[MUSIC]
-What's up, Mel? -Hey, what's up, Martell?
Got that red hair on, too.
Yeah, word on the curb was that you said you put me on the blind,
so I figured I'd try something different. How you doin'?
I'm a little surprised that Martell agreed
to the co-parenting session
only because, only because I've never felt that
he was big on therapy,
Hey.
Whatever opportunity that we can get
that can help us move forward, especially with our children.
I mean, I'm all for it.
Who is this person we meeting?
-Okay, so her name is Miss Price. -Oh, really?
Um, mm-hmm, she's written a book and everything
-on co-parenting and I liked her reviews, too. -Okay.
I'm hoping that Miss Price, she doesn't have any biases
or anything of that nature
when it comes to either one of us,
to me it seems as if Dr. Francis was a little bias,
at times too.
Maybe he was just being a man and just directly calling out the bull [bleep].
Um, I mean it's a possibility, but being a man,
he should definitely understand where,
where I was coming from. That's what I saw.
That's what I see.
Now he should have been a man, understand where he was coming from.
Most definitely.
Dr. Francis been married for over 40 years,
happy forever.
He wasn't relatable.
He didn't say anything like, "Martell, I remember,
five years ago, you know, my wife and I we went through such and such,
and that's how we overcame certain things."
Oh, you mean like Mr. Chris Fletcher or Ms. Neil used to do with us?
-They still do. -Yeah, did they help?
-Yeah, it helped. -It did?
-Most definitely. -Okay.
Yeah, it helped.
[knock on door]
-Hi. -Hello.
How are you, come on, Martell.
-I'm great, welcome, welcome. -Hi, Ms. Alysha.
-Hey there, Martell. -Hello.
-Nice to meet you. -Nice to meet you as well.
-Come on in. Have a seat. -Thank you so much.
Yeah... We got a treat.
You have a treat. Thank you for seeing much for seeing us today.
-Thank you guys for coming. -All right.
Thank you.
-Such a gentlemen always. -[chuckles]
-I'm gonna jump right on it. -There we go.
How are the kids? Are they getting any type of additional support,
is there therapy involved?
They seem to be doing really good.
Like, right now, I don't feel like our kids need counseling,
I wouldn't want a counselor to step in
-and almost create an issue that's not there.
-and almost create an issue that's not there. -Yeah,
Mel, how do you feel about that?
I feel like Martell has the mentality that most folks
that grew up in the Black community have.
And what is that mentality?
You don't need a therapist and usually you go to it
-when it's too damn late. -Mmm.
Mariah. She has become more reserved.
Maliya, she wrote a song, and it was like,
"Why did you have to break my heart?"
And I looked at it as, there's something there
for a five-year-old to be singing that.
-Mm-hmm. -And then when it comes to our son.
He has some resentment towards his father,
his mama hurting and crying
-Yeah. -hadn't sat well with him,
-and I want us to fix that. -Yeah.
Martell, what did you hear Melody just say?
That there are certain issues
with our children that needs to be addressed. Yeah.
Now, just break it down.
So what are two things that you think, we can tackle that easy,
that's been somewhat tough.
When it comes to the kids, when it's time for you
to get them back and it's that day of
or that night before and I'm like, "Hey, what time are we meeting
or what's the plan?"
And I get back the, "Y'all just keep doing what y'all doin'."
It's like, What, no, like, what you mean?"
-And then I had them for three, four weeks. -Yeah.
No excuses, but I'm going through a lot financially,
-I'm not doing as good. -Mm-hmm.
And then I'm getting, getting my children.
Um...
Stop, like,
don't shake your head, like, this is, just, just, just take it in.
-I'm not saying nothing. -Oh, you saying a lot with that head shaking.
But anyway, this past year.
-You know I've been, what we call stuck, you know, -Mm-hmm.
um, not working as much, and I'm getting, getting my children,
since I had them, I always done so much with them.
-Yeah. -You know, and then I get to a point
where I can't do as much with them.
You follow me?
[clears throat]
You got some napkins?
I don't. I'm not, sorry.
Anytime you been with someone over 14 years.
If their struggle doesn't make you feel some kind of way,
then you never cared for them to begin with.
So I wouldn't dare sit here and say that it hasn't been hard,
but at the same time, I do understand the importance
of sometimes moving out of God's way
and, um, allowing, letting God be God.
Yes. See, the difference between Melody and I,
when she was going through it, you know,
she said her husband was still there,
she was able to lean on me then.
And the difference now is like.
Nobody got my back, you know, even though I made my bed,
I'm sleeping in it, I understand, I accept it,
but...
Hold on, I'm sorry. [clears throat]
Yeah.
Back off, man, I hate it.
-Why are you doing that? -Why...