01x04 - In the Eye of the Storm

[bunniefuu]

INSPIRED BY THE NEW YORK TIMES COLUMN
MODERN LOVE

IN THE EYE OF THE STORM

Happy Birthday.

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday, dear Daddy...

-Good morning, sweetheart.
-Daddy needs to wake up, yeah.

-Shall we make a birthday breakfast?
-Yes.

-Yes.
-Yeah? Will you go to your room then?

We still have to get up.

You're already up, aren't you?

Dear?

Does it have to be so loud?

I'm almost finished.

Happy Birthday to you

Hooray!

Are you going running?

Ayra.

Mavis.

Where are you?

Do Mommy and Daddy have to find you?

See you in a bit.

MOM
Happy Birthday

Where are my little monsters?

Should I look under the bed?

Oh, nobody.

What about here?

And one more little monster in here.

Is Daddy having a party today?

Daddy's not having a party.
Daddy doesn't really like parties.

-Should we draw something for Daddy?
-Good idea.

-I see Daddy.
-Daddy.

Daddy!

-Daddy.
-Hey.

-We made these for you.
-Let me see.

Wow.

Who's that?

-You.
-Is that me?

But Daddy, why don't you like parties?

Well, I'm off to take a shower.

Why didn't he answer?

I don't know.

Finish your pancakes, now.

Hey, you ready?

The girls want to go to the zoo.

They're really excited. Let's just go.

It's your birthday.

Hey.

-Why won't you tell them?
-They're too young.

-Are they too young?
-Yes, they're too young.

I've forgotten about it.

Leave it alone.

Yeah?

Hey.

Forgetting is good.

Okay?

I'm in the here and now.

I get up, I go for a run,
I eat breakfast with my family.

I celebrate my life
every day with you guys.

Yeah?

You celebrate your life with us every day?

How?

With who? You have
two beautiful daughters who adore you.

I want to surprise you on your birthday.

-I want...
-Just give me some time.

Daddy, do you want to do my hair?

Yes, but Daddy's talking to Mommy now.

-So go downstairs. No, I'm serious.
-You're not nice.

I'm not nice? Okay.

-So you're not coming with me to the zoo?
-I am.

You want to? Okay, so go downstairs.

-I'm serious, careful on the stairs.
-Okay.

I need the comb.

Let's use the comb. Okay.

-Ow, Daddy.
-Just wait.

-Just wait. It's not even. Okay?
-Ow.

-Mommy will do it, okay?
-Yeah.

Maris, can you...

Who wants to go to the zoo?

-Me! And my plushie.
-And the plushie.

And my dolly.

-What am I?
-A bear?

A bear? No.

-A tiger?
-A tiger, nice.

Very good. Now you.

-Is that a cat?
-Yeah.

It's a cat.

-Hello, it's a cat!
-Close that right now!

It was just wind.

Are we going to see the monkeys?
Or the elephants?

-See the elephants.
-You want to see them?

-Take a photo.
-Take a photo? Wait a minute.

-Could we take a photo?
-Of course.

You can sit here.

Come on.

-Come on, we're an elephant family, yeah?
-Yeah.

-Okay.
-Come on, little elephant.

One, two, three. Elephants.

-One more?
-Yeah.

Can you hold it?

-Last one.
-Last one.

-That was a good one.
-Yay. Thank you.

They even eat apples.

We just can't do it anymore.

Apparently we're not allowed
to celebrate anything.

It's just not getting better.

Really.

"Get up every day. Live in the now."

"Forgetting is good."

It's bullshit.

Who are you fooling?
You think you're fooling me?

Do you think the girls believe it?

They're not stupid, you know?

Daddy, the little elephant's going...

Come on.

f*ck you.

Yeah.

Elephant.

Don't get wet. Should I throw you in?

Hey, what's this?

The smallest.

It's all the way at the bottom.

What's this one doing back here?

-Don't know.
-He's lying on his stomach.

What's that water or something, up there?

I don't know.

And what's that, on the stone?

You have to look in his eyes.

Mavis, Ayra?

-Yeah?
-Come sit by Daddy.

Good girls.

Why do we have to come over here?

Daddy wants to tell you something.
Is that okay?

-Yes.
-Okay, that's good.

Look.

Who are they?

This is Jada.

And this is Lewis.

-Nice names.
-Yes. They're your brother and sister.

-Really?
-I thought it was just me and Ayra.

And I thought it was just me and Mavis.

Yes.

And how old are they?

They're both six.

-Same as us.
-Same as you.

And where do they live?

When Daddy was their daddy too,

we went on vacation together

to Saint Martin, a lovely island.

We went to visit Grandma and Grandpa.

We were out in the sun all day.

And in the sea.

We had so much fun swimming.

Are they my grandma and grandpa too?

No, they're not your grandma and grandpa.

Can I go see the seals again?

Of course, dear. Of course. Go ahead.

Go have another look.

Look how big that is.

One's coming over to us.

Wow.

What did Lewis and Jada like to do?

Lewis was really good at swimming.

So he did swimming lessons?

-So it's his hobby.
-And Jada built really good sandcastles.

-I can too.
-You can, that's right.

The sea was 10 times as blue.
Really pretty.

-As this water?
-Yes.

Wow. Ten times.

-You could see everything then.
-Even your legs.

Did Jada and Lewis get candy
on Saint Martin too?

Saint Martin is an island, you know?

So not a candy party or anything.

-It's an island and a candy party.
-No, sweetheart, it's not.

Never mind. I'll tell you...

You know, one day,
something really bad happened.

-A hurricane hit the island.
-What does a hurricane do?

A hurricane is a really strong wind.
It can blow everything away.

Like our house, for example.

The TV?

Or a really big city.

Or a whole island. It's that strong.

Jada and Lewis...

They were carried away
by the hurricane too.

-Is a hurricane that strong?
-Yes.

So strong that Daddy couldn't stop it.

Couldn't you save them?

So...

So they're dead?

Yes.

And their mommy?

Yes, and their mommy.

That's sad.

Why didn't you tell us before?

Yeah.

It was very difficult for me
to tell you this.

But you know what?

Daddy's still alive.

And you know why?

Because of you.

And because of Mommy.

Is that why you're so sad?

Yes.

That's why I'm so sad.

-Can we go see the butterflies?
-Butterflies.

Of course we can.

-You want to go see butterflies?
-Yeah.

Come on.

We have a brother and sister.

-Really?
-Yeah, Lewis and Jada.

And Lewis is good at swimming.

Yum-yum!

-You!
-Aren't you going to sing?

Thank you.

This one.

This is for you.

Happy Birthday, Daddy.

This is for Mommy.

Delicious, thank you.

That's someone's coffee, it's not mine.

It is, you're only getting coffee.

Look, apple juice.

Thank you, darling.

For you.

Did Lewis and Jada like cake too?

Yes.

They were real cake monsters.
They ate cake every day.

What did they eat?

Apple pie.

-Chocolate cake?
-Yes.

-Strawberry cake, cream cake?
-Strawberry cake.

You can't ever leave me, okay?

I can't live without you.

We can't either.

Did you read them stories too?

I did.

-I'll tell you a story too.
-No, Daddy, I'm tired.

-Okay.
-What happens if we die?

Hey, come here.

You're not going to die.

You are so alive. Aren't you?

-Are you sleeping now?
-Yeah.

Okay, good. Sleep tight. Come on.

Come on.

Yes. One...

Thank you.