Magic of Lemon Drops, The (2024)

[bunniefuu]

You been bad

Done me wrong

But I've been fretting since

you've been gone

- Here, Dad. Voila.

- What's this?

Eve's greenhouse experiment

is bearing avocados,

so I thought we could try

to expand the breakfast

items again.

With avocado toast?

On German dark bread.

I think that's a great

compromise between my desire

to have healthy, organic

food and your desire

to never, ever, ever

change the original menu.

- No, thank you.

- Dad, try it.

Lolly, we've been over this.

As long as I own the diner

and I'm the head cook,

we're sticking to the menu

your mom put together.

None of this foofy stuff.

Did I mention it's

on German dinkelbrot?

I don't care if it's

on a Bavarian pretzel.

We're not serving avocado toast!

I love avocado toast.

Well, then here

you are, Aunt Gert.

Ah. Mmm.

Gadzooks!

Mmm!

See? Aunt Gert likes it!

Yeah, well, she'll eat anything.

I'm a woman of

the world, Martin.

Oh and I guess women of the

world don't pay their own tab.

At my family's restaurant?

Ha! I think not.

This really is to die for.

Tell that to Grumpy

Cat over there.

He's still refusing to change

the menu even the slightest bit.

Ugh! I just wish...

What?

I don't know.

I'll get the mail!

I got it! Stay to the griddle!

Here you go.



Is this what I think it is?

I'm taking care of it.

Not the IRS.

Lolly, I know he

doesn't say it much,

but he's really

lucky to have you.

You keep this place running.

Oh, we're running all right.

To where, I don't know.

Orders up!

That's a pretty sad face

for a kid who's going on

a grand European vacation.

Because I want you

to come with us.

I know, baby, but we talked

about this already, remember?

But I still don't understand.

The hockey season's over.

The Blue Jackets won't need

you until next season.

You're right, Sammy, but

your mom and I just decided

that it would

be better if it was

just the two of you that went.

And I'm going to see Grandma

and Grandpa in Minnesota,

and then when you get back,

you and I are going up to

the Boundary Waters.

We're going to go

hiking and fishing.

We're going to see

the new cabin.

I know that it's been

very hard on you

since your mom and I split up.

I get that,

but that does not

change the fact

that she and I

love you very much.

And it's okay to be sad that

I'm not going to be there,

but it's also okay

to have a lot of fun.

Can you try and do that for me?

- Yeah.

- Okay.

All right. Give me a hug.

I'm going to miss you every

second that you're gone, okay?

Okay. I love you.

Love you, too!

- Take a million pictures!

- I will!

What in the world?

Yes I know

He's the one

What are these suckers

doing in my freezer?

Oh. Eve's been giving me

her extra produce

from the market stand.

I've been experimenting.

Mm. Hmm.

You seem to be liking them.

Doesn't matter whether

I like them or not.

What matters is that

these are taking up space

in my deep freeze.

Well, maybe we'd have

more space in your deep freeze

if you didn't order so much

cod from Tommy's Seafood.

Yeah. It was supposed

to be a half order.

- You ordered double.

- He gave me a good price.

We have too much.

I'm sending it back.

He's had a real hard

couple of months, Lolly.

He needs the money.

So do we.

We can freeze the extra, right?

We'll have the room if you clear

out those ice pops in there.

You seem to be clearing

them out just fine.

Mm. Okay.

But don't eat them all!

I'll eat as many as I want!



You love your family. They

don't drive you up the wall.

You love your family.

You wouldn't change a thing.

You love your family.



Ah! Ah, Rory!

Hey, Ma.

- Oh, so good to see you!

- Oh, honey.

- Hey.

- Oh, hey!

Who's... uh... who's this?

- This is Kirby.

- Oh. He's... he's very...

he's very cute.

He's got a lot of energy.

We're fostering him

until he finds a place.

- Is that so?

- Your dad's already smitten

with him. We took him up

to Knutson's cabin

at the Boundary Waters,

and he just loved

exploring up there.

He should. He's a dog.

You might enjoy spending some

time with him while you're here.

Dogs have a way of making

everything better.

Maybe with a little

bit of, uh, training.

- Oh, come on in.

- Okay.

- Okay.

- Come on in!

Come on, in.

Lolly still

lives there, you know.

- Yeah. I assumed as much.

- Yeah.

Maybe you two should catch

up while you're in town.

I'm sure I'll bump into

her here and there.

Yeah.

Now, these are

greenhouse-grown avocados,

my very first harvest.

- I hope you like them.

- Mm-hmm.

- Bye!

- Hi!

Hello! Ooh, what you got in the

cooler? Some cold brewskies?

You wish. No.

I made ice pops from

the extra produce you gave me.

What?

Let me see!

Ooh! Can I try one?

All you can eat.

Strawberry and... lavender?

That's one flavor.

I got more in there.

Mmm. Well, it's heavenly.

Do you want to try to sell them?

If you think people

will buy them.

I was just going to

give them away at the diner,

but my dad made me clean

out the deep freeze.

Do I dare ask how the avocado

toast conversation went?

Nein, nein, fraulein.

Even on German bread?

Even on German bread!

Well, guess you're not

going to be ordering

any of my greenhouse

avocados, then.

I wish.

I'd have an avocado-palooza if

I had my own restaurant,

but at this rate,

I guess I never will.

You okay?

You seem a little...

not your sunshiny self today.

Ignore me. I'm doing some

soul-searching.

While you're searching,

why don't you take

some more of that excess fruit

and keep these bad boys coming?

I can do that.

It's been fun to make.

It'll keep my mind off

the craziness for a bit.

Now, would any of this

craziness have to do

with a perennial return of

a certain neighbor?

I don't want to talk about it.

Okay. I will take

my foot out of my mouth

and replace it with this

delicious popsicle.

Join you.

Cheers.

- Hey.

- Oh, hey. Hey.

- How do you like the old room?

- Oh, it's nice.

I really love the country bed

and breakfast vibe

it's got going.

We could put up your old Kirby

Puckett posters if you want.

Yeah. We named

the dog after him.

I understand, Mom.

All right.

Well, we're headed off

to happy hour with the Gintzes.

Hey, do you want to come along?

You know, you guys go have fun.

I think after the long drive

I should probably get out

and stretch my legs and

go for a walk.

Uh-oh. You said W-A-L-K.

That means you're going

to have to take him with you.

I have to take him with me?

Please. It would

really help us out.

Just swing by Eve's Produce.

He loves to get

the treats there.

Okay.

Right.



Hi! Hello! Hello!

Oh! Ah!

Oh, my goodness!

I am... I am so sorry.

He must have

slipped his harness.

He's just not very well trained.

- Lolly.

- Rory.

- Hey.

- Hi. You're here. You're back.

Unless you're a hologram.

Not a hologram.

Okay.

No.

I'm not a hologram.

Great. So, whew!

You, um, staying

at your parents' house?

Yeah. Yeah. I am.

Um, where I usually stay.

- Right.

- Um, but we were just talking

about... the... these

dog treats here.

I hear they're amazing.

Kirby loves them.

Are they good? I'm not

a dog person or a dog.

Yeah.

They look really good.

Great. Awesome. Uh, well, I

got to run, because I got to...

I have to take a nap,

but it was great seeing you.

Uh, okay. Uh, Rory?

Yeah?

Oh. Some things

never change, huh?

Okay.



Ooh, I saw that.

