Accused

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 killing 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!