Strike of Love (2025)

[bunniefuu]

(bright music)

I can hear your hand

turning off the alarm

Reaching out for a dream

as you stretch your arm

And the lights go down,

that's where we belong

Everlasting sparks between two oh-oh

You don't need to close your eyes

I don't mean to tell you twice

It's the lesson that

we'll learn long ago

Long ago

Long ago

As you travel, see

what you miss the most

It's a sound sort of

fleet, that feeds you oh-oh

But if you're ever late,

you'll be late for good

Find a knot fallen

by the field with you

You don't need to close your eyes

I won't need to tell you twice

It's a lesson that we learned long ago

Long ago

Oh, honey, we were so young.

I must have been quite

the lucky number back then.

You still are, dear.

The screen needs to be high enough

so that everyone can see it properly.

That will play after the

speeches and before dessert.

And if Uncle Bob's speech

starts to run too long,

just press play.

Yes, dear.

Can you believe we're

actually saying goodbye

to that old bowling alley?

No one is saying goodbye, Mom.

Knowing Dad he'll find a way

to keep that old place going

even from Florida.

I thought Hank was taking it over?

(phone buzzes)

Oh, excuse me. That's Mandy.

Mandy, where are you?

You should be here by now.

Yes, Mom. I know.

I'll be there soon, okay?

[Mrs. Patterson] With the cake?

Yes, with the cake.

Please tell me you did not get one

with a photo of a bowling ball on it.

No, no.

I got one in the shape of a bowling ball.

Mom, I'm joking.

I got one with a really cute

photo of Grams and Gramps.

They're gonna love it.

You're not funny, dear.

I'm a little funny.

I'm just going to let you know

that even though I'm running

late, I will be there soon.

I'm about to close my first big sale,

and my clients will be here any second,

and they asked me to prepare paperwork.

This is a really big deal, Mom.

That's great, honey.

Good luck and be here soon.

Thanks. I will.

Bye.

So this is the living room.

As you can see, everything's

been freshly painted.

Wow. I love the vaulted ceilings.

It's perfect.

Emma, what do you think?

Did a princess live here before?

No, sweetie, you'll be the first.

Can I go see the playroom downstairs?

Of course you can.

I'll bet it's just like the

pictures Dad showed you.

Follow me.

Let's go.

Okay, so this is the basement.

Lots of room for games.

There's pool over there.

Darts.

Space for the kids.

I think my wife and

daughter are sold on this home.

Do you have the paperwork ready?

We'd like to move forward

as quickly as possible?

Absolutely. Yeah.

(animal skittering)

Mommy, what's that noise?

Yeah, I hear it too.

Um...

You know what?

It's probably just a

leaky pipe or something.

Or maybe it's a friendly ghost.

A what? A ghost?

Mommy, is there a ghost in the house?

Um, no, there's no ghost.

And even if there was,

I said he was friendly,

so you're safe either way.

Mommy. (whines)

I just wanna go.

Scary here. I wanna go.

[Emma's Mom] Okay, sweetie.

[Emma] Mommy.

Let's get outta here.

[Emma] It's just scary.

Yeah.

[Emma] Can we go, please?

Sorry. Sorry.

[Emma] Don't like ghosts.

It's all right.

Go back up.

(animal skittering)

Can we go please?

Mommy.

Don't have kids, do you?

Uh, no, I don't.

Well, thank you for your time.

We'll be in touch.

Yes. Thank you so much.

Okay, let's go.

Bye.

(pensive music)

Okay, ghost, friendly or

not, I'm coming to get ya.

(animal skittering)

(pensive music)

Oh my goodness. Hello.

How did you get in here?

(cat meows)

Where's your family, huh?

Can't just leave you in here.

Do you wanna go to a party?

Yeah, let's go to a party, okay?

Come on.

(party-goers chattering)

Sorry. Tom.

Tom.

Mandy, how'd it go?

Could you hold this for a second?

Sure, sure, sure.

How did the showing go?

Did they sign?

No, they didn't.

No?

What happened?

I gave you that sale on a silver platter.

I know, but it's not my fault.

It's his fault.

What's that?

[Mandy] A cat.

A kitten?

You're giving Grandma and Grandpa a kitten

for their retirement?

That's ludicrous.

They're moving to Florida.

That fur ball will be eaten by an alligator

in less than a week.

Hi, Mom.

No, I am not giving

Grams and Gramps a kitten.

Then why did you wrap it?

Well, I already had

the box for the flippers-

Hi, Tom. You look handsome.

Is that the cake?

[Tom] Yes, ma'am.

Thank you so much.

It's lovely.

Good choice.

It was actually my choice.

I picked it out.

Could you take this to the

gift table for me, please?

You wrapped a kitten, but

not your grandparents' gift?

Oh, honey, sometimes I just

don't get your sense of humor.

Come on, Tom.

I'll show you where to put that cake.

Oh, and I wanna

introduce you to Dr. Harris.

He has an executive office.

Come on, little buddy.

Let's try a carrot, okay?

They're good for your eyes.

They're good for your eyes.

You might wanna try a

piece of that chicken instead.

What?

Cats are carnivores.

They prefer chicken over carrots.

Well, bunnies eat carrots.

(cat meows)

And cats eat bunnies.

What?

Not a cat person are you?

Uh, no.

Hi.

What's his name?

Little Monster.

Cute.

Hey, Little Monster.

Do you always bring your cat to parties?

No. That's a new thing I'm trying.

I'm Mandy, by the way.

Hi, Mandy.

Nice to meet you.

I'm Jack.

Hmm.

So how do you know so

much about cats, Jack?

It's my job.

I'm a vet.

Oh, Jack.

You're Handsome Vet Jack.

Well, I wouldn't say

that's my official title,

but thank you?

Sorry, that's just what

my Grams calls you.

She talks about you.

You saved Bear's life last Christmas

when he swallowed a chicken bone,

and you do the shelter pet adoption event

at the bowling alley.

Well, I'm very flattered

your grandma talks about me.

So, Jack, what does one

do to find a kitten a home?

You're not gonna keep him?

Me? With a cat?

No. (scoffs)

No.

Why not?

I just-

Well, let me guess.

You couldn't keep a

plant alive in university.

So now the thought of being responsible

for a pet seems overwhelming.

That obvious?

My boyfriend is also allergic.

I just found him at this

house I was showing today,

and he looked cold and scared,

so thought I would bring him here.

Oh.

How's your boyfriend doing now?

Ha ha.

I'll tell you what, here's my card.

[Mandy] Oh.

Why don't you swing by tomorrow?

We'll check him for a microchip,

make sure he is healthy.

If he does have a chip, we'll

know where to return him.

That's perfect.

Thank you so much.

Mandy, there you are.

Your mother's been

looking everywhere for you.

Speeches are about to begin.

Okay, I'll be right there.

It was nice meeting you.

Come on, Little Monster.

(cat meows)

Come on.

Seriously, Mandy, what's

the story with the cat?

It's not yours, is it?

You know I'm allergic.

(gentle music)

(Gramps sighs)

Aren't we lucky, dear?

You know, when I met the

love of my life 60 years ago

in that small little bowling alley,

I just knew we were going to

have a wonderful life together.

We spent years saving every penny we had,

purchased that little bowling alley,

and we called it Larry

and Lucy's Lucky Lanes.

It was the right fit.

It's been a beautiful ride,

but now it's time to move

on to our next adventure,

retirement in Florida.