Do you want to talk about it?

No. Yes. I don't know.

Are you okay?

No. I mean, he barely wanted

to talk to me.

He just recently got divorced.

He probably just feels awkward.

It definitely was awkward,

but of course it was.

I mean, the last time we

had an actual conversation

was this huge blowup and

then the breakup.

Then you didn't get closure.

I mean, how could I?

The only time I

actually run into him

is in the summer or during

Christmas holidays,

and he's always with

his wife and kid.

I'm sorry.

That's really tough.

Honestly, it wouldn't be

so bad if he hadn't become

some successful doctor for

a professional hockey team

and I'm stuck in the exact

same place I was when he left.

Rory Shaw, the one that got away

and somehow keeps coming

back to remind me.

You know what, it feels like

a box of wine and "Tortured

Poets" kind of night.

No. I got to go back to

the diner and do paperwork.

- On a Friday night?

- This is my life, Eve.

Well, what about tomorrow?

We can, uh, you know,

put on some sweatpants

and have a fun day.

Mm. My sister wants me

to help clean out the attic,

my mom's stuff, which has

been there, by the way,

since she passed,

but for some reason,

Daphne has to do it tomorrow.

Okay. I'm just going to

shut up and give you a hug.

Oh. It's okay, buddy.

It'll be okay.



There's nothing in here.

Uh, maybe we could find

your old tap shoes up here.

Oh, my gosh.

That would be awesome.

Oh, look who I found!

Oh, my gosh! Nibbles!

I haven't seen this guy in ages.

Probably because this place

is like the Witness Protection

Program for old memories.

Ergo our cleaning it out.

Yeah, but why now?

Uh, because it's got

to get done,

and you and I both know that Dad

is never going to do it.

That's true.

What secrets does this hold?

Oh, my God!

I made it seventh grade.

It's just talk about

NSYNC and Orlando Bloom.

Yeah. See, I was more

of a One Direction kind of girl.

That ages me.

Geez.

You were a collage fiend.

It was life before Pinterest.

Aw, I remember Toast.

- Toast.

- Yes.

The restaurant I was just

positive I was going to open.

- Run it just how I wanted it.

- Mm.

It'd be chic enough, you

know, for celebrities

but also a fun place just to

hang with the girls for brunch.

Michelin star, of course.

- Yeah.

- Fun and elegant.

Basically the opposite of

my life right now.

Yeah. That basket lighting

is just so elegant.

Well, it was at the time.

It's all just a fantasy,

like me marrying Lance Bass.

So, um... here's the deal.

Uh...

...the real reason

why I wanted us to

clean out the attic...

I knew there was a reason!

is because I wanted

to make sure the house

was all in order for Dad,

because I applied to work

at this yoga instructor academy

in Bali.

Daphne, that's halfway around

the world. Absolutely not.

Lolly, come on.

You're not Mom,

and I'm an adult.

An adult who jumps

from job to job

in every field

except for marketing.

Do you remember the one that you

actually got a degree in?

And now, you want to go to

Bali and teach yoga? No.

Maybe I don't want my diary

to be full of regrets.

Daphne.

That's real mature.



Ah!

That went well.

How long have you

been standing there?

I just popped up

to check on your girls

and saw your sister

storming away.

I made her mad.

You having any regrets?

I'm having all the regrets.

My life hasn't turned out

exactly how I thought it would.

At all.

Wish I had known then

what I know now.

If you were given the chance

to peek at the life

you wish you had,

would you take it?

Yeah, of course. Who wouldn't?

But there's no sense in

wishing for the impossible.

Oh, I agree. There's

no sense to it per se,

but it is possible.

I've been holding on to

something for you

for quite a while,

but this is the first time

I thought you really needed it.

It's a little small to

be a hope chest.

It contains much

more than hope, my dear.

Ah. Lemon drops.

Okay. Well, thanks.

- Ah!

- Ah.

Not yet.

Okay. Aunt Gert,

I say this with love,

but you're acting weirder

than usual right now.

Weird doesn't even scratch

the surface with these.

These are not

merely confections.

Each of them has a purpose.

They can show you a life

you wish you had

and give you the

power to choose it.

Magic lemon drops.

As the great St. Augustine

once said,

miracles are not

contrary to nature,

only contrary to what

we know of nature.

Okay. I'm going to

go with you on this,

because you're honestly

giving me some ASMR tingles.

Okay. So...

how does it work?

Take one before you go to bed.

Then say aloud something

you wish you could change,

a regret, a path not taken.

Mm-hmm.

When you wake up,

you will live one day

as it would have been

if you'd made that choice.

- And then what?

- When you wake up

the next morning, you're back

in your life here.

Will I remember what happened?

With the first three drops, yes,

but if you use the fourth drop

to return to one

of the other lives,

that reality will become

your permanent life

and those memories

the only ones you'll have.

Okay. Magic lemon drops,

of course.

Yes. Of course.

Doubt it all you want,

but if you don't give

this a try,

your doubt may turn to regret.









Well, this is crazy.

I just brushed my teeth.

Whatever.

Right.

I got to say it out loud.

Toast.



Mm.

Are you kidding me?

What is even happening?

Aunt Gert, what did you give me?

This is insane.

What's insane?

Who is this?

India, your restaurant manager.

Restaurant manager.

Are you all right?

Ask me tomorrow.

I know it's your day off,

but this is important.

You're not going to

believe this,

but the Michelin guy's here.

Ah! Oh.

Lolly, did you hear

what I said about

the Michelin guy?

Like, the cartoon guy

who looks like a marshmallow?

Okay. That was

a very solid joke,

but I'm too anxious to

joke right now.

We didn't know it

was him, of course,

but after he finished,

he introduced himself.

It was Ed Wainwright,

Michelin's number one inspector.

- He asked if he could meet you.

- Mm.

I think we might be

getting that second star.

- Did you say "second"?

- Yes!

Okay.

Um, where do I meet you?

What do you mean

where? Are you okay?

Do I need to call a doctor?

No, I'm fine... ish.

Fine. Fine-ish.

I just had this weird dream.

Maybe it's just

sort of lingering.

That happens when I mix my

melatonin with my energy drinks,

but seriously, how

soon can you get here?

I... I

can come right away,

but seriously,

where do I meet you?

Uh, I don't know. Maybe

at a little establishment

that you've spent all of your

blood, sweat, and tears building

over the last seven years.

Just a thought.

Ah! Toast!



Cross them eyes my

whole crib talking big...



Oh, my gosh.

It's Lolly Blanchard.

Thank God you made it.

Okay.

Ed's about to leave, but

he wants to shake your hand.

You must be India!

It's so nice to meet...

up with you, because

we work together.

Look. I'm sorry it's not

as busy as usual.

I hate for you to see

us when it's this slow.

- Slow?

- Look. I already

let the marketing team have it.

It won't happen again.

Okay. Okay. Great.

Uh, what else should I know?

Uh, you will be

very glad to know

that the Nets have chosen us

as their official

game day restaurant

for all game days next year.

- My dad's going to freak out.

- No kidding.

Maybe don't tell him until

after he's done his treatment.

- Treatment?

- Mr. Wainwright,

thank you so much for waiting.

This is our humble

captain, Lolly Blanchard.

- Lolly.

- Oh.

Your avocado toast is

truly titanic,

as if it were

made for Zeus himself.

We are literally called Toast,

so we better have the best.

