s8e15



	Episode 15: "When One Door Closes..." Previously on “The Salingers”: CHARLIE: (To Gwen) Yeah, well. I admit - a few years ago I’d probably have been part of that ninety-nine percent. But… I guess when you find the right person - I don’t know - it makes it easier to do the right thing… because you’re always thinking of them. *** * * * * CLAUDIA: (To Stephan) Shouldn’t we be working ten times as hard anyway? We’re all here to win regardless of the number. I mean, if we do our best, order doesn’t matter, right? * * * * * MARIA: Ever miss… being with someone? You know… like a girlfriend. BAILEY: Oh. Well, sure. I guess… MARIA: You do? Because I was thinking… well, we do spend a lot of time together, and we always seem to have a pretty good time, so...I guess I’m just thinking, why not, you know? BAILEY: Look, it’s kind of hard to explain. It’s just… I’m okay with the way things are right now. It’s sort of a good thing, don’t you think? (Maria looks down, nodding.) Okay, so… so why mess with that? (Maria looks up.) * * * * * JULIA: (To Kirsten)...and I'd never say this to the editors, or even to Griffin - but what I sent out was my best. I mean, I gave it my all. And to get this reaction... God! What more do I have to do? * * * * *** GIRL: Good evening. My name is So-Ock Kim. I will be performing Chaconne from Bach’s D minor Partita. (Taking her violin to her chin, So-Ock begins to play. Claudia opens her eyes widely when she hears the notes lift off the instrument. They find their own rhythm in the air and Claudia reacts to each note as it hits her ears. She is in awe. She listens with an amazed expression. Stephan nudges Claudia in the arm.) STEPHAN: I’d hate to be the one to follow that. CLAUDIA: Yeah, she’s… amazing. (Her expression stiffens as the playing continues.) *** * * * * MRS. MINA: I’m calling today because I’m concerned about Owen. He hasn’t turned in his last few homework assignments. KIRSTEN: Missed assignments? That’s odd. MRS. MINA: Yes, I thought so, too. Owen’s been doing so well and setting such an example, that I was a bit surprised. If it were only that—well, I’ve also noticed he hasn’t been himself in class lately. He’s been a bit… distant… not participating very much. KIRSTEN: (Thinking) Well, um, maybe with the excitement of the holidays and everything, he’s a little distracted. He probably just needs some time to reacclimate himself. * * * * * JULIA: It's another form letter, but it’s weird--there's this handwritten note at the bottom. It's from the editor. She says that she likes my composition and style, and wants to talk to me about a staff writer position they have open. GRIFFIN: Jul, that's great! (She shoots him a look.) Right? JULIA: What does that say about me? I'm not good enough to write stories for them, but they'll let me critique other people's stories? Maybe write an ad or two? I don't know if I want that. (Griffin thinks about it for a moment.) GRIFFIN: Yeah, but Jul... it's still writing. How can that be a bad thing? * * * * * ROLLING FOG OFFICES, EDITOR'S OFFICE. JULIA is sitting in a chair in front of a sprawling mahogany desk. TANIA SWENSON is leaning back in a chair behind the desk. She holds Julia's story in one hand. TANIA: This is a good effort you made here, Julia. JULIA: Oh, so...you liked it? TANIA: Certain parts. Your style, it's a very unique voice. And the way you handled thematic content... it had a natural flow to it. It's very easy to read. That's what we're looking for. JULIA: Okay, um...wow. I can't tell you how good that is to hear, 'cause in your letter... TANIA: I don't want to give you the wrong idea here, Julia. Your story's not exactly right for our magazine, but your writing style's a perfect fit. (Julia looks confused.) JULIA: Alright... TANIA: We're starting a new column in next month's issue. It'll deal with the stories we print. What's good about them, what works, and why. Also, what doesn't work, and why. The “and why” is the pivotal part to the column. We believe that's what our readers want to know about. You know...the inside stuff about what makes a story work and what doesn't. JULIA: But you said my story doesn't work. TANIA: But I see in your writing the ability to explain why. To put it into terms that readers find helpful and, more importantly, captivating. JULIA: Oh. TANIA: So, would you be interested in doing something like that? PO5 