(everyone applauds)

(cat meows)

It's your own tail. I know.

(Gramps chuckles)

Rumor has it that little fur

ball cost you the sale today.

I don't think it was

just the cat, Gramps.

I don't think I'm a very

good real estate agent.

Don't be so hard on yourself.

Still new. You're learning.

Yeah, but what if this

just isn't the right fit for me?

Do you know why I

bought the bowling alley

when I was your age?

Because it's where you and Grams met

and it was special to you.

That's a part of

the story I like to tell.

But when I was your age,

I didn't know what I

wanted to do with my life.

Your grandma was an

angel and so supportive.

We loved that little bowling alley.

We saved up, and when the time was right,

we jumped in and never looked back.

But it didn't happen overnight.

I had a lot of other jobs

before I landed there.

I'm sure you'll find a place where you fit.

Yeah.

As for the little kitty here,

don't give up on him so quick.

Some things come into our

life when we need them most.

Thanks, Gramps.

Hey, are we still on for our last game

at the bowling alley tomorrow?

Of course.

Don't think I'll let you win

just 'cause you're leaving.

I wouldn't dream of it.

So far so good, little one.

Have a good night.

(cat meows)

(bell jingles)

Okay, yeah, sounds good.

We'll squeeze you in for 2:00.

Yeah. Yeah, just don't

forget to put the cone on him.

Okay. Great.

Yeah, we'll see you at 2:00.

Hi, how can I help you?

Hi, I'm just here to see Jack.

Do you have an appointment?

No, sorry.

He just told me to stop by.

Of course he did.

I'll just add you

to the Jack can't say no to animals in need

even though we're booked solid list.

Okay. Is that a long list or?

[Jenny] Long.

Okay.

Mandy, hi.

Hey.

Good to see you.

Is that Little Monster?

Sure is.

[Jenny] Great name.

[Mandy] It's temporary.

Come to me, little friend.

Hi, buddy.

How'd you guys do last night?

Good. Really good actually.

A lot better than I thought.

Good.

Glad to hear it.

(cat meows)

Yes, I know.

Hey, we're a little swamped today,

but I'll be able to squeeze

you in within the hour.

The hour?

I actually have to meet Gramps

before he catches his flight

and then I have a showing across town.

Any chance you can

squeeze us in a little earlier?

Yeah, I tell you what,

how about you just leave

Little Monster here with me

for a few hours, go do what you need to do,

we'll get 'em all sorted, he'll

be here when you get back.

Really?

Okay. That would be amazing.

Great.

Thanks.

I'll leave that for you.

Okay. Bye, Little Monster.

Goodbye. Goodbye.

Seriously?

Oh, don't even.

We'll have 100 things to do.

(bowling pins clatter)

Your Gramps is at his favorite lane.

I think he's getting a

few practice shots in.

Sounds about right.

Thanks, Hank.

Hey, Gramps.

Hi, sweetheart.

Are you sneaking in

some unfair practice reps?

Any advantage these old bones can get.

Where's your shirt?

I'll be right back.

Okay.

(bright music)

(bowling pins clatter)

Watch a road and river

and the rain rippling at night

And I saw the silver

moon beams on the trees

And I heard the spring

wind in the weeds whistling

But I never heard the secrets

(bowling pins clatter)

Yes!

Whoo-ooh

Whoo-ooh

(bowling pins clatter)

Still got it.

No, you got lucky.

Always do.

That's why they call it...

-Lucky Lanes.

-Lucky Lanes.

What is this place gonna

be without you, Gramps?

That's what I wanted

to talk to you about.

Your grandmother and I discussed it

and we want to give this place to you.

To me?

But I thought Hank was taking over.

Nope.

Have you seen his shirt?

Of course I've seen his shirt.

Nice shirt, Hank!

Thanks, Mandy.

Hey, you know, they

got a real live alligator,

lives in this retirement community.

His name is Brutus.

He's following you and Grams to Florida?

Couldn't pack fast enough.

But what happened?

I thought he was so excited

to take over the bowling alley?

He was, but he's not much younger

than your grandmother and I.

The more he heard us talking about Florida,

the more he realized

that sunshine and beaches

sound pretty good for his old bones.

Sounds pretty good

for my young bones too.

(Gramps chuckles)

Any chance I can just

skip the whole career thing

and go like straight to retirement?

What do you say?

I know this place is a lot of work

and we need to discuss

the struggling finances,

but your grandmother and I both agree

you're the perfect person

to take over this place.

I don't know.

Tell you what, take the keys for a month.

Hank will stick around

until you're settled in.

After a month, it's not

the right fit, sell the place.

Sell it?

If it's not for you,

I trust that you'll find

the perfect owners.

Hey, Larry.

They got a beach where

you can dig for shark teeth

where we're going.

Shark teeth, Larry.

And people say

retirement's gonna be boring.

(Mandy laughs)

So as you can see,

the kitchen is plenty big

enough for big family dinners.

But there's so much

more I have to show you.

Come on. Come on.

So this is the laundry room.

As you can see, there's

so much space in here.

Wow. So much space.

Look, Betty, there's even

a cat door for Mr. Binky.

Oh.

So perfect.

So that's how you got in.

Huh.

I love this living room.

Beautiful.

We could live here.

So what do we think?

-It's perfect.

-Gorgeous.

Great. Should I prepare the paperwork?

-Yes.

-Yes, please,

Great.

You guys are gonna love it here.

Thank you. Thank you.

I sold it!

Mandy, hi.

What are you doing here?

I sold my first house.

That's amazing, Mandy.

Congratulations.

I am so proud of you.

Ron. Ron.

Mandy, this is my editor, Ron.

Ron, this is my girlfriend, Mandy.

Nice to meet you.

Well, likewise. Congratulations.

How do you have time for a girlfriend?

Well, we work together.

That makes sense.

Chapter six, amortize your assets.

Oh, I wouldn't say-

Oh, and chapter eight,

the art of multitasking.

You do live by your principles.

[Tom] Well...

I don't think I'm a chapter in your book.

Mandy, I am so glad you're here.

We're trying to come up with a new title.

"Real Estate Guru 2: How to Stay on Top".

What do you think?

I think it's very

similar to your first book,

"Real Estate Guru: How to Get to the Top".

So if that's the intent,

then it's great, yeah.

Of course that's the intent.

Look, we're on a tight deadline.

Gotta capitalize on the

hype of the last book.

And we don't wanna wait

until no one remembers

who Thomas Reginald James is

until we release book numero deuce.

Right.

(phone rings)

Sorry. Okay, I gotta take this.

You two love birds have

exactly three minutes,

then it's back to the whiteboard.

Mandy, it was great meeting you.

It was nice meeting you too.

So I was thinking we could celebrate.

The book?

Mandy, that's a little

preliminary, don't you think?

We haven't even chosen a title yet.

I meant the sale.

We should celebrate the sale tonight.

Oh. (sighs)

Sweetie, I can't do tonight.

But I can do a late lunch.

Between 3:00 and 4:00?

That Thai place that you

like might be going for sale

and I was hoping to drop

by to speak to the owner.

Two birds, one stone.

What do you say?

I can't this afternoon.

I left the kitten at Jack's office,

so I have to go pick him up later.

Jack.

Jack.

Who's Jack?

The vet.

Right, right, right, right.

You still haven't found a

home for that thing yet?