Well, you truly are

the toast of the town.

- Oh.

- The toast of the town.

Now, I don't normally

do this in person,

but because we are both here,

I would like to award you your

second star.

Huzzah!

Wow. Oh. Wow. This is...

It looks like I need to get our

Lolly back to Mount Olympus.

- Ah.

- Enjoy your meals.

Yeah.

I should mention, Nicola has

some proverbial ants

in her pantry right now.

Oh, no.

Hey. Excuse me.

We have to talk.

Our distributor messed up again.

One moment, please.

I need to talk to her now.

Okay. I understand that.

Hi. You've

reached Marty. Leave a message.

Hey, Dad. It's me.

Um, just calling to say hi.

Give me a call

when you get this.

Okay.

Love you.

India laid into me already.

Do you really got to call

and chew me out personally?

Uh, what? No. I... I just called

to say hi. Hi. How are you?

Well, I'm at work on a Sunday,

uh, trying to fix the banner

ads for your restaurant,

so stressed.

Okay. Um, hey, do

you know how Dad is?

I tried to call him, but it just

went straight to voicemail.

Uh, he's at swim

therapy with Ramona.

Ramona.

His wife, our stepmom?

Hello?

Okay. Okay.

Um, what... what's going on

with his treatment?

Um, she wanted him

to get into this new program.

It's supposed to be

really great for people

recovering from strokes.

Look, Lolly. I got to

get back to work here, okay?

Wait, wait, wait, Daphne.

I... I need to catch up more.

Please. You only ever

call about work.

I'll fix the banner

ads, all right? Bye-bye.

Wait. Daphne.

Daphne.



T Rex?

Hello, Cooper.



Okay.

I'll go get her.

Okay. I'm sorry.

You're going to have

to deal with her.

But you're doing such

a great job already.

It's gotta be you.

I would love to have

a special dessert on the menu,

but that's really difficult

when the suppliers

don't deliver enough produce.

I'm sure we can

figure something out.

Who's going to deal with

the customers who come in

wanting white peach babkas for

dessert and can't have any?

Well, make a chef's special

dessert. I have so many ideas.

- For what?

- For the chef's special

but also for the menu overall.

Um, I know we just

got our second star,

but it would be even better

if we got our third.

Okay.

You know, it's healthy

and organic, which, yay!

But it's also

a tad minimalistic.

Oh, you know what? Here.

You're the chef now.

No, no, no. You're the chef.

Sorry.

I didn't mean it like that,

Chef.

I was just throwing out ideas,

which I thought I could do

in my own restaurant, but that's

fine. You know, you're...

What you are doing is great.

It's so good.

Please, not today. Please?

Please?

- Fine.

- Okay.

Boy, um, you really do

need a day off.

Tomorrow, though?





Lolly! Here she is.

Oh, my goodness.

Oh, it's so good

to see you in person,

as much as I love our, you know,

memes and texts and all that.

It's really good to

see you, too.

Yeah. Oh. Oh.

Thank you for getting me

the hookup here

with this reservation.

I completely forgot

that you, uh, saved me.

Uh, that's what friends

are for, right?

Yes, and I'm happy we could...

we could be friends again.

Me, too.

Now, look. I know the last time

we talked, it was kind of...

I know it's not easy to

apologize to me,

so I... I hope you know how much

I appreciate that you did.

I do now.

Rory.

There she is.





Oh, Lolly, you...

you remember Emma.

I sure would.

It is so good to see you again.

I've bragged to all our

New York friends

that we have the hookup here.

They're so jealous.

Yeah. No problem.

Yeah. It definitely scored

me some, uh,

boyfriend points with this.

So glad I could do that for you.

Well, um, your table's ready,

so I'm going to go

get the hostess.

You'll join us at some point?

I wouldn't miss it.

- She's great, right?

- Yeah.



Oh, this is lovely.

Well, some things never change.



Okay. I think

I'm going to head out,

if that's okay with you.

Okay. Yeah.

Just think, we get to do this

all over again tomorrow.

Living the dream.

- See you.

- See you.

I love my life.

This is my dream.

I love my life.

This is my restaurant.

I love my life.

This is my... dream.

- It's the vanilla.

- Okay.

- Dad?

- How many of these do you want?

Oh!

- How are you feeling?

- Uh, squeezed at the moment.

Oh!

I am so sorry for being crabby

with you the other day.

You're actually

apologizing to me.

Something I need

to get better at doing.

- Is Aunt Gert in her lair?

- I think so.

Great.

Somebody got up on

the right side of the bed.

- Good morning.

- I have so many questions.

So, where did you choose to go?

Brooklyn, New York.

You should have seen it.

I had my own

restaurant, you know,

the one that I've

been dreaming about.

- How was it?

- Oh, it was beautiful,

although I do have to say,

it was a little bit more fun

when it was a magazine cutout

and in my imagination,

because in reality,

I was just as stressed

as I am at the Eatery,

if not more so.

What about

the rest of your life?

The restaurant was my life.

I didn't do anything else.

My relationship

with Daphne was terrible.

Plus Dad had a stroke,

although he was married to

this woman named Ramona,

which, you know...

It's been a while.

Hasn't it? Was that all?

No. Rory was there,

which is really weird,

because the last time

I actually saw him,

he made it very clear

that he'd rather be

taking a nap.

Tell me, Lolly,

this place you went

to, this life...

- Yeah.

- if you could choose

this version, would you?

There's so many pluses

and... and minuses.

I mean, gosh.

The restaurant was amazing.

And I have to tell you, there

were a lot of very handsome men

in my DMs.

But Dad's health scared me,

and... and whatever

this was with Rory...

I mean, what are

these lemon drops?

I mean, is this my future?

Is this another reality?

I mean, how is this possible?

Perhaps the strong acidic

nature of the lemons

mixed with their

pleasurable appearance

allows them to alter

the mind's chemistry. Hmm?

That sounds so made up.

Honestly, I have no idea.

You don't know?

The woman who gave them to me

never explained the mechanics.

I only know

they allow us to view

the moments we regret or can't

reconcile with fresh eyes.

How they do that is a mystery.

Who is this woman?

Esmerelda, if that was

her real name.

Yeah.

That's definitely made up.

I met her at a carnival

when I was in my early 20s.

A carnival?

I had

just suffered a heartbreak,

and I wandered into her tent.

She took one look at

me, and she said...

"I have been waiting for you."

Which I thought was a line.

- But it wasn't.

- No.

She gave me the lemon drops and

told me how to use them,

and all of that came true.

But the most important part

is what you learn

from each experience

and then what you choose

to do next to find your bliss.

- Find my bliss.

- Mm.

Hmm.

Mm. What do you think, Mom?

Maybe you should ask her.

I kissed

the Blarney Stone today.

It was awesome

but kind of gross.

- I bet.

- It's supposed to give you

the gift of gab, but I

don't know if it worked.

I think it did, honey.

Ooh. Okay. Down.

To your bed.

Nana and Grandpa got a dog?

They did. He's very cute.

He's very poorly behaved,

and his name's Kirby.

He's so cute.

I wish we had a dog.

Yes. Well,

maybe someday we will.

Can we take him

to the new cabin?

My best friend Trent says

fishing is way

better with a dog.

Oh, did Trent

say that? Yeah.

If we can wrestle him away from

Grandpa, then sure. Why not?

We're going to catch

so many pike up there.

I can't wait, baby.

Okay.

