02x04 - Truly Madly Deeply

[bunniefuu]

April: Previously on Chasing Life...

Will you marry me?

You can always think about it some more.

Mom.

Fine. I am totally supportive of you and your whirlwind marriage.

We're gonna have to make another sacrifice.

You're making me leave Charton?

I can't really say no to April these days.

(Cell phone buzzes)

And there's the person I can't say no to.

Who's that?

My ex.

We have a match.

Finally.

I found dad's unpublished manuscript.

Our dad... Is the worst.

Is that dad's book?

Yeah.

April's voice: Our nation's president wasn't the only man partaking in some nefarious activities.

I hope they impeach him.

Now, Rose, that is no way to talk about our president.

April's voice: I can't imagine what she'd think of me if she knew the truth.

Trying to make up for the fact that you're going to be gone on your fishing trip for so long?

April's voice: Precisely.

Of course not.

Remind me again why you're going to be gone for two whole weeks?

April's voice: I drew a blank on the excuse I'd told this time.

With so many lies, it was harder to keep track of the reality.

I had three jobs: Keeping my obligation down south compliant, making sure my family in Rhode Island remained oblivious, and...

Hey, Carson, turn on the TV!

(g*nsh*t)

(Grunts)

Nancy, Rose, Ellen, stay down!

Whatever you do, don't get up.

Dad, what's going on?

(Cocks g*n)

So, what do you think?

Well, from what I've read so far, it is a book about man with two families, because he's a spy fighting communists at the tail end of the cold w*r.

Both families are just like us.

April, there are parts of this book that are ripped directly from my childhood, like when the character goes to visit his "obligation down south," he brings her an old record...

Exactly as he used to do for me.

Timothy Carson is our dad.

Okay, okay, maybe there are some similarities, but... last time I checked, nobody got sh*t in my house.

And the first line of the book is "this is a story about how I lived my life and planned my death."

Dad d*ed in a car accident. How does Timothy Carson die?

The book stops mid-sentence. It's not finished.

Natalie, maybe you're misunderstanding some of...

So now you're questioning my reading comprehension?

No.

I just think that you might be trying to turn this into something that it isn't.

There's no way our dad is this character. It's just fiction.

We all suffered from dad's lie, and you definitely got the worst of it, but I think he was just trying his best to make everyone happy.

Okay, yeah, that's what I thought...

Before this book.

But now that I've read it, I've learned all the manipulative stuff he had to do to try to cover his tracks for two decades...

The secret credit cards, the paying off both families with money and gifts to make sure we stayed oblivious.

Just... keep reading.

(Theme music playing)

♪ you bet your soul, honey ♪
♪ you bet your soul ♪
♪ just right ♪
♪ you could stay all night and never wanna go home ♪
♪ 'cause we can't stop ♪
♪ we won't stop. ♪

April: So, you'll start at the altar, then the bridesmaids will come down with the groomsmen, and then I'll come down.

Wait. Who... who's walking you down the aisle?

Oh. I don't know. Maybe my mom...

Or Uncle George.

Let's sidebar that.

I get there, and then the awakening passage is read.

Okay, we can't have a reading from that book at our wedding.

Kate Chopin’s words are beautiful "The voice of the sea speaks to the soul"?

Yeah, well, her main character ends up k*lling herself in that scene. No way.

Okay, well, we can't have Savage Garden lyrics read at our wedding either.

What do you have against Savage Garden?

You're trying to be ironic, and irony doesn't work with a traditional wedding ceremony.

Okay, we have a problem, because I don't want this thing to be a snoozefest.

The ceremony's gotta be... (Snaps fingers)

Short and sweet. -My vows aren't even gonna be short and sweet.

We're writing our own vows?

(Door closes)

Are you...

Hey, guys.

Everything okay? - Mm-hmm.

I don't know! Why don't you ask Mr. Chica Cherry Cola over here.

Okay, I am sorry that Savage Garden was the seminal band of my youth.

