Top-rated
Sat, Oct 1, 2016
It's the summer. Caleb, who is supposedly taking classes toward his architecture degree, has told no one in his family that he has dropped out, wanting to do something else with his life. Natalie wants Emma to get her first ever summer job so that she can feel comfortable that Emma will have some sense of responsibility after she's gone, something that Emma does not understand in her want to have yet another fun, relaxing, work-free summer. And Romy is in summer school. Natalie has entered the drug trial, which she is writing about in her column. Beyond the positive feedback she has been receiving about those recent columns, Natalie will discover there are negative consequences to her writing about it. In general, Natalie is feeling good health-wise, which is a double-edged sword in that she has not felt any of the trial drug's known side effects, which in her mind probably means that she is in the control group taking placebos. Romy takes it upon herself to find out as much as she can about her mother's position in the drug trial to have a sense of comfort. What is causing Natalie grief is that David has retained legal counsel so that he will have some say in what happens with Emma and Romy if Natalie passes. Natalie is determined to keep the fact that Matthew and Nicole are having marital issues from David, that fact which David would probably use against her in the guardianship issue. Meanwhile, Nicole will still not speak to Matthew unless necessary in her anger about his infidelity. Matthew, who is living with his parents, wants truly to be a part of Julian's life as his father, while wanting Nicole and he to reconcile, the two which may be incompatible. And Oliver has moved out of Maggie's apartment, leaving her in a financial bind in making rent. Beyond working extra shifts at the restaurant to earn more money, Maggie may find an alternative to her problem.
Top-rated
Sat, Oct 8, 2016
It's the day of Maggie's housewarming party, to which she's invited the entire family minus Matthew, the two who still are not speaking to each other. Despite Maggie having moved frequently in her life, she has ulterior motives for holding this party, which the guests will discover, her family members who may or may not tell her to her face what they think about her decision based on that motive. Prior to the party, Natalie, believing that her dizzy spells are signs that she is actually taking the experimental drug in the blind drug trial, wants to have what she considers a perfect day - a "normal" day doing something special - which means spending time with her kids. As they are all busy - most just wanting to avoid issues they are hiding from her - Natalie instead turns to Tia, her new friend from the support group, who may have a different view of what a perfect day constitutes. The offspring who truly does have a planned morning is Emma, who has probably decided to accept her father's invitation for lunch, the invitation which she has not told her mother. Matthew, in trying to mend his own broken family, has a day outing planned with Abby, and figures the best way to get back on Nicole's good side is accommodation. Following the party, Matthew decides to confront David in learning what he is trying to do in reentering Emma and Romy's lives. In the process, Matthew may get a better picture of his own family dysfunction. And Oliver seriously considers Romy's request to live with him instead of Matthew if her mother passes away.
Top-rated
Sat, Oct 15, 2016
It's the day after Maggie's housewarming and Natalie's special day out with Tia. Natalie is not feeling well to the point of being incapacitated, she and Dr. Basra believing the symptoms side effects of the trial drug. On Dr. Basra's orders, Natalie, who does not want her parents involved, calls in her siblings for support, which may be difficult for Matthew and Maggie, who still are not talking to each other. Natalie doesn't want to burden her children, each who is going through his or her own issue. The one offspring of who she does request something is Caleb, which is to provide testimony against David in any legal proceedings involving Emma and Romy's custody if and when she dies, David who has been trying to negotiate with Natalie without lawyers without she even taking his calls. Caleb also decides to act the head of the house by tackling the broken refrigerator on his own without professional assistance. Emma is preoccupied with the one job for which she has an interview today, which she doesn't really want to admit she wants for self-esteem. And Romy decides to be more proactive in dealing with her anxiety. Natalie is unaware that her siblings are in turn dealing with their own issues, about which they probably would have turned to her for support. Matthew believes he may have opened a door with Nicole in dealing with their marital problems, that belief which may not be reality. Maggie may not be as emotionally prepared for her "marriage" to Raza as she thought. And Oliver learns that he and Romy are not quite on the same page regarding her custody following Natalie's death, Oliver who is reconsidering Romy's want to be his ward instead of Matthew's.
