Jesse -- Week Six

A birthday crown on his head, Jesse makes small talk with a girl in Paul's waiting room. He's turning 17, which, as he tells Paul, is the legal age of consent in New York State. After expressing concern about the fire last week, Jesse shares his regret about coming to Paul's home late at night. He's starting to feel doubts about the value of therapy, comparing it to the fake Rolexes sold on Canal Street. His birth father Kevin emailed to say he regrets contacting Jesse prematurely and won't reach out to him again. Paul consoles Jesse that it's not too late to reconnect with his birth parents, who left the door open for him to communicate, if that's what he wants. Jesse crawls up onto the couch, clearly pained over his birth parents' abandonment and says he wants to "disappear." Gently, Paul tells Jesse to go home to the people who love him, Roberto and Marisa. Instead, Jesse reveals his plan to go to RISD for an interview. He still can't afford the tuition for the program, but hopes that after seeing the pictures he took in Westchester, they'll take him in anyway. Paul points out that this is just another fantasy in which he tells himself he'll finally feel at home somewhere else. Jesse invites Paul out for ice cream to celebrate his birthday, but Paul refuses to join him. The session is over, but Paul doesn't want to Jesse to leave alone.