Thirtysomething (1987) s02e16 Episode Script

[theme.]
[car horn honks.]
- Hi, Mommy.
- Hi.
Hi, you guys.
How you doing? Oh, I missed my kiddies.
Chop-chop.
Chop-chop.
Come here.
No, wait, don't bother her.
Just a minute.
Hey, did you get his science project? Yeah, he's got everything going except for the elastic.
- He said he saw some in the sewing kit.
- I got some.
What about her pillow? It's in here, with her tutu and her magic wand in the bag.
Mommy, when is Christmas? Watch out for this Christmas-- Aw, Christmas.
She's got some stuff.
Be real careful with that.
I got it, I got it.
Right here.
- [car horn honks.]
- I get to ride in the truck tonight.
Yes, you can ride in the truck, but first, you have to wash your hands, all right? Help me take some stuff inside.
Nancy, listen, we got some insurance stuff you got to sign.
- Okay.
- I'll bring it by the art center.
Okay.
- Hi.
- Hey.
How you doing? Go have a nice night, okay? - How you doing? - Hi.
- Matt Enwright.
- Elliot Weston.
Look at this cool screwdriver.
Hey, what are you doing? Look at all this neat stuff.
Oh, yeah? Wow.
Yeah, that stuff's cool.
Yeah.
No, I hear the enchiladas are great.
Okay, how about a forest ranger or something? Okay, that's good.
I like that.
In one of those towers that they get.
Why don't we do something in a tree? I know.
He's climbing a tree to save some baby vultures.
Yeah, okay.
And it's fall-- No, it's winter, because then there's no leaves on the tree.
The branches are out there with thunder going.
Wait, wait, whoa, Elliot.
You can't have thunder in the winter.
No, Mike, it's good.
Never mind.
- Mike, it's good.
- No, I like that thing with the tree.
Right.
Silhouette it against the rays of the sun.
Wait, Elliot, sun and thunder? - Yes.
- Ah, okay.
You have no imagination, Michael.
None whatsoever.
So here we go.
So you have this deep voice coming-- No, wait.
You hear a woman's deep voice.
Tompkins, Sloan, Olinsky.
No, no, no.
"Let us worry about your future.
Tompkins, Sloan, Olinsky.
" Whatever.
But that's good.
That's good.
This is good.
I like this.
You know, those forest rangers, they don't really have a whole lot of investment capital lying around.
Come on, who cares? They're independent.
They take risks.
They're sweaty and sexy.
Yeah, okay.
Um, so, um-- You and Hollis, you have the English inventor-- Cabinet maker-- - The astrophysicist.
- The astrophysicist.
And then what do we got? The forest ranger.
And what do we need? One, maybe-- - Two more.
- Two more.
Piece of cake.
- Angel? - Yeah, in here.
Harriet wants you.
- Two more.
- Two to do.
To do.
Good.
All right.
That's cool.
This is great, Mike.
I like working with other people for a change.
It's good energy.
What's with you and Angel? Oh, come on, Mike.
She only goes out with guys that are so cool, they don't even have to think about being cool.
She's very cute.
Yeah, she is.
She's nice.
She's obviously interested in you.
Oh, yeah? She's nice.
She's nice.
I like her.
Let's work.
Yes.
Melissa, how'd you have the guts to paint the floor this color? - What, you don't like it? - No, I really like it.
I just don't know how you got the guts to do it.
What? She's an artist.
This is an artist's loft.
You and I aren't allowed to do that kind of thing, but she can do it.
- Oh, come on.
- No, it's really true.
God.
Once I tried to paint a sunflower in my bathroom in college.
- My roommate wouldn't speak to me for the entire semester.
- [knocking at door.]
- Who, Fran Hutchins? - Wendy Rendall.
Fran Hutchins didn't speak to me for some other reason.
- Hi.
- Hey, what's up? - You look good.
- Thank you.
Hey, you guys, ready to be really impressed? My book is going to be published.
[overlapping chatter.]
