The Good Hair Family Sitcom

S2 E3.2: Makeup Your Mind

Amber's POV

I watch Bex struggle to apply eyeshadow to the woman, whose name we learned is Brenda and has quickly become the dictionary example of over-sharing. She keeps blinking, causing Bex to have to back away repeatedly, but if Bex tries to take a break, Brenda just tells her to keep going. I'm just getting the colours and brushes ready while trying to comprehend this woman's life story that she blabs on about.

"Honestly, I've given twenty years of my life to this man, and want to know what he's given me? A knitting class for my forty-fifth birthday, and head lice for forty-sixth."

Bex pauses a moment, asking, "How old are you now?"

"Fifty-one."

"Okay."

Bex returns the brush to her face, relieved.

"I'm fifty-one!" Brenda cries. "How did I get this old? We hardly talk anymore. He's always out golfing with Marsha. He can't do anything right unless I tell him exactly how. He forgets to pay bills. The cleaning is always left for me. We haven't had sex for six years."

"Too much," I mutter.

"You both have wedding rings," Brenda says, noticing our hands. "How long have you been married?"

She looks to me first, so I answer, "Seventeen years."

Then Brenda sweeps her eyes over to Bex who just says, "Longer than her. She's my daughter-in-law."

"Wow," Brenda reacts, and she smiles at me hopefully. "Do you and your husband have any kids?"

"Yes, my wife and I do," I reply.

That makes her eyes brighten up like a light switch. "Oh, you're a lesbian? That's the trick to it. I should've married a woman, but 'I loved him.'" Her voice seems to mock herself.

"Well, love is a constant choice," I say. "It takes effort to keep it alive."

"Ugh, you sound like the fortune cookie from the Chinese food I ate last night. Wanna know why I ate that? Because Gerald didn't make dinner again."

"Maybe there's a reason he's not making dinner," I suggest. "Have you ever asked?"

"He should tell me," Brenda huffs.

"That method doesn't always work," Bex counters. "Marriages take work, I know. But maybe you need to try work things out. Do you still love him a little bit?"

"I suppose so," she grumbles.

"Then start talking to him," I say. "Communicate. Find that spark again that you're missing."

Brenda looks to me. "How do I do that?"

________________________________________

TJ's POV

Cyrus is just putting a pan of potato wedges in the oven when I come over to ask, "Need any help?"

"Sure," he says, but he doesn't meet my eyes.

He goes into the pantry to grab some spices for the cooking, but I don't move yet.

"Anything in particular you need help with?"

"Just anything," he replies.

That's all it takes to push me over the edge. He's clearly upset, and I can never stand that for long. Cyrus is supposed to be happy. That's just a plain fact of life. If he's not happy, I'm stressed, and I don't handle stress well.

"Cyrus, are you okay?"

"Yeah," he replies as he sets the spices on the counter. "I'm totally okay."