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Of all three "Being Teen Mom" specials MTV aired this weekend, Being Amber may be the one fans wanted most. Catelynn Lowell and Farrah Abraham may not have been on the network in more than a year, but the two haven't been locked up inside a prison either. We've gotten to know what they're up to. Amber Portwood, on the other hand, has managed to fly almost completely under the radar since being sprung from prison in November.
But as we've suspected since a camera crew was spotted outside the Rockville Correctional Facility on the day of her release, MTV had it all on lock. We finally got a look at what a re-entry to normal life was like for Amber, and yes, the amazing moment that she reunited with daughter Leah was captured by the MTV crew.
It may have been called "Being Amber," but I have to be honest: this episode was all about little Leah for me. Amber admitted she only got to see her now 5-year-old daughter three times during her 17-month stint in the women's correctional facility.
So where did Leah think Mom was? Apparently she knew Amber was in jail -- we even heard her use the word to dad Gary Shirley. But it's hard to say just what the little girl thought that "jail" means, or if she really understands that her mom is back.
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Amber's disappearance definitely did a number on her daughter.
Snuggled up with Amber, ready to fall asleep, on their first night together, the little girl leans over and asks "Are you gonna be here when I wake up?"
Another time she tells her mom she'll be over to visit the next day and asks, "Will you be at jail?"
Heart. Wrenching.
To Amber's credit, she absolutely gets what she did wrong. Remember the Amber Portwood who wouldn't take blame for anything? Not even punching her boyfriend on national TV, desite the video evidence?
We didn't see her on Being Amber. The closest she came was getting a little pissy with Gary when he starts playing emotional games with her (see ... some things NEVER change), but she kept her cool.
The only time Amber really does lose it is about Leah. She left the room to cry in private, away from her daughter and the cameras, and you can hear her telling a producer she screwed up her daughter because she was too busy getting high.
It's sad to see a humbled Amber, but let's face it, this is exactly what Leah needs -- a mom who gets what SHE needs. As Gary says, not unkindly, "Prison's one of the best things that's happened to you."
It's true. Prison might have confused that little girl, and Amber will have to do a lot of work to help her daughter adjust, but she's got the tools to change things. Now she needs to do what she told her brother Shawn she plans to do -- take the money she's getting from media appearances and sink it into college tuition so she can open the rehab facility she's talking about.
What do you think it will take for Leah to trust Amber again? Can she be a good mom this time around?
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