It's a small company, the Offington Press, and they're really happy it's going to be on their spring list next year.
[overlapping chatter.]
That's neat.
Why didn't you tell us? I am telling you.
I just found out 35 minutes ago.
You know what's incredible? That all these great things are happening for you.
Do the kids know? Does Matt know? You guys are the first.
I just found out.
Ethan is going to go wild.
- To Whose Forest Is This? - Thank you.
Long may it grow and flourish.
[knock at door.]
Who is it? [Elliot.]
It's me.
What are you doing here? It's this insurance stuff.
It's got to be signed today.
Oh, I thought you were coming by the art center.
Yeah.
Well, we had a meeting.
It ran late.
Oh, okay.
Well, come in in, then.
Oh.
Dental, too? That's great.
Yeah, yeah.
Miles, he's got this real paternal thing about his employees.
He's like the big daddy.
Trouble is, he's into child abuse.
Here, I'll get it.
Um, Nance, can I-- Is it-- Can I talk to you about something? - Is this an okay time? - Sure.
Yeah.
Are you sure? Because it can wait.
I can do it some other time.
No.
I mean, anyway, I've got something to tell you too.
What? The book.
It's going to be published.
Your book? You mean, the one that-- Yeah.
I just found out yesterday.
Are you kidding me? Oh, Nance, that's great! Are you-- Wow! I mean, that's-- I can't believe it.
Yeah.
I figured you wouldn't believe it, but-- - That's not what I meant.
- No, I know.
It's okay.
Nancy, that's great.
That's completely-- You deserve that.
That's-- That's really-- That's great.
I mean, you're like-- - Well, no.
- No, no, no, you are.
Which has nothing to do with-- With what I-- See, what I-- What I-- What? I miss you, Nance.
I mean, I miss the kids too, you know, but-- I miss you.
And you know what I wish? I wish there was some way we could get together again.
Oh, come on.
Say something.
I mean, kick me, hit me, yell.
Anything.
Just-- Please say something.
I don't know what to say.
Okay.
Well, you could say, "Okay, Elliot, we could talk about that.
" Or you could say, "Get lost, creep.
I'm in love with Matt.
" You could say, "Geez, Elliot.
You know, I wish that, too.
" No, none of those things.
But that means not "Get lost, creep," either? Right.
Not that, either.
Okay.
That's all right.
That's-- I mean-- It's okay.
Nance, come on.
Don't you have it in your heart to help me out a little bit? Look, you walk out on me and the kids, you trash our life together, and then you want me to help you apologize.
Come on, Nancy.
Don't kick me while I'm groveling.
Elliot, just don't ask me to make it safe and easy for you.
I see.
This is-- So we're doing it again.
Elliot, I don't trust you.
I don't trust you for me.
I don't trust you for the kids.
I think that's gone forever.
So you are saying "Get lost, creep"? No, no.
I-- I'm saying that I don't close any doors in my life anymore.
I mean, whatever we can do to make it better when we're together as parents-- Well, that's got to be good for Ethan and Brittany.
I don't expect more than that.
I don't think I want more than that.
All right, fine.
So basically what you're saying is that I can come over here and humiliate myself in front of you for the sake of the kids.
Have I got that right? No, Elliot.
No.
Don't even try to get me mad at you.
I'm not going to play.
Can we still talk more? About stuff.
All right, I'm going to go see the kids real quick.
Okay.
Nancy, hi.
Oh, roses.
Oh, thank you.
I am so proud of you.
Oh, that is so sweet.
You shouldn't have.
Well, I never knew anybody who was having a book published.
Oh, it's just a children's book.
You know, my father had his picture in the Inquirer as Rotarian of the Year 1962, and my mother still has 40 laminated copies of the article in her attic, but this is really, really something.
Well, you're my Rotarian of 1989.
Well, thank you.
I feel like the Rotarian of 1989.
Hey, shouldn't you be out discounting lawnmowers or something? I had to go up to the Jenkintown store.
The roof is leaking.