I'm working on it.

Well, rain check for

tomorrow to celebrate.

Yeah, there's something big

that I wanted to talk to you about too.

Okay, I'll phone you in tonight.

I wanna hear all about it.

Mandy, congratulations.

I am so proud of you.

(bell jingles)

Hi.

Jenny.

This is Clover.

Hi, Clover.

Mandy.

Hey.

How'd today go?

Amazing. I sold my very first house.

Hey, congrats. That's fantastic.

And thank you guys so much

for watching Little Monster.

I really hope he wasn't too much trouble.

Oh, Jack doesn't pet sit.

He agrees to it and next thing I know,

I'm answering phones

with a bunny in my arms.

He was great.

We didn't find a microchip,

but he's a super healthy and happy kitten,

so it should be really easy

to find him a good home.

Great. And how exactly do I do that?

Uh, well, you can put up

flyers in the neighborhood

where you found him, see

if anyone's looking for him.

If you don't hear from anyone for a week,

bring him back here and

we'll find him a good home.

(Jenny clears her throat)

And Jenny will find him a good home.

Here.

Hold Clover.

I'm gonna go find Little Monster.

Okay, here, Clover.

You got him? Okay.

And if you need help with the flyers,

just, you know, let me know.

I finish here today around 5:00,

so I can quickly print some

off and come meet you.

Really? That would be great.

No trouble at all.

Oh, be careful.

Cats eat bunnies.

I think he'll be okay.

(cat meows)

Here. I can take Clover back.

Hi, buddy.

Let's get a quick photo for the flyer.

Oh sure.

And yeah, that'll be great.

(cat meows)

Just sh**t me a text with the details,

and I'll meet you there right around 5:00.

Great. Thanks so much.

Oh.

We thought this might be a

better way for him to travel.

[Mandy] Oh.

Free of charge.

(cat meows)

How long will you be gone?

Just a few hours.

Don't worry, okay?

I won't be gone a long time.

I just needed someone to

watch him because Tom's allergic.

Do we need to walk it or anything?

Um, I don't actually know.

I don't think so.

I really should have

bought you a pet growing up.

Both of you.

Okay, I gotta go.

Thank you, Mom. Thank you, Dad.

I will see you both later.

Honey, where do you

keep your knitting yarn?

Why?

You gonna teach that thing to knit?

Where she comes from is way upstate

Was I supposed to be in this picture?

Probably not, but you

just look so cute together.

Couldn't bring myself to crop you out.

Cool.

Well, you know there's

like a 50/50 chance people

think this is a missing

person poster, right?

Huh.

I stand by my decision.

Um, how did you throw

that together so quickly?

Oh, well people come to

us looking for missing pets,

so we just made a quick template

and we offer free flyers

to anyone that needs it.

That's really sweet.

What inspired you to become a vet?

Oh, I love animals.

You know, my grandfather had a farm.

Spent my summers there.

Always knew I wanted to help animals,

but didn't really wanna take over the farm,

so I don't know,

becoming a vet just

kind of felt like the right fit.

Hmm. The right fit.

What?

Sorry.

That's just something my

Gramps says to me all the time.

I don't know if I've found mine yet though.

What about real estate?

I like it.

I like people and pretty houses,

but I don't know if I'm

passionate about it.

I don't even know if I'm

good at it to be honest.

What are you talking about?

You sold a house today.

True. I guess I should

reserve my judgment.

What are you doing to celebrate?

Handing out missing cat posters.

What?

Your first sale is a big deal!

You're telling me you're

doing nothing to celebrate?

Um, does binging TV

and eating popcorn count?

No!

Absolutely not. That does not count.

I don't know.

But I do have an idea.

Let's finish handing

these out and we'll go.

Go where?

To celebrate.

Okay.

Restless beauty of Coney Isle

What is this?

Are you a vet by day and a

florist by night or something?

Yep.

Really?

It's my mom's shop.

Oh.

So what are we doing here after hours?

Well, my mom always

said there's no better way

to recognize a special moment in life

than with a perfect bouquet of flowers.

Hmm.

So figured we'll pop some

champagne, make a bouquet,

maybe order some pizza.

Ooh, fun.

How about pineapple and pepperoni?

Mandy, this is your night

and you can have whatever you want,

but if you wanna ruin it

with pineapple and pepperoni,

by all means.

(both laugh)

So how do we start?

By picking a flower.

What's your favorite?

Hmm.

I love yellow roses.

Hmm.

Classic flower with a twist on the color.

Interesting.

Tells me a little bit more about you.

Really. How?

Well, the rose, that tells

me you like the classics,

but the color yellow,

that's an uncommon choice.

Tells me you like to put

your own spin on things.

Yellow is bright and vibrant and uplifting.

Reveals your personality

and what you're drawn to.

You got all of that

from my favorite flower?

You should see what I can

tell from what vase you pick.

Should we get started?

Sure.

(gentle music)

So what do you think?

Just one more thing.

Oh.

It represents cheerfulness and beauty.

Thanks so much for

such a fun night, Jack.

I'm having a lot of fun.

And you're very welcome.

Definitely better than

stale popcorn and TV.

And it helped get my mind off of things.

Yeah, it always does.

I come here whenever I need to think.

Working on something

creative really helps, you know?

What's on your mind?

Life.

Oh, yeah, well, you know,

that sneaks up on us sometimes.

Hmm.

I found out my grandparents

are giving me the bowling alley.

It's mine to keep or sell.

Wow!

That is another big deal.

We should have made a bigger bouquet!

Was it expected?

No. No.

I thought their buddy

Hank was gonna take it over

until they figured out what to do with it,

but since that's not happening

anymore, they gave it to me.

I spent a lot of time there growing up,

and I've always loved

bowling with my gramps.

We've been on the same league for 20 years.

Wow.

Hey, the flowers don't lie.

You do like the classics.

I guess I do.

So that sounds like good news.

What are you struggling with?

I just don't know if I can

run the place like they did,

but I don't know if I have

the heart to sell it either.

You don't have to run it like they did.

No, they gave it to you,

so you can run it or

sell it how you see fit.

They already said goodbye to the place.

I'm sure they'll respect

whatever decision you make.

Yeah.

Plus think what you

can do with it, you know?

Grow the clientele,

bring some fresh ideas in.

Put your own spin on it.

It does sound fun.

So give it a real shot, you know?

What's the worst that could happen?

I could run the business into the ground.

No. No, no, no.

I've owned a business for a long time.

I know it takes at least two months

to run a business into the ground.

Yeah, well, my gramps showed me the books

and we might be halfway there already.

I'm gonna have to spend

a lot of time restoring it

to its glory days if I want it to survive.

Well, they must trust you're

the right person to do that

or they wouldn't have left it to you.

I guess.

Worst case scenario,

if you can't revive it, which you can,

but if you can't, but you can,

but if you can't, you put it

on the market and you sell it.

It's another big sale in the books.

What do you have to lose?

You're right.

Nothing to lose.

Plus I need you to keep it afloat

for like a couple more weeks.

I have the adoption event.

Right.

I'm really excited about that.

Yeah, me too.

(phone buzzes)

Sorry, Jack. I need to take this.

Hello?

Honey, it's 10 o'clock.

Where have you been all night?

I'll be home soon.

Is everything okay?

Everything is not okay.

Your father has had a goofy

smile on his face all night.

My couch is a pin cushion.

