Now that Adam and Kristina have shared the news of her breast cancer and impending surgery with the family, everyone is falling over themselves to try and help them out. It’s sweet, but almost overwhelming.

Sarah is rushing a reluctant Drew to pack because Mark “is going to be here soon”. Drew flat out tells her “I don’t want to go”, but before she can deal with his reservations, Hank shows up, asking her not quit over the “regrettable thing” that he did. She tells him she is not quitting, but taking a sick day to move. Just then, Mark shows up with the moving truck, and Hank explains away his presence by saying he was off to “drop off the dolly”. I guess he just keeps one of those in his truck at all times?

Zeke comes out with a chest and asks Hank for help. And it all turns chaotic as people talk over each other and Drew starts throwing down garbage bags full of his clothes down from the balcony, barely missing Mark.

Oh joy.

Ryan comes to the luncheonette to see Amber. She asks him if he’s interested in music. He gets to the point: “I’m interested in you”.

“Would you go out with me sometime?”

“Yeah… yes”

Awwww. They’re cute!

Kristina is struggling to be involved in Max’s campaign even as she navigates her own surgery week. In typical Max style, he lets her know that his speech is in his head, and he doesn’t need her help, also pointing out that she can’t “vote”. (Ha!)

K: “I can help you write it down… I wrote for Bob Little”

M: “He didn’t win”.

Ouch.

“You literally made the decision and told me that I’m moving. You didn’t think about me at all!”

Drew tells Sarah like it is, and I have to agree. She decides to do things on a whim a lot of the times, and this decision was definitely spur of the moment. She should’ve sat down and discussed it with Drew before just expecting him to move in with her fiance.

Sarah tries to soften the blow by saying that she thought this would be best for them all since Mark is soon going to be his stepfather, this way “when you come back from college, this will already feel like home”.

But Drew sees through her excuses and tells her she’s piecing this together as she goes because she didn’t think any of this before.

Later on, things only get worse for Drew when Mark informs him that he doesn’t have cable. But why is Drew watching TV on TV, when he could be using Hulu instead? When his stepfather-to-be asks if there is anything he would like, he answers: “Privacy would be good.”

On the Kristina front, Julia is busy making a “waiting room schedule” for the family to take turns waiting. Crosby is walking Max’s new dog, who gets loose and gets into a dog fight.

Ryan and Amber continue being the cutest couple on the show on their first date. At first, she seems not really into it, so when he asks her the question, she tells him that she’s really worried about Kristina’s surgery. Ryan offers to take her home, but they spend the date talking about her feelings about the surgery and her aunt instead. At the end of the night, Amber seems drained but much more relaxed. Ryan is ever the gentleman, but when she invites him in, he says goodnight. Confused, Amber goes to bed.

At the Bravermans (the Adam house), Crosby is as always late. Max spews out uncomfortable facts about date rates in surgeries, causing Kristina to get up and go make herself a sandwich. In a touching moment, Haddie – who has so far been the most helpful daughter since her return from college – helps her open a peanut butter jar and make a sandwich. Just then, Crosby shows up with an injust Otus (apparently that’s what they named their dog… seriously?) causing Max to freak out and the coveted food! In another touching scene, Crosby hugs Kristina and tells her to “do good tomorrow”. This is a very nice scene because both of them are usually at such opposite ends on things, it’s nice to see them get along.

We get a nice shot of Kristina with Nora, and leaving a good luck note for Max. Haddie feels like she has to stick around to help her mother, and tries to get a semester off of Cornell. The parents catch her and tell her she needs to stay in school. “I’m going to be fine,” Kristina tells her emotionally before they leave for the surgery.

Sarah shows up to work next day. Hank asks her if her move to Mark’s had anything to do with him kissing her; she denies it. At the apartment, Mark is skipping first period to wait for the cable guy. “We’re getting cable,” he tells Drew. Awww!

Kristina and Adam wait at the hospital. He can’t go to the OR with her, so they have to say goodbye. There aren’t too many waterworks. He tells her she’s going to be fine. “You’re a strong woman.”

She asks for a “big, fat, juicy cheeseburger” for her after surgery meal. And a strong theme throughout this all is her concern for Max.

These two are THE couple. The mature couple who has their relationship almost all figured out, and they’re in it for the long haul, ready for anything that comes their way. I wish more relationships were like this.

Julia is waiting with Adam for the first shift. She admits that being a full-time stay at home parent is harder than she thought it would be. Adam realizes he hasn’t called her since he found out she quit, but she understands.

Haddie waits with Max before his speech, and tries to give him some positive pointers. Ever the frank “realist”, Max tells her “I won’t get nervous”.

Back at the waiting room, Sarah waits with Adam who is getting increasingly restless and irritated by the long wait. He asks Sarah to distract him, and she tells him about her kiss with Hank. She admits that it “stirred something up” inside her. Adam tells her “life is short”.

Just then, Julia returns with Crosby, admitting that she just couldn’t leave. The four siblings wait together.

Some people think having Asperger’s can be a bad thing, but I’m glad I have it because it’s my greatest strength.”

Max starts out Max-like, but soon launches into a thoughtful speech about his Asperger’s the effect it has on his life. He accounts for the good and bad parts of his condition and ends with the aforementioned statement, causing his peers to break out into applause. I am truly happy to see this side of Max that understands who and what he is, and accepting it and owning it. “Hell yeah, Max!” Haddie looks proud.

Kristina wakes up to the happy news that Max won the election. She is overjoyed. The surgery also went well.

Sarah apologizes to Drew about not thinking about his senior year and promises that if “this doesn’t work out”, he can move back in with grandma and gramps. Then, they go out to teach Mark how to watch cable. “This is amazing… I’m never reading another book again!” a happy Mark declares.

Ryan brings Amber flowers. She is confused how he feels about her since he declined her offer to come in the other night. He tells her that he hasn’t been able to stop thinking about her, but he really likes her and doesn’t want to screw it up. “So, I’d like to take it a little slow, if you don’t mind,” he tells her. She agrees. He kisses her on the cheek and says goodnight. Still adorable.

A little while later, Adam and Kristina are back at the doctor’s office getting the bittersweet news that though they’ve taken out the cancer from her body, the type of cancer she had was more aggressive than they originally thought. She has to go to chemotherapy. As the doctor’s voice fades into the background, we see a devastated Kristina struggling not to cry.

When they come back home to Haddie, however, the couple leaves out the chemotherapy and tells her that they’re in the clear. An emotional Haddie hugs her mother, happy and relieved as we see Kristina once again holding in her tears. She is such a good mother.

And that’s a wrap! Next week, Kristina goes into chemotherapy and Adam worries about it’s potential effects on her.

Funny asides:

  • “There’s still quinoa muffins in the fridge. I don’t know why you guys aren’t eating those; you told aunt Julia they were good.” – Oh Max!

Grumblings:

  • This cancer story is great, but I feel like they’re eclipsing all other characters’ stories because of it. I want more of Hank and Sarah, and Julia’s struggle in her new domestic role, and Crosby trying to be more of an adult. I even kind of miss Zeke’s rants! But from the promo, looks like we’ll see Camille next episode – yay!

Favourites:

  • If you haven’t already figured it out – Amber and Ryan! Those two are cuuute and Amber needs a stand-up guy like Ryan who wants to make things work. I’m looking forward to this!