Clearly you guys are under a lot of wedding stress.

You're curating the ceremony, arranging the seating charts, not to mention figuring out what you're gonna wear.

Hey, at least I got my tux already.

She still doesn't have a dress.

Oh my god!

(Whispers) You don't.

Whenever I have an engaged couple come in to see me...

Mom, it's okay. You don't have to shrink us.

No, no, I'm just... I wanna provide you guys with some tools to help you communicate better.

It's important to learn how to deal with the smaller issues before the bigger ones come along.

That way you're prepared.

There's a questionnaire that was created by some psychologists to help gain a better understanding of your partner.

It's called "the experimental generation of interpersonal closeness."

You two haven't been together that long.

I'm sure there's some things you could still learn about one another.

(Chuckles)

(Both laughing)

But now I have so many options, I could wear practically anything.

Yeah, upside to public school.

It's stressing me out.

You will be fine.

Yeah, school is school.

Whatever.

I'm glad that we're having fun tonight, though.

Me too.

Margo! What a coincidence!

Juliet, what are you doing here?

(Sighs) I am pub hopping.

Alone?

Well, who else am I gonna go with since we broke up?

Wait, this is your ex?

Brenna, meet Juliet.

You... have such a youthful glow.

No bags under your eyes. La Mer?

Estee Lauder? La Prairie?

Um, Aveeno, I think.

Juliet is thirsty. Garcon?

Juliet has had enough. I am going to take her drunk ass home.

But it's a cute drunk ass, right?

(Chuckles nervously)

Are we still on for that Nicole Holofcener movie marathon at the Brattle?

Ooh.

Good. I promise it will be less distracting.

Okay, you're good. Yes.

Mmm. Mmm!

The best fries.

Yeah. Come on.

April's voice: As the weeks went by, so did the grieving for grandma Ida. The Narragansett sun peeked through the blinds, casting an apricot glow around the room as I got ready for my next trip.

Hey, sweetie.

April's voice: As I went to hide my .45, I remembered... That secret was out.

Why are you bringing a Hollies record with you on your trip?

A secretary at Langley likes British rock from the '60s, so I thought it'd be nice. (Chuckles)

April's voice: The record was for Lisa, her half-sister she doesn't know about. It was a material object to make her feel loved. Perhaps fretting over my fabrications was the least of my problems, since everyone around me was just so easy to deceive.

So, dad...

Ever since we found out about you being in the C.I.A., I told you, honey, the family's safe.

What happened the other day was just an isolated thing. It just...

No, it's not about that.

A C.I.A. agent is incredibly noble work, especially in today's world, and I want to do it.

I wanna follow in your footsteps and become a spy.

I've even done some research.

April's voice: I couldn't believe my daughter's audacity. Had I inflated her id so tremendously, she thought she had what it took to be me?

Rose... I just don't think you have it in you to do the job that I do, sweetie.

April's voice: Rose's despair was palpable. Maybe I was too harsh.

There are other jobs within the organization that you might be right for, perhaps an analyst.

It's a desk job, but you'd get to use that bright brain of yours.

April's voice: I could see the wheels in Rose's head beginning to turn, like a train leaving the station, bye, sweetie.

April's voice: It was obvious, in that moment, Rose was imagining her life as a C.I.A. Analyst. Not her dream, but a job.

Oh.

Now you see what I'm dealing with?

You know what they say about a guy with a giant pet snake?

He's a loser.

Oh, well, they're all losers.

Who are all losers?

Oh, the men I've met on this dating app.

The other night I had a date with a guy who was a Paul Revere living statue.

He came straight from work. Think about that.

Are you sure it's not a big deal that Graham's coming to the wedding?

What? No! (Laughs)

I know you said you're okay that Dominic's bringing Mrs. plus-one, but...

Hey, I am totally fine with it, okay?

That being said, it wouldn't hurt to have a hot guy...

Preferably one who's not a serial k*ller...

