More Love Grows, The (2023)

[bunniefuu]

Don't you think today

is a good day

to put your phone away?

It's my boss.

He needs an update

on the Denver presentation.

We are taking Aly to college

this morning.

I don't care if space aliens

inv*de Denver.

It's family time.

Good morning, family!

Good morning!

Hi!

Mwah.

Oh, I can't believe

this might be the last breakfast

I make you for four years.

Oh, my goodness, Helen.

She's only going to be

a few hours away.

Gram!

Mom, once again,

your key is for emergencies.

Oh, darling.

Let me make you some fresh eggs.

These ones look

a little rubbery.

Hey, Paul.

We fly out tomorrow.

I just need to send

this update now.

There's always

gonna be a business meeting.

Let's just be here today.

He's working hard

for his family, darling.

Now, Aly, my advice to you

is to not hide away

in the library.

The next four years

will be the best time

in your life

to meet young men

who are good husband material.

Aly is in

the pre-med program, Mother.

She's going to be focused

on her education.

Okay, yes.

But, um, how do I know

if someone is

good husband material?

Well, now, that is

a wonderful question.

When your grandfather

was courting me,

I had a whole list of qualities

to look for in a man.

Number one...

Sense of humor.

Hey.

This is for you.

Since you aren't bringing

Mr. Teddy.

Oh, Mom.

It's perfect.

Thank you.

You have to make

a children's book out of these.

I draw Mr. Teddy for you,

but I would love to

if I could find the time

and the right idea.

Well, you'll have the time now

that you're not going

to be chauffeuring me around

all the time.

I could just come to college.

I could drive you to class,

cheer you on while you study...

Okay.

- The car's loaded up.

- Great. I'm ready.

Okay.

Okay.

Oh, you're going to need

these tissues today.

Thank you, Mom.

You are going to wear

something nice

to take Aly to school,

aren't you?

Okay.

I left a first-aid kit

in the other room,

and there's fresh batteries

in your smoke detector.

Oh, and the closest

emergency exit

is just down the hallway,

past your R.A.'s office.

- I love you, too, Dad.

- Okay.

Come here. Bring it in.

Come here. Mm.

I'm so proud of you.

You worked so hard,

and I know you can achieve

anything you set your mind to.

Thanks, Mom.

I'm going to miss you so much.

I'm going to miss you, too.

Okay. It's time to go, Helen.

All right. You just call us

any time, day or night,

and we're going to scoop you up

for a visit, okay?

Okay.

I love you.

I love you, too.

- Bye.

- One more hug.

Okay.

- Oh, I'm so proud of you.

- Helen!

- Bye.

- Bye.

- Wait. Is that her roommate?

- You must be Aly.

I'm you're new roomie, Dana.

Yeah, that's me.

Are you going

to the freshman orientation?

Those were your parents

that just left, right?

Yeah. Why?

Okay, I can finally

take this off.

We're not going

to a lame orientation.

We're going

to a frat party.

I can't believe

how 18 years has just flown by.

I can't believe

we're just leaving her here.

Remember how we used

to just jump on my motorcycle

and then we would just ride?

- And then...

- We had Aly.

She was the best thing

that ever happened to us.

I couldn't agree more.

But maybe it's time

for us to start having

our own adventures again.

Maybe.

You know, now that

she doesn't need us anymore.

I liked things how they were.

Let's just...

Let's stay here

a little bit longer.

She might call.

Well, you need anything,

call us, okay?

Proud of you, son.

We're going to miss you

so much, honey.

Hey.

All right. Well, I'll see

you guys at Thanksgiving.

Love you.

Love you.

Okay. Well, I will see you

Thursday, buddy.

You feeling Barzetti's

or Regent Thai?

Barzetti's for sure.

Barzetti's it is.

See you then.

Bye, Amy.

Bye, Ben.

Hey!

Not the pansies!

Okay. You must have an owner.

Dogs.

He was cute, though.

Honey, did you see the dog?

I sure did.

It was so cute.

It sure was.

Two dowels

for each corner of the table.

Hey.

My flight leaves

in a couple of hours.

I hope

your presentation goes well.

I was hoping

that we could finish

our conversation

before I leave.

You know,

the one about our future.

It's been such a big day.

Can we just talk about it

when you get back?

Yeah.

Okay.

I'm going to a barbecue

at Kappa House.

You coming?

Oh, I can't.

I've got to finish my first

organic chemistry lab by Monday.

Please?

I don't want to go alone.

Fine. Stay home

instead of making friends.

Whatever.

I know, Mr. Teddy.

I miss her, too.

Let's text her.

What do you think?

Okay. I'll go.

Okay.

Who's that?

Oh. It's my mom.

Okay.

- Ready to go.

- Okay, let's go!

I can't believe

the girls are in college.

Zoe hasn't called me once

since she left.

Aly either,

and when she does respond

to my text messages,

it's with emojis

I don't understand.

Why don't you two join me

next Saturday

for singing bowl

meditation yoga?

It's great for relieving

sadness vibrations.

I'm in,

if we can get mimosas

afterwards.

Paul's flight landed.

He should be here by now.

You guys start eating.

I'll give him a call.

Are you still mad

because I let him stay up

late last week?

Okay. Yeah, sure.

I'll see you in 20 minutes.

Yeah.

You're never gonna keep me down!

"Tubthumping"

is my power anthem,

and I hold no shame in it.

There's no shame

in loving a classic.

That one got me through

a lot of angst when I was 17.

It's funny how the songs

we listened to in high school

stick with us, right?

Speaking of,

are you a Car let on High dad?

I'm Helen. I'm Aly Stevens' mom.

Ben Tollman.

I think we met

at a parent-teacher conference.

- Hey.

- Hey, you.

- Right.

- Yeah.

Yeah, my son, Skyler,

went to high school with Aly.

I knew I recognized you.

You're in med school.

Vet school, fourth year.

And you are an artist, right?

Technical illustrator.

Furniture manuals, mostly.

Oh, so you're the reason

those instructions

are so easy to follow.

That's me.