Oh, but you brought me these flowers first? That's just so nice.
Hey, we should go out to dinner.
We should celebrate.
No, I can't.
I don't have a babysitter, and I promised Brittany that I'd watch Sleeping Beauty with her.
I mean, she's afraid of the dragon.
I could come over.
I could bring dinner.
- Say, around 8:30? - Oh, yeah? - But just for dinner.
- No, no, no.
I know.
It's just, you know-- I can't.
I mean, not yet in my house.
It would just feel like something Elliot would do.
No, I know.
I know.
I'll be over around 8:30.
- Italian? Lasagna? - Yeah, great.
- Bring a salad.
- Okay.
And, um, be careful up on that roof.
Okay.
[Elliot.]
Hope would invest money with this guy, wouldn't she? I mean, Nancy would, definitely.
- Oh, yeah? - Are you kidding me? Trees, cute guys in uniform, the jingly hardware.
Absolutely.
- Oh, where is he? - Who else is working on this? Bennett and Woodhouse.
Mayer, Campman and Aldis.
And I think those new guys from New Zealand.
Oh, the Pacific Rim.
Very trendy.
- You seen their ties? - No.
- Okay.
- Drew.
Aldis just sent one of the mailroom guys out to the library, and he came back with a big stack of books-- Michelangelo drawings.
- Derivative.
- Boring.
And the New Zealand guys, they just left for a meeting.
- On this account? - Yeah.
That's what Harriet says.
Let's tail them.
What? I was a CIA intern one summer.
I'll show you how.
You were what? So Elliot's wife likes forest rangers, huh? Oh, Elliot's wife only recently discovered that she was allowed to like anything.
She's enjoying it.
Well, they've been separated for a while, though, right? Almost a year.
Are they going to get a divorce? Well, they're planning a divorce, but the more independent she gets, the more it bugs him to get her go.
Oh, no, let me rephrase that.
The happier she gets being independent, the more it bugs him to let her go.
Just when I tell you to go, you leave me.
You got it.
So, Michael, give me some advice here.
Um, do not get involved with Elliot Weston.
That's not the advice I was looking for.
Oh, well.
Well, at least you've had-- You've had articles published.
Oh, that's different.
I keep thinking, it's going to have a hard cover, and that new smell and that cold smoothness.
And you know, the first time that you open it-- Are the kids excited? Oh, I don't think Brittany knows what's going on, and Ethan seems to be a little embarrassed.
- Aw.
- [laughs.]
I told Elliot last night, too.
What did he say? Oh, it's weird.
He said he sort of, kind of, wants to be back together.
With me.
You're kidding.
Nope.
What did you say? I mean, how do you-- What did you say? I didn't know what to say.
I can't believe this.
I think he was serious.
- Oh.
- I mean, it's Matt.
It's the fact that Matt is driving him crazy, which of course, he would deny.
Oh, of course.
I mean, how does he think he is going to explain everything he has said or done this year? Oh, he'll think of something.
He's a creative guy.
Hey, Mom, Mom.
There's a note for you.
Really? Read it for me.
I wonder what's in the box.
I wonder who it's from.
"I always knew you had it in you, "but I forgot for a while.
Love, E.
" Is E.
Dad? Uh, yeah.
I guess it is.
[Brittany.]
Mommy, I'm hungry.
Why don't you guys go and wash your hands? [Ethan.]
I want fish sticks.
Okay.
[Ethan.]
I'm so hungry, I'm dying.
All right, let's go.
Come on, you guys.
What do you want? Fish sticks? She says she doesn't think she can trust me.
Sounds reasonable.
Who can't trust you? - My wife.
- Why can't she trust you? Well, I did a pretty bad job as a husband.
Oh.
Some people aren't very good at that.
Mm.
Usually men.
I always thought I was a great husband, because I loved the kids and I played with them and I always said "Good job" and I didn't blow up, even though I wanted to, and-- Nancy.
Nancy.
I always thought everything was always her fault.