On my arm to show that warby-Parker bespectacled pescatarian that I have moved on.

Sara: I knew there was a reason I saved this all these years!

Okay, so, we were thinking that since you're still dress-less, maybe you could wear this.

Beth said she might be able to do some alterations.

And...

Oh Gah... I had no idea.

Wow. Oh. Mom, it's...

Wow. Wow.

Not too dated, right?

That dress is the worst thing I have ever seen, and you were a c-section. - I'm officially in panic mode.

Well, there's still my dress.

Mom, if my dress from the '80s isn't gonna work, I hardly think yours is any better.

Hey, hey, hey, wait, wait, wait.

I'm sure that I can work my magic...

Yeah.

And turn it into something a little... less retro.

Let me help you down the stairs, because death by this dress...

Okay.

Would be tragic on so many levels.

So, I'm guessing you don't want the matching hat.

(Laughs) Wait, mom.

I know we've already sent out the invitations, but I realized we didn't invite any of dad's old friends.

Do you think he'd want any of them at the wedding?

Hmm. Neil, his roommate at Hampshire.

I guess I could dig up his address somewhere.

Or, like, Edwin Shaw.

I haven't heard that name in a long time.

I have no idea where he is.

It's like he fell off the face of the planet.

I even tried to get in touch with him about your dad's funeral. I never heard back.

It's a real shame.

Edwin D. Shaw.

So, you want to tackle this questionnaire?

What if we went away to answer the questions?

A change of scenery might be nice.

Well, I do love hotels, and all the things that you can do in those hotels.

(Chuckles) I mean sex.

Oh. (Chuckles)

Well, I've always wanted to stay at the Federal in Providence.

Well, looks like we're going to get intimate at the Federal.

Hmm! You mean sex? - Mm-hmm. Mmm.

Are you the girl that just transferred from Charton?

Umm, yeah.

I can't even... That is beyond amazing.

I'm obsessed with private school culture.

Guys wearing ties to school, it's so hot.

I'm Sydney.

The sick kid? His name's Finn.

He has cancer and only one leg.

Isn't that like the saddest thing ever?

He's only here part-time, because he's still so sick, and I hear that he has to wear that face mask at all times, which I'm so confused by. I mean, they didn't wear masks in "The Fault in our Stars".

Right.

So I have a Harper's Bazaar.

I subscribe. Do you want to sit together and go through it with me?

Cut out some stuff for our vision board?

No thanks.

(Cell phone clicking)

(Cell phone buzzes)

How long have we been doing this?

Shh! It's been like one minute.

That's it? I thought we were just supposed to be answering questions.

Well, they also suggest keeping eye contact for four minutes to improve intimacy. I don't know. It's weird.

Let's just do the questions.

Oh, thank god.

Okay, let's see. Um...

"Do you have a secret hunch about how you will die?"

Really? Wow. Well, this is gonna be...

A bit of a stretch, so bear with me here.

Okay.

Cancer.

All right, your turn.

(Both clear throat)

"Would you like to be famous? In what way?"

Excuse me, I already am famous, okay?

I seized on local television.

I was a widely tweeted gif. I trended nationwide.

You know, it's a miracle I am still so humble.

(Clears throat)

(Laughs)

Maybe we should take this a little more seriously.

Okay.

Okay.

"What is your most terrible memory?"

And it can't be cancer-related.

Ooh, game changer.

I like that. Let me think about it.

Okay, there was this one time at Exeter, I missed curfew, and the Dean made me clean the junior boys' bathroom.

Yeah.

That's your most terrible memory?

16-year-old boys are disgusting.

Do you want to know the amount of raw...

No no, no no.

Let's move on. - Mm-hmm.

Here you go.

Okay.

Let's see here. (Clears throat)

"Is there something you've dreamed of doing for a long time?

"Why haven't you done it?"

I've dreamed of having sex with my fiancee ever since we got off I-95.

And why haven't you done it?

