[music playing]
How was your day?
SHAWNIECE: I'm tired, and I'm exhausted.
JESSICA GRIFFIN: Having a new baby
can bring up conflict in a couple,
even in the healthiest of couples.
Because there's so much that's going on.
There's sleep deprivation.
There's hormonal shifts.
There's confusion about division of household responsibilities,
coupled with the excitement of this new experience
and the future that you're making together.
So Jephte and Shawniece are going
to have to be clear in their communication with one another,
be patient with one another, and be clear about what
they need from each other.
We got to figure something out.
I'm going to take my paternity leave early.
Why?
To help you out.
Shawniece works really hard, and I
feel like she just doesn't have a moment to take for herself.
And she's in the house all day.
I don't think Shawniece is someone who likes
to be in the house all day.
SHAWNIECE: You're going to help me and do what?
What are you going to do?
You're going to take it sooner then when
it's time to go back to work?
Then we'll have to find a babysitter sooner, when you
could just take your 12 weeks.
Because everything I need you to do,
you can do it during the week and on the weekends.
You don't need to take your time off to do it.
Jephte's just not the cleaning type, or whatever.
I feel like I'm not given as much support
as I would initially like to get, so I'm overwhelmed.
I'm stressed.
And I'm very emotional.
I feel like you're doing a lot,
so I feel like if I'm here, it'd take the stress off of you.
To take what off?
Because walking Kiki-- you could do that on the weekends
when you're off.
So what, cooking?
If you want to cook, you could do that on the weekends
when you're off.
That's two days out of seven days that you could help me.
think we could start there first before you decide to take
your 12 weeks to just sit around here and practice,
I guess, helping me?
I don't know.
You taking 12 weeks off now is only
going to complicate everything.
JEPHTE: I think me being here would cause less arguments,
you feel me?
It's not going to cause less arguments.
Maybe.
I argue with you when you don't do the things that you're
supposed to be doing. - What?
What do you want to do?
What is it that you want, Jephte?
JEPHTE: I'm telling you, I'm looking for--
SHAWNIECE: So we got--
--looking for a dog walker.
I found a site yesterday, but I didn't want to just send
no random person over here.
So I know somebody who walks them,
and they should get her a walk during the day.
But, Jephte, you finding a dog walker to walk--
I told you, I'm fine with walking her during the day.
We take walks, that's fine.
Or you can walk her before work.
You get up to go to the gym before work,
you can walk her before work.
Oh [bleep].
And then if I'm here-- and then before you go to bed.
So I don't understand you paying for a walker.
But if you want to pay for a walker, then go right ahead.
That's your money, you pay for it, cool, whatever.
But it's not that it's going to cause less arguments.
Because that's what I need you to do.
And on the weekends when you're off,
you don't do it as much as you should be doing it.
Jephte's definitely a lot more talk than action.
He just needs to try more.
JEPHTE: I'm upset.
You're upset about what?
I just-- I don't know.
Whenever we argue, I feel like it brings us back.
SHAWNIECE: Brings us back what, Jephte?
If you feel like it's too much for you
because we're arguing-- every relationship has arguing.
You know what my fear is?
My fear is that I'm going to go through this with you,
we're going to argue, we're going to have issues,
and you're going to be a better man for somebody else.
That's what I honestly personally
think it's going to be.
Because I feel like whatever it is that you need,
you're not going to be able to get it from me.
I really do.
That's how you feel?
SHAWNIECE: That's how I feel.
But my whole thing is--
what I'm arguing with you about-- these
are natural relationship issues, period.
This is what the [bleep] you go through when
you're with somebody.
And if you expect that it's not going to be arguments,
and we're not going to have issues,
then I'm not the one for you.
This is the [bleep] I've been talking about.