I should probably grab my order.

I actually have to pick up

my other little kiddo

from his mom's,

but it's good to see you.

- Good to see you.

- Come on. Let's go.

Oh, Chip, what a move.

What a legend.

Hey. Where are you?

Are you okay?

You're home?

So you're not coming?

Everyone's waiting for you.

Bye.

I'll see you when I get home.

So, how's it feel

to be the last man standing

now that Skyler's

off to college?

I mean,

some extra attention is nice,

but not too much.

Oh, yeah, no.

Here.

Hey, Dad?

Are you okay?

Because I heard Mom tell Mark

that you'd be happier

if you met somebody.

I'm happy, kiddo.

Then why did Mom say that?

Look, between you,

vet school,

and these two lazy

little monsters,

I've got lots to focus on.

Don't you worry about me, okay?

Okay.

Here. At least pretend

to eat a vegetable.

You first.

Our little secret.

Hey!

Are you leaving again?

I thought you were here

'til next week.

I got offered a promotion...

VP at client development.

Congratulations, honey!

It's in our new

Mountain West office.

In Denver.

In Denver?

Well, what about our life here?

I think I should go on my own.

Long distance?

I was kind of hoping

you would start traveling less.

Yeah. I wasn't thinking

long distance.

I've been telling myself

that this feeling will pass,

but this Denver job

made me realize...

Realize... what?

That we've grown apart.

Honey, if you really

want to go to Denver,

we are going to make

something work.

It's not just about Denver.

Helen, I think

we should separate.

It's just...

It's just not working

anymore.

I don't want to hurt you.

I just want to do

what's best for us both.

Okay.

No, no, no.

I think this is...

This is not how you really feel.

You're having a mid-life crisis.

I'm going to sleep

at the office,

give us some space.

I leave for Denver in a month.

Our 20th anniversary

is in two weeks.

We are not splitting up.

Goodbye, Helen.

We are not splitting up.

We are not splitting up...

We are not splitting... up.

Splitting up?

What are you doing here?

Well, I know how worked up

you were about Aly leaving,

so I roasted a chicken.

I wanted you

to have a balanced meal.

What is going on

with you and Paul?

You look like

something terrible has happened.

We had an argument

and he's sleeping in his office.

What are you arguing about?

He thinks we've grown apart

and he's moving to Denver.

Not without you, he's not.

I'm taking a shower.

You need a plan.

How are you going

to change his mind?

I'm going to let him

come to his senses

and realize he should be

begging me for forgiveness.

Marriage isn't about

keeping score, darling.

If something is broken,

you need to try and fix it.

How many times have I told you

what my mother used to say?

"The more you tend it,

the more love grows."

A marriage withers

without attention.

Your father and I

used to work on our marriage

every single day.

I am sorry that my marriage

isn't perfect

like yours and Dad's.

It's not my choice to split up.

I just wish

you could support me for once.

I know.

Invite him over for dinner.

Comfort food.

Oh, and be ready

to really listen.

Oh, yes,

and wear your blue dress.

It really makes your eyes pop.

You again.

Who do you belong to?

Okay, okay, okay.

Are you hungry? Thirsty?

I don't have any dog food,

but I could get you some water.

Here you go.

You look well fed.

There must be someone

missing you right now.

Why don't you just go home

and leave my flowers alone?

Bye.

Have a good day.

Wow.

You look nice.

Thank you.

Now sit down, and we are going

to figure this out.

I am ready to really listen.

Thank you, but I really

just came to give you this.

An apology?

These look official.

I thought it would

make things easier

to finalize the separation.

Give us a chance

for a fresh start.

A fresh start?

Is that what you call

breaking up our marriage?

No. No.

I'm sorry.

I'm not explaining myself

very well.

I think you've explained plenty.

Just don't say anything

to Aly about this.

She shouldn't

have to deal with it

when she's settling

into college.

No, you're right.

We can tell her

after we work out

the separation.

Helen...

I hope that we can

get through this as friends.

Well, here's

a friendly doggy bag.

Now please leave.

Hey.

I didn't change your oil.

Do you want me

to come by this weekend?

Just please get out of here.

Oh! Come on.

Paul, what more

could you possibly have to say?

You again.

Can I, um...

Can I just look at your collar?

You don't have one.

Okay.

Um, here's the deal.

You can stay tonight,

but no chewing,

jumping,

or scratching the furniture.

Just no dog behavior. Got it?

All right.

No scratching.

So do you eat chicken?

You can have this if you want.

It's boneless.

Okay, good.

You eat chicken. All right.

I'm just going to make

a quick phone call.

There it is.

Just be a minute.

Hello?

Hi.

Uh, this is Helen Stevens.

We ran into each other

yesterday at Barzetti's.

I just... I found your number

in the Car let on High directory.

Helen. Hey.

Um...

I was actually

just about to head to bed.

What's going on?

Oh, gosh.

What time is it?

Oh, my goodness. It is late.

No, that's okay.

Is something wrong?

No. Well, uh

there is just...

There is a dog in my house,

um, that won't leave,

and I thought

since you are a vet,

you might be able

to tell me what to do.

How did the dog

get in your house?

Oh, I let him in,

and then I just fed him

because he looked hungry,

and I had

the worst night of my life,

and I couldn't stand to see

any more suffering in the world,

but now he's here,

so now what?

It sounds like

you're going through a lot.

I'm sorry.

I didn't mean to unload on you.

No, no. It's okay.

I had a patient today

literally try

and claw my eyes out.

I mean, she's a cat.

Look, why don't you

bring the dog

by the clinic tomorrow,

see if they have an ID chip.

I'll send you the address.

Thank you.

I come from a long line

of absolute-not-dog-people,

so I have no idea what to do

with a four-legged runaway.

Happy to help.

I'll see you tomorrow.

See you tomorrow.

Dog? Where'd you go?

I said no scratching!

Then he came in

with this tray of...

Oh, um, no, I'm okay.

Thank you so much, I'm full.

Oh, I should go to sleep.

I've got a class at 8:00 a.m.

