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you look tired, katherine. have late date last nig ? no such luck, jess. the only man in my life is a teenager th an ehtear-old sister. you want to hea about my date, jess ? he was a blroom dancer o ved to tango. in my dreams. how's david coming withy model airplane ? hasn't he fixethat for you t ? no. - i'll ask him aut it tonight. - don't bother. he's pbablgot a lot other things on his mind. the only thing on david's mind is how to get out of doing his homework. it's not funny, jess. i just got a second note from his teacher about his math and english grades.

that bad, huh ? - don't worry. 's only a passing phase. - he'll geover it. - t when ? don't ow if i can le that long. - hasn't he got a birthday coming soon - next month. he'lle 14. fourteen ? he's practically man. at 14 i was workg in my father's shop. would you like me to finm a jo? e on thing i want is for himo finishchool without failing. finished my deliveries mr. asv. do you want me to do anythilse fore i go home ? i can't lievi'm hearing this. hat's the tter with you, henry ? oh, i was justondering if i can be of help. - esn't sound li the hry i know. - hey, i'm feeling good, okay ? does this ha anyth to do withour date last saturday ? - it might. - well, i'm glad one of us has a love life. congratulations, henry. what's the young lady's name ? oh, sara. she's in my social studies class. theyenbowling saturday night that's what i call a h date. meaningful relatnships have started with a lot less.

my goodness. how serious is this ? it isn't serious. we're just startinto get to know one another. that's thepirit, henry. don'ru into anything. a bowling date is rdly rushing thgs, jess. are we keepi you up ? - oh, i'm sorry, mr. brashov. - do you suppose i could leave a little early tonight ? - by all means, leave early. perhapyo feel better tomorr. jamal, what do you know about computers ? i know tt ey're ry expensive and that i can't afford one. but prices are coming down at th. this is a closeout. it's on sale because it's lt year's model. but it would work, wouldn't it ? sure but it would be slow. and it might betotally outdated in a couple of years are you thinking of buying a computer ? i'd be gd to help you choosene. no. ias just curious, that all. oh. it wod be nice to own a compur.

unless mr. brashov suddenly dides to give me a raise it's a luxury i can't afford. that makes two of us - jamal, do you like to dance ? - not with you. that's not what i meant. do you and jihan evero dancing ? oh, no. not anymore. wi a baby, tt's another luxury i can't afford. whdo you want to know i was just curious that's all. this is a very strange day. - i want to watch cartoons. - no way. we're tcng the game. - you change that, and you're in big trouble. - what's gng on here ? all david was to watch is that stupid game. it's not a stupid game. it t cowboys. th're the . so, st because e wboys e good doesn't mean it isn'stupid. besides, if they're good at something stupid, that mas this game more stupid.

- now, that's stupid. - i'm not st ! - that's enough i'm too tired to listen thewo of you argue. david, why can't you letour sister watch what she was once in a while ? because all she wants to watch is cartoons. besides, i'm tired of having to come straight home every day to baby-t her. i'm not a baby. you don't have to tch me. i never get to see any of my friends anymore. how come you havto work this seco job anyway ? i told youdavid. mrbrashov had to cut my salary, and there are bills to pay. - why is he so mean ? - he's not mean, honey. it's just for a while, until business picks up. i won't ha to keep this other job forever. ha you done ur homework yes. - david ? - i'll do it later. - you ow what the teacher said. - mom, don't start. just try to get along. david, set t table. sunne, help me make the salad. what about tv ? okay. tonight david can watch football. and tomoow you can watch whatever you want. how's that ?

hi, everyone. weather's rning chilly. it's noto warm in here th. you're rht. where's vior ? he and jamal are checking t heater. did you get a little rt last night, katherine ? i was up late with david helping him do his homework. a parent's work is never done, is it ? oh, d spoke toavid about your model airplane. heays it should finished soon. that great. so let's take a look at it - how about finishing our chess game, victor ? - in a moment, my ie. i ve to check e thermost first. you see, it is still 68 degrees. od eating weher ? you'll sell a lot of soup. i already sell a lot of soup. are you sureou put a clean filter in the heater ? absolutely. then what is the problem ? remember whei toou you might need a new blowe? i remember the word "might." well, i'm raid it's time for the word "need." arblowers expensive ?