I have no idea.

Oh my god.

April: So many pillows!

(Leo laughs)

(April laughs) No...

Hoo!

(Laughs)

That was a much better use of four minutes.

Four?

Mm-hmm.

Rude! That was at least five.

(Clears throat) Mwah!

(Sighs)

So, any other questions?

Can we get back to that later?

Mm-hmm.

I really want to check out the Mike Kelley exhibit at the Risd Museum for a bit.

I know you don't like seeing stuffed animals as art, so...

Yuck. Have fun. I think I'm gonna get a burger at Harry's.

I went there a lot when I did my pre-college program at Brown.

And, yes...

What?

I did a pre-college program at Brown.

Okay. I'm gonna get ready.

Oh! Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

Excuse me. Mr. Shaw?

You are three minutes late.

I hate latecomers. Take a seat.

I'm sorry. I'm... Isabelle, and I wanted to ask you a few quick questions about your process.

Well, the seminar's about to begin and I don't offer one-on-one time.

But for you, I could make an exception.

Hotel bar, say, seven o'clock?

Great.

(Chuckles)

Thank you.

Yes. You're not staying?

Hello, hello, everyone, and welcome.

(Clears throat) And now to begin, I would like to talk about E.M. Forster whose famous words were "only connect."

That's what we do as writers, we connect.

And how do we do that? By sharing secrets.

We open our veins and let the blood pour onto the page.

Sara? Is that you?

Oh my gosh!

Billy Conti! God!

(Laughs)

Van Buren High School. How are you?

Oh! My god.

What has it been, 30 years?

No, don't... don't remind me.

Nobody calls me Billy. William. I haven't been called Billy since...

I came out in college.

You're gay.

Very.

I probably should've known.

I thought you knew.

Well, we went to, what, five ABBA concerts.

I love ABBA.

I know.

So, tell me... What's going on with you?

I'm the head creative director at my graphic design firm.

My son graduated from Northwestern in June.

I just got back from a safari in South Africa.

So, how about... How about you?

Things are wonderful. Really.

My older daughter is getting married in a few weeks to Leo Hendrie, Bruce's son.

Wow.

And my younger daughter just finished her first short film.

That's great you... mmm! You have it all figured out.

It's so great to see you.

I'm sorry. (Chuckles)

I... I don't want to lie to you, but my older daughter is getting married, but it's only because she has leukemia, and my younger daughter, I just had to put her into public school, because I just had to concede that I cannot afford private.

Oh, and my husband d*ed, and I found out, crazily enough, after he passed away that he has a secret family living down in Florida.

You know what? Sorry to have unloaded that on you, Billy...

William.

No, no, no, no. That's... that's...

Wow. (Clears throat) I may have exaggerated...

A bit. I... I just went on safari, because my divorce was recently finalized.

My husband left me for a 20-year-old twink.

You know?

Oh.

(Chuckles)

So...

I know.

I suppose life can be a bitch, huh?

Yeah.

Well, especially when that bitch is a hairless young man named Tristan who was born in the 1990s.

Oh no.

Yeah. (Laughs)

(Laughs)

(Mutters)

Well, can we catch up some more?

Yes, yes! Yes!

What are you doing tonight?

Oh! Actually, tonight, my gay men's running club is having a meet-up here, but you should come. No, no, you should come, you should come.

It's so much more fun... than it sounds.

Every get-together ends in an ABBA sing-along.

Really?

Yes.

Okay. Well, some things never change.

No. Let's exchange...

Yeah, yeah, okay.

Yeah. Here, I've got...

Do you... Do you bump?

Uh, let's see.

Here.

No.

No, you don't bump. Okay.

(Lock beeping)

Hey! How... How was your burger?

Awesome.

But you know, what wasn't awesome was going to the Risd Museum to find you, and you weren't there.

Where were you?

Can we just go inside first? Do you have your card?

Okay. Natalie found this unpublished manuscript that our dad wrote, and it's basically a thinly veiled fictional version of our family.