And I don't know how

much longer I can resist

falling in love with this fur factory.

Okay, I'm on my way.

Jack, I'm really sorry, but I have to go.

Thanks so much for a wonderful night.

My pleasure.

Thanks.

Hey, you never told me

what your favorite flower is.

Um, red roses.

And what does that mean?

Let me guess.

Classic romantic?

It means I get my heart broken a lot.

Good night, Jack.

Good night, Mandy.

Bye.

[Tom] Your grandfather's letting you

sell the bowling alley?

That's huge!

No, he's giving me

the bowling alley to run.

I would only sell it if

it wasn't the right fit.

Right fit?

Mandy, the bowling

alley is prime real estate.

Chapter one, location, location, location.

You know how much a

commission on that place would be?

Tom, that's not the point.

Of course, that's the point.

And why are you whispering

The kitten is asleep.

[Tom] I thought you said you were gonna

find him a new home today?

I am. I put up flyers.

It just, it takes time.

Mandy, you can't consider

keeping the bowling alley.

You're a real estate agent.

We sell. It's what we do.

When are you gonna

find time to run a business?

You have time to write a book.

Yeah, about real estate.

That's different.

It's a promotional tool.

What you're talking

about is a full-time job.

Not everything is a strategy, Tom.

Of course it is.

And I understand

that you don't want to

disappoint your grandfather,

so here's what we're gonna do.

You'll humor him for a month

while I find potential buyers.

Look, Mandy, I have to go.

Still tweaking chapters 10 through 12,

and it looks like it's

gonna be an all-nighter.

Okay. Goodnight.

What are we gonna do, Little Monster?

(gentle music)

(bowling pins clatter)

Lane 15 and one ball at a time.

Good morning, Mandy.

Hi, Hank.

Interesting choice of

shoes for a bowling alley.

I have a showing at 3:00 PM today.

Great.

In the meantime, there's an

issue in the concession area

and the coffee machine

is on the fritz again.

How can I help?

Follow me.

(gentle music)

Is it weird that I'm feeling nostalgic

about mopping these floors again?

If I remember correctly,

this ain't the first time

that you've mopped

these floors in fancy heels.

Prom, right?

I insisted on having the after party here,

and then you and Grams

agreed to be chaperones.

Yes, we did.

Susie ate bad shrimp and

then threw up all over the place.

We're sticking with the bad shrimp story.

Yes, we are.

Copy that.

And Vanessa brought that glitter confetti

that she sprinkled over everybody.

And everything.

That was a crazy

night, but it was really fun.

Was also pretty smart

and thoughtful of you.

You remember why you insisted

on having that prom party here?

Yeah.

Business was down,

and I thought that by having

everyone here after prom,

they would fall in love with the place

and the memories of that night

and that maybe it

would bring in new clients

and reinvigorate it a little.

And it did.

Business boomed that summer.

Yeah.

That was a fun summer, wasn't it?

You were a pretty

smart girl to pull that off.

Thanks, Hank.

Okay, what's next?

(bowling pins clatter)

(pensive music)

Ta-da.

Thank you.

Hey, Hank.

What if we revamped

the shelter pet fundraiser?

What do you mean, kid?

Well, reminiscing about

prom earlier got me thinking.

I'm listening.

What if we do a gala event?

Something retro and fun

with prom gowns and music.

We can set up cute pictures

of all the adoptable shelter pets.

People can dress up.

It would be a great

opportunity for social media.

There's that ingenuity.

Do we have time to redo

the promotional materials?

Hasn't gone out yet, so absolutely.

Great.

Then I'll ask Jack what he thinks.

I'm really excited about this, Hank.

It's gonna be so much fun.

There's our girl.

Oh, hi.

Mandy, you didn't pick up your phone.

I've been trying to reach you.

Sorry. I must have left

it behind the desk earlier.

You look, uh...

Happy?

I was gonna say comfortable.

Where are your shoes?

Hello.

Hi

Mandy, this is Mrs. Wilson.

Mrs. Wilson, this is Mandy Patterson.

Lovely to meet you.

Likewise, dear.

I've heard a lot about you.

Mandy, Mrs. Wilson is

interested in purchasing real estate

in the area with her husband.

Purchasing?

But it's not for sale yet.

Of course.

But the early bird gets the worm.

And Mrs. Wilson wanted to see it

before it goes to market next month.

Right. Of course.

Hank, will you excuse me for a moment?

Sure thing, kid.

Oh, I love your shoes.

First thing you'll learn

about running a bowling alley

is always have comfortable shoes on you.

I learned that lesson the hard way today.

Oh. (chuckles)

We have no interest in

running a bowling alley.

This location is incredible

for our chain of steakhouses.

Steakhouses?

Mandy, don't you have

a showing this afternoon?

Yes. What time is it?

It's 2:30.

2:30! Wow, okay.

I'm very sorry.

Hank will have to show you

around because I need to go.

I need to find my shoes,

I need to find my phone,

and I need to do my hair

because chapter 11, dress for success.

I'll see you later, Tom.

And it was nice meeting you, ma'am.

Okay, I'll see you tonight.

(bowling pins clatter)

(Tom chuckles)

Hi. Sorry I'm late.

Hello?

Hello?

sh**t.

(cat meows)

You hungry?

There you go.

So...

(Tom sneezes)

Bless you.

Thank you.

So I was thinking, I

think I can get the Wilsons

to close above market price

if we let them come in early

before we place it on the market.

Tom, I told you I'm

not ready to list it yet.

That's the best part, Mandy.

You won't have to list it ever.

We can prepare the paperwork ahead of time.

Close on the date of your choice.

No fuss. Easy commission.

We'll split it.

It's not about the money, Tom.

I told Gramps I would give it a real shot.

He doesn't have to know.

Just pick a date close

to the end of the month

and tell him it didn't work out.

What if it does?

[Tom] If what does?

If it works out.

Mandy, what's the number

one principle that I teach?

Focus is the key to success.

Exactly! Focus.

I spent a lot of time

getting you the contacts

and opportunities that you have today.

You can't be splitting your focus

between running a bowling alley

and being a successful real estate agent.

(Tom sneezes)

Oh.

I mean, look at me.

Everything I do is to

succeed in real estate.

People that I talk to,

the clothes that I wear,

the restaurants that I go

to, the neighborhood I live in,

who I choose to spend my time with, eh?

Oh.

It all matters.

Yeah, I understand that,

and I do appreciate everything

you've taught me, but...

But what?

But I do wanna keep my word to Gramps.

(Tom sneezes)

Do you have any allergy medication?

I am dying here.

Um, I don't think so.

But I do have some tissue if you want that.

Great.

(phone buzzes)

Excuse me.

Hello?

Mandy, hi.

Hi. Jack, how are you?

Great, thanks.

Did you like the artwork I sent

for the bow ties and tails event?

Yeah, yeah, I love the new direction.

Awesome.

Are you still free for the

photo sh**t on Thursday?

Absolutely. Yeah.

Yeah, but that's not

actually why I'm calling.

I'm hosting a game night tonight,

and I wanna know if you

and Tom wanted to join us.

Yeah. Yeah, that sounds really fun.

Let me just, uh, let me ask Tom.

Hey, do you wanna do a

games night at Jack's tonight?

Who's Jack?

The vet.

Does he have any plans

on selling his business?

I don't know.

I don't think so.

You go ahead.

Think I'm gonna call it a night.

