Episode 24: “Past and Present, Part 1”
Previously on “The Salingers”:
JEAN
(to Bailey)
this friend of mine, she’s doing this
study. It’s a study about orphans.JEAN
BAILEY
Orphans?
*****
WILL
She never should have asked.
BAILEY
It’s not that. It’s that word. Orphan.
(beat)
It couldn’t hurt just to talk to ‘em,
right?
*****
BAILEY
(on phone to Claudia)
Listen, there’s a group of people that
wants to talk to us -- and Jul, Char and
O.
CLAUDIA
What do you mean, a group?
BAILEY
It’s kind of... well, a study.
*****
GRIFFIN
I don’t understand why you’re doing this.
Seems like you’re opening yourself up to
all those things that hurt you before.
JULIA
They still hurt, Griffin. If we can help
people by doing this -- people who are
going through exactly what we went
through -- how can we say no?
*****
CHARLIE
I just don’t see how talking to a bunch
of strangers is going to help, Jul. And
I’m not sure I like the idea of Owen
having to go through this.
JULIA
How can you say that after what he just
went through? All that stuff about not
feeling like he belongs to anyone?
CHARLIE
That’s exactly my point.
JULIA
But don’t you see? By protecting Owen,
we’re not letting him know how wonderful
they were. Don’t you think he deserves
to know that?
*****
FADE IN:
EXT. UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA CAMPUS - DAY
BAILEY is leading CHARLIE, JULIA and OWEN down a flower-lined
path through the center of campus.
Plenty of students are out walking the paths, sitting in
small groups, playing frisbee, etc.
Owen is soaking it all up through wide, disbelieving eyes.
OWEN
This is a school?
Bailey chuckles.
BAILEY
Yeah, O. It’s a little different than
yours, huh?
OWEN
It looks like a neighborhood.
BAILEY
Well, this is just part of it. I wish I
had time to show you guys the other side
of campus with the theater and the
townhouses.
JULIA
That’s okay, Bay. This is great.
CHARLIE
Yeah, everything’s so spread out. But
the winters must’ve been brutal, walking
through all that snow.
BAILEY
It’s not that bad, really. You don’t
even notice after a while.
OWEN
There’s a theater here? Like a movie
theater?
Charlie ruffles Owen’s hair.
CHARLIE
Doesn’t sound too bad, huh, O?
OWEN
Can we go there later?
BAILEY
I dunno about that one. We have to talk
to these people first, remember?
They reach the end of the path, arriving at...
EXT. PSYCHOLOGY BUILDING - DAY
...and stand in front of the main doors. Bailey glances at
his watch.
JULIA
Did she know it was at three o’clock?
BAILEY
I told her twice.
JULIA
And she has the directions?
Bailey shoots her a look. Of course she has them.
CHARLIE
Bay, if we’re gonna do this, we can’t
wait on her.
Bailey looks at his watch again. It’s 3:12.
BAILEY
(mumbling)
Jesus, Claudia.
They open the doors and walk into the building.
PO5 Credits
INT. PSYCHOLOGY BUILDING HALLWAY - DAY
Bailey, Charlie, Julia, and Owen are walking down the
hallway.
CHARLIE
So where is this?
BAILEY
Room 431. All the way on the end.
JULIA
(to Charlie)
I called and talked to Griffin this
morning. You know, just checking in,
saying hi, seeing how things are going.
CHARLIE
Uh-huh.
JULIA
Yeah, I just needed to... I dunno, keep
in touch.
It sounds like a hint.
CHARLIE
I got it.
JULIA
So I was just wondering... How are
Kirsten and Stewie doing?
CHARLIE
Julia...
JULIA
‘Cause you can call her. You can just
talk and... see what happens.
CHARLIE
I’m not gonna get into this with you.
JULIA
No, I’m just saying...
Claudia comes running down the hallway, catching up with
them. It’s Bailey who turns around to greet her.
BAILEY
What, are you like, deliberately trying
to piss me off? Because it’s working.
CLAUDIA
It wasn’t my fault.
BAILEY
Don’t give me that. New York is only a
few hours away, and you... You show up
late?
CLAUDIA
You’re late, too.
BAILEY
We were outside, waiting for you.
CLAUDIA
The train was delayed, Bailey.
I can’t control the transit system, you
know.
BAILEY
Claud, how can you--
CLAUDIA
I’m here. Just leave it at that.
BAILEY
I’m not gonna--
They reach Room 431.
CHARLIE
I guess this is it.
He opens the door, but nobody moves. Claudia shoots Bailey a
look, then stomps into the room. The others file in after
her.