At first I thought she was crazy, but then I read it, and there are actual moments from my life dramatized in it.

What does this have to do with you not being at the museum?

Well, the friend who was giving my dad notes on the manuscript is teaching a seminar here, and I thought I could ask him a couple of questions.

But when I went to talk to him, I couldn't get any face time, so I have to meet him at the hotel bar later.

Okay, so our trip to Providence is actually about you trying to track down one of your dad's old friends?

Look, this book... There is a part that is exactly like the time that I told my dad I wanted to be a novelist just like he was, and instead he suggested I go into journalism.

You think your dad's old friend can tell you... ?

I don't know. With the wedding coming up, I've been thinking a lot about my dad lately, and reading this book has been really eye-opening.

The narrator is this narcissistic anti-hero, but he's also a lot like my dad, so now I'm like, was my dad this bad in real life as this narrator is?

And if that one scene was ripped directly from my life, is everything else in the book true?

Did my dad plan his own death? Was he a spy?

I have no idea!

I'm sorry.

Why didn't you just tell me that?

We're getting married. We're supposed to be able to talk to each other.

I didn't want to burden you with my crazy family stuff.

But your family stuff is gonna be my family stuff.

And while I might not understand everything about marriage, I think you're supposed to be able to tell anything to your spouse, which is obviously...

Something that we're not good at, because...

I mean, come on, us trying to...

(Elevator dings)

Take that questionnaire seriously was a disaster.

Okay, you can't just blame me for that, though.

You couldn't even answer what your greatest dream is.

I thought we were a couple who shares.

(Shouts) Like you...

Like you honestly shared with me your most terrible memory?

Hey, I told you exactly...

Oh, please, I don't believe that.

There has to be something...

Okay, fine! You want to know what my most terrible memory is?

It's the time I got super drunk and slept with my best friend's girlfriend.

Happy?

Where are you going?

Last time I checked, we don't have to tell each other everything.

To alter it, but it's just too... nice.

It was very trendy in the '80s, but I guess you had to be there.

Don't even get me started on the shoulder pads.

I mean, what kind of a psychopath thought that that was a good idea?

I'm sorry my dress made you so angry.

It's not just about the dress. I mean...

Just... I'm never gonna find a date to April's wedding.

Oh. Well, if it's any consolation, I'm going solo to the wedding, too.

I'm so tired of all these awful dates with all these awful men!

That's it. I give up.

Or maybe you just need a night off from being on.

I'm heading over to the Charles in a little bit.

I ran into an old friend. He invited me to...

I'm over guys.

No, no, he's gay.

They're all gay. It's a gay men's running club meet-up.

Well, I am somewhat of a gay icon.

Okay. Yeah, let's do it.

(Gasps) High five for us not having to shave our legs.

(Laughs)

Yes. Great. Oh my god!

(Women laughing)

I wanna be Catherine Keener when I grow up.

Oh man, totally.

She is the best actress in the world, and so amazing in all of Nicole's movies.

It's like she's her muse.

Every good artist needs one.

So, how was Juliet?

She's a drama queen, but let's not talk about her.

Tonight is about you and me.

And again, I am sorry we couldn't go back to my place.

My lazy landlord is finally fumigating.

It's okay. I just hope that my mom doesn't come home.

Or actually, maybe I kind of do.

Me on a date with a 23-year-old would so freak her out, and I'm kind of in the mood to freak her out.

(Knocks on door)

(Gasps) Oh my god.

What if that's my mom? What if she left her keys?

Hide!

I thought you didn't care.

Brenna, sweetie, hi.

Uh...

Really, Juliet?

How did you know that Margo... ?

We still follow each other on Place My Pals, obviously.

And Gertrude wanted to see her mommy. So can we come in?

Look at this place, huh? Hi.

Mr. Shaw?

Ah. Isabelle, yes?

Um, scotch for the lady, please. I hope that's okay.