Can't you get notes

from someone?

We need to discuss Homecoming

and getting invites

to the right parties.

I'm going to be studying.

I've already got

a midterm that week.

Okay, I know your thing

is being smart,

but you're in college now.

Why not try being cool?

Maybe we could go to the game

and I could study afterwards?

Yes, you can!

You are a terrible influence.

She doesn't realize

that one day

she's going to wake up

a 43-year-old woman

whose husband leaves her

for being too boring.

Hey, am I boring?

Step it out, work those legs.

Good morning.

Hi, honey!

Hi, Mom. Have you seen

my light-wash jeans?

Uh, no, but I...

I will look for them.

Are you okay?

You're all blotchy.

Blotchy?

Look.

No way. You got a dog?

Well, he's a stray,

but I let him stay the night

because it was so cold outside.

Gee, Mom, what's next?

Are we climbing Mount Everest

over spring break?

No, no, no.

I'm going to keep

both of my feet on the ground.

He's so cute. What's his name?

Well, he doesn't have a tag,

but I guess

I could call him Elmer

because he wants

to stick to me like glue.

I gotta go to class.

It's so awesome you got a dog.

Love you!

Hey.

Sorry.

Sorry.

Rather than

rehashing the reading,

we'll be diving into

an advanced

discussion

of resonance structures.

I hope you're all caught up.

Next slide, please.

This will be on the exam.

It will not make sense

if you haven't done the reading,

but I'm sure you all have.

Ready? Page three.

Hi, Mom.

Ooh!

Oh, you got Paul a dog!

What a wonderful idea!

Hello, Handsome.

Hello. Yes. Yes.

Wait. What is going on?

Mom, you hate dogs.

Well, actually,

I suppose I can tell you now.

It was your father

who really didn't like dogs.

I was just maintaining

a united front.

Well, the dog is a stray

who won't leave,

unlike Paul,

who filed for a separation

and wants to "wrap things up"

before he goes to Denver.

Did you...

I did. I followed

your retrograde advice.

- Did...

- It did not work.

You should...

I can't fix

my marriage to Paul...

You should

because I don't know

why he broke it.

May I speak now?

Sure.

I was going to suggest

asking your friends

if Paul has said anything.

That is actually

a really good idea.

I know.

All right, class.

Once you have completed

your stretches,

I would like you all to move

those beautiful bodies

and meet me

in a downward dog position.

Helen!

Are you okay?

So Paul told James and Greg?

Just that you're separating

and he's moving to Denver.

We should have called you.

We just didn't know what to say.

Do you need anything?

Intel.

Where is this coming from?

I need James and Greg

to find out everything they can,

then they can tell Paul

the truth...

That he has gone crazy

and he's making a huge mistake.

We were thinking

more like moral support.

We shouldn't get in the middle.

We've been friends

since the girls' first day

of kindergarten.

It's just... we love you both.

Then help me save my marriage!

This is not

social time with friends.

I don't have any friends here.

All right, everyone.

Let's cleanse away

that negative energy.

Breathe in, breathe out...

Breathe in, breathe out.

We are going to find your owner.

There you go.

Okay, buddy. Back seat.

Well, he doesn't have an ID chip

to help us find his owner,

but he has definitely

been well taken care of,

haven't you, pal?

So what do we do now?

I mean, I would take him,

but I already have

two dogs at home,

and I don't really have

the space for a third.

Oh. Oh, no, no.

I am not in a good place

to have a dog

because I've never had one,

and...

Sorry.

I'm going through

a separation right now.

It's brand-new.

I get it.

I can tell you, it gets easier.

I'll tell you what.

Leave Elmer with me.

I will call around

to a few shelters,

thank you very much,

and we'll see what we can do.

Thank you.

I truly appreciate it.

Hey, buddy.

Good luck out there.

Yeah.

Okay. I will take him,

temporarily,

while we look for your owner.

Really? That is...

That's incredible of you.

I cannot leave you

to take your chances

at a shelter.

Can I, buddy?

No, I cannot.

But here's the thing.

I don't know the first thing

about having a dog.

I don't know

what kind of dog food we need?

Do we need a doghouse?

Do we need dog toys?

Do you want me to go

to the pet store with you?

Yes! I do!

I will take

all the help I can get.

Yeah. I, um...

I have a couple of hours now.

Do you want to go?

All right.

Let's get you set up, buddy.

We're going to go get you

some squeaky toys.

Okay. Let's go.

Okay. For you, Elmer.

Let's see.

You're going to want a leash.

What about

red?

Elmer, do you like red?

Is this your color?

Oh. Red suits him, hmm?

He's a jaunty fellow.

And chew on these.

Okay? And not our furniture.

You know what?

I'm, uh... I'm going

to send you the address

of my favorite dog park.

The more exercise he gets,

the less inclined he'll be

to destroy your house.

Then we will spend

a lot of time there with these.

You want to play fetch?

You are going to want this

as well.

Oh, yes, and you, too.

Fetch elbow is a real thing.

Um... and, oh.

What about this for Elmer?

Ooh. I love it.

And maybe some coveralls

for when he excavates

my flower beds.

Thank you.

And thank you so much again

for your help and advice.

Oh, you deserve the thanks,

taking on a senior dog.

Most people wouldn't.

I believe in sticking by people,

and now dogs, I guess.

Yeah, me too.

You two are going to do great.

The whole neighborhood

is going to want

to take you home

with a face like this, Elmer.

A few posts online,

some posters around town.

We will find your home

in no time.

Hey. How's it going?

"Describe his disposition"?

He is a hamster.

Ah, he looks pretty calm to me.

You know, I'm going

to be really glad

when this rotation is over.

Oh, well, hello. Who's Helen?

Oh, she's just a mom

from Skyler's school.

I helped her

with a stray dog today.

Right.

No. No, no, no, no.

Nothing like that.

We're just... friends.

That's it.

Just friends. All right.

So when's the last time

you went on a date anyways?

Yeesh. That long, huh?

Look, my priorities

are being a dad

and starting a vet practice.

That's it.