I got to go to bed now,

but I'll send you more

pictures tomorrow.

Okay.

I'm counting on it.

I love you. I miss you.

Love you, Dad!



Lemon drops?

I know.

It's crazy, right?

Uh, crazy wouldn't be

the word that I would use.

It wasn't a dream, Eve.

Hallucination?

No. It felt totally real,

and I had really cute hair.

Did Aunt Gert put

a little something

in your candies?

I don't know, but it made me

realize some things

that I need to take care of.

Like what?

Like apologizing to Rory.

See, in this... in this

Toast version of me,

I made things right with him.

I mean, we weren't...

we weren't together. He

had this really hot girlfriend.

- Hmm?

- It was terrible,

but anyway, he

was still in my life.

Okay.

I'm not saying I believe

any of this, because...

I know.

But if it's helping you

get some things done

that you've been putting off,

I say lemon drop away.

So, when are you going

to talk to Rory?

I don't know, but first,

I have to have

a very un-fun conversation with

my dad about finances.

Yikes. Oh! Speaking of,

uh, this might not do

anything, but...

What is this?

Your portion

of the popsicle sales.

They flew out of the freezer.

- Seriously?

- Yes. People just love them,

so I know you're busy right now,

but if you can,

keep them coming.

This is making my head hurt.

Well, then don't eat it so fast.

It's not the popsicle.

It's the paperwork.

Dad, we got to figure this out.

It's property tax.

We'll pay it.

It's a very big increase.

What choice do we got, huh?

We can't sell this place.

Don't. This diner

was your mom's,

and I am not going to

be the one to lose that.

Then we have to come up

with an alternative.

Do you have any ideas?

I'm going to go pound

out some schnitzel.

I think better when I cook.

Dad, wait, wait, wait.

I know it's your birthday

tomorrow. Don't think I forgot.

- Yeah.

- What do you want to do?

Same thing we do every year.

I'm going to make you a pie.

Do you want to

do something special?

We could go to

the summer picnic.

Lemon drop pie is

special enough.

With each passing moment

Shattered hope

Within my heart

I'll never know

How long it was

I waited in despair

I stepped within

The chapel doors

Will he just keep running?

Or will he come back?

Oh, he's coming back. Aw.

Yeah. There you go.

And I didn't even

know you had a dog.

I... I don't, technically.

But my parents

are fostering him.

And I think

they're not-so-subtly trying

to get me to adopt him,

which, you know, given

the year I've had,

might be a good thing.

I heard.

People like to give

me your updates,

whether I ask them to or not.

I get yours as well.

Well, that's a short list.

Not really.

How's everything with the diner?

Hasn't changed.

Won't change.

Well, I bet old Papa

Martin's watching that thing

like a German hawk.

Yeah. It's his way of

keeping Mom's legacy alive.

It's his way of honoring her.

Seems like he's doing

a pretty good job.

Can't fault him for that.

Um, so, I'm... I'm pretty

surprised... with your text.

I'm surprised I sent it.

Everything okay?

I... want it to be.

Between us, I mean.

I'm sorry.

I don't follow.

I don't like how things

ended between us,

here on this log, which

feels like 100 years ago.

Oh. I got over that

a long time ago.

Well, I didn't.

It wasn't fair for me

to get so angry.

I mean, you were

just following your dreams.

I had no right to

get in the way.

Well, we were in a relationship.

I think that kind of gives

you the right to an opinion.

An opinion, sure,

but I was hard on you.

I knew Duke was

your dream program,

and the distance scared me.

And instead of supporting

you, I pushed you away.

I... I'm sorry.

Hey. Hey.

Come here.

I think because you were

the one that helped me

through everything with my mom,

I was afraid to tell you how

attached I'd become.

Instead of telling

you how I felt,

I just... I shut down

and... and I gave up on us.

Okay. Drop.

Lolly, I appreciate you

saying all that.

And yes, to be honest,

at the time, I was...

I was pretty hurt,

and I had to get over

it, but... I did.

And the point is, is that

I forgave you, Lolly,

and I forgave you

a long time ago,

so I want you to know that.

Thank you.

Do you want to throw it for him?

Ready?

So, how you doing with

everything? How you holding up?

Oh. Uh, I don't know.

I think... I think I'm just

trying to be like Kirby here.

How's that?

If I just keep my eye on

the ball and just keep moving,

I'll be fine.

It's the sitting

still that's hard.

Yeah.

Oh, sorry. Uh, I need to run,

because my parents apparently

got a social life in retirement.

- Oh!

- And I managed

- to score an invite.

- Ah.

Okay. Drop it. Drop it.

Well, thanks for hearing me out,

meeting me here.

- Appreciate it.

- Of course.

What are old friends for?

Yeah.

Kirby, come on. Come on, boy.

- Hey, Rory.

- Yeah?

Stop by the Eatery

while you're in town.

I don't know.

Do you still serve sptzle?

Till the day we close.

Then I'll be there.

Come on. Come on.

No, no, no, no, no.

There you go.

Let's go to the car.

To the car. Kirby.



Mom.



Jane Austen?

Bangs?



Ugh!

Good morning, sleepyhead.

Mom?

Oh!

Oh, honey.

Sweetheart.

Hi, Mom.

Hi.

Want some tea?

Oh.



Why are you

looking at me like that?

Do I have something on my face?

No. Just feeling

sentimental, I guess.

Mm. It's the move.

We've both been in

this house a long time.

It's natural to feel emotional.

I am still in shock

that you're able to move on

from so much history.

Well, history's only helpful

if it doesn't block you

from the future.

So, then what are the plans

for our future today?

Well, I really

should be packing.

The movers come in four days,

but I really don't want to

miss the summer picnic.

Of course! And it's

Dad's birthday.

Wait. What are we going to do?

Well, I suppose the same thing

we do every year.

Exactly. Packing can wait.

Let's make him a lemon drop pie.

Gather up your things

You don't need

them anymore

Throw them out to sea and

watch them wash upon the shore

The souvenirs we

save never really go away

You're better saving up your

memories for a rainy day

Do you remember

the three secret ingredients

that make this

the best lemon drop pie?

- Meyer lemons.

- Mm-hmm.

European butter and lemon balm.

Mm.

In the language of flowers,

lemon balm means

sympathy or good cheer,

so every bite of this pie

can make someone's day

a little brighter, like magic.

Never knew that.

Batten down the hatches

A storm is on the way

Gather your belongings that

you want to save

Sentimental value

that money can't buy

Like a photo of a loved

one taken by the tide...

Where did you come

up with the idea

of garnishing

it with lemon drops?

Well, it's the name of the pie.

Without them, it would be

a boring old lemon meringue.

Well, sure, but I've never

seen it anywhere else.

Did you invent it?

Well, it was your Aunt Gert

who gave me the idea.

She's always had a very

odd obsession with lemon drops.

Yeah. That tracks.

Wait. Where is Aunt Gert,

by the way?

Oh, she's still

in Bali with Daphne.

- What? She's in Bali?

- Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Daphne said her astavakrasana

put everyone's to shame.

I have no idea what it means.

And you're okay with that,

with Daphne being in Bali?

Well, it's her life, Lolly.

She's free to make her own way.

We don't have to understand

it as long as she does.

I'm... I'm surprised.

I could have sworn

you would have thought it

was a terrible idea.

Why would you think that?

I don't know. I... I...