is that good or bad ? well, not good. okay. get the blower. i didn really want to make a profit this mon yway. - henry. - sara, at are y doing here ? i wanted to tell y i' been appointed. to the decorating committee r the holiday dance school. yes. well, i can't talk n. i'm at work. ve got things to do. nothing urgent. ke your time. he's a bit too s to introduces. i'm rosa. - hi, i'm sara - that's mr. brashov and mr. washington. that's katheri. hi. and jamal. hi. heo. so, what are you doing here ? that's theecond time you' asked me that. aren't youappy to seme ? oh, sure. i'm glad aren't you excited about the dance ? oh, sure. the decoti committee's going to be a lot of work, t we have some really great ideas

for the gym. would you like to help us ? oh, well, i'm t very good at that sort of thing. but it wouldn't be that hard-- look. i better get back to work before mr. bshov gets madt me. he seems like a swt man. yes, well, you don't know him like i do. okay. well, i'll see you in school tomorrow. -good-bye, everybody it was really nice meetinu. -bye. even you, mr. brashov. ev me ? don't mind her she's just being funny. - i thought she was very nice. - so, did you ask her to the dance ? no [ sa ] at are you waiting for ? - she wants you to. , she doesn't. are yokidding ? that's why she told you about the decorati committee. - she was just making conversatn. - that's not what i heard. look, i-- i have a delivery to make. i've got to go. you know, he had a deliry he really

should have taken some food. oh, there's a terrific sale at t maistreet emporium. why don't we go after work ? no, thks. i can't. come on. forty percent off on nylons. yoknow you need some. i can't go today. could go torrow instead. no, i'm busy all week. you can't be thabusy. lookrosa just forget it. all right okay, okay. you don't want to go you don't have to go. [ narror ] today, one o of evfour families in e united states... is a single-parent family. many live in poverty stggling tfind acceable child care... and y for housing and food. money is always a concern. there's ner enough. ver enou narrator ] it's not easy providing

onomic support r the family... and nurtinchilen. single parts often feel sttched in many directions... wi no one to turn to. it's not like working at department store, where you're just making some extra money. it's, it's exhauing. and it is difficul to face a small ild and all of those demds the home demands when you're alady tired to the bone. i an, evything fell into my has. everythi from making sure the bills are paid.. to transporting the children from one poi to another. [ narrator ] the challenges of bein a single parenare not new. they're just more evalent in tay's society. yearago, maria us moz f herselin a sim posit when her husband died suddenly she was le with three young daughters to raise she went to the united states to find work. and enrolled her daughters in a boarding hool suppoed by t mexan government.

i think we used to find comfort in that all the children... in the boarding hool were in the same situation that we were. and then we had each other. [ narrator ] it took more than ten ars fomrs. munoz... to earn the come necessary to bring her daughters to the uted states. e problems we had, or whatever we wt through-- th's not pleasant. it wasn't pleasa for me. i'm su it wasn't for her either.

but i'm gl i'm where i am now and gues twas the only wayo get wher i am, i'm glad she d it. just ainute. be right the. henry, have you reedhat tuxedo for the dance yet ? no. good. i saw a place near he that a special price for new customers. thanks, but i dot need a tuxedo. formal dances are for losers. m planning somethipeal for that night-- ride in a hot air balloon , sounds very romantic. -howoes sara feel about that ? haven't told her yet, but inow she'll go r it. at autll thek e's doing to decorat thgym ? - doyou think she'll nt to be at the dance ? - roas a point. - when i tell her about the balloon ride, she'll flip out. - maybe not like you think. have you decided yet ? t quite. - how's the na - very good. made fresh every day. i don't know. i'm not really in a mood for fish

- w's the meat loaf ? - excellent choice. no, i need somet lighter. let me see. look, i ven't got all day. pick something. well, if tt's your attitude, ll. aer restaurt. she decided she wast hungry see you tomorrow, rosa. henry, is something wrong ? sa doesn't want to go baoong. she wan to go to the dance. see ? i told you. so no big deal. - take her to the dance. - i can't. why not ? - i can't dance. - come on. all you have to do is move with the music. anybody can dohat. yes, tt ma r fast dances, but aformals they play a lot of slow songs.

i' never danced li that. i'd just embarrass myself and sara. it's easieth ioks. i'll show you. see come on. llow me. see ? youe daing. at's it ? this is easy. so far. b thean is suppod to l try it. hey, this fun you' aood acher, rosa. i saw gene kelly do this inn old movie once ready ? - sara. - just forget it.

- who is it ? - hi, suzanne. it's rosa. remember me ? i work with your mom. sure. hold on a minute. hi. come on i is your mom here ? no. do you know when she'll be back ? soon. she isn't ho from work yet. but the closed over four hours ago. not that job. her other job. oh. how long s your mom had a secoob ? ever sce mean oldr. brashov cut hesala.