Whatever you say, buddy.

I'd rather spend my time

with a pretty lady

than Mr. Fluffernutter

over here.

Hey! Off the furniture!

Okay. Maybe just

for a little bit.

Do you like television?

You want to watch a show?

Go get it!

Good boy.

Let's find your home.

Elmer, that's to drink.

Oh, wow.

Oh! Oh, Elmer!

No!

Let's go play.

Come on.

Good boy.

Here we are. We're at a park.

Dogs are pack animals.

You need to be the leader.

Elmer! Sit!

Sit!

Sit!!

Uh, yelling doesn't work either.

You've got to lead

by showing confidence, okay?

Watch this. Like this. Watch.

Okay. Joey Ramone.

Hi, Joey Ramone.

There you go.

Good boy, good boy.

Sit.

Good.

Down.

Roll. Good boy.

Wow.

Dance!

Let's dance and dance and dance!

- Look at his hands.

- Yeah, you got it!

- That's so cute.

- Good boy.

Now you try it, okay?

Um, okay.

Elmer, sit.

Sit.

- See? You got it.

- Good job.

- Wow.

- Yeah, it's easy.

I know we just met,

but could I take you to coffee

and pick your brain

for dog advice?

I'm Helen.

I'm a dog newbie.

Oh, dog newbie, are you?

Okay. Well, I'm Cindy,

by the way.

Um, yeah, I'd love

to give you some dog tips.

- I know a great place.

- All right.

Let's do this.

Elmer, we're going

to go get some coffee.

Do you drink coffee?

I don't think, uh...

I don't think

that's going to be...

No, I don't think

a dog can have a coffee.

Praise the behavior

you want more of.

So if you call Elmer

and he comes right back,

lay it on thick.

So it's just like with kids.

Never had any,

but dog nature and human nature

is not that different.

Can I use the same technique

to get a husband who walked out

to come back when I call him?

Well, if he walked out on you,

you're better off without him.

I don't want to get divorced.

You know what?

I thought my life was over

when my husband

ran off with our landlady,

but it turns out

divorce was the best thing

that ever happened to me.

Because he was a cheater?

Mm, no.

Because I found music again.

I needed an outlet,

and a friend of mine

has a son who's in a punk band,

and so he invited me

to come on down

and scream into the microphone.

And then writing songs

became my passion,

and I have been singing

with Cindy and the Rogues

ever since.

That is so

different.

Mm, yeah.

I know.

My ex b*rned my life down,

and, um...

I rose from the ashes rocking.

So

how are you going

to take your power back?

I could get new throw pillows.

Paul always hated them,

so I never had them

on our couch.

That's a start.

Yeah, it's a good one.

Yeah. Pillows.

But, you know,

I'm just going to write down

a number of a really cool lady.

We've become

really good friends, actually,

and, well, she helped me through

a really, really awful time.

You need to call a lawyer.

I'm not ready for that.

Ready or not,

you can either stand up

for yourself, or get run over,

so...

Wow.

You are so talented.

Thank you.

It's gorgeous.

Thank you.

I would love to keep it.

There!

Filling the space

where my marriage used to be

with soft furnishings.

What do you think, Elmer?

I have another idea.

Okay.

Hey, Mom. What's up?

Have dinner

with me on Wednesday.

It'll take your mind

off your anniversary

and get you off the couch.

I've been getting out, actually.

I even made a new friend today,

a musician who thinks

that marriage

is an outdated social construct

and Paul was holding me back

from living my best life.

What does that even mean?

See you Wednesday, Mother.

We can do it!

Very cute.

I can see that.

We should go talk to them.

Oh, my gosh.

Oil changes for beginners.

Loosen the drain plug.

That looks like a drain plug.

Loosening the drain plug.

making sure the catch pan

is underneath

so that oil

doesn't spill everywhere.

I need the catch pan!

Got the catch pan.

Here we go.

You changed your own oil?

What? Like it's hard?

What are you doing here, Paul?

I just need

to grab a few things.

Okay.

Go on.

Okay.

Oh, that was fun.

You kept the dog.

I didn't think

you'd ever be open to that.

Well, you underestimated me

in a lot of ways, Paul.

Now please leave.

Thank you, Elmer.

Hi. My name is Helen Stevens,

and I need to talk to a lawyer.

I am taking back my power.

Hey, buddy.

You want to get up here with me?

Good night, Elmer.

- Hey!

- Hey!

This park is so beautiful.

Yeah. Just another reason

to have a dog.

Aw.

They're all being so nice!

Like, no barking or anything.

Go on.

There you go.

So what did you do

before you went back

to vet school?

I was a sales manager

at a software company

for about 18 years.

What led you to make a change

after that much time?

My divorce, to be honest.

I just got so tired

of moping around,

I decided to make myself happy

and follow a lifelong dream

to work with animals.

I like it.

What about you?

Did you always want to be

a technical illustrator?

It was a great job to have

while Aly was growing up.

It's a flexible schedule.

I could work from home.

I could really fit work

around being a mom.

Okay, but...

Does it make you want to jump

out of bed in the morning?

Not exactly.

I studied fine art in college,

and then Paul and I got married,

and we had Aly,

and a mortgage.

Life happened.

- Exactly.

- Yeah.

You know, Aly keeps telling me

I should get back into drawing,

and maybe I will.

I'll just dust off

my coloured pencils, you know.

What do I have to lose?

I like that.

Draw those lemons into lemonade!

Maybe I will.

It sounds nice

to have something positive

to focus on right now.

It's my lawyer.

Hello. This is Helen.

Hey, come on! Come hang.

Oh, actually, I gotta take this.

It's kinda loud in there.

So loud.

Hey, have I seen you

around the science building?

You look familiar. I'm Aly.

I'm freshman.

Pre-med major.

Trevor. I'm a freshman, too.

Sorry.

I'm studying bio.

So if you're pre-med,

you must be taking

organic chemistry

with Professor Shaul.

Yeah. It's brutal.

I'm actually

supposed to be studying now,

but my roommate begged me

to come out with her tonight.