I guess I assumed that

you would think it wasn't safe.

You can't make choices based on

what scares you the least.

Your sister was

very afraid to go to Bali.

That's how I knew

she had to go do it.

She did not let on

that she was scared.

Well, to me, she did,

but maybe not to her

older sister that she idolizes.

Idolizes?

That's a strong word.

Mm. Maybe not strong enough.

Your sister loves you

more than you know.

I guess I could get better

at showing it back

a little bit more.

I think we all can.

Hmm. They're perfect.

Masterpiece.

Let's bring one to Dad.

Let's.

I can't believe it!

I know. No matter

how many times I pass by,

it's a shock to me every time.

You know, I'm glad

your father never saw

the day I closed the place.

The Eatery was always so

much more important to him

than it ever was to me.

Poor guy ran himself into

the ground trying to save it.

Dad's gone.

Oh.

He's never forgotten.

I keep this here

so he's always with me.

He's such a handsome fella.



Let's dig in.

Okay.

Okay. (chuckling) Okay.

Happy birthday, Martin.

I love you, Dad.

I'm so happy we're doing this.

I never could drag

your father out here,

so I'm glad I have you.

I couldn't be

happier if I tried.

Uh-oh. Rory Shaw

alert at 11 o'clock.

Oh, sh**t!

Sorry, Mom.

It's fine. Go.

Go say hi. I got this.

You're waving.

I don't see anybody waving.

It's been a while

since you connected.

Yes, Mother.

Hey, Rory!

Oh!

Hey...

Lolly. Lolly Blanchard -

your neighbor across the street

since we were, like, nine.

Oh, my gosh. Yeah. Hi.

Uh, how you doing?

I feel like I haven't seen you

since you were playing

tea party in your yard,

but, uh, you grew up.

That's the thing about time -

it just keeps going.

Yeah.

I wouldn't take it personally.

I'm a pretty, um,

forgetful person.

I remember.

Who are you looking for?

My parents.

They keep nagging me

about hanging out

because I'm just...

I'm so busy.

Yeah, right.

So, how's Columbus?

I'm not there anymore.

I took a job here, actually.

The, uh, Twins lured me away.

- You have twins?

- No, the Minnesota Twins.

- 1987, 1991...

- Oh. Yeah.

- ...World Champions.

- Oh!

You're their

team physician. See?

See how quickly

I put that together?

It's very...

it's very impressive. Very...

So, what do you do?

I am...

a sales rep for a company that

supplies food to restaurants.

Oh, nice.

Do you like doing that?

Probably not.

That's very funny.

I didn't know

that you were funny.

Oh, well, I guess

we never really connected,

so why would you?

Yeah, I guess that's true.

But I did almost

ask you out once.

Wait. Why didn't you?

We were neighbors,

and it's a little

too close to home.

Literally as close

as you can get.

And then, I think you

were on and off again

with some guy in college,

and I was heading off

to Duke for residency

I guess the timing wasn't right.

Oh. I guess.

Oh. One second.

I gotta take this 'cause this

is... Buxton calling.

He's counting on me to

get him off the IR ASAP, so...

It was great seeing you, though.

- Yeah, you...

- Bux! How you doing?

You, too.

I bet.

What were you and

Rory Shaw talking about?

Not a whole lot.

He's so different

than I remember.

No more unrequited

childhood crush, huh?

More unrequited than ever.

He barely remembered me.

Oh.

I'm sorry, sweetie.

That's hard.

Mom, can I ask your advice?

Of course.

I've been feeling

really stuck lately,

like my life isn't what I

thought it could be or would be.

I just feel like

I'm at a crossroads

and I don't know what

the right direction is.

Well, it sounds to me

like you're caught up

in the 'shoulds' and 'woulds'.

You have to let

all that fall apart

in order to find your bliss.

What does that mean?

And how do I know what's

going to make me truly happy?

It all seems so fleeting.

Happiness is fickle,

often based on circumstances.

If you chase happiness,

you're more often than not going

to be disappointed.

But following your bliss, that's

something entirely different.

It means facing

your life with honesty

and pursuing each spark of joy.

It's always there somewhere -

in some small thing

to be grateful for,

something to celebrate,

a way to give joy to others,

a new way to grow.

That's what it means

to follow your bliss.

I love you so much, Mom.

I love you, Lolly.

Aunt Gert:

Morning Lolly.

You saw her, didn't you?

- Yeah.

- Oh!

How was my baby sister?

Beautiful. Even more

at peace than I remember.

Wonderful to be able

to see her again.

It was.

But why couldn't you?

I'm too old for all that.

Besides, I used up my share of

the lemon drops years ago.

What was it like

when you did it?

Enlightening.

You gotta give me

more than that.

I mean is this

your original path

or did you choose

one of the lemon drops?

I chose what was best

for me and my loved ones,

and that, my dear,

is all I'll say about that.

Well, that's not helpful.

Ice pops!

Good! We've already been

getting calls about them.

Crazy!

Lemon spearmint is

my newest concoction.

In honor of your adventures

in lemon drop la la land?

Okay, let's put this

in the freezer,

and I want to hear all about it.

- So much to tell you.

- Oh, gosh! These are heavy!

All right, thanks a lot.

We'll see you again.

Rory Shaw.

Marty.

Hey!

Hey, how you doing?

- Good to see you.

- Good to see you.

Yeah, Lolly said that

I should stop by.

And so, I figured I'd maybe

grab a bite, get some work done.

You're welcome any time.

I mean, this place has really

not changed a bit, has it?

Unfortunately, we're not

as busy as we used to be.

Lolly might have said

something about that, as well.

- You two are talking.

- We are... a little bit.

Good, good.

I know she missed you.

Hey, hey, listen,

your old booth is open.

Grab a seat.

I'll bring you a menu.

Oh, no need.

You said the place

hasn't changed, right?

- Only due to inflation.

- Okay, well then,

I'll have the schweinshaxe

and a healthy side

of the sptzle, please.

Ah, well said.

So, you saw your mom;

that must have been so...

special.

- It was.

- Wait.

Does this mean you believe me?

I believe that... you believe.

That's a cop-out.

So, how were things

with Rory this time around?

Non-existent.

He barely recognized me.

What? How is that possible?

You lived across the street from

one another for, like, years.

I think he saw me as

this little neighborhood kid

who had a crush

on him or something.

You know,

it wasn't until we bonded

after my mom's accident,

but with her still alive...

Oh, you never

got the chance to. Right.

It was really sad to see a world

where we never connected.

What does that tell you, Lolly?

It highlights how pivotal

he was in my life,

even if he's not in it anymore.

Currently. I mean, there's a lot

of time on the clock still.

That's why I apologized.

In real life or Lemonland?

- In real life.

- And?

And he said he forgave me,

which was nice,

but I doubt

he could truly forget.

So, many things I wish

I had done differently,

but what's done is done.

Unless there was a world

where you never

did it in the first place.

Ha! You do believe!

I never said that.

Happy birthday to you

Happy birthday

To you

Happy birthday

- Dear Marty

- Dear Dad

Happy birthday

- To you

- To me

Happy birthday, Dad.

Aww, thanks.

I am going to go stash this.

It's literally all

he wants for his birthday.

- It's adorable.

- What are you doing here?

I took you up on your offer.

Do you want to maybe

join me for a little bit?

Yeah. Glad you did.

So, what did you

get up to today?