Maybe find an antihistamine.

Eye drops too and disinfectant

and probably gasoline.

I need to burn these clothes.

Okay, it's not that bad.

I would love to come.

Tom will take a rain check.

Okay, great.

Well, I'll see you soon.

I'll text you my address.

Bye.

Are you sure you don't wanna come?

I think it'll be really fun.

Yeah, yeah. I'm sure.

I have no time for fun.

-Okay.

-Hands.

-Mountain.

-Hand.

Hands. Like, two hands.

Okay, a pair of... High-fiving?

Gloves!

Those are gloves!

Fingers!

Chicken!

You said fingers and

I like chicken fingers.

It's a good guess, right?

Good guess, honey.

Keep going. Keep going.

Okay, they're shaking-

Guys, time's up.

-Oh.

-Oh.

It was applause.

Oh, that makes sense.

Applause.

I do see that now.

Okay, another game?

Yeah.

Actually I think we

should call it a night.

Some of us have a date with

a sneezy parrot in the morning.

Never a dull moment at the clinic.

It's okay.

I'm gonna head out too.

Hey, Mandy, it was lovely to meet you.

You know what, Ralph and

I, I think we'll bring the kids

by the bowling alley and play a game

and check the place out.

Oh, that would be great.

We need all the new

clients we can get right now.

I'm actually really excited

for Jack's event next week.

Should get a lot of new people out,

and it's for a great cause.

Yeah, the team's really excited

about the bow ties and tails idea,

and I finally have an

excuse to get dressed up.

Yeah, it'll be fun.

There are photo ops,

there's a dance floor, music,

and bowling of course.

That sounds like a blast.

You know, why don't

you send me the invitation.

I would love to send

that across my socials.

Really?

Yeah.

Yeah. Of course.

Amazing.

Okay, see you guys.

Bye. It was nice meeting you.

Um, Mandy, if business

is slow, I have an idea.

I help this one friend

with a speed dating event once a month,

and the venue we initially

booked canceled on us.

We were gonna do it at a coffee shop,

but bowling would be way more fun.

Yeah, that would be amazing.

Do you want to meet for lunch tomorrow?

We can go over the details?

I would love to.

Thanks, Jenny.

No problem.

Plus, I've been trying to get my brother

to come out to these things for months.

Now you can't say no.

Um...

Wait, Jack is your brother?

Yeah, of course he's my brother.

Why else would I spend my free nights here?

Family obligations.

Everything is making a lot of sense now.

Okay, so it's set.

We'll have the event there,

and you can help me

find my poor brother a date

so he can stop moping around.

Yeah. Deal.

Okay, sounds great.

Ready?

Thanks for a great night, Jack.

Yeah.

Bye, Mandy.

Bye.

See you guys soon?

-Bye, Gage.

-Take it easy.

See you in the morning.

Jenny-

Yeah.

She's your-

Yep.

Mm.

Did you have-

Yes, yes, of course.

Do you want-

Sure.

Cream and sugar.

Oh, thank you.

I was curious about

why you didn't have a pet.

Mm. Yeah, I did.

Yeah. Had a cat named

Bob for about 20 years and-

They live that long?

Yeah, they can. Yeah.

That's a big commitment.

It is. It is.

That cat outlasted my marriage.

Oh, ouch.

Sorry. I'm sorry.

It's okay.

I cried more for Bob than I

did when my wife left me, so...

What happened?

Old age.

Your wife?

No. (laughs)

Oh. (laughs)

I thought you meant your wife.

No, no, my cat Bob. Yeah.

My wife, she left me for a colleague.

Oh.

It was okay.

It was a long time ago.

You know, we kind of just drifted apart.

Got married too young.

Weren't right for each other, you know?

Well, I know the

right girl will come along

and sweep you off your feet.

Open you right back up.

Sure she will.

(Mandy coughs)

Sorry.

That's okay.

That was impolite.

Maybe you'll meet someone

at your sister's speed dating event.

Oh, highly unlikely.

Then maybe you can adopt another cat.

Yeah.

What about you?

Is Tom the one?

Uh...

Wow. Um...

Sorry.

I didn't mean to get too personal.

No, no, it's okay.

It's just still pretty new,

so I haven't really

thought about it like that.

And how'd you two meet?

When I was getting

my real estate license.

He gave a presentation in one of my classes

because he wrote this really big book

called "Real Estate Guru:

How to Get to the Top".

Have you heard of it?

I haven't.

Yeah, anyway, he's

been really supportive.

He got me in with his firm, actually.

Oh. Sounds like a nice guy.

He is.

I just, I don't always know

that we want the same thing.

It feels like we spent so

long getting my career started

that we don't actually

know each other very well.

Mm.

Well you're in a new

chapter of your life, you know?

I mean, it's gonna take a while

for your relationship to catch up to that.

Yeah.

I just hope we can get

on the same page soon

or the same chapter.

Hey. (chuckles)

What's the biggest issue?

Well, I can talk about

the smallest issue.

Which is?

My fur ball.

I think I'm getting attached.

That is great.

Yes, but Tom is very allergic.

Right.

And Tom wants me to sell

my grandparents bowling alley,

but I'm not even sure

if that's what I want yet.

Well, the good thing

is that your grandparents

left you the bowling alley and not Tom.

Right.

There's no rush, Mandy.

You know, just take your time.

You'll find what's right for you.

Yeah.

Thanks so much.

Okay, so we're all organized.

Set up rotating teams.

Everyone will play a few

rounds with a possible match,

and as the night goes

on and matches are made,

they'll move to the further lanes

where they can play as couples.

It's really smart, Jenny.

And it's gonna be super busy

for what's usually a really quiet night.

Perfect. It's a win-win.

So do you plan on joining a team?

Me?

No. No.

I'm not really the speed dating type.

And I have Tom.

Right.

The one with the cat allergy.

Yeah. That's the one.

Shame.

I was really hoping on playing matchmaker

and putting you on my brother's team.

I haven't seen Jack this

happy around someone

in a long time.

Uh, yeah, he's very easy to talk to.

See? That's the thing.

He's usually not.

He's a pretty quiet guy, sticks to himself.

But around you, he lights up.

Well, whatever it is,

I'm just happy to see it.

Yeah.

Anyways, I should probably

be heading back to work.

Jack's probably wondering

where I am right now.

Thank you so much for the coffee.

Yeah, anytime.

I'll see you later?

Yes.

Oh, and have fun at the photo sh**t.

Thank you.

See you, Mandy.

Bye, Jenny.

(cat toy jingles)

I found the bow ties!

Oh, those are perfect.

I think you should put

this one on Little Monster.

Blue is definitely his color.

Dad, are you gonna be okay

when I have to find him a new home?

Why? Has someone

responded to your posters?

No, but you do know I have

to find him a home eventually,

right?

Kid, I'll be okay.

As long as you're happy.

So the big question here is

whether or not you'll be okay

when you give him up.

I mean, I don't really have a choice.

Tom's allergic.

You always have a choice, honey.

This is your life.

You get to decide what's best for you.

What would you do, Dad?

If you love him

and you feel that giving up Little Monster

is the right choice for your relationship,

then I understand that,

and I'll be happy for you.

But, Mandy, you spent your whole life

doing things you believe are best

because it's what other

people expect of you.

I just wanna make sure you

start listening to your heart

and stop worrying about

what other people want.

I don't know how to do that.

I don't wanna let anyone down.