Everything that went wrong between the two of us was because of her.
Why am I telling you this? I've only known you for five minutes.
It's okay.
Go ahead.
Well, it wasn't all her fault.
Big surprise, huh? And now-- I don't know.
I mean, I know I want to clear the air with her.
I want her to know that I don't blame her so much anymore.
I don't blame her anymore.
I want her to know that what went wrong with the marriage wasn't her fault.
Well, I guess that's about enough raw animosity for one night.
See you guys tomorrow, okay? - Bye, Angie.
- Bye.
I'm going to tell her about Cheryl Eastman, too.
Oh, no, Elliot.
That was ancient history.
- No, Mike.
I need to.
- Need to, Elliot? That's what got you into trouble in the first place.
No, Mike.
I got to clear the air.
Don't you read Ann Landers? Don't you read Reader's Digest? You are never supposed to tell a spouse about an affair that is over anyway.
Yeah, but you see, I think she suspected anyway-- And, Mike, I've got to tell her if I ever want her respect again.
Okay, so it doesn't mean she's going to respect me again, but at least I don't want to insult her intelligence by telling her bad lies anymore.
Bad idea, huh? [floorboards creak.]
What was that? It's nothing.
They're both sound asleep.
- It's okay.
It's okay.
- Sorry.
So, we managed to take the curse off this bed yet? Major demons have been driven out.
I mean, there might be a few more spooks lurking in the bed springs, but-- It's just, you know, the kids.
I don't want them to-- No, I know, Nance.
Really.
- I'm leaving soon.
- No, I didn't mean that you had to leave.
It's just-- I like being here with you.
I like this room.
Oh, how grown up you are.
Do you talk to him much nowadays? Oh, he wants to talk to me more.
I mean, I think that he thinks there's still some chance to-- I don't know, maybe have a more adult relationship.
You know, so the kids don't have to suffer.
And? Well, I mean, I think I owe him that much, for the sake of the kids.
I mean, you don't mind, do you? No.
Of course not.
You liar.
You want some tea? Yeah, I do.
[phone rings.]
- Hello? - [Elliot.]
Hi.
Hi.
Listen, Ethan's science project, - is that okay? Those propellers-- - [TV shuts off.]
Yes, thank you.
You're not alone.
- No.
- Okay.
All right.
I'm sorry.
I'll talk to you soon.
Okay.
Thanks again.
Wait, Nancy.
I got a Heath bar, too.
It tasted just like you.
Bye now.
Bye.
Oh, Hope.
She bought me a rose, too, for the book.
Wasn't that nice? - Yeah.
- What do you want? Chamomile? Black? So what do I have to do to be able to spend the night? Rent a hotel room for the kids.
Oh, right.
- So I'll see you on Friday.
- Okay.
Can't wait.
Okay.
[knocking on door.]
- Sleep tight.
- Okay.
He called when you were in bed with Matt? In his bed with Matt? Well, I mean, we weren't "in bed" in bed, but yeah.
I mean, why did I do that? Why did I pretend it wasn't Elliot? I don't know.
Why did I do that? Good taste.
Survivor's instinct.
Yeah, I know, but Matt would have understood.
He's this really great guy.
You see, it's Elliot.
He has this way of getting to me.
He walks out on me, he has affairs, he blows up Ethan's face, and then he sends me a candy bar and everything's supposed to be okay.
Chocolate has always been a significant factor in my relationships.
But see, he knows that I love them, and I don't like that.
I mean, he knows too much.
Ah, look.
You should do it something like that, - only a little better.
- Yeah, that's nice.
I like all that soft-- Yeah.
Why don't you tell your lawyer to call his lawyer? No.
I can't do that.
I can't do that to the kids.
Well, I don't know what to tell you.
I don't know, either.
See, Matt-- He has this way of looking at me, like everything I do is special.
He's not critical, the way Elliot used to be.
It's like, being with Matt-- Everything is clean.
It's like coming into the sun after everything-- Does that make any sense? Your life.