Well, I made Dad that pie,

and I went to Eve's Produce,

and I dropped off a big batch of

these fruit pops that I made.

Like frozen fruit pops?

- Mm-hmm.

- So, what do you call them?

Like Lolly's Pops?

I love that.

It's kind of

a no-brainer, right?

- Yeah.

- Yeah.

Apparently,

they're doing really well,

and Eve thinks

I'm on to something.

I think pretty much

anything that you do is

going to be pretty special.

It's a picture of my daughter.

So, she's in Europe

right now with her mother

on a little vacation.

She's got a great smile.

What is she like?

She's... a really happy kid.

She's obsessed with

history and the outdoors,

loves castles,

and that's actually why...

we'd originally planned

to do this trip together.

But life is a way of

upending your plans.

Yeah, I know about that.

How are you doing, by the way?

If you don't mind me asking.

No, no, it's okay.

I'm okay,

and I'm good with the divorce,

which, I know

that sounds terrible

that "good with the divorce",

but Beth and I were always

just better as friends.

And as of right now,

the co-parenting thing

is not as bad as I had feared.

- That's important.

- Just figuring out

the next steps,

that's kind of terrifying.

But it's good to talk about it.

You haven't?

A little bit, with my therapist,

but it's just

different talking to you.

Well, I am here to talk

all things Rory Shaw.

Hmm.

You sure about that?

Yeah.

One thing I'm pretty sure about.

Well... I'm running late

for Kirby's 40th walk of the day

or something like that.

Would you care to join me?

Yeah.

Hey, Dad, can you close?

You good?

Yeah, never better.

Do you need a hand with that?

No, no, no, no.

You two have fun.

I can lock up tonight, Lolly.

Why don't you go walk that dog?

How'd you know we were

talking about a dog?

- Just get out of here.

- Busted.

Go have fun.

Hockey season's

creeping up on us.

Come on, come on. I'm surprised

you remember when that starts.

Are you kidding me?

How could I not?

You used to drag me

to the Minnesota Wild's

opening game every September.

Which you liked, admit it.

Did I? Or was I just

being a good girlfriend?

You were a very good girlfriend.

Until I wasn't.

Lolly, we were young.

Come on.

Still, I should have

apologized sooner.

All right, why don't we say,

from here on out,

we don't talk about the past?

We only focus our conversations

on the here and now.

Does that sound good?

Are you sure you're

ready for that?

- Yeah, try me.

- Okay.

So, what's your

dating life like now?

Wow.

Okay.

Yeah, maybe you're right;

I'm not ready for that. Um...

You asked for it.

I did. I did.

It's my fault. Uh...

You know, honestly, I'm just

really focused on Sam right now,

making sure

that she's comfortable

with this next stage of life.

And I'm sure I'll get back in

the dating game at some point,

but I'm not gonna force it.

How about you?

Oh, there's nothing

to talk about there.

Oh, come on.

Oh, Kirby. Easy, easy.

You're beautiful, talented.

I don't believe it.

Nobody wants that in this town?

It's not like I haven't

had relationships.

I've tried, really.

It's just, no one compares to...

Oh, come on.

Can't leave me

hanging like that.

I thought we weren't

talking about the past.

That's fair.

I'm going to head in early.

Okay.

I will see you later, I guess.

I'm sure you will.

All right, all right.

Will you... will you relax?

Come on, come on.

Oh, you've got to be kidding me.

Marty? Hello?

Oh, Marty.

Thank goodness you're here.

I forgot my phone... again.

Marty?

Okay, hang on one second.

One second.

Yes, I'm at The Eatery

on Woodman Ave.

I need an ambulance immediately.

Rory Shaw.

Happy anniversary.

Hi.

Don't fall back asleep, okay?

The Eatery's

not going to open itself.

- Do I have to?

- Mm-hmm.

You're the one

that refuses to sell it.

Remind me why.

Because you, my dear,

are very sentimental.

Now, let's get up. Up, up.

Oh...

Oh!

Daughters.

Wait. Where are the girls?

I thought I'm supposed

to be the forgetful one.

The girls are at summer camp

for another 24 hours.

So, that means that

we have a day to ourselves

before the chaos descends.

Good chaos?

The best.

Oh, don't forget to

turn the coffee pot on.

Sure.

Close your eyes and make

believe we can fly

Aww.

Build a ship

from the debris we find

Pack your bags

We leave tonight

Somebody's stalling.

So, what are you doing today?

I'm going to work, as usual.

What do you say you take the day

off and we can just hang out?

I would love that,

but you have customers to serve.

- So...

- Okay.

Oh, wait, wait, wait.

Stars that fall

I love you.

- I...

- Each one

...love you, too.

Is a distant sun

What is going on here?

You work here?

Don't start.

Coffee's not on.

What? Oh.

Yeah, that's because

Dad always does it,

but apparently,

he's playing pickleball.

Yeah, it's all the rage

for retirees.

Is he with Ramona?

Who?

Never mind.

Where's Aunt Gert?

I don't know.

Probably still in Bucharest.

Who knows with her.

Wait.

You're not in Bali doing yoga?

And to have

my big sis give me grief

for abandoning Mom's legacy?

No thanks, I'm good.

I'm here for my Lolly's Pops.

Gotta get my supply

for market day.

Hi! I'm still making those.

Hi! Ooh! Ooh!

Well, you better be.

You know they're my

top seller at the market.

Just in the truck.

Thank you.

Mm-hmm.

Oh, gosh, you two are so cute.

Yeah?

You know, you set the bar.

Okay, I'll see you later.

Ooh, happy anniversary.

Thanks.

It's your turn to

clean out the grease traps.

Have fun.

Eww.

Yeah, he was in Kansas.

Right, just retired, but updated

all of his equipment,

so it's practically brand new,

so you're basically

getting a really good...

really good deal for it.

Right, um...

shipping - hey -

is not in the final breakdown,

but Kansas to Nebraska,

that's not really

going to break the bank.

Okay, well look at the price

breakdown and get back to me.

All right.

Hi, love of my life.

That call went a little

longer than expected.

Let me just change

my shirt and I'll be ready.

Who were you talking to?

That was a dentist in Lincoln

who needs new equipment.

We're still very much

in the negotiating phase,

but I think it might go through,

and if we get

this commission, might mean

that we could actually

pay for tonight's dinner.

I need to get dressed, too.

How long have we been married?

All right, uh...

Is this a test?

- Let's pretend it is.

- Okay.

We've been married ten years...

three hours

and 42...

minutes on the dot.

I remember every

second of that day. Do you?

I remember what's important.

You.

When did you first

know that you loved me?

It wasn't just one moment.

It was all the moments.

Like when you found me on

the beach after my mom passed...

...and you just let me cry,

listened to me,

made me feel seen.

Also,

when I used to stare at you

and watch you from

my bedroom window.

I thought you were

the cutest guy I'd ever seen.

That's not creepy at all,

but that is my favorite part.

When you look at me,

I feel safe.

I'm so sorry.

I thought I turned that off.

Hey, do you ever think

about going into practice?

What do you mean?

You worked hard for your degree.

Do you ever think

about using it?

Online MBA?

I don't think a lot of people

call that working hard.

It's time-consuming, certainly.

And before you say anything, no.

I don't think

about Duke anymore.

I don't think

about being a doctor.

I... just don't.

I gave that up a long time ago.

But, I mean, sports medicine

was always your dream.