INT. INTERVIEW ROOM - DAY
Chairs are set up in a circle in the center of the room. The
moderators of the orphan study--a man and a woman--are at one
end. There are clipboards with notepads resting on their
laps. CHARLIE, JULIA, BAILEY, CLAUDIA and OWEN are sitting
in the remaining five chairs.
Everyone is shifting in their seats -- the tension is
palpable.
The young man clears his throat and speaks.
MAN
Thank you all for coming here today. My
name is Steve, and this is Nancy.
NANCY smiles warmly.
NANCY
Hello.
STEVE
I’d just like to say how much we
appreciate you taking the time to help us
with our study.
(a beat)
And we know it’s not an easy task you’re
undertaking, so we just wanted to thank
you in advance.
Nancy opens a briefcase next to her, and pulls out a small
tape recorder.
NANCY
If no one minds, I’d like to record our
sessions. It’ll help us later when we’re
putting together our notes. I’m afraid
my shorthand skills are a bit lacking.
The Salingers nod.
CHARLIE
That’s fine.
Nancy turns the recorder on and sits back.
NANCY
Okay, great. Then let’s begin.
(looks at the group)
So... how did everyone feel when you
first heard about the study? Any initial
reactions?
Everyone looks blankly at Nancy. A thick silence overtakes
the room. Owen just swings his feet, looking down. Charlie
and Julia look at each other, Julia looks at Claudia, who
shrugs. They all look at Bailey.
BAILEY
Well, um... I don’t know. I thought it
was kind of a weird thing to study.
(trying to recover)
I mean, not weird, but just... different.
Steve looks at the other siblings.
CLAUDIA
And it’s not like we go around all the
time thinking of ourselves as “orphans,”
exactly. So yeah, it was weird.
JULIA
Well... I didn’t know what to think,
because we didn’t know what you were
going to ask us or anything... or, like,
what kind of stuff you’d want to know.
(beat)
What are you going to ask us?
STEVE
Good question...
(looks at his notepad, then
back at her)
...Julia.
(smiling)
Maybe we should back up a little bit, and
go over how this is all going to work.
Basically, there’s no real “format” or
“formula.” We have some specific
questions we want to ask, but certainly
we don’t have to stick to only those
topics. The most important thing is, we
want you all to be comfortable with this,
and share your feelings and experiences.
So, if something comes up that you want
to talk about, by all means, we’re open
to hearing it.
NANCY
Exactly. We just want to hear your side
of things, what your lives have been like
as a result of your... situation.
(looks around the room)
So... who wants to go first?
Nobody leaps at the chance. Instead, she’s looking at five
empty faces...
DISSOLVE TO:
INT. INTERVIEW ROOM - DAY
Steve and Nancy glance around the room, looking at the
Salingers. None of them make eye contact.
Nancy tries to break the ice...
NANCY
Okay... why don’t we start with this:
let’s talk a little bit about the first
night after your parents’ funeral.
Talk about jumping into the deep end. Nobody says a word.
Steve looks at Nancy, and opens his mouth to say something
when:
CLAUDIA
(slowly)
Um... it wasn’t all that tough, really.
That first night... it didn’t feel all
that different. But that next morning
when I woke up and got ready for
school...
(a beat)
Well, Mom always drove me in. We had a
routine. And I was just doing what I
always did: shower, put the books in the
backpack, take my lunch money, that kind
of thing. And when I came down the
stairs, Mom was always coming out of the
kitchen with a hot Pop-Tart for me to eat
in the car. It was like, automatic.
(another beat)
That’s what I remember. Coming down the
stairs and expecting Mom to be there with
a Pop-Tart.
STEVE
So how did that make you feel?
Claudia takes a deep breath.
CLAUDIA
I haven’t eaten them since.
CHARLIE
Claud, I didn’t... I kept buying them
because I thought you liked them.
CLAUDIA
I used to, but...
JULIA
Claud, wow. I know exactly what you
mean. ‘Cause... remember how I used to
set the table for dinner?
BAILEY
Yeah. You hated it. Mom had to
practically bribe you to get it done each
night.
JULIA
But I did it. The placemats, the dishes,
the silverware, all of it. And the first
time we all sat down to dinner after...
you know... I just started setting the
table.
NANCY
Because your Mom wasn’t around to tell
you to do it.
JULIA
(shaking her head)
That’s not it. I just went to the
cupboard and started taking everything
out. And I didn’t think much of it,
really. I just went through the motions.
And when it came to Dad’s place at the
table, I just reached for another dish
without even... It just felt natural,
you know?
CLAUDIA
Like Mom being at the bottom of the
stairs.
JULIA
Yeah, but with this... You know how Dad
always ate off those special dishes? The
first ones they got for the restaurant
when it opened?
CHARLIE
That’s right. The oval-shaped ones with
that ugly pattern on ‘em. What were
they, flowers?
