaking of things to do… what are you up to?
Milton: No. Whatever devious plot you have in mind, no.
Kate: Devious? When have I ever been devious?
Milton: We’re politicians, we’re always devious.
Kate: That’s a gross generalization.
Milton: Anyway, I’m sitting here on my computer, reading this email from Sarah’s birth mom, Marilyn.
Kate: Oh, god! The one who -
Milton: Uh-huh.
Kate: She has some nerve!
Milton: It’s a tough situation, Kate.
Kate: I would imagine so! Poor Sarah felt heartbroken when she basically rejected her.
Milton: That’s not really what happened. She had a baby of her own, and then she got caught up with taking care of them, and now it’s two years later and she’s finally ready for us to meet her.
Kate: Is Sarah up to it now? That had to be hard last time.
Milton: Hence why I’m just sitting here staring at it instead of writing back.
Kate: Just call her and ask her if she’s up to it.
Ellie: Who are we talking about?
Kate: Ah, damn, she found me!
Ellie: I always do!
Milton: Are you two seriously this connected all the time?
Ellie: Just at work. I give her some space once the working day’s done.
Kate: You know what they say, when the working day is done, Senate Majority Leader’s just wanna have fun.
Ellie: So what’s the hot gossip going on in here?
Milton: Nothing juicy. Sarah’s birth mom just emailed me wanting to finally meet Sarah.
Ellie: Oh, that’s juicy! What are you gonna tell that selfish b?
Milton: I think you guys have the wrong idea about her, she’s just a new mom who didn’t have the time. It’s not like she had any responsibility to Sarah, she had to focus on that child she was carrying.
Kate: I guess you’re right.
Ellie: But how can you be sure she won’t do the same thing this time and cancel on Sarah just before they’re supposed to meet again?
Milton: I don’t think she’s pregnant this time, for starters.
Ellie: There will be another excuse.
Kate: You always think so negatively of other humans.
Ellie: You agreed with me a minute ago!
Kate: I never said anything of the sort. Not to your face, anyway.
Ellie: I was eavesdropping, duh!
Kate: Seventy years old, she still acts like a child.
Ellie: I do not!
Kate: Do too!
Milton: You two are of minimal help on this one.
Kate: You never really asked for help at all!
Milton: Well, I need it! How do I respond?
Ellie: It’s Sarah’s life, my god, just ask her!
Kate: You seem very passionate about that.
Ellie: I just think Milton needs to consider the opinion of the person this impacts the most. Call her up and ask her if it’s something that you need an answer to ASAP. Be a man!
Milton: All right, I got the message.
Ellie: Well, I’m being accused of not being helpful, so I have to do what I can to prove you wrong!
Milton: I was probably going to call her anyway, but I’m too frightened of you to not immediately do that. So, I’ll do it now.
Kate: Does that mean we have to leave?
Milton: I can just go in the other room.
Kate: Good, because we weren’t going to leave. It’s scary in the hallway. Reporters are out there.
Ellie: I’m old, so I can just walk by and pretend I don’t hear them.
Kate: I’m almost at the age where I can do that.
Milton walks away and calls Sarah.
Patty Lynn: Hey, Milton!
Milton: Mom, where is my daughter?
Patty Lynn: Oh, she’s outside.
Milton: Why is she outside without her phone? And why did you pick up? Is everything okay or are you guys being held hostage and this is a cry for help?
Patty Lynn: Kiddo, you sound paranoid. You almost sound like me! Knock that off, I need my son back!
Milton: Okay, but why is a teenage girl outside without her phone? They don’t do that.
Patty Lynn: She forgot it, your dad called her outside to help him with something that apparently your aunt and I are too frail to do.
Milton: Do you regularly pick up her cell phone for her?
Patty Lynn: Well, the ringtone is just so annoying, I couldn’t handle it anymore. I tried to turn it off, but then I saw you were calling and I decided to answer.
Milton: So, can you go give her the phone?
Patty Lynn: Do you not want to talk with your mother?
Milton: It’s not that I don’t want to talk to you, it’s just that I have something to ask her.
Patty Lynn: You can ask me!
Milton: You’re not going to make this easy for me, are you?
Patty Lynn: I’ll go put her on! You’re worrying me, though, you only call when there’s trouble!
Milton: She’s my daughter, I think I’m allowed to call her.
Patty Lynn: I didn’t say you couldn’t, just that there’s usually something wrong when you do.