Yeah. Mmm, scotch.

(Sighs)

So, the assignment that you gave to us in the seminar this afternoon, I found it so interesting...

Writing a story, any genre, about losing your keys.

(Chuckles)

I loved it.

And I can't wait to read it.

I have to admit... I'm starstruck.

I'm so fascinated by your entire history...

Growing up on a farm in Maine, paying your way through college at Bates, and, as an aspiring writer myself, how you held workshops with your other writer friends to help edit each other.

Ah yes, our very own Bloomsbury group.

(Scoffs) Those were the good old days...

Before ego and book sales intruded upon the fun.

What impressive company, I mean, you and Thomas Carver.

(Sighs)

Not to speak ill of the dead, but Thomas Carver?

(Laughs) What an ass.

I thought you two were good friends.

Oh, well, once upon a time.

Thomas and I had edited all of each other's writing since we first met at the Tam in the '80s...

When we were both starting our careers.

Yes, we were best friends. (Humphs)

But the guy was shady.

Get this. Thomas had two families...

A legitimate one in Boston, a secret one in Florida his wife didn't even know about.

Huh? And it gets worse.

The year before he d*ed, he went full-on Hemingway.

Thomas Carver?

Yes!

I didn't see much of him, thank god, but when I did, he was blowing money, drinking, painkillers.

The guy had demons even I find dark.

I'm sorry. Just excuse me for one second.

No. Yes, of course. Take your time.

(Breathing heavily)

(Laughing, chattering)

♪ Like a punch in the face ♪
♪ my head was spinning ♪

Hey. How you doing?

It's terrible.

And now I just... I feel so sick.

I don't know what's worse... The clinical trial or finding out that my dad was a jerk.

I'm sorry.

Everything I thought I knew about him is fake.

I hate him.

I could care less about his book or whatever else he did.

I just... I'm sorry, I should've told you.

♪ Running, running away ♪

I have an idea.

♪ Start running, running away ♪

(Festive music playing)

(People whooping)

Ready to get your wedding reception on?

I don't think we were invited.

No, of course not.

But I figured, after what happened earlier, it might be nice to get back to our origins, have one of our adventures.

What do you say?

(Chuckles)

(Texas accent) Howdy, y'all. We're just a couple of old college friends from Dallas.

(Clicks tongue)

(Laughs)

How do you know the bride, y'all?

(Gasps) Umm...

Not bad, huh?

Sara knows her stuff.

Wha-oh!

(Cheering)

(Canadian accent) Oh yeah, no, I'm a cousin from Calgary.

Did you tell him the story about the moose?

Oh yes, all... All "aboot" it.

Mm-hmm. - I'm not Canadian.

Try the Melopita.

Is that good?

Yeah.

Yeah?

It's so good.

(Man speaks Greek)

Here, take this.

(Cheering)

Cheers.

(Pop music playing)

So, the Farrah Fawcett poster in your room, that wasn't because you thought she was hot?

Oh god! No, no, I just loved her feathered hair.

It was so chic.

(Laughs)

You really were, probably, one of the best boyfriends I ever had.

No, you were very respectful.

That's because... No offense...

I was never interested in all that, you know, stuff.

Okay!

I mean...

Wow. It's so good to get out of the house.

The past few months have just been...

Well, I... I already told you.

(Chuckles)

You know what, though?

I can't help but imagine that it's only going to get harder.

One daughter getting married and leaving home, and then the other one graduating from high school and...

Even my 75-year-old mother has a boyfriend, and that bridge club.

Emma? Worship her.

You know what? I went through a similar thing when my son went to college. It was as if...

I was entering a whole new phase of my life where my kid wasn't the center of my every breath.

I was... I felt lost.

Fortunately, my neighbor, Robert, introduced me to the running club.

Now, I have a life that's not just about being a dad.

It's weird, but it's also... It's gratifying.

To getting there.

(Clinks)

"We always knew you two would tie the knot, even if it took Nick so long to propose."