I don't know.
Well, I don't know, either.
- Hi.
What can I help you? - Hi.
Uh-- Oh, right here.
Yeah.
This-- I was looking for-- This, like-- This is a big one.
Is this, like-- A regular toilet you'd work-- This would work on it? Yeah.
These are the best, because you have this inside.
Okay.
Oh, yeah.
That's good.
- [phone rings.]
- Hello? Are you alone? Yes.
So, um, can we meet tomorrow after work, so we can talk? Please? I don't know if I can get a babysitter.
I'll call Carla.
Elliot, you never called a sitter in your whole life.
Well? Look, I'll try.
You know, it's late.
So I'll see you? - If I can.
- Great, great, great.
Why don't you come by the office? You really got to see it.
Ethan loves it.
I don't want to have to deal with Michael.
He'll be gone.
I promise.
Okay.
What's the address? Elliot? Here.
Hi, how are you? This place is great.
Yeah.
Come on in.
This is our office right here.
There's the conference room area right out there.
Imagine you and Michael here.
I mean, where are the toys? Oh, we hide them.
You see, I fake it, Michael suffers, and that makes Miles very happy.
So you got Carla tonight? That's great.
Yeah, but I'm a little worried, because she's got this new boyfriend from Tampa.
Yeah.
Oh, no.
No.
So can I get you something? A coffee or something? - No, no.
- Are you sure? Elliot, why am I here? Well, you're here, Nancy-- And I really appreciate your coming, I really do-- Because I wanted to tell you that I've changed.
I've thought about a lot of things in the last year, and I'm not the same person that I was back then.
Oh, I'm the same person, but I'm a less stupid version of the same person.
And I've screwed things up badly, and I know that.
You know, with Ethan, what happened-- You know how much I love him and Brittany.
You know that.
No, I know.
But I've treated you badly, and I've thought about you badly.
And I'm sorry about that.
And I even lied to you about some things, about money, things I bought, because I knew you'd say I was irresponsible.
Well, I knew I was irresponsible.
But I-- I-- I lied to you about some other things, Nance.
Remember a few years ago-- It was just after Christmas, and you kept saying I was acting real remote, and you wanted to know what was going on.
And I kept saying it was nothing, it was work.
It was Bernstein-Fox and how much I hated it.
Well, I did something real stupid, Nance.
I got involved with somebody, and it was a mistake from the beginning.
I know.
Cheryl Eastman.
You knew? - I can't believe you're telling me this now.
- How did you know? I thought I knew then, and I've known for sure for a while now.
Why didn't you tell me? Why should I tell you? When I asked you about it then, you wouldn't let me.
You just denied it.
Hope let it slip to me-- Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Hope? Yeah.
She thought I knew.
That was the worst part, Elliot-- Knowing that all these other people knew when I didn't know-- That you subjected me to that kind of humiliation.
Nancy, I never meant for-- - Were there others? - No.
No, Nancy.
I never intended for there to be-- See, you have never intended anything in your whole life.
What is it that you intend now? Nancy, I intend for you to see that things can be different, - but you just keep attacking me.
- No, I'm not att-- Why is it so easy for me to get angry when I'm trying to apologize? We have this bad habit of anger.
We don't know how to talk to each other anymore.
Did we ever? Yeah, I-- Yeah, I remember when I used to be able to tell you anything, and I used to-- That was the most mirac-- No, actually, the most miraculous thing was that you seemed to understand everything I said-- - Nancy-- - And everything that I couldn't.
I felt that way, too.
I did.
Are we just kidding ourselves? No, I don't think so.
But now I feel like-- Nancy, I feel like you don't want to listen to me anymore.
No.
What it is is that-- I understand now that you're interested in being happy, and you're interested in your family, but you're not interested in me, in what makes me happy.
You don't care about me.
That's not true.
No, it is true.
Do you love Matt? Yeah, sometimes I think I do, but see, it's not all about Matt.
It's other things that have happened to me.
Elliot, you just don't know me anymore.