Sat, Oct 29, 2016
It's the day after what was Abby's first communion party, it a disaster in that many people were not talking to many other people because of their issues with each other, and when there was talk, especially between Matthew and Nicole, there was open hostility. Matthew tries one last attempt at convincing Nicole to reconcile, and if that doesn't work, he has to attempt a Hail Mary to achieve that goal while keeping to his promise to Béatrice to be a true father to Julian. It's also the day of Natalie and David's hearing, where Natalie is attempting to revoke David's parental rights, most specifically with regard to custody of the girls if and when she passes away. Natalie and her lawyer's primary strategy is to have Caleb testify as to how his father's abandonment affected his formative growing up period. Natalie may come up against some issues with regard to the proceedings. Now that Oliver has told her that she can't live with him, Romy may look for alternatives in her life opposed to her mother's plan to have her live with Matthew. And Maggie has her own opinions about Caleb testifying against his father. Meanwhile, it's also Emma's first day at work. She will discover what mentality some people of her age have with regard to what may be their first ever paid employment. And Oliver is struggling financially as he tries to eke out a new life in Montréal as an artist. He slyly tries to use old contacts from his previous life in the city before he moved to Los Angeles.
Top-rated
Sat, Nov 5, 2016
Natalie will learn the results of her latest scan - the first scan done since she started the drug trial - at the end of the working day, the results which could provide some clue as to her prognosis. As such, she is a bit anxious as she tries to take her mind off the appointment. Of her two offspring that know about the appointment, she has told Emma and Romy that they need not accompany her. Emma has to work anyway, and Romy is still secretly trying to eke out an independent life if and when her mother passes. Beyond the bittersweet task of returning Jude to his rightful owner, Natalie, in mapping out her day, has decided to help Matthew in the move to his new apartment, and in a separate visit talk to Nicole about an issue in light of her and Matthew's separation. But it's an unexpected stop in her travels for the day that may bring the issue of the scan home for her. Meanwhile, Maggie confides in Raza her concern about Oliver, that concern based on what she saw of his apartment. What Maggie is unaware of is how desperate Oliver is in making good on the one window of opportunity he has found in making a go of his art career in Montréal. Maggie's concern for her brother takes a back seat to a last minute item in her day: a lunch invitation which Raza has accepted for the two of them with her parents. Janine's efforts to place Maggie and Raza's marriage into a context she can understand and accept may not sit well with her rebellious daughter, especially based on what Maggie saw of her own parents' marriage while she was growing up.
Sat, Nov 12, 2016
Natalie is cautiously optimistic about the news that her cancer is in partial remission. The avid readers of her column, to who she has not divulged the news, are also anxiously waiting to hear about the results of her scan, she just trying to find the right words before she writes that column. Maggie has told both Matthew and Natalie of her concerns regarding Oliver, who they believe is spending what little and borrowed money he has on drugs. They will at least get a first hand look into Oliver's daily life when they go to his apartment for the first time to conduct an intervention. While defensive Oliver is not totally forthright about what is going on in his life, he is able to deflect the attention away from himself to everyone in the family, each who get an account of what the others truly think about their three siblings. The issue for Natalie is her impenetrable shell, she who turns to an unexpected person for emotional comfort. The issue for Maggie is her flakiness, her marriage to Raza only the latest manifestation. Maggie doesn't divulge how her and Raza's relationship has morphed. And the issue for Matthew is feeling the victim of everything that is happening around him. Meanwhile, Nicole has asked Emma to look in on her house while she, her sister and Abby are away. Emma uses the opportunity to use the amenities to what she considers their full advantage. And Romy, who has not yet told anyone what she is doing on a day to day basis, gets herself caught in an adult situation which she may not be able to get out on her own. As such, she involves whoever she can, except her mother, in her deceit.