BAILEY
Leaves, or olive branches, or something.
Green ones. And he always kept them on
their own shelf. The one above the sink,
remember?
JULIA
Exactly! And that’s what I reached for.
I opened the door, and took out one of
his plates... I made it halfway to the
table before I realized.
A silence hangs in the room. These memories, bittersweet,
haven’t been spoken of in years.
BAILEY
I did that, too. Not with the dishes,
but... I just got my driver’s license.
And Dad always had these rules about the
car.
CHARLIE
The “bottom-half of the clock” rule. He
put me through that one, too.
STEVE
I’m sorry?
BAILEY
We were only allowed to drive the car
between the hours of three and nine. You
know, when the hands are on the bottom
half of the clock.
CHARLIE
But we always had to ask his permission
first.
BAILEY
That’s the thing. It could be six at
night, but if you got a “C” on a test,
you didn’t get the keys. And I really
needed the car this one night, not too
long after... My buddy Will scored these
great tickets to a Sharks game -- it was
the playoffs. But he got them at the
last minute. We needed to leave, like,
immediately, and we would be out way
after nine o’clock. Plus I just got this
detention at school... So I was making
this case in my head.
(a beat)
I was thinking about how to talk Dad into
giving me the keys so I could go to the
game. It was just an instinct. But it
lasted for a good, like, two or three
minutes. Then when I finally... I just
took the keys out of that basket we kept
them in and left.
And as I was driving over to Will’s, I
just, you know... I just cried.
Another silence blankets the room. Then, one by one, all
eyes turn to...
NANCY
Charlie?
CHARLIE
Huh?
NANCY
Anything to add?
CHARLIE
I, uh... Nothing like that. No.
NANCY
Something else, then?
CHARLIE
It’s nothing I’m... I just don’t feel
too good about it.
CLAUDIA
But you remember something.
Charlie does. It’s just difficult to share. Hard for him to
say...
CHARLIE
I didn’t have to make up any more lies.
JULIA
Lies?
CHARLIE
I had my own place then, so I wasn’t
around a whole lot. But Mom and Dad were
always calling and dropping by. But,
most of the time I wasn’t there.
BAILEY
That’s no big deal. You still hung out
with them, right?
CHARLIE
But they would ask me where I was, what I
was doing. And I would... Most of the
time I spent the night with a girl whose
name I probably didn’t even know in the
first place. And they would want to know
where I was.
(taking a breath)
So I made up these stories. It was easy
after a while. I even had a whole list
of excuses ready, in case they brought it
up. But the first time after... it just
suddenly hit me that I didn’t have to
remember all those excuses. I didn’t
have to lie any more.
DISSOLVE TO:
INT. INTERVIEW ROOM - DAY
Steve is jotting notes down on his pad while Nancy talks to
the Salingers.
NANCY
This is probably going to sound too
general, but we’d like to hear about your
upbringing. The lessons your Mom and Dad
taught you, your relationship with them,
that sort of thing.
The Salingers all exchange glances with one another.
Upbringing?
CHARLIE
(shrugging)
I don’t know what you want us to say
here. We were a normal family. Dad
worked, Mom stayed home with us, we did
our homework, and had to be forced to
brush our teeth.
STEVE
Sure...okay. But what about your
childhood made all that stuff special?
Now there’s a good question.
JULIA
It was special, but it was also... And I
know this sounds bad, but... I was afraid
to talk to Dad about my life.
BAILEY
Oh, c’mon. You’re joking, right?
CHARLIE
Jul, that’s... You were afraid of Dad?
JULIA
No, it wasn’t like that. It was... just
going to him about stuff, talking to him.
He just didn’t understand. Maybe it’s
because I was a girl.
BAILEY
See, now that’s just... What difference
does that make?
CLAUDIA
He played football with you, Bailey.
BAILEY
Yeah, we tossed the ball around. That’s
like, I dunno, just what guys do.
CLAUDIA
But I wanted to learn, too. I wanted to
play in the yard with you guys. Only Dad
wouldn’t let me.
CHARLIE
You were little, Claud.
CLAUDIA
No, I was a girl. And Dad knew that. He
saw us differently. It was like... like
we were these porcelain figurines. We
couldn’t play sports, because we would
break.
BAILEY
That’s not... He just thought you had
other stuff to... like the violin.
CLAUDIA
That’s not the point, Bay. He said “I
love you” to us all the time, but he
actually showed that love to you guys.
Charlie and Bailey let out a collective breath of disbelief.
CHARLIE
What is this, Claud, resentment?
CLAUDIA
Charlie...