Well, we can go see Dr.
Nicholson.
Oh, yeah.
That really helped last time.
This isn't the way I wanted things to go.
No? What did you think we would do, just kiss and make up? No.
God, Nancy.
I'm trying to do something here.
Why do you keep belittling me? Okay.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry, too.
I guess that's all we've got, too-- Being sorry.
Yeah, I guess it is.
[ball rolling down alley.]
- [pins falling down.]
- Yeah.
[all chatter.]
Three strikes and a spare.
Give me a break.
This is humiliating.
- My game is poker.
- Oh, yeah? How come you lose 20 bucks to him every Wednesday night? - I cheat.
- Oh, yeah, yeah.
Demon bowler.
What else do you do good? Well, that's it.
That's all you'll ever know about me.
Oh, it is, huh? Get-- That's my beer.
Get your own beer.
There was a package at your house the other day.
Oh, yeah.
That was from Elliot, wasn't it? Yes.
What was in it? [laughs.]
No.
Don't feel bad.
Nance, Nance-- What was in it? Oh, it was a children's book.
An old Kate Greenaway book-- You know, for congratulations or Whose Forest.
That was nice of him.
He wants you back.
No, he doesn't.
- What? - Five.
Hey, that's good.
Five.
No, that was good.
Every pin counts.
Watch out, guys.
You're in trouble now.
Okay, Nance, come on.
Nance, come on.
Let's go.
These guys are wimps.
Come on, let's go.
Yes, yes, yes, yes.
No.
I am too good.
I'm just too good today.
Hey, I thought artists were not supposed to be good bowlers.
Are you kidding me? I used to spend my life at the Bowl-O-Rama.
My mother was vice-president of her league.
He wants you back.
Elliot.
But he's not going to get me back.
Come on, Joy.
All right.
[crowd chatters.]
I can't stop The way I feel Things you do Don't seem real Tell you what I got in mind 'Cause we're running out of time Won't you ever set me free? This waiting round's killing me She drives me crazy Like no one else She drives me crazy And I can't help myself I can't get Any rest People say I'm obsessed Everything that's serious lasts But to me there's no surprise What I have I knew was true Things go wrong They always do She drives me crazy Like no one else She drives me crazy And I can't help myself I won't make it On my own No one likes To be alone She drives me crazy Like no one else She drives me crazy And I can't help myself Ah, geez.
- What's this about lilacs? - What? I'm in trouble because I never buy Hope lilacs or something.
Oh, I got Nancy some lilacs.
Yeah? I heard you filled the whole house with them.
Well, I knew she loved lilacs.
Really? And you told her about Cheryl, huh? Yeah, yeah.
Guess what.
She already knew.
She knew? Yeah.
Hope told her when they went camping.
Oh.
That's all right.
It's water over the bridge.
She always suspected anyway.
Yeah.
So now she knows, and-- I don't know.
I don't know.
I mean, when you and Hope got together, you guys were adults.
You guys had had bunches of relationships.
You guys had lived with other people.
Yeah, if you call Sally Overmeyer a person.
When Nancy and I got together, we were kids.
We were babies, Mike.
I mean, I guess there's these lucky people that have these wonderful lifelong love affairs, or maybe they're just brain-dead, I don't know.
The rest of us, we have to reinvent our marriages at some point.
When I met Nancy, Mike, she was everything I ever wanted.
She was more.
But then it got to where I couldn't see that anymore.
I mean, I got too close to her to see that.
You know, Elliot, I don't think I've ever heard you talk like this before.
- Like what? - Hey.
- Hi.
- Hi.
- Wait.
It's like Angel, right? Great lady, really top notch, great body, so okay, why not? Because I know I could never see her the way I used to see Nancy.
I don't know why, but I know it's true.
And it just seems too sad not to try to see Nancy that way again.
Look at this.
Isn't this good? Aren't I great? Yeah.
What? Is it something I said? No, no, no.
It's great.
It's great.
It's great.
Right there, under your eye.