Oh, Nick and your commitment issues.

And now, I'd like to call up the bride to dance with her father.

(Cheering)

Are you okay?

I... hate that I'm sad that my dad won't be at my wedding, that... he won't walk me down the aisle, and... I'll never have a father-daughter dance.

(Sighs) Mostly I hate that even after everything that I found out about him, I still love him.

Leo: Well, that's... Because he'll always be your dad.

It was better not to know everything.

(Crying)

Well, you should know as much as you want.

But when it comes to the two of us, it's different.

We should get to know everything about each other.

I've done some crappy things in my life, like sleeping with my best friend's girlfriend, which I might've only done because I thought I was gonna die, but I still did it. That's a part of who I am.

I want you to know all that stuff, the good and the bad.

I want that, too. I do.

It's just so hard to be open about everything when I'm just finding out about my dad's lies.

I get that.

Maybe I need to come to terms with who he really was, and I'm... I'm letting him hold me back from living my life, and that's no way to live.

(Pop music playing)

Okay, first off, you're wrong I'm telling you, I'm not. I studied abroad in Melbourne for six months.

Really? 'Cause I was born there.

Race you to find out the answer?

Okay, fine. (Laughs)

Yes, got it first!

But... oh, damn it, you're right.

The official flower of Australia is the Golden Wattle.

Who knew?

I did.

You know, you're a bad Aussie.

Well, you're kind of a loser for having known that in the first place.

That's something you should know.

Hey. Beth, you having fun?

Best night in a while, actually.

Any chance that means you might join the running club?

Oh, William, while I often wish it were the case, I am not a gay man. - You don't have to be gay to be in the club.

My son Gabe's not. - Hm-mmm.

Gabe's your son?

You're not gay.

(Both laugh)

I know. Bummer.

I... I just assumed...

Okay.

The ABBA sing-along is starting soon.

Okay.

Come on.

You've gotta do this. It's so much fun.

Come on, come on. Come on, come on.

Okay.

♪ Now it's time to go ♪
♪ oh, realize your dream ♪

Come on, baby.

Come on.

♪ How to live your life for real ♪

Juliet: You've changed.

Margo: Yeah, I've grown.

Yeah, you've also abandoned your responsibilities.

Gertrude is depressed and you don't even care.

Look at her.

She's just a dog.

"She's just a dog"?

Yeah.

Have you gone insane? It's like you've had a brain transplant.

I don't even know you anymore. I need some tea.

Can I get some tea in this house, please?

My mom usually keeps it in here.

Your mom? Does she live here, too?

Yeah.

How old are you?

How old are you?

Brenna is 17.

What?

You're dating a 17-year-old?

Is this real life? What's next? Are you gonna get a white van, sicko?

Yeah.

No wonder you always come home so giddy after you advise at that private school.

Wait. You go home to her?

Well, of course.

We still live together.

So, you're not fumigating.

No, but I'm looking for a new apartment, I swear.

It's just that Gertrude is still my dog.

Didn't you say that it's better to be with someone your own age?

What's up with you dating a 40-year-old?

Okay. You can't help who you fall in love with, and unlike you, I am actually legal.

(Scoffs)

Look, Brenna... Juliet is still my best friend, and I still care about her. I will always care about her.

Thank you, Margo.

That actually means a lot. I...

You're my best friend, too.

Margo, it's over.

You guys need to get out of my house, right now.

Gertrude, let's go. (Claps)

(Gertrude whines)

Yes, may I help you?

I'm April Carver, Thomas's daughter.

Oh god. (Sighs)

I'm sorry. If I'd known, I would never have attempted to... seduce...

I read the first 200 pages of the book that my dad was writing before he d*ed.

Do you know if he ever finished it?

(Sighs) Well, yes, he did, but I never saw it.

Your father only sent me the first part when we were still talking.

Earlier, you said that he only went crazy a year before he d*ed.

