'A Million Little Things' Season 2 Episode 14: What the harrowing life of a domestic abuse survivor looks like
Spoiler alert for Season 2 Episode 14 of 'A Million Little Things' titled 'The Sleepover'
It was set to be a good cold day. Eve (Ebboney Wilson) was at her sonography with Rome and Regina Howard (Romany Malco and Christina Moses). Their first sonography together, the party is extremely nervous about seeing the baby.
Rome and Regina are eager to know the gender of the baby, but since Eve doesn't want to know, they decide against knowing too. When they see the baby for the first time, it is magical.
And then when they hear the heartbeat, they can hardly believe the miracle that is to arrive. It seems to be a good day for Eve and the Howards until things take a turn for the worse.
It is on their way back from the sonography in the car that Eve happens to spot her abusive ex-boyfriend Derek's car parked right outside the diner she works at.
Scared for her life, she asks Rome to flee the scene as soon as possible. Back home, she frantically tells Rome and Regina that she must leave Boston and find shelter elsewhere before Derek manages to find her — like she fled Philly and arrived in Boston to escape him.
The Howards, at first, are unable to placate her; because really, how can she not worry? At the same time, Regina is of the opinion that they mustn't get too involved lest it gets difficult for them in the future.
However, on seeing Eve's ordeal and everything that she is going through and has gone through in the past, the couple comes around and decides to help Eve.
For that, Rome has to first go to Eve's home and bring an already-packed bag. After running the errand, he returns home to tell Regina how scared he was the whole time that he was at Eve's house.
Every red car he saw on the streets, he thought was Derek's, every noise he heard, he thought was Derek, even every person walking behind him, he thought was Derek — he couldn't stop looking over his shoulder.
He notes that if he, being a man, cannot imagine confronting another abusive man, how does a heavily pregnant Eve feel? How has she felt all this while when he smacked her, hit her, threw her around or poured scalding hot water over her?
How many sleepless, frightened nights has she spent lying beside the same man who inflicted pain upon her — both physical and mental? How many times had she pictured running away until she could finally muster the courage to just leave in the dead of the night?
'A Million Little Things' Season 2 Episode 14 sheds light on the harrowing lives of the countless women who live every moment in despair and pain — the countless women like Eve who are desperately seeking a way out.
'A Million Little Things' airs on Thursdays at 10/ 9c on ABC.
If you or someone you know is battling domestic abuse, call 911 or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1(800) 799-SAFE (7233) or visit thehotline.org for help.