Yeah, I think it's a little piece of mascara.
- Yeah, you got it.
- You got it.
I hate it in the movies when a woman is putting on make-up, you know, because she always does it so perfectly.
- Every time.
- Every time.
Because those actresses, you know, they just know how to put on make-up.
- I know.
- It's like their job.
The rest of us jerks are always getting mascara under our noses and eyeliner under our chins.
- Do I have some on my chin? - No! You look perfect.
But have you ever tried to use on of those lip pencils? It's impossible.
You really can't even line your lips.
You look like Baby Jane or something.
- All right, let's just do it.
- Do you have another shirt or sweater? - What's wrong with this? - Oh.
Nothing, I-- It's fine.
I love it.
I just thought, you know, maybe something more informal-- sort of woodsy, as in forest? Oh, see, I know I shouldn't have done this.
I hate writers that put their pictures on the books.
- It's just pure vanity.
- Oh, no, it's not.
- It isn't.
Come on.
- I love when I see whatever a writer looks like.
I mean, what difference does it make? None.
Now relax.
Just get one from my high school yearbook.
- Eew.
- You're beautiful.
Really gorgeous, and Melissa's going to take a beautiful picture.
- I know.
- Thank you.
- It's just, you know-- - You've earned it, all right? Yes.
Come on.
Are we going to be in the picture, too? - Hi.
- Hi.
Oh, I'm sorry.
I'm so late.
No rest.
Okay.
Kids okay? Yeah, it's aggravating.
Oh.
Hey, look over there.
[gasps.]
A forsythia.
No.
Ducks.
I wish I had my gun.
[groans.]
No.
No, no.
We'll go hunt and you'll like it.
My father used to drag me out with him.
Even bought me my own gun when I was 12.
- What, you? Really? - Yeah.
[laughs.]
All I can remember is being cold, and wet, and incredibly bored.
You won't be bored with me.
Hey.
Come on.
I thought you wanted to take a walk.
Oh, yeah.
[machine beeps.]
[Elliot.]
Hi, Eth.
Hi, Britty.
Hi, Goldie.
Hi, Jaws.
How's the water? Nancy, listen, um, can we find time to get together again? Please? - I want the white one.
- White one? Yeah.
- What do you like? - [horn beeps.]
- Uh-oh.
Big dirt.
- Hey, guys.
Got a real pile there, sweetie.
Oh, I see you kept them busy.
Oh, I love them.
Yeah.
Good mud pies.
- Can I have a soda? - I don't have any soda.
I have some juice in the pantry, though.
Yeah, go help yourself.
Can you get the girls to drink too, please? Just have some juice.
- Where's Michael? - Uh, the bank, the dry cleaners and the market.
I'm sorry I stranded you with both the girls.
Oh, that's okay.
Janey's in love with Brittany.
I could be on Mars, for all she cares.
- [chuckles.]
- So, what'd the doctor say? He said he was really pleased.
He said that the vision loss is gonna be even less - than he first thought.
- Oh, that's great.
- What about the scar? - A little scar by the corner of his eye.
- It'll be very sexy.
- [groans.]
Please! Well, at least Elliot doesn't have to carry that through his life.
- Carry what? - Blinding Ethan.
Oh! Hope, it was an accident! Ethan knew he wasn't supposed to be playing with that rocket without adult supervision.
Elliot knew that-- Oh, well.
Why is it every time I try to talk to you about Elliot, I end up defending him? It was just that I can see Ethan lying there, and all that blood, and I-- - You don't think that I can? - No, of course-- I go to bed and I wake up sometimes moaning because I think my son is dead.
Hope, Elliot knows.
I heard him talking to Ethan in the hospital room.
Elliot knows.
It's also put Michael through hell, too.
Right, I know.
But now he and Michael are working together.
I mean, Michael seems to have forgiven him.
I just don't want to see you trusting him again - and then get hurt again.
- Oh, no.
Everything is so easy for you, Hope.
I mean, you think it is so rational, but it's not.
