Jason: "Yeah."
Marjorie: "Hello. I'm Marjorie Levitt with Social County Services. You might say that General Hospital is my beat."
Jason: "Then what are you doing here?"
Marjorie: "Are you Mr. Morgan?"
Jason: "Yeah. I'm kinda busy right now."
Marjorie: "I just dropped by to see how.....what is your son's name?" (pauses) "To see how he's doing. May I come in just for a moment? Or can I get a court order?"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Jason: "What? You want to see what kind of a housekeeper I am? I'll tell you the house is a mess."
Marjorie: "I would like to see the baby actually."
Jason: "He's resting."
Marjorie: "I won't wake him."
Jason: "Do you have a husband?"
Marjorie: "I don't see how that's any of your business."
Jason: "Does he let people come look at you when you're asleep?"
Jason lets Marjorie in. The baby is quiet. Renaldo is on the floor putting together a swing. Benny is reading to the baby (from one of Emily's school books). Emily is standing watching the baby.
Benny: (reading to the baby in a whisper) "Earliest documentation in......"
Jason: "This is Marjorie somebody and she wants to look at the kid."
Renaldo: "Can I offer you a cup of coffee or something ma'am?"
Marjorie: "No thank you."
Emily: (walks towards Marjorie) "Hi. I'm Jason's sister Emily. You know the baby really likes my World History book, but I think Spanish Level 1 is his favorite."
Marjorie: "Why aren't you in school?"
Emily: "Well, I come here sometimes for lunch. The food's always better than at the cafeteria."
Marjorie: (looking over to where Benny and the baby are) "Is there an actual baby in there?" (Benny stops reading and turns the baby carrier around. The baby is asleep)
Emily: "Ah. Isn't he an angel?"
Jason: (holding some instructions and a screwdriver in his hand) "He misses his mother. She's going to be back very soon."
Marjorie: "And his name again is?"
Bobbie: (she comes out of the kitchen carrying a tray of cookies) "Oh, company. Just in time. Would you like a cookie?" (Benny continues to read to the baby. Jason grabs a cookie. Bobbie is smiling away) "Kind of warm. Just got them out of the oven. They are so good. It's my own special receipe you know."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Jason is holding the baby. Renaldo is still putting up the swing. Bobbie goes over to Marjorie.
Bobbie: "Cookie?"
Marjorie: "No thank you." (she walks over to where Jason is standing) "Mr. Morgan. What do you do for a living?"
Jason: "I run and import-export business."
Marjorie: "You'll have to excuse me that's not what I've heard." (she looks around. Renaldo is finishing putting together the swing) "Who are these gentlemen?"
Jason: "My friends."
Renaldo looks up and gives Marjorie a big smile.
Marjorie: "Do they work for you?" (Jason doesn't answer. He just stares at her.) "How much time do they spend with the child?"
Bobbie: (interrupting) "Excuse me. But whatever happened to it takes a village?"
Marjorie: "I wasn't born yesterday folks. I think I can see what's going on around here." (Jason looks up at Bobbie and keeps rocking the baby)
Emily: "Is this really allowed? I mean you work for an office and you can just like come in people's houses and critisize them."
Marjorie: "Not exactly. (Marjorie turns around and looks at Bobbie) "You're Bobbie Jones. Aren't you?"
Bobbie: "Spencer. Yes."
Marjorie: "Which hut in the village are you?"
Bobbie: "Look Mrs. Levitt, if you make it a habit of walking into new parents' living rooms unannounced I'm sure you've seen much worse than this. And if you think you smell something that isn't above board...... and i'ts not my cookies, trust me it has nothing to do with this baby. Now, I come by because Jason has the good sense to know he needs a little help while the baby's mother is away. But believe me I would be the first one to call your department if I didn't think this little boy was in good hands. But as you can see he's very happy." (Bobbie walks over to were Jason is standing) "He's well feed, he's well dressed, and he's well taken care of. He's actually fussed over and has more amusements than you can shake a stick at. And quite frankly I find the idea of the unspoken threat that you will remove a child whose parent you don't approve of extremely offensive." (Emily laughs)
Jason: "Children can't be confiscated. They are not property."
Bobbie: "Well. Thank you. That's exactly what I meant. Now, has there been some offical complaint filed about the care and treatment of this child?"
Marjorie: "Did I say there was?"
Bobbie: "Actually, you haven't done much in the way of explaning what you're doing here."
Marjorie: "What I'm doing is leaving." (she puts her card on the table) "If my office can be any assistance to you in any way." (Emily opens the door) "Goodbye." (Emily closes the door and breaths a sigh of relief)
Jason: (handing Bobbie the baby) "Thank you all." (Jason looks at Bobbie) "Thank you for the warning."
Bobbie: "Oh, hey, believe me you didn't need it."
Jason: "Carly owes you one."
Bobbie: (laughs) "That will be the day." (Bobbie starts talking to the baby)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Benny and Renaldo are still putting up the swing. Emily brings them some cookies. Jason and Bobbie, who is still holding the baby, are sitting down at the dining room table.
Bobbie: (smiles) "He's so good."
Jason: "You mean quiet." (Jason smiles and Bobbie laughs) "He's not always quiet."
Bobbie: "No. No. I mean good."
Jason: "Yeah. He's okay. Think she'll come back?"
Bobbie: "You know something? It doesn't even matter. As long as you know proving yourself as a parent is something you have to do everyday. Whether there's someone to grade you on it or not."
Jason: "Prove it how?"
Bobbie: "By being consistent. By keeping him safe and happy and knowing that he's loved and wanted. You know, you can be other things besides being a parent. But you have to make him your number one priorty. Have you asked yourself if you can do that Jason?"
Jason just looks straight a head and the scene ends.
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