[opening voice-over] There's this Bible story. Two women both claim to be the mother of the same child. King Solomon had to choose. Two mothers, only one gets the kid. Solomon came up with a plan. He proposed a 50/50 split. Literally. He offered to chop the kid in half. It all ends if one mom relinquishes her custody, or else they both stand their ground, and the kid gets torn apart.
“Mama Tried” · Season 12, Episode 22
In this episode: Meredith Grey (3), Arizona Robbins (3), Callie Torres (1)
LLucinda
Callie drops Sofia off at your place sometimes when she has to work or when she has plans or when she needs a night off. Correct?
A "night off"? Being a mom isn't a job. We don't punch in and punch out. There are no nights off. We are both single parents. That's not a dirty word. But we do need help getting our kids to where they need to be with all of their limbs intact. So we lean on each other. That's not a sign of weakness or bad parenting, if that's where you're going with this. It takes a village, and we have a village.
LLucinda
Here in Seattle.
What?
LLucinda
The village you just mentioned, the seamless support system these mothers built, this essential network. It's all here in Seattle. Sofia's friends and her school, her teachers. Her home is here in Seattle. That's what Sofia would be leaving.
MMichelle
Just to be clear, Dr. Sloan and Dr. Torres were Sofia's parents and then you came around.
No, I didn't "come around." I'm Sofia's mother. I legally adopted her.
MMichelle
Her last names are Sloan and Torres.
I'm gonna have to stop you before you continue for your own sake. You're not going to imply that I'm any less Sofia's mother because we don't share the same DNA. Because that would be offensive. It would be offensive to anyone in the room who has an adopted child or is an adopted child, and for you to say that. I chose to be Sofia's mother! It did not fall into my lap. There was a choice, and I could stay or I could run, and I chose motherhood. And it was the best choice that I ever made.
I love my child, and I want her with me, but I know that, no matter how this ends, she'll survive. She'll be healthy and safe and well-taken care of and loved. Because we are her mothers. But there's a child at the hospital who will not survive unless I am there, so I have to... I have to go.
No matter what the judge decides, I know that you're a good mom, too. And I just want you to know this doesn't change that.
The things you let them say about me, I would never have done that to you. Never.
[closing voice-over] If you're wondering how the Solomon story ends, spoiler alert. The true mom would rather give her baby up than have it ripped in two. But what happens when there are two true mothers? That's a no win situation. That is an entirely different story.
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