Credits** UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA. MARIA exits her classroom to see BAILEY standing outside waiting for him. BAILEY: Hey. I left a couple messages, but I guess you were busy. MARIA: But you came anyway. (Maria begins walking away, and Bailey catches up to her.) BAILEY: So I’m walking by the Fisher Library, and I see this huge “book sale” banner. Want to check it out? MARIA: No, thanks. BAILEY: You sure? ‘Cause I looked, and there were, like, a ton of those old hardcovers…the ones you like. I saw some old Shakespeare book for like a quarter. MARIA: Didn’t you hear me say no thanks? BAILEY: Okay, then… how about grabbing a bite? Have you had lunch? (Maria stops walking.) MARIA: Lunch. BAILEY: This meal people eat between breakfast and dinner. (He smiles, trying to break the awkwardness.) MARIA: And then what? BAILEY: (Shaking his head) I don’t— And then what what? MARIA: After lunch. Then what? Back to my place to fool around? BAILEY: What? MARIA: Or maybe your place, if Cole’s not around. BAILEY: Maria, what are you—? MARIA: Or better yet – why don’t we just throw a blanket down and do it here on the grass? Then you wouldn’t have to worry about feeding me first. (Maria stomps away as Bailey stands frozen, in shock.) CLARK FAMILY HOME. CLAUDIA sits on the floor of her guest room sorting through sheet music. LISA sits on the bed flipping through the pages of the Denver Post. CLAUDIA: So what piece are you playing in Round One? LISA: Handel Opus One. I edited that baby down to size. Took off the second ending and connected the last 16 bars before the repeat. It’s shorter that way, but it keeps the climax that I love. Hopefully the judges will like it. (Claudia picks up a sheet of music and a pair of scissors.) CLAUDIA: Maybe I should be practicing for the next round… but I’m thinking ahead to finals. I’ve just got to make this edit work. LISA: Nothing wrong with that. You’re just ahead of the game. CLAUDIA: Yeah, but what if I don’t even make it into finals? Or even past the preliminaries? (Lisa flips the page of the newspaper and comes across something interesting.) Then this stupid finals edit won’t matter. LISA: I don’t think you have anything to worry about… with your “precise intonation and perfect bowing.” CLAUDIA: What are you talking about? LISA: Right here in black and white. (Lisa shows Claudia the page in the Denver Post.) CLAUDIA: (Reading) “Violinists Across America Shine in Welbourne Competition.” They wrote about me? LISA: You and a few others. Listen to this. (She reads) “Claudia Salinger, representing the Juilliard School, certainly keeps the reputation of her trainers alive in this competition.” They loved you! (Claudia continues to skim the article, smiling.) CLAUDIA: Wow. CHARLIE’S HOUSE. OWEN is sitting on the living room floor with his legs bent behind him, army men strewn out everywhere. He is moving a small toy helicopter through the air, making chopper noises as it “flies.” KIRSTEN enters from the kitchen and stands in the doorway, watching as he brings the helicopter down to the ground with a crash, sending the miniature troops flying. OWEN: Koosh! Pshhhh… (He makes explosion sound effects as he bounces the helicopter along the floor with one hand, and tosses the soldiers with the other.) Aaaaaaah…. KIRSTEN: (Smiling) Looks dangerous in here. OWEN: (Without looking up) Uh-huh. KIRSTEN: Homework all finished? OWEN: Almost. KIRSTEN: Well… let me know if you need some help, okay? Because Ms. Mina told me you’ve been having a little bit of trouble lately, and I just want you to know I’m here to help. (Owen doesn’t acknowledge this.) Owen? (He looks up.) Did you hear me? (He nods, then his attention diverts back to his soldiers.) OWEN: (To his soldiers) Look out! Grenade!! (He creates another big “explosion” as Kirsten studies him from the doorway.) THE FACTORY. CHARLIE is on the phone in his office. He paces as he speaks animatedly. CHARLIE: Wait, how does delivering the wrong wood a day late help me out? (Charlie covers his eyes in frustration.) Look, just get it here tomorrow, okay? I’ll work it out. (Sighs.) Thank you. (Charlie pushes the OFF button.) Son of a— KATHLEEN: Uh-uh. (Shaking her head) You know I’m sensitive to that word. CHARLIE: Kathleen, hey. I didn’t… KATHLEEN: I know. I just wanted you to know I got in contact with Kendall. CHARLIE: The restaurant guy. KATHLEEN: