[HIP-HOP MUSIC PLAYING]
Hi.
How are you?
Good to see you.
Good to see you again, as well.
See the good choice.
Go right ahead. - Something to choose from.
Yes.
[LAUGHING]
I'm solo today, so--
You're solo today? (Laughing) Oh, OK.
It's been a while.
The last time you were here, like you said,
you're solo today.
Your husband-- and I know that I gave
y'all enough to talk about.
Yes.
He was like, you know, "I think, you know,
he has some good information, but it's not for me.
He's a tough one, there.
It's taken me-- what, 14 years to get him to this point,
to even come into the office with me, so--
All right.
There is something about you that's bringing you back.
The first time I came, I came mainly because I felt
burned out.
I just had a lot going on.
What burned you out?
With the three kids, it was, you know, getting
over the whole pandemic.
Being in the household, 24/7, you
know, with the kids and trying to do school work
and help them with their schoolwork.
Also, taking care of the household.
Also, we have three different companies that we're renting.
So, just a lot going on.
I got to say this.
You are married, though, right?
Yes, I am.
Well, you know, when you're talking,
you're talking like you're doing this whole thing by yourself.
I have four kids because my husband's a kid,
too, when it comes to like household duties.
So Yeah, but the only difference--
Ooh. You tell him that?
Yes.
But the only difference is, I can tell my kids
what I need their help with around the house
and they would do it.
My husband, on the other hand, I can say things to him
that I need his help with, but that doesn't
mean he's going to do it.
So it's like, wasting my breath.
If you have to tell your husband, who
is this fourth child, then he is not going to be acting
like the "we" doing this.
It's going to be you.
I was raised by a single mom.
So, I was raised with my mom doing everything.
I don't even know what it look like when you have
a male stepping in to help out, you know, around the household
with the kids.
Because, even with my grandmother, it was like,
you know, the guy couldn't come in the kitchen to wash
no dishes, he couldn't cook. - Whoa.
He couldn't?
No, not around my grandmother.
Like, the guy was pretty much, like, catered to.
So did you actually continue that mindset
where the man were catered to.
Mhm.
Are you continuing that?
Not purposely.
It happened to me.
It happened to you.
Yeah, it's like life happened.
Marriage and having kids wasn't a part of my plan.
And mainly because I think I had so many responsibilities
growing up, I didn't want that.
Marcel and I met my senior year in college
and then we had our child.
Like, I was four months pregnant on my wedding day.
So, I've been a wife and a mother my entire marriage.
And I just know that you got to do what you're supposed to do,
which is you take care of your house, take care of your child,
take care your husband, so those things just happened.
And then, I don't want to sound like I'm ungrateful, I just--
thinking about it, I'm like, it just happened, I
didn't plan it, so--
Recently, Marcel has been talking
about how he is chasing goals and not really considering
if he's happy or not.
And I feel like the life that I'm currently living,
is it the life that I pictured for myself?
And, not to say I'm unhappy with what I'm doing,
it just wasn't my plan.
That's why we need a third party to talk
to about this situation.
I don't have the answers.
This is new for me, too.
So, did anything develop between, say, you and him,
you know, based on what went on here?
He did bring up a statement.
He said that he feels like he may
be going through depression.
And that was my first time hearing
him say something like that.
Did you think he was going through a depression?
I knew something was off.
OK, you did.
I thought it was because he has a heavy workload right now.
OK, OK.
So, I was like, "OK, so what can I do about this?"
And he was just like, you know, "Listen more."
And then, he gave a list of, like, different things
I said I want, material things.
So, he's saying that you're putting
material things on the list?
Yes.
Are you?
Well, I like things, so yes.
But he does also.
Your pursuit of material things, is he saying,
is that causing his depression?
He's saying that's a part of it.
So, he's holding you hostage for his depression.
Do you think that you're the cause of his depression?