Episode Report Card Niki: A | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Two Makes a Home
By Niki | Season 3 | Episode 16 | Aired on 03.24.2002
Mr. Miller, defeated, turns toward Lily and says he knows she loves Aaron very much, but he also knows she knows where he's coming from. "Mrs. Sammler?" he prods. Reluctantly, Lily says she doesn't know anything anymore. "Sure you do," Mr. Miller says. He insists that Aaron deserves an honest answer: "Do you believe that this could ever work?" Hating herself for it, Lily shakes her head a fraction and whispers, almost inaudibly, "No." She mouths to Judy that she's sorry. Miriam is still groaning, "Oh, my Aaron," over and over again from behind the fridge. Judy tries to assure her that everything is okay. "No!" Miriam screams, bursting from behind the fridge. She tears through the kitchen and out of sight, shouting, "I want Aaron! I want my life!" A door slams off-screen. Aaron starts sobbing, and Judy tries to soothe him. Mr. Miller offers to call Shelley, but Lily thinks they should try to resolve things on their own first. Aaron starts pounding his head against the wall. Mr. Miller asks Lily if she minds him going upstairs to get Miriam. "Yes! I mind!" Judy snaps, as if he were talking to her. Mr. Miller sighs and wearily says he'll just wait in the car, then. He says he'll call Shelley if Miriam doesn't come down in an hour. Judy can't wait to shut the door behind him, while Lily just stares off, feeling wretched. Aaron has one more outburst and then manages to get himself under control. Lily softly tells him that she's sorry. Aaron addresses himself to Judy and says that he should go and check on Miriam. She agrees emphatically.
Lily turns around to find Grace glowering at her. Zoe wisely disappears. "I can't believe you," Grace grits, her voice oozing disgust. Rick mutters for Grace to give Lily a break. Yeah, that's going to happen. Although, kudos to him for saying it. Grace snarks, "You think everyone has to be just like you to be happy. Well you don't seem so happy to me, Mom!" Gee, I wonder why, sweetness. Grace storms out of there, fueled by self-righteous rage. Lily rolls her eyes, as if there's nothing she can do about that little attack. Now Lily gets it from Judy, who angrily demands to know why Lily gets to decide Aaron's life. Lily points out that Miriam is Mr. Miller's daughter. Judy wants to know why Lily's so set against Aaron having "one little moment of happiness." Lily chokes out that "there is no happiness. It's going to make things worse, not better!" Rick clears his throat and softly says that he doesn't see how they can decide that for Aaron. She spanks him back into submission with a "what do you know about any of this?" Lily tells Judy to fill Rick in on Aaron's history with Jaimie Davenport. Judy waves her arms dismissively, saying it was twenty years ago, and so what if Aaron got upset that she broke up with him. Lily smirks ruefully at the countertop and mutters, "'Upset' doesn't exactly describe it." Rick asks what she means. Lily hesitates then finally admits, "I found [Aaron]. He wasn't answering our phone calls, so I went up to Madison, and I found him in his room. He hadn't eaten and he hadn't slept and there was blood in his room everywhere. Old blood, because he had been cutting himself a little at a time for two weeks. And he was practically dead." Stunned, Judy asks why Lily never told her. Choking up, Lily says that their father made her promise never to tell anybody. "You think I don't want Aaron to be happy, Judy? I would give anything for Aaron to have one day -- one minute! -- of happiness," Lily cries. Damn, she made me tear up.