He said nothing would make him happier than working in the Bay Area again. I guess he’s not a smog person. CHARLIE: Okay, great. Do you have his number? I can give him a buzz— KATHLEEN: No need. I asked him to fly up on Friday. CHARLIE: (Taking this in) Oh. KATHLEEN: I’m sorry. That was presumptuous of me, wasn’t it? I’ll call back— CHARLIE: No, no. It’s, um… (Smiling) It’s great, actually. It really helps. KATHLEEN: Good. (Kathleen smiles, and begins to walk out.) CHARLIE: Kathleen? (She turns around.) Why are you doing this for me? KATHLEEN: Something I learned, Charlie. When someone’s being nice to you, say “thank you.” Don’t ask why. (Charlie nods, smiling.) JULIA'S APARTMENT. JULIA is at the kitchen table writing in a notebook. Notes are scattered everywhere. She scribbles frantically for a moment, then reads over what she just wrote. A scowl comes over her face, and she crosses her writing out with hard, fierce strokes. GRIFFIN walks in and sees her scratching her pen across the notebook over and over. GRIFFIN: Having loads of fun, huh? JULIA: Uggh! This is so frustrating! This story's not working like, at all. And here's the part that really bugs me: I know why it's not working, but when it comes to the actual writing...geez, why am I struggling with this so much?! GRIFFIN: Maybe it's not that bad, Jul. (Off her look) I mean, I'm sure you'll get it just the way you want it. It might just take you a little bit of time, that's all. JULIA: But it seems like work, Griffin. Like a homework assignment or something. It's not fun anymore. GRIFFIN: So then the hell with everyone else. Just write the way you want to. JULIA: Nobody wants to buy that stuff. GRIFFIN: You don't know tha— (Julia grabs a piece of paper off the table and holds it up.) JULIA: I got another rejection letter today. (Griffin tries to think of a response, but just can't.) BOULDER PHILHARMONIC HALL, COLORADO. The 30 Welbourne Competition contestants and their host families are seated in the first few rows of the auditorium. The rest of the seats are empty. CLAUDIA, LISA and STEPHAN are sitting together in the front row. LISA: This is torture! Why can’t they just post the results on a window or something? Why does it have to be so dramatic. CLAUDIA: I’m feeling kind of nervous myself. I tried preparing myself for this, but… (Looking at Stephan, who is chewing on a toothpick.) Are you okay? STEPHAN: I’d be better if this toothpick had some nicotine. (A MAN walks onto the stage and sits on the edge. The auditorium quiets down as he begins reading from his notes.) MAN: “Competition can be a very intense experience and a very rewarding one, or it can be enormously destructive.” These are the words of Andrea Mead Lawrence, but they apply pretty well to us. Thirty of you were chosen from thousands of students across the nation. That in itself is something to be extremely proud of. Sixteen of you will go on to the next level of competition, and fourteen of you will not. I’ll have plenty of time to address those who are moving on to semifinals, but to the fourteen who will not, I say this: be proud. Some of the greatest contemporary violinists have competed in the Welbourne… and lost. Don’t be discouraged. Keep at your art, and let nothing stand in the way of your true potential. (Claudia, sitting between Stephan and Lisa, takes their hands.) The sixteen contestants that will advance to the semifinals are: Lance Van Doren, Miriam Silvino, Frances Ignagni, Stephan Allegro… (Claudia and Lisa silently congratulate Stephan, as more names are read. The man reaches the end of the list.) …Margaret Nguyen, Claudia Salinger, and Lawrence Darrell. (Stephan hugs Claudia, who smiles widely. Lisa then hugs Claudia while trying to hold back tears.) CLAUDIA: Lisa, I’m… I’m sorry. I don’t know how they could have looked you over. LISA: No, please, you guys. (Forcing a smile.) Be happy. This is a big night for you. STEPHAN: Yeah, but… LISA: Hey, someone had to lose, right? (Stephan and Claudia look at each other, not knowing what to say to console Lisa.) ROLLING FOG OFFICES - EDITOR'S OFFICE. JULIA is talking to TANIA again. JULIA: I didn't mean to sound apathetic before, because I am interested in the job. TANIA: Well, I was kind of getting this vibe... JULIA: No, no. It just... caught me a little by surprise. That's all. TANIA: So you still want the job? JULIA: Yes. Of