Yeah. My brother's a junior

and he said if I didn't

get out of the library

and go to a party,

he would sign me up

for online dating.

- Wow.

- Yeah.

Dana! Dana! Dana!

I should probably go check

on my roommate.

Um, I'm supposed

to be her party buddy.

Yeah.

Dana!

Like, now.

I'll see you around

the science building.

Yeah. Bye.

Bye.

The court set a mediation date.

I have to decide

what's mine and what's his.

We've lived in that house

for 20 years.

Everything is ours.

Get as much as you can

while he's planning

his midlife crisis.

In the meantime,

you want something

to take your mind off things?

If you're free.

I'm playing a show.

I even wrote a new

song about Elmer.

Really?

Do I have to get a mohawk?

A faux-hawk at least.

That will be perfect

for my anniversary dinner.

- What?

- With my mother.

Maybe if I distract her

with my hair,

she'll forget to lecture me

about my marriage.

Ah. You know what?

You can just tell her

you're no longer part of

the patriarchal machine.

I wish you were

coming to dinner.

You should come to dinner!

I'm afraid my anniversary's

going to turn me into a mess.

No, we can't have that.

I'll come. I'll come.

Really?

Helen!

Hey!

Hi.

Oh, you. Come on. Hey, Cindy.

Hi there.

How is Joey Ramone's paw?

Ah, much better.

Good. Good.

It was great running into you

the other day.

I had a really nice time.

Yeah.

Maybe we can take the pups

for a walk sometime.

I would like that, yes.

Great. I'll give you a call.

Or Chip and Chunk

will text Elmer,

- something like that.

- That sounds good.

- See you soon.

- See you soon.

- See ya.

- Ciao.

Bye.

Come on, boys.

So...

So what?

Someone has a dog-walking date.

It's not a date.

I'm still married.

Ah. Separated.

- Darling.

- Mom!

You look lovely

when you dress up.

Let's sit down.

Okay.

This place looks really nice.

Hey!

- Cindy!

- Cindy?

Sue! I love that

we're reclaiming

Helen's anniversary

as her Independence Day! Yes!

Mom, I wanted you to meet

my new friend

since she's been so supportive.

Yeah.

Isn't that nice?

Excuse me.

We're going to need

another place setting here.

And a wine list.

Thank you.

You must be so proud of Helen.

She is not letting

this divorce get her down.

In fact, she's making friends

with Elmer's hunky new vet.

She is not getting divorced.

Helen, you shouldn't be making

any new friends.

You should be saving

your marriage to...

Helen?

Paul! What are you doing here?

Well, your mother wanted

to talk to me.

You two need to sort things out.

I'm leaving.

And I'm sorry

for dragging you into this.

Don't worry about me.

I'm also...

I am taking my cake.

Atta girl.

Helen!

I didn't know you were going

to be here, I promise.

I believe you.

This has my mother's

fingerprints all over it.

I should not have let things

spiral out of control

without talking to you.

Why didn't you talk to me?

I kept trying,

but it seemed like

you didn't want to listen.

I should have tried harder

to stay connected.

I really do want

to stay friends.

I care about you so much,

even if I haven't always

acted like it.

You are an incredible dad

to Aly,

and we'll always be

her parents together,

but as for more than that...

I don't know.

Happy anniversary.

I cannot process this evening

without ice cream.

Elmer, do you like ice cream?

I feel like if I were a dog,

I would really like ice cream.

That's just a guess.

Guess we'll find out, won't we?

Did you eat my whole cake?

It's okay. I've got ice cream.

What's going on?

You all right?

What's going on?

Hey. I think

something's wrong with Elmer.

What's going on?

I went to get ice cream,

and he ate

my chocolate lava cake,

and now he's just

laying on the couch whimpering.

Chocolate's toxic for dogs.

- I poisoned him?

- No, no, no.

You didn't know,

but meet me at the clinic, okay?

Okay. We'll be right there.

And Whiskers is all good to go.

Just keep the cone on

for the next five days, yeah?

See you, little guy.

Excuse me, Doctor?

Um, do you know

how my dog is doing?

I don't know what I'm going

to do if he's not okay.

Oh, I can definitely

go check for you.

What's his name?

Elmer. I'm Helen.

His vet is Ben Tollman.

Oh. He's mentioned you.

I'll go check

where he's at, yeah?

Thank you. Thank you so much.

No problem.

Well, it was a very rough night,

but he's going to be okay.

Oh! Hey there!

How are you feeling?

Oh, you scared me, buddy.

Oh, I'm so glad you're okay.

You're our hero. You saved him.

Oh, I am not

his favorite person right now.

I made him eat

activated charcoal

and he threw up a lot.

Poor baby.

You know,

I'm second shift tomorrow.

If you wanted, I could swing by

and check on him

on my way in.

I would love that.

Would you love that, Elmer?

Yes, yes.

He says, "We would love that."

We will, um...

We'll see you tomorrow.

- Yeah.

- Thank you so much again.

Oh, of course.

All right. Let's get you home.

We are never, ever going

to touch chocolate again.

Ever ever, okay?

Thank you again

for coming by to check on him.

Yeah, no problem at all.

You're on my way to the clinic.

Besides, I should have

said something about chocolate.

So how's he doing?

Let's just say

he gets knocked down,

but he'll get up again.

You are never

gonna keep him down.

Exactly.

No, he'll be good as new

with a few days' rest.

I'm sorry for imposing,

but you were the first person

I thought of to call.

Glad you did.

Oh, by the way,

I have a pamphlet for you,

"Dogs and People Food,"

just for future reference.

Ooh. Thank you.

And I have... oh.

Bye, Elmer.

a get well soon gift.

How did you know

he likes chewing on socks?

A universal dog trait.

I actually have

something for you.

Yeah. You had mentioned

that you wanted

to get back into drawing, so.

This is incredibly thoughtful.

- Thank you.

- Yeah, of course.

Hey.

You have the exact same edition

of Oliver Twist

that I had in high school.

It's my favorite book.

My dad actually

got that for me in 10th grade.