Do you know if anything happened?

No, I don't. don't you recall seeing a... change in him?

No, I was away at college.

Ah.

Well, yes, it... (Laughs) It really was as if a switch was flipped.

He transformed into a different person. Perhaps...

You're lucky you didn't have to see that side of him.

I've read all of my dad's books hundreds of times, but this one...

It's different.

Well, he was writing his manuscript during that period of time.

All I want is to know more. I have so many things I wish I could ask him.

Thomas Carver was many things, some, yes, not so flattering.

Yet one thing he always was, was a great writer.

I took a look at your story after you left and, come to think of it, reading your writing reminded me of editing...

His work.

Yes, you have your father's talent.

It must run in the gene pool, because there's...

Well, there's real promise here.

Remember, go at your own pace.

And if you get tired, just take a break.

Oh, and watch out for bike riders.

They are not our friends.

We're gonna meet at the Arlington entrance to the public garden.

Okay. William.

What?

Thanks. Truly.

Oh! We're gonna have so much fun!

(Giggles)

God, everyone's in such a rush.

Yeah, I know.

It's too early.

Hey, are you guys coming?

Well, I have a confession, and it's shocking, but I absolutely hate running.

It sucks. Running culture makes me so mad.

I only showed up this morning because I thought you'd be here.

I did the same thing.

I'm just a social member of the club.

Can't help but love those ABBA sing-alongs.

Right?

Oh my god, they're the best!

We don't need them.

You're right, we don't.

Enjoy.

Yeah, you guys have fun.

God, they're gonna have the worst time.

(Door closes)

Yeah, why would you wanna run?

I cannot think of anything worse!

It's too early to be running.

(Laughs)

Okay...

Are you ready?

Are you?

Yeah, let's do it. (Clears throat)

"Is there something you've dreamed of doing for a long time?

"Why haven't you done it?"

Mmm. Honestly...

There's only one way to be.

For a long time I dreamed of being a novelist like my dad.

And the reason I didn't do it was because he discouraged me.

You know what? Screw my dad.

I don't need his validation anymore.

I'm gonna write a book.

(Both chuckle)

Hi.

Hey.

I dropped the dress off at Goodwill this morning.

And they took it?

Well, I suppose it'll win someone the uh... tackiest Halloween costume contest prize.

(Gasps) Oh! You look gorgeous!

This is definitely the one.

You see?

It's a good thing I kept my beautiful wedding dress.

F.Y.I., it's not hard to get off.

Oh!

(Both laugh)

I think I still have the veil somewhere.

Let me go find it.

(Laughing)

It doesn't even need that much tailoring.

I mean, it's perfect.

So, how'd the questionnaire go?

Oh. Well, it wasn't easy, but, luckily, Leo and I finally opened up to each other.

Oh, that's great.

Yeah, I wish your father and I had done something like that before we got married.

Things might've gone a little differently.

Mom, I know we all got past dad's one big lie, but do you think that there's any chance he was hiding other things?

Honey, I wonder about that all the time. I have no idea.

The only person who really knew your dad was George.

You know, maybe the real reason I held onto my dress all those years wasn't because I actually thought it was stunning.

I think...

It might've just been that I really liked the memory of the day and what it symbolized, more so than the actual parts of the marriage.

You know, they say that you tend to have the same kind of marriage as your parents, which, April, I...

I hope is not the case with you.

I mean, if there's anything I want you to have learned from us, it's that you should do things differently than we did.

Most importantly, just be honest with one another.

It's not gonna be hard. Leo's a good guy.

That he is.

(Chuckles)

In fact, he's so great, he's been practicing those dance moves you taught him.

Really?

(Both laugh)

Think maybe you can help me figure out how to do that...

Yes.

In this dress, so I'm not completely outshined at my wedding?

Okay.

All right.

All right, is there a way to hold it?

Yeah, that's it.

(Laughs) Cool.

Okay.

Another way?

Oh! Ooh!