- yowon't tell h i told you, will you ? - i won't y anythi. - where's your brother ? he's out. are you all right byouelf ? sure. i'used to it by now. - what are you drawing ? - a picture of me and vid. may i see it ? sure. rosa, what are you doing he ? i was at the emporiu for the sale, and i bought you se nylons. thought i'd drop them of on my y home. thanks, but i ally don't need them. that's okay. i can take them back. so, what are you really doi here ? i was worried about you. worried ? why ? because you've been acting weird. i've just been a little tired. yes, i know. she told you. it's all right, honey. i'll explain it toou later.

i'like to hear. maybe you should take a look at your dauger's drawing. i'd better go now. where ha you been i can see that. i want to know where. just hging with some of my fries. i' see you in the morning, okay ? do you want to tell me what'seen going on ? david, ihought we were trying to work together. is that why you'reever home ? do you think i like having two jobs ? then go back to dad. that's not an option. well, maybe it should be i dot like your attitude after all i'm trying to do for you ! what havyou done for me, mo it's all right, honey.

would you like me to tell you what this word play is about ? it's all about making offers. here, i'll show you. as wve see an offer o begins with the wd 'll."

but u can also use the phrase, "would you le me t?" would you like to know what happens in the story ? i' see what i can do. now that you have fixed the heater, jamal, it is very comfortable in here. actually, the heater isn't on. what do you mean ? it isn't working ? no. it's beautiful day. we don'teed e heat. oh, but when we need the heat, will work ?

you know, mr. ash you worry toouch. that's what you do when you run a business. you worry. we, the is fine so you areree to wor absomethinelse. thank you. i will. are you all right not even close. after you left last night, david locked himself in his room. he sllouldn't talk to me thimorning. i left witho seeing m. i think i'll call home and see if they're a rht is it all right if i use the phone in yr office mrashov ? i'like to check on my kids. of course. is sethingrong ? i'm not sure. hey, are you all right ? yes, i'm okay, mr. brashov. what in the world is the matter, then - it'sara. she won't talk to me. - did you try to explain ? i keepeaving messages, but she won't call me back. i think i' go wash somdishes. wh he is happy he wants to work; and when he is uappy, he wants to work.

that's clove victor. have tlee, m brashov. there's no answe in my apartmen vid and suzann should he beenome om school n. - d you call the school ? - yes. they left almost an hour a. - where could they go ? - i don't know. m sure they're all right. you saw what happened st night. dad's still rting because of tivorce. eir therractically deseed us, and i kw david blames me r that. you should have said something. if there w a pblem perhaps we could have helped. it's my problem, mr. brashov, not yours. why ? we are all ke fily here anif something is wrong, everybody is affected. dad's schoolrk sferi and i can't seem to communicate with him. i thought if i could buy him a couter for his birthday, maybe that would help. so that's why u were king me about computers. yes, but all the computers i looked at we so expensive.

i had to get an extra job in t evening just to earn enough moneyo pay for it. my childn needed me. and now they've run aw. no, we haven't, mom. - oh, you' all right ! where have you been ? what are you doing he ? david came and got me afr school. i wanted to give mrwashington back s rplane. soy it took so long. that's okay. i also wanted to tell you... that i'm sorry about last night. you know what i was thinking ? -how wou you le to celebra your bihday a little early ? ur! we cou go up to the lake ju the thr ous spend a long weekend together. ol ! can we go fiing ? think so.

vihas to cleathe fish i think this calls for a celebration. how about some ice cream ? my treat. if you don't mind, mr. brasv, i'd like to take david and sanne home. how about it ? see you all tomoow. i love h endings. oh, mahe you young lady ? - yes. is hen here ? - he's in the kitchen. i'llet him for you. - woulyou li somethinto ? - no, thank you. sa what are you doing here ? you le a message that you wanteto tell me the truth... aut her. it's not what you think. rosa and i are just friends. in fact, we are hardly even nds. we just work togher. - you two seemed pretty frieny to me. - look, sara. the reason i didn't ask you to the holiday dance w because... i can't dance.

and sa was teaching me. i thought u were dancing pretood. really ? yes. so you'll go to the dance with me i don't know. i was hoping to go with a really good dancer. t i thought you said i was pretty good. maybe yoshould show me. hey, look what i caught. a photo wasn't good enough. - heanted everyo see it in person. - welcome back ! that's a whopper of a fish dad. did he givyou a good fight - he sure did. - at are you gng to doith ? maybe we could serve it as special thiss a marveltch. i ink we should have a special feast just to celebrate. oh, hoce !

wellwhat do yothink ? nry, you'll be the mostandsome manat theance. i'going to take a picture. [ rosa ] take it of everydy. - come on, jess. you t. - l right. excu me. would you mi taking our picture ? not at all [ katherine ] smile, hen. cled-coned by captions, inc. loangele

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