Trust? [sighs.]
I mean, you think that you know Michael.
Fine.
I promise you that some day, he will do something, or say something, or reveal something about himself that will rock you to the very bottom of your soul.
And it will make you feel like you've never known him at all.
Or you'll do something.
It just hasn't happened yet.
Nancy, I just-- Hope, I could love Matt.
He's this warm and generous spirit.
It'd be like starting all over again.
You know, starting again.
I'd be smarter now.
And it would be fun.
I mean, it is fun.
AndI could walk away from Elliot.
I could really put him behind me now, because I see, you know, the picture, the completed picture of us.
With all the pieces falling into place.
But there is just something about the way his mind works.
Oh, maybe I'm kidding myself.
You know? But see I know now that we all kid ourselves when we love somebody.
We all invest people with more glamour than they really have, and more trust than they really deserve.
Because, otherwise-- Otherwise, we would probably all kill ourselves.
[Janey laughing.]
[knocking.]
Hello.
[laughing.]
- Hi.
- How are you? - Good, good.
How are you? - Great.
How's Ruthie? Ethan was showing her how to make marshmallow pancakes when I left.
She looked like she was about to boot.
- You want something to drink? - Something diet, if you got it.
- Black cherry? - Oh, yeah.
Please.
- Boy, the house looks nice.
- Oh, thanks.
Mr.
Hardware sure did a nice job on the mantel.
- Yeah.
- I need some bookcases, if he works cheap.
Ethan sure likes Matt the Wrench King.
Yeah, well, you know, Matt's-- Matt's a really good guy.
Listen, um, if you and Matt, you know, I mean, if you guys are real serious, well, if-- if you're real serious, then I hope there's time, because I want to prove to you I can wait.
- Wait for what? - For you to stop hating me.
- I got you something.
- Oh, no, see, Elliot, - you got to stop-- - Oh, shut up.
Since when don't you like getting presents? I never said I didn't like it-- - Open it! - All right, I will.
[both laughing.]
Oh, okay.
Oh, Elliot, oh! Oh, this is great! Oh! Oh, you know that I really need it.
Oh, thanks.
That's like-- Oh.
You've never-- - Would you like to see the stuff that I - Yes.
I've been waiting for you to ask.
Okay.
- Is this it right here? - Yeah.
- This is what I've got.
- Okay, I'm right here.
Yes, okay.
Nancy, uh-- Nancy, these are incredible.
Whoa.
How could-- How could-- When did you get-- Look, this is the, uh-- This is the ending that I told Ethan about.
- The reflection of the sun-- - Yeah, I hope you don't mind.
I mean, the ending was so much better than mine.
Nancy, no, no, no.
I thought that would be poison to you.
- This is-- - No.
Nancy Nancy, I'm really, really proud of you.
I am.
This is like, all those years, I didn't-- Oh, I just wasn't ready to try it.
- Oh, that was my fault.
- No, it was my fault too.
So Nancy, uh do you still hate me? Mm, comes and goes.
Just everything that's happened in my life since you walked out, almost everything has been good.
Hasn't always been happy or easy, but-- Oh, Nancy, what I did, I-- I mean, I wish it could have been different.
[sighs.]
We still owe Anna Traub so much money.
I know.
My lawyer, she keeps on calling me about the divorce papers.
Yeah, and the advance for this book's going to go right to her.
No, no way.
What are you, crazy? That's for you.
You got to spend that money on yourself.
It's a law.
Yeah, but it'd be so nice to be out of debt.
I won't think how much money we'd save if we got back together.
Yeah, right.
You'd spend it all.
No way! I'd follow you to all your book-signing parties.
I'd carry your pens.
And you could baby-sit when I went to accept my Pulitzer Prize.
It'd be great! Yeah.
I'd be Mr.
Nancy Krieger.
Tired of being Elliot Weston anyway.
Sure you are.
Closed-Captioned By J.
R.
Media Services, Inc.
Burbank, CA And dance by the light of the moon