All we want is for you to be happy.

What you decide to

do with the bowling alley

is completely up to you.

Don't keep it for Gramps

and don't sell it for Tom.

Do what's best for you.

Come here, little guy.

Okay, I'm gonna be a

little sad to see him go.

Thanks for the chat, Dad.

Anytime, kiddo.

Do me a favor and send

me a pic of this little guy

in his bow tie, would you?

You got it.

Hey. Do you guys still

have my prom dress?

(bell jingles)

Thanks.

My gosh. It looks amazing in here.

I didn't realize you're a photographer too.

Actually, it's a client of mine.

He owns all the equipment,

and he's a big supporter of the event,

so he lets us use it for photo shoots.

Oh, that's awesome.

Jenny will be here in half an hour

with some more adoptable shelter pets.

But until then we can get

started with Little Monster.

That sounds great.

Oh, I'm so excited.

This is gonna be so fun!

(bright music)

He tells me his thoughts

Crazy as they are

I am confused

He says that he loves me

He always will

I've come to know you

I wipe her cheek

Give her a kiss

She stares into my heart

That's all right

We've come to know this

One more.

These photos are so good.

This event is gonna be amazing.

Yeah, I have to

admit they're pretty cute.

This was a great idea, Mandy.

Thanks.

No, thank you.

I mean, this is gonna help

find a lot of animals at home,

and I feel like the

turnout's gonna be huge.

I hope so.

You know, I think I know

why you became a vet now.

It's pretty hard to have a bad day

when you're surrounded by these faces.

Yeah, yeah.

They do have a way of turning

your hard days into good ones.

I wish I had that.

Had what?

Just something to

make me smile every day.

How's the bowling alley?

It's good.

It's really good actually.

It does make me happy,

but not knowing what to do

at the end of the month has been hard.

So why stress, you know?

Just enjoy the moment and

decide when you're ready.

It's not that easy.

I'm splitting my focus right now,

and my real estate

career's starting to suffer.

I had so much fun brainstorming ideas

for the event with Hank the other day

that I completely missed my showing.

Well, I think that tells you something

about where you should

be putting your focus.

I wish it were that simple.

But Tom has put in a lot of time and energy

into helping me start a career,

and I just feel like I'm letting him down.

I don't think you could

let anybody down, Mandy.

Oh my gosh, look at this one.

My dad's gonna love it.

This event is gonna be amazing.

You're amazing, Mandy.

What?

I'm sorry.

I shouldn't have said that.

Um...

You know, it's just, you

shouldn't doubt yourself ever.

You have so much talent, Mandy.

And in my eyes, you are absolutely amazing.

Getting to spend these

last couple weeks with you

has been just so wonderful.

I don't think I've laughed that hard

or been able to open up to

someone in a really long time.

Jack, I can't.

I have Tom.

And getting to know you has

been amazing too, but I just-

No, I know.

I guess I just wanted you to know

that I think you're so funny

and so smart and so beautiful,

and Tom is really lucky

to have you in his life.

Thank you.

- I-

- No, it's okay.

You don't have to say anything.

I'm a grown man, you know.

I can, I can take it.

I knew the chances of

you feeling the same way

were probably pretty slim.

It's just that I haven't felt

this way in a long time.

Um...

Yeah, I, um...

Well. (clears throat)

Okay. Well, I've made this

incredibly awkward now, so-

No.

No, that's, uh, here.

I'll, uh, thank you so much for today.

I will pack up.

I can help you.

No, that's...

That's okay.

I'm good. We're good.

That's fine.

Well, I'll see you on

Tuesday then, right?

Right. Tuesday.

'Cause you promised Jenny

to help find me a perfect match

at her speed dating event.

Yeah, I did.

I did do that.

Awkward.

Um, okay, well I'm gonna hold you to it.

-Great.

-Great.

I will grab Little Monster

and then be on my merry way.

Okay.

I'll see you later, Jack.

See you Tuesday.

(bowling pins clatter)

You're a rainbow

And you don't know

why you're here with me

That's a very fine shirt, Hank.

Reminds me of all my best trips.

Really?

Really.

I spent many years going

to Florida in the winters

and they are so popular there.

It was the best time of my life

spending time in that beautiful sunshine.

Have you ever been

to the beach in Sarasota

where you can dig for shark teeth?

Well, I found some to make

a necklace for my grandson.

-Exactly.

-And it doesn't matter.

You can just accept that, right?

You can just accept it.

Today's a bad day at the bowling alley.

That's fine.

It's okay.

Oh.

Well, you're a vet, right?

Yeah. Yeah, Jenny told

me that you're a doctor.

Family practice.

We have a clinic on Main Street, actually.

Oh, no way.

Hey, we're on Main Street.

Yeah, we're just next to

the, uh, next to the bakery.

Small world.

Very small world.

Unbelievable.

Yeah, yeah.

Now I remember.

Yeah, they have really great scones.

Scones.

Come on and wait and

see what it's like to be

Be my better half

So what do you think?

Looks like they're really hitting it off.

My bet is on her or

Maggie, the school teacher.

Also very nice.

Looks like you found a

lot of really good matches.

I've been looking long enough.

As I said before, I've been

trying to get him to come out

to one of these things for months.

I think my money is on the doctor.

Maybe.

But if I didn't know any better,

I would say my brother's

heart is spoken for these days.

Um, actually, I just remembered

the coffee maker's broken.

Printer.

Something's broken in the office,

and so I'm gonna find

what it is and then fix it.

Bye.

See you.

What it's like to be

Be my better half

(Mandy sighs)

What am I doing?

(phone chimes)

Hello.

Hi, Mandy. How's the event going?

Great. It's really great.

Are you okay?

Yeah, just finishing up some paperwork

while doing my squats.

Time management, remember?

Of course.

Listen, you haven't sent

me those financial records yet.

Can you send those over to me tonight?

Tom, I told you I wasn't

ready to commit to selling yet.

I'm just looking out for you, Mandy.

Take another day or so, but

we need to move forward quickly.

Your attention is really split right now

and it's hurting our plan.

I know.

Okay, well good luck

with the rest of the event tonight, Mandy.

And don't forget, I set up a meeting

with another potential

client tomorrow afternoon.

Don't be late.

And bring that new purse that I bought you.

Nothing screams

success like Italian leather.

I will be there with my screaming purse.

(gentle music)

Mandy.

Oh, hi, Jack. How are you?

Hey, don't you just hate

when you can't decide

if you wanna sit or stand?

Yeah, I was doing squats.

Multitasking is one of

Tom's key principles,

so that's why I was doing that.

How else could you be

successful and have strong glutes?

Exactly.

Listen, Mandy, about the other night-

Already forgotten.

Great. Okay.

Well, I just, you know, wanted

to say it was unfair of me

to put you on the spot like

that, and it won't happen again.

And I apologize.

No worries.

Cool.

So, hey, I was finalizing the list

for our event next weekend.

Just wanted to double check.

Any calls for Little Monster?

No, not yet.

But on the upside between

the missing cat posters

and the for sale signs,

I am the most recognizable

face in the neighborhood, so...

That's a win.

Yay! (laughs)

Did you find a match tonight?

Ah, um, maybe.

Yeah, met a nice woman.

Doctor or teacher?

Doctor.

That was my pick. It's good.

Okay, well I'll get outta your hair

unless there's anything

you need before the event.

No, I should be okay.