Milton: Mom, put her on.
Patty Lynn: I’m getting her!
Milton: Thank you!
Kathleen: So, what’s up?
Milton: Where did you come from?
Kathleen: She set the phone down, I just wanted to see what was wrong.
Milton: Nothing is wrong!
Kathleen: Something sounds wrong.
Milton: Good lord. Why was I born into a family of nosy nutjobs?
Kathleen: You just got lucky.
Sarah: Dad! That you?
Milton: My god, finally?
Sarah: I’m sorry they were giving you a hard time. They’re very annoying.
Milton: I’m used to them, don’t worry about it.
Sarah: So what’s up?
Milton: Do you remember when we went to Sarasota?
Sarah: You mean to meet my birth mother just for her to say we couldn’t meet her after all? Yes.
Milton: Well, she wants to meet you again. Ball’s in your court.
Sarah: It really took her this long to decide she wanted to meet me again?
Milton: I think she’s been busy with her new baby. I speak from experience when I say it’s very time-consuming.
Sarah: You were able to juggle a political career, she can’t juggle seeing me once?
Milton: Everyone is different, try not to hold it against her. Again, it’s your call, but I do think it’s worth meeting her. You’ll always wonder if you don’t. You don’t even need to stay friendly with her after meeting her, just give it a chance.
Sarah: You’re right.
Milton: I don’t hear that very often, if you can believe it.
Sarah: I can, actually.
Milton: Ouch.
Sarah: So go ahead and tell her I’ll meet her. It has to be here, though, I’m not going back to Florida. Once was enough!
Milton: Oh, that was always her plan. She’s coming to town on vacation next week, she figured this would be a good time, since it wouldn’t inconvenience you.
Sarah: All right, sounds good.
Milton: You don’t sound too excited.
Sarah: I’m not. I’ll still do it, though.
Milton: I think you’ll probably look back and be glad you did it.
Sarah: I’m sure.9
The next day, Moira visits Marietta at her office.
Tammy: Hey, we got a visitor!
Henrietta: Oh no, she’s going to interrupt our busy day of doing nothing!
Tammy: What brings you to our office on this fine day, Moira?
Moira: Stress. Anxiety.
Amy: Yeah, we’ve got a lot of that, you’ve come to the right place.
Moira: No, I’m stressed and anxious, I need to get rid of it.
Amy: Oh… we’re probably not the right place for that.
Marietta: What are you stressed about?
Amy: My career, getting older, the check engine light on my Mitsubishi…
Tammy: Since when do you drive a Mitsubishi?
Amy: Since 1996.
Tammy: Well, that’s probably what’s wrong with your car, then.
Marietta: Moira, ignore them. What’s bringing you stress?
Moira: Sarah.
Marietta: I can relate.
Tammy: And, with how much she whines about her, we can all relate.
Henrietta: I wouldn’t call it “whining.”
Amy: Kid, you’re family, she’s not gonna fire you for not blindly defending her.
Henrietta: I don’t think she “whines,” though. She just, you know… complains.
Marietta: Thank you!
Amy: What’s thew difference?
Henrietta: Whining is what my kid does when I tell her she can’t play with Barbie because it’s bedtime. Complaining is what an adult does when something’s annoying them.
Amy: Thank you for that vivid explanation, I completely get it now!
Henrietta: You’re welcome!
Amy: I was joking! What the hell are you even talking about?
Marietta: So what’s Sarah up to, Moira?
Moira: She hasn’t done anything, actually.
Marietta: Ah, good. I’d hope she hasn’t done anything in the hour since I left the house.
Moira: Milton called me last night and said her birth mother wants to meet her.
Marietta: I’ve heard! Isn’t that nice for her?
Moira: So, the thing is…
Marietta: Oh boy.
Moira: I don’t know how I feel about it.
Tammy: And why not?
Moira: What if she gets really close with this woman? We were getting really close and developing a sort of mother-daughter relationship.
Marietta: How old was Sarah when you married Milton? Sixteen? It’s not like a moody sixteen year old just automatically accepts her dad’s new wife as her mom. The relationship you’ve built took hard work, and dedication. It’s not going to go away because the woman who carried her around in her stomach for nine months finally wants to meet her.
Moira: Are you sure?
Marietta: Moira! I don’t know you to be so unsure of yourself! That’s not who you are!
Moira: I know, I usually have more confidence. I’m just worried this time, I don’t know.