I think that

ship has sailed, though,

and I'm on an even better

ship with you and the girls.

If you'd gone to Duke...

Look, everyone makes

sacrifices in life,

and that was mine,

and I'm happy with it.

Are you happy?

Yes.

Do you not believe me?

No, I do.

I mean... I want to.

But be honest.

If you could be a team doctor,

I mean, would you

want to do that? Be honest.

Aunt Gert

Lolly... Lolly.

Lolly, wake up!

Lolly! Lolly!

Lolly, you have to wake up now!

Lolly!

Lolly?

Lolly!

Aunt Gert?

I'm sorry to wake you up like

this, but it's your father.

- Hey, Daphne, I'm here.

- Okay, okay, okay.

- What's going on?

- Dad is in the ICU.

He's being treated by

Dr. Bishop.

They told me to wait here and

they'll send someone

to give me an update.

Do we have any more

information on his condition?

They said it was

some sort of stroke,

but I don't have

any more details.

He's going to be okay, right?

Yes, he is.

Hey. How did he get to

the hospital?

Uh...

Rory.

- Hi.

- Hey.

These are for you all.

- Oh, thank you, dear.

- What do you know?

Well, it's still very early.

- Okay.

- But I found him at The Eatery,

and I noticed that he was

in sort of a foggy state,

and that the left side of his

face was starting to droop.

- A stroke?

- Yes.

Most likely ischemic

is gonna be the diagnosis.

The good news is that we got him

into the ER under three hours

from the onset of symptoms,

which is kind of

the ideal window.

So, he's getting

treated right now.

Thank you.

I'm gonna go check

the nurse's station again.

Okay.

I'll be right with you, sweetheart.

- Let me know what they say.

- Of course.

Okay, give it to me straight.

What are we looking at here?

Well, Marty is not gonna be back

to his old self anytime soon.

I think the stroke really

messed with his motor skills.

What about his language?

No, mainly just

balance and walking.

Okay.

So, physical therapy is gonna be

a big part of his recovery.

Of course.

And Lolly, there's no way that

he's going back in the kitchen

at The Eatery anytime soon.

Oh, that's

the least of my concerns.

This feels like dj vu.

This is the hospital Mom was at.

Oh, I really don't want

to go through that again.

You're a lot stronger

than you think.

I sure hope you're right.

Wait. Why did you go back to

The Eatery after we walked home?

I left my phone on the table.

Oh. Are you kidding me?

Something so simple

could end up saving Dad.

Yeah. My forgetfulness

finally came in handy, huh?

Huh.

Lolly, the doctor said that

we can see him now.

Come on.

I can't tell you how wonderful

it is to see my girls.

Oh, I'm so glad

you're okay, Dad.

Don't scare us

like that again, okay?

I'll do my best.

You're gonna have

to take it easy.

That's not my usual speed.

Yeah,

and look where that got you.

Things are gonna look a little

bit different for everyone.

I promise I'll do

what needs to be done.

It means we're gonna

have to close the diner,

at least temporarily.

Temporarily?

Oh, gosh.

There's so much to do.

Okay, this is a folder

from the hospital.

It's going to outline

every step of the process.

There's so many steps.

I have to get the house ready.

I have to pick up his meds.

Oh, I've got to find him

a physical therapist ASAP.

Step one - breathe.

Step two -

and I know this is going

to be difficult for you -

you need to get some rest.

All right?

The next couple of days

are going to require

a lot of energy,

and you're not gonna do Marty

any good if you're wiped out.

I'll try.

I'm going to help you get

everything in order.

Thank you.

Hey, where's Daphne?

Upstairs.

Can I interest you

in some chamomile tea?

Yeah, that'd be lovely.

So, I take it that last drop

took you to a life you

really didn't want to leave.

How'd you know?

It took me forever

to wake you up from it.

Where did you go?

To Rory,

if we'd never broken up,

if he'd never gone to Duke.

And how was it?

Well, at first,

it seemed perfect.

But then?

I could see that he wasn't

pursuing his dreams,

and I feel like

I took that from him.

His choices are his choices,

even in the other realities.

Are all of these possibilities,

do they come with trade-offs?

Like you can have this,

but you can't have that?

Oh, honey that's

not the drops; that's life.

I have one drop left.

Should I use it?

Choose one of those other paths?

I can't tell you what to do.

But remember, if you choose

to take the last drop,

that becomes

your permanent reality.

There are no more lemon drops.

Is it bad to choose

a path that's good for me,

but maybe not

the best for someone else?

How do you mean?

I mean just seeing

my life with Rory,

seeing the love that we had,

I mean, it wasn't perfect,

but it felt good to

have love like that.

I really missed him.

Well, that sounds like something

you should say to Rory.

I mean,

so much has changed, right?

We're different people now.

What if he doesn't

feel the same?

I mean, with a lemon drop,

it's guaranteed love,

it's guaranteed family.

How can I pass that up?

You have some

thinking to do, Lolly,

and a very important

decision to make.

What do you think of the name?

- Oh, my gosh! I love it!

- I have to admit,

Rory came up with it.

This is definitely

taking things to the next level.

I have a lot of fun

doing it and, you know,

got a lot of free time

while The Eatery's closed.

How long do you

think it'll be closed?

I don't know.

I keep racking my brain,

trying to figure out

how Daphne and I

can save this place

for Dad and I just...

I think I'm gonna

have to let it go.

I happen to have a friend

who's a commercial

real estate agent.

You can get an appraisal for

the property,

if you're interested.

Yeah. Yeah.

- Thanks.

- Okay.

Perfect.

Yeah, peach lilac,

definitely my favorite.

Well, I think that's your sixth.

That's seventh,

but who's counting?

I'll make you some more, okay?

No, please don't. You have too

much on your plate right now.

- I don't need any more.

- Are you kidding me?

It's the least I can do.

This has been such a huge help.

What's that?

That is the cabin

that I'm closing on

in the Boundary Waters.

My realtor keeps sending me

these random photos

just to make sure

that I don't back out.

Don't you dare.

It's beautiful.

You've always wanted

a house up there.

Aww.

Sam's going to love it.

I mean, it's...

it's definitely our happy place.

I can't wait

to get her up there.

I just need to get it dialed in

before she comes

back from Europe.

When's that?

Three weeks.

So, I'll go up at

the end of the month

and then stay until

the hockey season starts.

That's really soon.

Time has a way of

flying by up here.

So, we were looking, uh,

next for a physical therapist.

Right. So, I compiled a list of

all the physical therapists

that are under your insurance,

and I think you have

a couple of good options here.

Wait.

Is there anyone named Ramona?

Ramona. Um...

I don't know.

Oh. Yes.

Let's go with her.

I have a gut feeling.

Okay, we will go with Ramona.

Ramona.

How are you feeling, Dad?

Well, half of me feels like

the other half isn't

pulling his own weight.

Look at that.

Blanchard dark sense of humor

is still intact, I see.

Got me through the food in the

hospital and the rehab clinic.

I can't wait

to get into the kitchen

and cook up some real meals.

You know, the...

the kitchen's been closed

for two weeks now, Dad.

Which is longer than The Eatery

has ever been closed before.

And you have

a very long road of recovery

and physical therapy

ahead of you,

and we don't have the finances

to bring on another cook.

Look, I know you don't

want to hear this.

No, I don't.

But I already know

what you're gonna say...

...and you're right.

I've been

fighting it a long time.