It's my favorite, too.

Okay. Who's your

favorite character?

Fagin.

You've got to be kidding me.

What? Who is yours?

Artful Dodger?

Obviously,

because he's the coolest.

I mean, who goes out

and does all the actual work

while Fagin sits at home

counting their pennies?

Do you have to go

to work right now?

Uh, not for about an hour.

Well, then sit down, my friend.

We are going to settle this.

All right.

Let's see what you've got.

Wait 'til you see all the notes

I have written in here,

from high school.

It's going to be embarrassing,

isn't it?

Oh, wow.

This was fun.

Yeah. I wish

I didn't have to go to work.

I'd say we should order

some pizza

and watch the musical.

How about we go on that walk

you suggested

when Elmer's feeling better?

I'd love that.

- See you soon.

- See you soon.

Oh, you want to go

on a walk already!

All right. Let's go.

So pink is for me,

blue is for Paul.

All right.

Normative, but I'll go with it.

I don't even know

where to start.

I mean, everything here

has a memory attached to it.

Yeah, but stuff is just stuff.

You know, you're going to have

your memories

whether or not you keep the

owl lamp.

My aunt gave that to us.

It doesn't even work

half the time.

Okay, that's

what I'm talking about.

You gotta ditch the baggage.

Let me ask you this.

What makes you feel excited

about your new life?

I liked being able

to change my own oil.

That made me feel

strong and capable,

and I would like

to do more things for myself.

Like, I wish I could fix

that ridiculous lamp.

I have an idea.

Bring the lamp.

So this is more than

just a coffee shop.

Oh, yeah.

It's a repair cafe Wednesdays,

board games Thursdays.

Fridays?

Uh, babies.

That's so cool!

You think they can fix my lamp?

Oh, yeah. They can fix anything.

Marriages?

I thought you said

you liked how you felt

by doing things by yourself.

Oh! Wanna learn

how to use power tools?

Why stop there?

Let's build something.

I love it. Thatta girl.

Hey! Can you give us a hand?

I would love to fix

Mr. Owl here.

Hey.

Hey, Aly!

Al-y!

Hey.

I'm sorry to wake you,

but the library's closing,

and, uh,

and that janitor

can kind of be mean

about people

trying to stay late.

Oh. I'm not even halfway

through the material

for my organic chemistry

midterm tomorrow.

Well, if you need

a place to study,

the student center is open 24/7.

Well then,

that is where I'm going.

Um, can I...

Can I walk you there?

That would be really nice.

- Come on.

- Okay.

Let's do this.

Hungry. Okay, let's go.

After you.

All right. Nothing in here

is particularly hard or new.

We've discussed all of this,

so it should be easy for you,

provided you've been

paying attention,

which I'm sure you all

have been.

All right.

You have one hour

beginning now.

Okay.

I was an only child, too!

Did your parents love animals?

More like animal-likers.

I mean, they loved

our cat, Ma in a,

because she pretty much

took care of herself,

but they would never

go for a dog.

And you?

Did you grow up

in a household of artists?

My dad was an engineer.

My mom, a homemaker.

Our house was very structured,

so I've tried

to be more laid-back with Aly.

Are we talking navel piercings

or Taylor Swift concerts?

More like

if Aly had a bad day at school,

we'd eat cheese and crackers

and watch movies,

but lately,

she's not even taking my calls.

Yeah. Skyler's been the same.

You know, it's funny.

We turn ourselves inside out

trying to give them

everything they need.

At some point,

they're the only ones

that know what that is.

All we can really do

is try our best, right?

Great.

Now I have to call my mom.

We should, uh...

- Come on, Elmer! Let's go.

- Do you want my jacket?

No, no. I'm good.

Thanks, though. Let's go.

- Come on, boys.

- Whoo!

Perfect fit.

I just...

I can't get over your sketches.

They're amazing.

Well, someone gave me

a lovely set

of coloured pencils,

and I have something for you.

You have helped us

in so many ways,

so I wanted to say thank you

with this.

It's just a sketch, I know.

It's not the Mona Lisa.

Wow.

Okay, well,

now I'm just thinking about you

sketching outside the Louvre.

Oh, I've always wanted

to go to Paris.

Really?

Come with moi

to the City of Lights.

I should probably

get some more work done.

Yeah.

I should probably do some stuff

before I pick up Charlie

from school.

Thank you so much

for the picture.

Of course.

It's incredible,

and the shirt, amazing,

and all of it.

It's all yours.

Okay. Come on, boys.

Mom, are you okay?

I'm...

You're what?

Are you dying?

I'm an awful mother.

Oh, Mom.

Come in.

Elmer, it's okay, buddy.

It's okay.

Maybe, um

we could try

to talk about this calmly.

He doesn't like conflict.

It's okay.

- I'm sorry.

- Mom, it's okay.

It's okay, buddy.

Oh, I made him go away.

It's all right. He's okay.

I'm so sorry.

When you told me

you think I don't support you,

I...

You mean everything to me,

my darling.

Thank you for saying that,

but do you understand

why I feel that way

when I'm just doing

the best I can?

Oh, yes, I do understand.

I should have told you this

a long time ago.

Your father and I

separated once.

What?

You remember that summer

you and I spent

with your grandparents?

Well, your dad and I

had been fighting,

so we agreed to spend

some time apart to cool down.

Why did you not tell me?

I don't know.

I just thought it was

better for you

if we dealt

with our problems privately,

but

a good mother...

A good mother

would have set an example

on how to handle

marital struggles.

Mom, you have always been

the best mother

you can possibly be.

And you,

you're strong

and brave and loving,

and you're a wonderful mother

to Aly.

I just... I want you to know

I am always on your team.

Thank you.

Does this mean I have to like

your aggressive new friend?

No, it doesn't,

but maybe you could come

to her concert,

give her a chance.

I suppose I can do that.

Hello?

Yes, I put up the posters

about the dog.

He's yours?

Sure. We...

We can meet you tomorrow.

We'll see you soon.

Hey, buddy.

We may have just

found your home.