Amy: Sarah’s not going to pick Marion over you. For one, Marion is the name of someone’s great-grandmother, not their mom -
Moira: Is “Moira” a young person name?
Henrietta: I always think of Catherine O’Hara in Schitt’s Creek when I hear your name.
Moira: My point exactly.
Amy: I was only joking. On a serious note, Sarah’s never going to pick some woman she just met who lives hours away over her own stepmother who she’s actually formed a real bond with. You have nothing to worry about.
Marietta: Besides, if she still puts up with me, and mom, and aunt Kathleen, and really this entire family despite now being a legal adult, she’s going to still put up with you. You’re fine!
Tammy: She’s right. Sarah’s had every opportunity to fly over the cuckoo’s nest, she’s chosen not to.
Moira: I guess I feel a little better.
Marietta: Good. Now, we have work to get done. You’re free to join us, you’re a city official after all, but we have to get to a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Amy: How do we deal with such a heavy work load?
Marietta: We have such incredible work ethic.
The next week…
Martin: Okay, Sarah, you ready for this?
Sarah: I’ve told you all, yes, I’m ready! It’s not a big deal to me.
Martin: Okay, just making sure.
Sarah: Where is she? She was supposed to be here ten minutes ago.
Patty Lynn: We were late ourselves, and we’re familiar with the city. Give her time.
Moira: I’m so nervous.
Sarah: Why? She’s not your mom!
Moira: I just don’t want you to like her more than me!
Sarah: Are you kidding? You have chosen to be in my life and be there for me, how am I going to like this lady more than you?
Marietta: I told you so, Moira!
Moira: You know, Cinderella really did a number on me, I thought everyone hated their stepmother.
Sarah: Well, you didn’t try to replace my mom, I never had one, so that helps!
Moira: That’s a good point.
Marion: Landfields, is that you?
Milton: Marion! It’s so nice to see you again! It’s been, god… twenty years?
Marion: Shh! I don’t need people knowing how old I am!
Milton: Well, you look great!
Moira: Oh, does she?
Marietta: Maybe Sarah wasn’t the one who you had to worry about losing!
Patty Lynn: Shush!
Milton: Seriously, shush!
Marietta: I like to stir the pot, what can I say?
Sarah: It’s nice to finally meet you.
Marion: My god, is that Sarah!
Sarah: Who else would it be?
Marion: I think she got the sarcasm from you guys.
Marietta: She learned from the best!
Marion: It’s so wild to finally meet you. I really didn’t expect this to ever happen.
Sarah: Neither did I, especially after last time!
Marion: I’m so sorry about that! I really wasn’t expecting little Hannah to come along so quickly like that.
Sarah: Hannah?
Marion: My daughter. She’s sort of your sister, I guess?
Sarah: Cool?
Marion: I understand this is a little awkward.
Sarah: This? No!
Marion: I’m just very glad you gave me the chance to finally meet you after that. It’s a little weird, and I understand if you don’t want to do this ever again or stay in contact, but this feels like a weight off of me. I see you, I know you’re well, you’re loved, you’re taken care of, you’re happy. I’m so happy about that. I know I didn’t raise you or have any part in it, but you’re still, you know… you’re my kid, I’m glad to know my kid is doing well.
Sarah: You seem cool, I’m glad you reached out again. It’s a weight off of me, too, now I know what you’re like, I know you’re not some crazy lunatic.
Patty Lynn: We don’t know that quite yet. You’re not a Republican, right?
Milton: Mom!
Patty Lynn: I had to make sure! She didn’t even answer, nor does she have to!
Moira: I’m not, though.
Patty Lynn: Oh, thank god.
Sarah: So, should we go somewhere else? We’re just standing in a park, maybe we could go for lunch or something.
Kathleen: I didn’t bring my wallet, I didn’t realize we were going on a date.
Moira: That would be nice! I know they have great food here, I bet you can show me around to the best places.
Sarah: We can be your guides today!
Marietta: Wow, I haven’t seen Sarah be so earnest and non-sarcastic in years!
Kathleen: The new lady’s already ruining her.
Sarah: Please ignore my aunt, she’s an insane person.
Kathleen: I am not!
Patty Lynn: Yes, you are.
Marion: I have a sense of humor, I can handle a bit of joking. I find it endearing, actually. Your family’s a lot of fun.
Marietta: You say that now…
What did you think of this episode of Marietta? Let us know in the comments and make sure to read the new episode next week!