I can't believe

I lost Irene's legacy.

Hey, no, Dad.

You didn't lose it.

You just need something

different now.

Mom would understand,

I'm sure of it.

How can you be so sure?

Mom was a wise woman.

She wouldn't want you

k*lling yourself to

keep it open just for her.

I mean, would you want her

to keep the diner

open just for you?

No.

I'd want her to be happy.

Okay.

We can let it go.

Okay, Dad.

And you know what?

We're gonna throw a huge

celebration for you and Mom -

champagne, cook up all that cod,

invite all your friends.

What do you think?

I'd like that.

I don't know what I'm gonna do

with all that free time, though.

Oh, I'll get it.

First, you're going

to have physical therapy.

- Oh...

- Just give it a chance.

You know, you might end up

liking it more than you think.

I tried it in the hospital,

I tried it in the rehab center.

Everyone, this is Ramona.

Which means you must be Martin.

Uh, Marty.

People call me Marty.

Very nice to meet you, Marty.

Are you ready to get started?

Looking forward to it.

So, what do you think?

You going to make it permanent?

I don't know. Adopting a dog

is like a pretty big decision.

It does feel kind of

meant to be, doesn't it?

Your parents had a hunch.

I don't want to give them the

satisfaction of knowing that,

but yes, they knew

exactly what it would take

to get me out of my shell.

It's gonna be weird not having

you at the farewell party.

Yeah, I know.

I wish I could be there.

So, what time you

hitting the road?

8 a.m. I wanna get up there

while it's still light.

Figure it's

first day in the cabin,

should probably

put a line in the water.

Well, catch

a big ol' walleye for me.

I'm gonna miss you.

Yeah,

I'm going to miss you, too.

Being back here in Lakeville

has been very meaningful to me,

and that has to do almost

entirely because of you.

I just wish...

I wish you could come with me.

Yeah. I-I do, too.

But I can't,

and it's not

because I'm too scared. I...

The timing isn't right.

Well, what if

we make the timing right?

Doesn't it

feel like the universe

has kind of brought us

back together again?

Don't you want to see how

that's going to turn out?

I could see a future

with us together.

But...

like you said, you have

to be there for Samantha.

She needs your

full attention right now.

Plus, I gotta get

my business going

and help Dad

get back on his feet.

This is for the best.

This kind of feels like

dj vu doesn't it?

Except... we're making

a mature decision.

Right.

Okay.

Come on, buddy.

Hey, Rory.

Yeah?

Don't be a stranger, okay?

I won't.

Come on.

Gotta go.

It's good to see you.

This is for you, Lolly.

- Thank you, honey.

- You're welcome.

- Hey.

- Anyone else?

How are you?

Can I pour some

for you over here?

Did you get one? Okay, good.

There's more pie on the counter.

Speech. Speech.

Yeah, say something! Come on.

Well, thank you everyone

for being here with us

to celebrate The Eatery.

60 years ago, our grandparents

started this restaurant.

They came here

as immigrants with the hope

that they could bring people

together over good food,

and I think they succeeded.

Here, here!

We've had a lot of

really special moments

and good memories,

and I think that is the true

legacy of The Eatery.

So, let's raise our glass

to The Eatery and all that she's

done for us over the years.

Cheers!

Hey, you okay?

Yeah. Uh...

I just got some news,

and I don't exactly

know what to do.

Good news?

I was accepted into that yoga

instructor academy in Bali.

They just sent me

the registration.

It starts in October.

Wow! Congratulations!

Yeah.

Maybe I should decline.

- What? Why?

- Well, you know,

things are so different now

than when I first applied.

You know, with Dad's situation,

you're going to

need some help, right?

You should go.

You hated the idea.

I hate the idea of you

being so far away.

But it's your dream,

and take it from someone

who knows a thing or two

about putting your dreams

on the back burner,

and I'm telling you,

it's not worth it.

And what about Dad?

I think Dad's

going to be just fine.

Oh, is he flirting?

I sure hope so.

You sure you're

going to be okay?

Promise. Go...

find your bliss.

Find my bliss?

Ask Aunt Gert, she'll explain.

"Find my bliss"? Okay.

I'm really proud of you, Lolly.

You know,

it's a really scary thing

for anyone to

shift their career,

but if anyone can do it,

I know it's you.

I really do think Lolly's Pops

is the answer for me.

It fulfills everything

that I wanted from Toast

and everything my grandparents

wanted from The Eatery,

which is just to make

people happy through food.

Hey, girl.

It's from Rory.

Well? Open it.

Ooh. Intriguing.

Rory "Lolly, I saw this

and I thought of you.

"You have always made the best

of every situation you're in,

"and I admire you more

than you could know.

"I wish you the best

and so much more.

"Love always, Rory."

Aww...

Excuse me, ladies.

Well, I'm gonna read the note.

Yeah, obviously.

Rory gave this to me.

It's beautiful.

This is my fourth lemon drop.

It's the only reality I want.

I don't need another one.

I mean,

I love the idea of Toast,

but not at the expense

of my relationships.

And as much as I know we would

love Mom to be here still...

I know she wouldn't want it

if it meant that we lost Dad.

I agree.

And Rory?

As tempting as that life was,

it'd be selfish of me to take

away his life's passion.

That's not real love.

Well, I can't say I'm surprised.

I didn't use the last drop.

Well, your mother

refused to even try them.

My Mom knew about the drops?

She was with me

the night I got them.

The four you had were hers.

She gave them back to

me because she said

this is the only life

she ever wanted,

with all its

perfect imperfections.

So, I held on to the drops,

in case either of you girls

should ever need them.

Daphne seemed to have a grip on

where she was headed but you,

my dear,

took after your Aunt Gert.

Thank you for helping me see.

You're not done yet.

What do you mean?

Your father's on his path.

Daphne's about to

embark on hers.

You know what you don't want.

Now, it's time for you...

to find your bliss.

Calling up late night and

asking if I'm all alone

We're not going

to throw the ball.

We're going fishing.

We're just going fishing today.

We're not going throw the ball.

All right, I'll tell you what.

You want to go?

There we go.

That should take a while.

I feel like I'm driving on

ice, no control...

Hey, stranger.

And I just

can't seem to leave

You're... you're here.

I am.

You're not a hologram.

I'm not a hologram,

and I don't have to take a nap.

Never going to

live that down, am I?

How did you find me?

I asked your parents.

- Okay.

- Wow, you weren't kidding.

This is incredible.

Yeah. Um...

I've got to say,

I am a little confused

because I thought

that we were maybe

taking this time

to focus on our own lives.

No, that hasn't changed.

And I know Sam's

gonna be here soon

and she is still your priority.

But I did just drive

seven hours to tell you this,

so let me just say

what I'm gonna say

and then I'll hit the road.

I've been doing

a lot of, um, thinking

about what I want

my life to look like,

and amongst a lot

of different possibilities,

one thing I am sure of

is I want you in it.

Okay.

All of you -

your kindness, your generosity,

and even your forgetfulness.

Wow.

I love you, Rory.

And you're worth the wait.

So, when you're ready, I would

like to give us a chance,

if that's something

that you also...

I never imagined

I'd feel something this close

To burning inside,

maybe we'd be

Is that a yes?

Yeah.

Good together

If you don't,

I won't give in

Maybe we'd be...

- Kirby!

- Good together



Treaded in words are you

Drowning in all of your

Perfect attention and I...