course, absolutely. TANIA: Well, alright then. JULIA: Okay, so when do I... (Tania takes out a sheaf of papers from a desk drawer.) TANIA: I'll just need you to take this little writing test. JULIA: A test? BAILEY’S DORM. BAILEY is standing next to his bed folding his clothes as WILL sits at the small desk in the room. He’s looking at a brochure. BAILEY: I was trying to be nice to her, you know? Suggest things I know she likes doing. Then she says, “Why don’t we just do it in the grass,” like that’s all I care about. I mean, it’s not like— WILL: (Regarding the brochure) What’s this? BAILEY: Some consulting firm. It’s not like that’s all we do, you know? I mean, I’ve seen more movies with her than I ever saw with Holly. And we’re like constantly studying together, so how can she—? WILL: It’s in New York? BAILEY: What is? WILL: This consulting firm. BAILEY: Yeah. I applied there. Anway, how can she think that’s what I’m all about? She knows me better than that, right? She— WILL: Wait, wait, wait. You applied there. BAILEY: Yeah. WILL: And when you were planning on telling me this? BAILEY: I didn’t tell you what I ate for lunch either. C’mon, Will. WILL: So you’ve been thinking about this for awhile. BAILEY: Graduation’s coming up, man. I’ve got to figure out what I’m gonna do. WILL: Yeah, me too. But I’m going home, so I just thought... BAILEY: I’m just trying to find the best job. Wherever it is. If it’s back home, I’m there. (Will digests this.) So… what should I do? WILL: About what? BAILEY: Maria. WILL: What about her? CHUCK E. CHEESE’S, SAN FRANCISCO. KIRSTEN and DAPHNE are sitting at a table with MATTHEW and STEWIE, eating pizza and watching while DIANA and OWEN play in a large area with hundreds of colorful balls and several other children. DIANA giggles as she gets up on the ledge, and jumps into the sea of balls. OWEN climbs through a transparent blue tube on his hands and knees. KIRSTEN: (Sighing) They don’t know how good they have it. DAPHNE: If we could only go back, huh? (She smiles.) KIRSTEN: (Laughing) Oh God, no. Not unless I could know everything that I know now. DAPHNE: You said it, sister. (She takes a bite of pizza as Kirsten holds up Stewie’s cup for him to drink. They watch as Owen comes out of the tube and takes a gigantic leap into the balls. Diana shrieks playfully and throws some balls at Owen. Owen laughs. A red-headed boy of about five or six joins in, gathering up an armful of balls and flinging them at Owen. A few of the balls bounce off Owen’s head. The boy laughs). OWEN: Hey! (He walks over to the boy and pushes him, hard enough so that he falls backwards onto the balls. The boy starts to cry.) You big baby… (Owen walks away. The boy’s mother comes running.) MOTHER: Jerry, are you okay? (Kirsten immediately runs over to the scene.) KIRSTEN: Owen! (He’s climbing up the Jungle Gym now.) Owen, come back here! (Owen ignores her.) I’m talking to you. (Owen continues to climb through the tubes.) Come back here right now and apologize. (Kirsten stands with her hands on her hips, shaking her head.) OWEN: (Looking down at her from the second story of the play tubes) I don’t have to listen to you. You’re not my mother! (He scurries up another level of the tubes and is lost in the crowd of children as the red-headed boy’s mother looks at Kirsten.) KIRSTEN: (To the mother) I’m very sorry. (She looks back up, trying to find Owen.) ROLLING FOG OFFICES. JULIA is sitting in a meeting room, staring at the test in front of her. She reads for a moment, furrowing her brow. She writes a few words, then stops. She leans onto one hand, puts her pencil down, sighs and shakes her head. CLARK FAMILY HOME. CLAUDIA strikes a note on the piano and listens to it as it fades out. With violin in hand, she examines her posture in front of a full length mirror. She flashes a few wide smiles while shaking out her tenseness. CLAUDIA: (Smiling) Hello. My name is Claudia Salinger. I have chosen to play Paganini Caprice Opus 1 for your pleasure this evening. (She takes a deep breath and takes one last look at herself in the mirror. She positions her fingers carefully on her violin and begins. The notes dance up and down in pitch and occasionally draw themselves out. As the notes skip along, a shrill bark…or more of a yelp can be heard outside the room. Claudia rolls her eyes and continues to play without a flaw until a long, high-pitched