-Thank you.

-Okay.

Well, I'll see you then.

Yeah. Have a good night, Jack.

Yeah.

(gentle music)

(Mandy clears her throat)

Pro, it makes me happy.

Con, not sure I can

keep it going financially.

Pro, I love coming up with

ways to revitalize the business.

Con, Tom will be

disappointed if I don't sell.

And pro, I love it there.

Those are some pretty convincing pros.

Tom, Mr. Caldwell, I'm very sorry I'm late.

I had a situation at the bowling alley

that I needed to tend to

and then the printers were running late.

Bowling alley?

Yes.

Mandy's grandparents retired

and left her a bowling alley.

Isn't that wonderful?

Larry and Lucy's Lucky Lanes.

Do you know it?

Of course I do.

Great place. Wonderful location.

So I've heard.

Anyway, we're having

this bow ties and tails event

next Saturday if you're interested.

It's for a really great

cause adopting shelter pets.

I'll pass it along to the Mrs.

She's a real animal enthusiast,

so I'm sure she has a lot of friends

that would love to attend.

Great.

Thanks so much.

Yes, it's best to attend

if you want to play there one last time.

Mandy's gonna be placing it on the market

at the end of the month, aren't you, Mandy?

Yeah.

Good for you.

That's a big property to represent.

Absolutely.

And I'm very proud

with how quickly Mandy's

been learning the ropes,

which is why I wanted you two to meet

'cause I think that Mandy

would be the perfect partner

for all of your real estate

needs, Mr. Caldwell.

Wonderful.

(elevator chimes)

Mandy, where's your head?

Where's your focus?

You almost lost that contract

because you wouldn't stop

talking about the bowling alley.

Tom, we have to talk.

We are talking.

Look, I know a lot has

happened in your life recently,

but let's remember the 12

principles and get back on track.

But that's what I wanna talk about.

What if I am on the right track?

Pumpkin, I know that nostalgia

and good memories might

make you feel good for a while,

and maybe that's clouding your judgment,

but that's why I think you

need to take the evening

to revise what you learned

and refocus on what makes most sense.

But what if this does make sense to me?

You can't be serious.

You're thinking with your

heart and not with your head.

Exactly.

I've been doing this for a long time,

and trust me when I say this,

that selling this prime location

will do amazing things for

your career and my book sales,

not to mention our pocketbooks.

I know, You've said that.

I've said it because it's true.

I know that you're attached

to your grandfather's place,

but you need to think about yourself

and do what's right for you.

I'm trying.

I just need some time, okay?

Okay.

Do me a favor, give this a read.

You're the first to have it.

Hopefully it'll help you get back on track.

Okay.

(bright music)

Oh, lover lover, why so blue

Just because I don't need you

You've never been one to hide

You ask me if I ever cry

I never leave you, so you'd say

The challenge set, the game in play

I told my lies and fought my bliss

I needled you until you quit

Oh banjo banjo, play me home

I've lost my love and I'm all alone

I don't deserve it, but I pray

You'll lead me to the light some day

Hey.

Good morning, little friend.

Got a pretty big day today, don't we?

Gotta go get your bow

tie for your new family.

How am I supposed to give you up, huh?

You've been the very best distraction ever.

I'm gonna miss you, Little Monster.

Okay, you can sleep for 15

more minutes, but that's it.

I can't believe you're

wearing this old thing.

I can't believe it still fits.

So?

Oh my.

What do you think?

Your father has gone insane.

I love it. It's perfect.

[Mrs. Patterson] Are you

really going to wear that?

Of course I am.

We need to find a good

home for Little Monster.

And what better way to

get people to ask about him?

You're the best.

If he brings home any more cat swag,

I'm putting his face on a T-shirt

and putting him up for adoption.

That's fair.

Hey, I love you guys.

Thank you so much for coming

out tonight and supporting me.

Oh, honey, I'm just so

happy to see you smile.

I was a little skeptical

when your grandfather decided to do this,

but now I see what he saw.

You're really good at this, Mandy.

I'm so proud of you, honey.

Thanks, Mom. That means a lot.

Now let's finish getting ready

before your father makes

me put on a cat shirt.

That second shirt is for Mandy.

You made me one?

Yes.

And it's exactly like this one. (chuckles)

Oh, Hank, would you

mind taking these over there

for me please?

Oh, sure thing, kid.

Thank you.

Mandy.

Oh, hi,

This place looks amazing.

And you look beautiful.

What am I? Chopped liver?

No, no, you look good too, Hank.

Thank you, young man.

I have a date with Margo this evening.

Yeah, you do.

You guys look amazing too, by the way.

And, Christy, I love your dress.

Oh, thanks.

Wonderful. Everybody looks amazing.

Now I have 100 balloons, streamers,

and 20 more posters to put up.

Where do you want everything?

That way.

I'll show you where.

Perfect.

I think I'll go help her.

Okay. Yeah, see you soon.

Thank you.

Oh, by the way,

Little Monster is just

behind the desk over there.

I packed his little bow

tie for his new family.

Oh, really giving him up, huh?

Yeah. I just really can't make it work.

And I also really cannot

afford another distraction

right now, so yeah.

Well, I'll make sure Little

Monster finds a great home.

Oh, these are for you, by the way.

Oh.

Yeah, just a small thank you bouquet

for all your help with tonight's event.

Thanks.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah, well everyone, they're

over there, so I'm gonna, okay.

Makes sense.

Okay.

Yeah, and I also have so much to do.

[Jack] Of course. Yeah.

I'm busy. Thanks.

Oh, Tom.

Hi. Hi.

Thank you so much for coming.

Oh, I wouldn't have

missed it for the world.

I'm sorry about the other night, Mandy.

Oh.

It was wrong of me to pressure you.

But I'm so happy that you read my new book,

and I'm glad I got you back on track.

Yeah, I really liked it.

It was a good reminder of how to focus.

Well, I've done my job then.

Yeah, I still haven't made

up my mind completely

about the bowling alley, but

I'm weighing everything out

and I will get back to you soon.

Of course, of course.

No pressure, no pressure.

I wanted to be here to wish you good luck.

(Tom sneezes)

Bless you.

How can I help?

Why don't you help my

dad with the photo booth,

and I will help Jack and Jenny.

Sure thing, Mandy.

Why don't I put these down in your office?

Oh, thanks, Tom.

It's gotta be here somewhere.

(cat meows)

What are you looking at?

(cat meows)

I'm looking out for Mandy.

She might not know it yet,

but this is what's best for her.

(cat meows)

She made her choice.

I'm sure you'll find a nice home tonight.

(cat meows)

Ah, here, it is.

Tom, what are you doing back here?

I was just placing these

flowers here for Mandy

and of course saying

goodbye to Little Monster.

Bye, buddy.

(cat hisses)

Well, I better get back to

helping Mr. and Mrs. Patterson.

Okay. See you out there.

All right, yeah.

Hey, Mandy.

Yeah? Hey.

I got a call.

I need to head out.

But you just got here.

Yeah, it's, uh, it's work.

I understand.

Well, thanks for coming anyway.

Of course, of course.

Good luck tonight.

Thank you.

Bye.

(upbeat music)

(bowling pins clattering)

Sitting in the back

Having a time

We adopted Chester!

Congratulations.

Are you having fun?

Yes. Wonderful.

Amazing.

Oh, hey, I'll talk to you soon.

Okay.