Hello?

Hey. It's Ben.

Hey! I'm just giving

Elmer a bath.

How are you? Whoa!

I was just wondering

if you wanted to go

to an art show with me tomorrow.

Your drawing's making me

want to look at art.

Yeah. That sounds fun.

Let's do it.

You want to shake, shake...

Oh! I have to go.

Sorry.

Soapy dog here.

I'll see you tomorrow.

All right.

Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow.

That was just

a friendly invite, right?

Not like a date.

You almost ready to get out?

We're getting out.

- Hey!

- Hey! Hi!

- Good to see you.

- Yeah, you too.

Hey.

Uh, should we check it out?

That sounds great.

There was something

I wanted

to talk about, actually.

Helen?

Hey? Hey?

Oh, sorry.

Um

it's just I may have found

Elmer's family.

I'm meeting with them

later this afternoon,

which I know is great.

I mean, that's... It's good.

It's what I...

But you're going to miss him.

Yes! Is that crazy?

I didn't want a dog.

Now I don't want him to leave.

No, no. It's not crazy to me.

It's one of the things

I like most about you.

Well, thank you.

What is it you wanted

to talk to me about?

Uh, it can wait.

It's fine.

Why don't we check out

this masterpiece,

"Youthful Innocence"?

It's very youthful.

- And innocent, I think.

- Yes.

Duke! Where have you been?

You had us worried sick!

So he really is your dog.

He was my uncle's,

but he passed away last month,

so we took Duke in.

Oh, I'm so sorry.

Thank you so much

for finding him.

I'm Marisa.

And I'm Justin,

and, uh, these are our loud,

rambunctious, very active kids.

I think the constant

chaos of our household

stressed him out.

I've noticed

he doesn't like conflict.

Would you like to come inside?

We've got some coffee and

fresh-baked cookies laid out.

Oh, no, no. I don't...

I don't want to get in the way.

Come on, buddy.

You want to go inside?

He seems to be

quite taken by you.

Would it help you all out

if he came to live with me?

I would love to give him a home.

I think he'd love that.

Hey there, buddy.

You want to come home with me?

You do?

Um, excuse me, Professor?

I got a D-plus on my midterm

and I need a B-plus average

to maintain

my pre-med scholarship.

I was wondering if maybe

I could do some extra credit?

This isn't high school.

There is no extra credit.

Oh, um...

Well then, what can I do?

You can work very hard

and perform exceptionally well

on the two remaining midterms

and the final exam.

Or you can choose

an easier course of study.

Is there anything else?

Um, no.

Thank you.

Elmer! Dinner!

We're family now, buddy.

I never thought

I would say this,

but I am so glad

you're staying with me.

Key's under the mat!

Come in

unless you're an intruder!

- Hi.

- Hi.

Maybe find out

if it's an intruder

before you mention

the spare key.

I got this little doggy bed

for Elmer

now that he's staying here

for good.

That is very nice of you,

but I've actually decided

to let him sleep in my bed,

which is where he is right now.

It's official.

You're a dog person.

Hey, what's this?

Well, I realized last night

that all of my drawings of Elmer

could be a story.

I think I have whole a book,

maybe even a whole series.

Yeah.

Elmer could have all sorts

of different adventures.

Which means I need to have

more adventures of my own

for inspiration.

Are you busy later today?

No. No, I'm not.

Ooh.

You okay?

Yeah.

I might be a teeny tiny bit

terrified of heights.

So you decided to climb

a 40-foot wall?

Aly loves climbing,

but I've always been

too scared to try it,

so today's the day.

Hey. No pressure, okay?

I may not make it to the top,

but I'm going to be very brave

and I'm going to try.

Okay.

I love that I invited you

to do something crazy with me

and you didn't even hesitate

to say yes.

Normally, I have to do

these kind of adventures alone,

so it's nice to have a partner.

I know, right?

I'm really glad we're friends.

Right.

What's on your mind?

Well, um...

You know, when I'm with you,

as much as I do...

I love...

I love being your friend

I'd like to be more.

With me?

Yeah.

If you feel the same way.

I...

I just... I don't...

I don't really know how I feel.

I mean, yes,

I am starting to have

feelings for you, too,

but I just...

I guess I don't know

if that's really

what's good for me right now.

Yeah. Yeah. No, no.

Yeah, no,

I completely understand. Yeah.

Well, I should get home.

I've got to get ready

for my mediation tomorrow.

Here. Let me, um...

- Oh, sorry.

- Sorry.

- The chair.

- Right.

- Yeah.

- Well, I'll see you soon.

Yeah.

Hey.

What are you guys doing here?

We are so sorry.

We handled things totally wrong.

We should have been there

for you as soon as we heard.

How are you doing?

Well, after mediation tomorrow,

I'm going to be 43

and alone for the first time

in decades.

For what it's worth,

James and Greg told Paul

he's being a colossal idiot.

I'm actually okay with it.

I'm learning I can stand

on my own two feet.

And we are so proud of you

for that.

Can we still be your besties?

We brought cake.

Come on in.

I love you guys.

Also, I love cake, so.

All right. Let's begin

with the division of assets,

starting with the house.

Mr. Stevens,

what is your position?

My position is

that we should both

live in the house

together.

I think I made a mistake.

Paul!

I changed my mind about Denver.

I think we should try

to make this work.

Will you stay married to me?

I need to talk to you outside.

Okay. What is going on?

So you're not...

You're not going to Denver?

I want to stay.

I want to give us a chance

to work on things.

But why?

You.

You started acting in ways

that I...

I could never even imagine,

and then I realized

that maybe you had to be

the steady one

because I was so restless,

and maybe things

would have been different

if I could have been the anchor.

Go on.

I mean,

what if I made a mistake?

What if we could have

new adventures together?

We could go backpacking again.

A backpacking trip

around the world

isn't going to fix us,

and that's okay.

You want to go to Denver.

You're excited

for a new opportunity,

and I've started

building my own life.

I'm proud of what I'm doing

and who I'm becoming.

I know.

I see it.