note with intense vibrato flies from her violin and a long high-pitched howl rings after it. Claudia grits her teeth and stops playing. She sighs and begins to play again. A few moments into the song the dog howls and sings along with the music once more. In frustration, she leaves the practice room and travels down the hall to Bret’s room. She knocks.) Bret? Bret… are you in there? (Bret opens his door.) BRET: What? CLAUDIA: Could you put Mikey in the garage for a little while? BRET: His name is Michaelangelo… not Mikey. CLAUDIA: Michaelangelo, sorry. Look, I’m just going to need him to stay in the garage for a few hours while I practice. BRET: Get someone else to do it. CLAUDIA: You’re the only other person in the house. Please? (Bret thinks about it for a moment.) BRET: No. Michaelangelo doesn’t like it in the garage. (To the dog.) Do you, boy? (The dog pants.) Anyway he’s my friend. He’s keeping me company so… I think he’ll be fine where he is. (Bret stoops down to pet the dog.) CLAUDIA: I’m sure he will. But I’ve really got to nail this piece. (Bret rolls his eyes and runs his hands through his dark curly hair.) It’s hard enough trying to practice with my nerves on edge all the time… but when Michaelangelo barks I… just can’t concentrate. BRET: I’ve got a better idea. Why don’t you go practice in the garage? CLAUDIA: Fine! I’ll practice in the garage. Maybe I’ll get to practice in some peace. (She storms down the hallway. Bret lets out a sigh and leads Michaelangelo by the collar down the hall. He passes Claudia and makes his way out the door.) BRET: Are you happy now? ROLLING FOG OFFICES. JULIA is standing just outside TANIA SWENSON’S office. Tania is busy typing on her computer keyboard. Julia knocks lightly on the open door. Tania looks up and smiles. TANIA: All set? JULIA: (Nodding) Yes. Here you go. (She walks over and hands the test to Tania.) TANIA: Great! (She stands up.) Well, thank you so much for meeting with me, Julia. We’ll take a look at your test, and I’ll be back in touch just as soon as I can. (She extends a hand to Julia.) JULIA: (Shaking her hand and smiling nervously) Thank you. THE LIBRARY at the University of Pennsylvania. MARIA sits at a table, studying by herself. She’s buried in a book when BAILEY grabs the chair next to her and turns it around backwards. He sits down, leaning forward on the back of the chair. Maria tried her best to ignore him. BAILEY: Look, I know I’m not the smartest guy in the world. I’ve made mistakes, but I think I’ve learned from them. MARIA: Congratulations. BAILEY: It’s funny how things happen. I don’t know if I ever told you this, but I met Holly right after things ended with Sarah. (Looking down) It was the weirdest thing because she just kind of… appeared. I wasn’t expecting to meet someone like her–-you know–-so soon. Anyway, we started going out, and…and everyone knew how messed up I was because of Sarah, so I’m sure they all thought she was some kind rebound or something. Who knows… maybe she was supposed to be. (Looking up) But the thing is, she wasn’t. She was actually pretty great. And sometimes I think – I don’t know – that maybe things with Holly would have been better if it didn’t happen so soon after Sarah. I mean, maybe things would have worked. (Maria’s eyes wander from her book, but she’s still looking down.) So here’s the thing, Maria. You’re great, too. And I don’t know what that means down the road or anything, but…I just want to make sure I’m not making the same mistake twice. SALINGERS’. CHARLIE sits at a booth with KENDALL, the manager recommended by Kathleen. CHARLIE: Kathleen tells me you miss San Francisco. KENDALL: Have you ever lived anywhere else? CHARLIE: No. KENDALL: Believe me, you’d miss it, too. Especially if you went to LA. CHARLIE: (Smiling) I could never live among all those Dodger fans. KENDALL: To me, it’s the difference in the pace of live. It’s no mistake that Tony Bennett sings San Francisco’s theme song Randy Newman sings LA’s. (Charlie laughs.) CHARLIE: Well, let me be straight with you, Kendall. We both know you’re qualified for the job… maybe even over-qualified. (Kendall smiles.) And I know managers like to… add their personal touches to their restaurants. Don’t get me wrong – I’m okay with that… to a point. I guess what I’m saying is, this isn’t just a business to us. It’s more than that. So I just want to make