Mandy. Hey.

Hi.

Congratulations.

Thanks.

This event is spectacular.

Great job.

No, seriously.

The bow tie theme is such a hit,

and I think almost all of

our pets have been adopted.

Yeah, it's good for bowling too

'cause it's been the biggest

night since I took over

and it's even bigger than speed dating.

Oh, well, I'm very happy for you.

Thanks.

Speaking of speed dating, where is Christy?

Oh yeah, she left me for

a Boston Terrier, actually,

but it's okay.

He looked better in a tux.

Ouch.

I pull off casual much better, so...

Ha ha.

No, it just turns out we didn't

have that much in common.

Where's Tom?

He left.

Work, you know?

Yeah.

Well, sorry.

No, eh, it's okay.

Hey, I love this song.

Would you maybe care to dance?

I would love to.

Yeah?

Yeah.

Find the perfect harmony

and bring it all to life

Wrap it up in a box,

send it to your door

Just in case it wasn't obvious

I'm in love with you

Mandy, can I talk to you for a moment?

Yeah. Sure.

Somewhere private.

Oh, sorry, Tom, this is

Jack and, Jack, this is Tom.

Yeah, hey, Tom, nice to meet you.

I've heard a lot about you.

Yeah, nice to meet you.

Yeah.

Now?

Okay.

Sorry.

Who's Jack?

Seriously? He's the vet.

(cat meows)

Why is he still here?

I thought you said you

were gonna put him up

for adoption tonight.

I am.

I just, I didn't realize how

hard it would be, I guess.

The event's almost over.

Just give me a sec, okay?

(cat meows)

Let's go get you a new family, okay?

Hank?

Can you give this guy to Jack,

so we can get him on the adoption list?

He'll know what to do.

You sure, kid?

Yeah. I'm sure.

(cat meows)

Bye, Little Monster.

(cat meows)

Let's go see Jack.

(cat meows)

What do you wanna talk about?

We need to sign these documents now.

We talked about this.

I need more time.

I thought you understood that.

I know what you said, but

if we don't sign these now,

they're gonna go to a different site.

And trust me,

this offer will be extremely

difficult to duplicate.

Can we please talk about this tomorrow?

Mandy, I'm telling you,

we need to sign these

or you might lose everything.

What do you mean I might lose everything?

I know you didn't want me to,

but I saw the financial

records of this place.

You went through my things.

How? When?

Just only for your own good.

Tom, how could you do that?

Maybe your grandfather has

some amazing, wonderful faith

in you, but realistically, you

can't sustain this business.

Look how busy it is out there.

Look what I did in just this month alone.

That's just one month.

Be logical.

I'm only thinking about your future.

My future?

You don't even know about

or care about what I want.

You're projecting your

fears and your goals onto me.

I need you to leave right now, okay?

I need to think.

But, Mandy-

Tom, you went through my things.

What about the deal?

Leave.

You have until 10:00 PM

tonight or the offer expires.

You can be mad at me all you want,

but you need to sign these papers tonight.

Mandy.

Hi.

Just saw Tom leave.

Thought you might

need a shoulder or an ear.

What am I gonna do, Hank?

About what, kid?

Tom looked at the financials

and he doesn't think I

can sustain it long term.

Well, we both knew it

would take some hard work,

but we also know exactly what you did here

in a very short time.

Where did this doubt come from?

Where's the girl who was here an hour ago?

And I thought you weren't

going to give Tom the paperwork

until you had time to figure

out what you really wanted?

I didn't. I guess he,

uh, found it on his own.

I knew something was fishy.

What do you mean?

I was in here earlier

and he was saying

goodbye to Little Monster.

It felt odd.

Oh my gosh. Little Monster, where is he?

I gave him to Jack, like you asked.

Oh no.

What?

Hank, I've been so blind.

What is it, kid?

I think I know where my right fit is now.

It's an old bowling alley, a little cat,

and maybe a handsome vet.

I gotta go.

Perfect.

Thank you so much for adopting Peanut.

Thank you.

Jenny, where's Little Monster?

He was just adopted.

What about Jack?

Oh, I've tried.

No one wants him.

I guess bad jokes run in the family?

They sure do.

He just left.

If you run you might be able to catch him.

Okay, thanks.

I'll call you back, Mrs. Wilson.

(Tom laughs)

Yes, absolutely. Absolutely.

Of course.

Talk to you soon.

Mandy.

Tom, I really don't have

time to talk right now, okay?

Have you seen the books?

Yes, I've seen the books.

I've been running this place

for three weeks by myself,

and my grandfather made

me very clear on the finances,

so yes, okay?

Then you know what you need to do.

Yeah. I do.

We're done.

Done? What do you mean done?

You and me, we're done.

And the deal isn't happening, okay?

Is that clear enough?

You can't do this on your own.

You'll lose everything.

Chapter 15, believe in yourself.

My grandfather seems

to have a lot of faith in me,

and it's about time that I do too.

(phone rings)

Now if you'll excuse

me, I have to take this.

There is no chapter 15.

Hi, Gramps.

Hiya, kiddo.

Just thought I'd call and

see how your big night went.

It went great.

The place was packed, and

we found homes for all the pets.

[Gramps] That's great, darling.

Yeah, and I made my decision.

I wanna keep the bowling alley.

That's great news.

What made you decide to keep it?

I stopped listening to everyone else

and started listening to my heart.

And my heart says that

this is the right fit for me.

I thought it might be.

It seems like everything

has fallen into place.

Almost everything.

Hey, did Jack say anything before he left?

Just said he wanted some time to think.

Is everything okay?

Yeah, it's great.

Thank you.

(knocking on door)

Sorry, we're closed.

Mandy?

I was hoping you'd be here.

Your sister said you

needed time to think,

so I took a chance.

You left without saying goodbye.

You were busy with Tom,

so I figured I should get outta there.

I broke up with Tom.

Oh. You did?

Yeah, and I told him the

bowling alley wasn't for sale.

Good for you.

Yeah, but that's

actually not why I'm here.

I'm here to say thank you.

For what?

Everything.

Believing in me.

Making me believe

that I can actually do this.

You can do anything you want, Mandy.

Like I said, you're amazing.

You're amazing.

I've always listened to my head,

tried to do the most logical thing,

but you taught me to listen to my heart.

What does your heart say now?

That I finally found my right fit.

I was hoping you'd say that.

(romantic music)

I should have listened

to my heart earlier.

I let go of Little Monster.

Yeah...

(cat meows)

I was just working on his

welcome home bouquet.

Mm-hmm.

You adopted him?

Yeah.

Just kind of felt like the right fit.

Hi, Little Monster.

Hi.

(bright music)

It was really nice meeting you, Jack.

Come on, Little Monster.

I can hear your hand

turning off the alarm

Reaching out for a dream

as you stretch your arm

[Gramps] Rumor has it,

that little fur ball cost

you the sale today.

I don't think it was just the cat.

And the lights go down,

that's where we belong

Everlasting sparks between two oh-oh

Look, Boo, that's a wrap.

You don't need to close your eyes

I don't need to tell you twice

Are you guys having fun?

It's a lesson that we learned long ago

Sorry.

Did I make you laugh?

It's okay.

(everyone laughs)

Long ago

And do my hair because

chapter 11, dress for...

I had it. I had it.

I had it.

This is difficult, probably

'cause I'm squatting.

Long ago

You're so cute.

Long ago