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Alerted by one of the janitors, Claire finds a teenage girl (Celia Martinez) giving
birth in the maintenance room at the high school. Celia is rushed to a hospital where she delivers a healthy baby
girl. Celia had managed to keep her
pregnancy hidden from her parents. But
now that the secret is out, her father (Kenny) is furious, intent on putting
the child up for adoption. But Claire
reminds Mr. Martinez that legally, that's not his decision to make. Claire chooses this incident as a rallying
point for starting a center for unwed mothers at Northwestern High School. Principal Peters advises her against it,
that she'd be going up against a very vocal group of parents who are opposed to
the idea. But Claire is not deterred,
realizing they could be fulfilling a great need at the school. Claire visits Celia who is planning to move
in with her aunt. Celia is determined
to do whatever is required to keep her child, even if it means quitting school
and getting a job. Claire convinces Celia, along with other teen parents, to lend
their voices and support to the Center at the School Board Meeting. Claire makes a convincing appeal to the
School Board and the Center is approved.
Having made a tentative peace with his father, LT
has moved back into the house, after spending a few days living in Josh's
trailer. Lawrence accidentally falls
down the stairs and winds up in the hospital.
Doctor Margolin informs Shamaya and LT that the fall wasn't serious, but
the cancer has spread. He says there's
little that can be done, that it's only a matter of time. The doctor advises them to make him as
comfortable as possible, see that his affairs are in order. Lawrence tells Shamaya and LT that he would
like to spend his last days at home.
Shamaya and LT agree and set Lawrence up in a hospital bed in the living
room. Lawrence asks one last request,
to be buried next to his ex-wife. LT
feels he's made enough of a concession in allowing his father to die at
home. But he is opposed to the idea of
his father being buried next to his mother, ground he considers sacred. Shamaya tries to convince LT to ease up on
their father, but he can't be swayed.
Over the next couple days, there is a slight but discernible thaw in the
relationship between LT and his father.
LT shows his father his report card, nearly straight A's. Lawrence has a chance to say how proud he is
of LT and that he loves him. With some
prodding from Russell, LT eventually agrees to let his father be buried next to
their mother, realizing that he needs to make peace with his father before it's
too late. LT gives a heartfelt eulogy
at his father's funeral, acknowledging the pain that he needed to break through
to appreciate the good in his father.
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