sure— KENDALL: Charlie, before you continue, let me go on record as saying I think Salingers’ is a wonderful restaurant… as it is. Not that I don’t have some ideas, but… (looking around) …the décor, the lighting… it has that feel of home. I’d be a fool to mess with that. (Charlie smiles, nodding his head.) BOULDER PHILHARMONIC HALL, COLORADO. The large room is nearly filled as the Welbourne competition nears the end of its Semi-Finalist round. There is a young woman on the stage, her eyes closed as she pulls the bow across the strings of her violin, releasing to perfection, the soulful melody of “La Boheme”. Every eye in the room, spectators and musicians alike, is focused on the young lady who has the stage. The music is breathtaking. Claudia stares, mouth agape, then blinks, breaking her gaze. She slowly looks around the room, noting the expressions on the audience members faces. They all seem entranced by this flawless interpretation; a young woman wraps her arm around her companion’s, a man removes his glasses and wipes his eye, an older woman holds her hand to her mouth. They remain enraptured throughout the entire performance. Claudia observes the audiences reaction so intently that she hardly notices that the music has stopped. After a moment of silence, a loud applause erupts. Claudia flinches at the outburst, startled by the audience’s enthusiastic admiration. She is so preoccupied that she doesn’t hear the voice announce her name as the next competitor. After a brief moment, the host calls her to the stage again, this time breaking Claudia’s trance. Claudia quickly turns her attention to the host, then hesitates. She takes a deep breath, and steps toward the stage. BAILEY’S DORM. BAILEY is surfing through the channels on his television. He turns off the TV and begins heading toward his bedroom when he hears a knock on his door. He opens it and looks surprised to see Maria, who walks in, smiling. MARIA: You’re not ready yet? Typical guy. BAILEY: Ready…? MARIA: I distinctly remember you inviting me to a book sale. BAILEY: Weird, ‘cause I distinctly remember you saying “no thanks.” (Maria smiles.) MARIA: Maybe I figured… (moving closer to Bailey) …we’d find something else to do. (She puts her hands on Bailey’s waist and leans in to kiss him, but he pulls back.) BAILEY: Maria, wha—? What’s going on here? MARIA: Figure it out. Oh, I forgot, you’re not a smart guy. BAILEY: Yeah, well, our “study sessions” are making me smarter. MARIA: Oh, so you have learned something. BAILEY: Well, you’re getting my grades up. MARIA: So… (She leans in to kiss him again. He doesn’t resist. Kisses her back passionately.) BAILEY: So…we’re okay? MARIA: Hmm…maybe you’re still not that smart. (They continue kissing as they move toward Bailey’s room. The door shuts, and giggles can be heard behind it.) JULIA’S APARTMENT. GRIFFIN is sitting on the couch in the living room. JULIA brings a large bowl of popcorn in and sits down next to him. JULIA: I can’t believe I’m this nervous about a job I wasn't even interested in. GRIFFIN: I’m sure you did just fine. They said they liked your writing style, so… JULIA: Yeah, but that test was hard, Griffin. A lot harder than I expected. I probably flunked and now I won’t even be able to get a job I don't want. GRIFFIN: (Ruffling her hair) Don’t worry, Jul. It’ll all work out, you’ll see. (She tosses a piece of popcorn at him.) JULIA: Easy for you to say. (The phone rings. Julia reaches over Griffin to answer it.) Hello? Yes, this is she. Oh, hello Tania. I’m fine, thank you. And you? (She pauses to listen.) Uh-huh…yes. Okay…(She breaks into a wide smile.) Yes, I can definitely start next week. Absolutely. (She listens again, covering her mouth with her hand.) Okay. Great! I’ll see you then. I’m looking forward to it, too. (She presses the “Off” button on the phone, springs from the couch and hops up and down.) I got the job! Griffin, I got the job! (She leans over and hugs him.) GRIFFIN: (Laughing) Wow…for someone who didn’t “want the job,” you sure are excited. (Julia giggles and smiles widely as the scene fades.) Read and post messages about tonight's episode... 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ROLLING FOG OFFICES, EDITOR'S OFFICE. JULIA is sitting in a chair in front of a sprawling mahogany desk. TANIA SWENSON is leaning back in a chair behind the desk. She holds Julia's story in one hand.