I can't go backwards.

So what do we do now?

We tell Aly.

Together.

Hey?

Anyone home?

Mom? Dad?

It's a lot

for her to process, so...

It's delicate.

we just need to come up

with the best way to tell her.

Tell me what?

What is going on around here?

Aly, what are you doing here?

- Aly, are you okay?

- I don't understand.

You're splitting your stuff?

Are you getting a divorce?

Is that why you've both

been acting so weird?

Your mother and I

have been having problems,

and we're taking

some time apart.

Time apart?

Honey, we're separated.

Why didn't you tell me?

You have so much going on

right now.

Well, not anymore.

I'm flunking organic chemistry,

and I'm going

to lose my scholarship.

I'm switching

to an easier major.

What?

Why do you care?

You're separated

and you didn't even think

that you should tell me?

Okay, Elmer, not right now.

I'm going to Gram's.

I'll take the bus

back to campus tomorrow.

Elmer! No!

Elmer ran away.

Hey, can you bring

Chip and Chunk to the dog park?

Maybe if he sees his friends,

he'll come back.

Thank you.

Maybe he'll come back

on his own.

Or maybe he'll get lost again

and end up in a shelter

with no one to take care of him.

Okay, I'm here.

Which way did he go?

We don't know.

He got out too quickly.

Well, I'll take Gram.

I'm going to the dog park.

I'll go

this way.

Elmer! Elmer!

Elmer! Elmer!

Well, this clearly

isn't working.

I'm going to go home

and make him a steak.

Elmer likes steak.

So you're going to walk around

holding a steak

so he comes to you?

Yeah. I am.

I can't think

of anything else to do.

All right. I'll come with you.

I should go by myself.

Hey, are we okay?

We haven't talked

since the other day

when I mentioned

what I mentioned,

but I want

to be here for you.

I know

and...

I guess I'm just not ready yet.

Yeah.

If Elmer ever does come back

maybe I should find him

a new home.

No, come on, Helen.

He needs a home

he'll be happy in,

not one he wants

to run away from.

Elmer?

Elmer!

You came home!

Oh, my goodness.

I was so worried.

Let's get you inside.

I am sorry

the arguing upset you.

I know you hate it,

but it really hurt

that you ran away.

Oh, Elmer!

You found him!

- Oh, my gosh.

- Yes.

Hi, buddy.

I'll text Dad

and let him know you found him.

I'm really sorry I let him out.

It's not your fault, honey.

My word, you scared us!

Yes, you did!

Yes, you did!

Gram, you like dogs now?

Can you go upstairs

and get Elmer

some of his special treats?

Let's get him settled in

for the night.

Come here, you.

- Off to bed. Off to bed.

- Come here, little buddy.

Aw, you scared us.

Yeah!

You have had

quite the night, honey.

And quite the day.

In mediation, Paul said

he wanted to try again.

I told him no.

That was after Ben told me

he wants to be

more than friends.

Is that what you want?

I like him

maybe even really like him,

but it's too much right now.

I've got to get off

this emotional roller coaster.

It's been quite the ride.

Mom, would you be open

to taking Elmer?

I don't think I can handle him

running away again.

Oh, darling,

I know how much

you've been through,

but Elmer isn't Paul,

and neither is Ben.

You need to talk to Aly,

so I'm going to get out of here.

I love you, darling.

I love you, too, Mom.

Bye-bye, Aly.

Bye, Gram. Love you.

I love you, too.

Is that sharp cheddar?

Oh, I brought everything.

Honey,

I'm really sorry

that I didn't tell you.

Honestly, I think I was

just trying process it myself.

Have you

processed it?

Gram says,

"The more you tend it,

the more love grows,"

and I guess

I've been learning

that love changes,

and it grows with time.

And it's funny.

I'm actually more comfortable

with myself right now

than I've ever been.

I really hate you and Dad

not being together,

but I want you both

to be happy.

Thank you.

Oh, I love you so much.

I love you, too, Mom.

So what happened with college?

I didn't study enough.

I was too busy trying to be cool

and make friends.

Is that why you haven't

wanted to talk to me?

I just want you

to be proud of me.

I am proud of you

because of who you are.

I know, but I just feel like

I've messed it all up too much.

Maybe you can fix it.

But where would I even start?

I think

you have to figure that out.

It's what...

What do you kids

call it these days?

"Adulting"?

Gosh. Mom.

Thank you so much!

You've been

a fantastic audience!

That song is new,

and it was inspired

by my new friend, Elmer!

Cindy's music is rather catchy!

You've got to be careful, Mom.

It almost seems like

you're having fun!

Thank you. All right.

We have one more song for you,

and this is a request

from a special man

who wants to let a certain lady

know that he's there for her,

if she wants.

You're here.

I can't believe you got

Cindy to play "Tubthumping".

She and I both know,

in the immortal words

of Chumbawamba,

they are never

going to keep you down.

I think you're amazing, Helen,

and I know how much

you're going through,

and I'm so sorry that I made it

more complicated.

I want you to know

that I'm here for you,

as a friend,

if you want.

I don't think we can be friends.

I understand.

Because you're right.

What we have is special,

and I've just been scared,

but I don't want to live

from a place of fear.

Are you saying that

you want to give us a chance?

We have to take things slowly.

Like, really, really slow.

Really slow. Absolutely.

Maybe we could just start

with a dog walk tomorrow?

I would love that.

And maybe tonight

a dance?

One more time!

Hey, honey. How's school?

Good. I've been going

to the science tutoring center

every day,

and if I ace the next

two midterms and the final,

I can still maintain

a B-plus average.

Oh, I'm so proud of you.

It feels good.

And I'm meeting

lots of nice science nerds.

Mom, this is Trevor.

Hi, Aly's mom.

Hi!

I should get back to studying.

I just wanted to say hi,

and I'll call you this weekend.

I love you. Have fun.

I love you, too.

Bye.

I am very sorry

I said I was going to find you

a new home.

I was just hurt,

and I was scared.

Just don't run away again, okay?

Okay.

Ready for a walk?