Sat, Nov 19, 2016
Natalie, as she has always done, offers Romy a dinner out for her success, this time finishing summer school - effectively graduating - although Natalie is unaware that Romy, despite graduating, has basically skipped school all summer in favor of eking out a life with Big Mike's group in computer and graphics. What Romy requests as that dinner surprises Natalie. Natalie has also not divulged to her children that she and their father have reconciled of sorts, let alone that they had a sexual encounter. Natalie may get a jolt in letting David back into her and the children's lives as Kate, David's wife, is in Montréal as they try to figure out their marriage in light of David's want to move back to Montréal. As such, David gets caught in a conundrum in prioritizing between his old family and his current family. With Natalie's other kids, Caleb is feeling the financial pinch of basically doing nothing in his life besides hanging out with his friends and smoking weed. And Emma tries to do anything to avoid going to work and seeing Miranda in the aftermath of the incident and resulting revelations at Nicole's house. Meanwhile, Maggie and Raza are preparing for their interview with immigration officials. Although they want to be prepared but not seem overly scripted, their respective interviews take unexpected turns but also provide some internal revelations about their relationship. Oliver's life is spiraling downward out of control, with he seemingly unaware of what is happening. An incident at his apartment, which culminates in an action of his own, leads to Maggie and Matthew believing the intervention was the wrong approach to take with him. And Matthew has to deal emotionally with Nicole running into an old mutual friend who hits on her learning of her and Matthew's split.
Sat, Nov 26, 2016
Based on Matthew's new semi-professional assessment, he, Natalie and Maggie confront Oliver again following the fire at his loft, they knowing that they have to take a different approach than what was their initial intervention with him. They also know that something has to change, if only in Oliver having a stable environment in which to live. Oliver's response somewhat surprises them. They also know that they have to inform their parents following Oliver divulging some information as their father is a directly affected party in the proceedings. Meanwhile, Natalie receives some good news/bad news regarding her health. While she awaits the official ruling by the Board of the drug trial on how Natalie should proceed, Natalie prepares herself emotionally for whatever the decision and what she will do regardless. Based on a situation with Raza and a realization of feelings unfamiliar to her, Maggie decides her best course of action in dealing with Raza is to retreat, that is until she gets some advice from Natalie. As Abby has shown some interest in having a relationship with her half brother who she has yet to meet, Nicole takes some baby steps in making that happen within her comfort zone. She may get another perspective from someone on the other side. An already cash strapped Caleb is hit with one financial bomb after another. With his actions to move home without telling his mother the true reason failing, he has to figure out how to survive. Emma tries to repair her friendship with Miranda following being caught in the lie after the party at Nicole's house. And Romy leaving her freelance computer graphics business flyer at her father's place leads to a new relationship with both her parents, but perhaps not quite in the way she expected.
Sat, Dec 3, 2016
Among the goings-on in the Lawson family are that: Oliver, having gone back on his medication, has moved back in with his parents; Natalie has decided secretly to disregard the Board decision and increase her dosage of the trial drug in knowing that it is the only chance she has to beat the cancer despite the other risks; Maggie and Raza have to figure out how to deal with Maggie's admission that she is in love with him - the first time she has ever been in love - while he doesn't return those feelings; and Caleb has left town without telling his mother where, he being out of communication. These issues need to take a temporary back seat within the family as an unexpected tragedy strikes, that tragedy which affects each family member in a different way, but which largely brings the family back together despite what Maggie had openly mentioned as the family dysfunction. But the tragedy in and of itself can't stop real life from continuing to happen.
Top-rated
Sat, Dec 10, 2016
At Janine's funeral, which takes place five days after Natalie's surgery to repair her ruptured intestine, there is a late arrival in the form of Caleb, who finally gets the messages left for him regarding the goings-on in the family, including what happened to his mother. Caleb comes with unexpected "baggage". Janine's death marks a turning point for many in the family. Oliver, who has been the lost one in the family of late, knows that he has to be there for his father, and makes a decision concerning his new relationship with JD in light of all that is going on, including his continued financial issues. Maggie has to decide what to do about her fake marriage to Raza in light of the fact that she is in love with him while he doesn't return her affections in that way. Matthew is blindsided by a declaration by Nicole despite the resumption of their sexual relationship. Matthew also receives some news from Béatrice which adds an extra layer of complexity with regard to his two families. And Natalie learns that the ruptured intestine was probably the result of her body unable to tolerate the increased dosage of the trial drug. As such, she is removed from the trial indefinitely. Viewing this as a setback in her recovery, Natalie has to make some tough decisions regarding what she feels is best for herself, both with regard to her health and her family, especially Emma and Romy. Emma shows that she is growing up faster than she had previously demonstrated as witnessed by a decision she makes regarding work. And in light of Romy's decision that she wants to live with her father instead of Matthew if Natalie passes away, Natalie decides to give Romy some freedom to make an informed decision regarding all aspects of her life.