BAILEY
Come on, Claud. This makes no sense to
me. Sure, he was a... “guy’s guy,” ‘ya
know. Tough. I mean, Mom never talked to
us about, about... what... makeup. But--
JULIA
It’s not the same, Bailey. Why do you
think Dad spent more time with you than
with us? You bonded over sports, but
that’s something he never tried to do
with us. I mean...not just with the
sports exactly, but with other stuff,
either. He never... there just wasn’t
that same interest in us for him.
DISSOLVE TO:
INT. INTERVIEW ROOM - DAY
Everyone has shifted chairs. They’re sitting in different
positions now.
NANCY
I’d like to discuss moving on. How you
all coped with it, what it was like for
you.
Charlie sits up. Offers a simple answer:
CHARLIE
Hard.
All the others nod. But there’s something else...
BAILEY
But we managed, you know? We got by.
‘Cause stuff had to get done, and, well,
we did it.
JULIA
No, Bay. You did it. We all took our
cue from you. You’re the one who got us
from day to day.
BAILEY
It’s not like I wanted to do it, but--
CHARLIE
I didn’t want it, either.
It sounds like a confession.
BAILEY
Well, it kinda didn’t suit you, Charlie.
CHARLIE
No, but I was glad you did it. ‘Cause
you really picked up my slack.
Actually, you were sorta hanging all over
my rope. And it helped. Like you
wouldn’t believe.
BAILEY
I was just taking care of the details.
The everyday stuff. Owen needed a nanny,
so I found one.
(pointing at Charlie)
By the way, you owe me big time for how
that one turned out. But balancing the
checkbook, and making sure Claudia had
her lunch money... I really didn’t think
about it. That was stuff that just had
to get done. And I just fell into it.
That was the role. Someone had to watch
over things, and that turned out to be
me.
JULIA
Bay, I’m so sorry for not helping you
with all that stuff. I should’ve--
BAILEY
(holding up a hand)
It’s okay, Jul. Really. I didn’t mind
it. And in some weird way, maybe...
maybe I kind of liked it. Because it
didn’t make stuff any easier. But it
made it all less hard.
(beat)
Does that make any sense?
Claudia, Julia, and Charlie all exchange looks.
CLAUDIA
Yeah, Bay. It kinda does.
FADE OUT.
FADE IN:
INT. INTERVIEW ROOM - DAY
Everyone has just come back from a short break. STEVE
shuffles through some papers and NANCY turns her tape
recorder back on.
STEVE
(smiling)
Okay. How’s everyone holding up?
The Salingers look at each other and nod.
Great. Just a little bit more to get
through today.
(looking at everyone)
I know this situation -- losing your
parents -- affects every part of your
lives, and always will. But... everyone
is affected a little bit differently.
(a beat)
Is there anything that stays in the
forefront all the time? Things that are
more significant?
Steven looks at the siblings. No one comes forward, then
Julia speaks up.
JULIA
Um... I know it sounds awful, but I...
don’t miss them the same way. I mean, I
miss them both, don’t get me wrong,
but... sometimes I think I miss Mom more.
Julia looks down.
BAILEY
Jul, there are times we all really miss
Mom. But how can you say--?
JULIA
I don’t know...it kind of always felt
like Mom was gone, but... sometimes -- I
don’t know -- it just felt like Dad was
at work or something.
NANCY
(softly)
It’s nothing to feel badly about, Julia.
I think we all love people a little bit
differently.
JULIA
I guess it kind of goes back to what we
were talking about before. That things
were different with Dad -- how he was
with me and Claudia. And I’m not saying
I don’t miss Dad, it’s just... there are
times when I really miss Mom. Like on my
wedding day. It’s one of those things
you always think about as a little kid,
like how magical everything’s gonna be.
And how you’ll have the perfect dress,
and the perfect hairdo, and everything’s
just gonna be... well, perfect.
And your mom will help you pick out the
dress, and the flowers, and help you get
ready that day and maybe even loan you
“something borrowed,” you know?
(looking back up)
And it was great -- don’t get me wrong --
with you there, Claud, and Kirsten and
everything but... I don’t know, it’s
like...
(her eyes misting)
...my mom should have been there. She
should have been there to hug me before
the ceremony, to tell me how beautiful I
looked in my dress, and to tell me how
everything’s gonna work out fine and how
proud she was of me on the happiest day
of my life... she should have been there.
She stops and looks at everyone.
JULIA (CONT’D)
And there’s always gonna be something big
happening in your life, you know, at
different times, that you’ll want to
share but... that’s when you get
reminded, all over again.
There’s a pause throughout the room. Then:
CHARLIE
Jul’s right. You never forget, exactly,
but it’s like, you get into a rhythm with
your life, and as years pass, you can
adjust to things. You accept them and do
what you can. But then something will
happen that makes you really miss them
and it’s like... losing them all over
again. Like getting married...
(he smiles)
...or having your first baby.
Charlie takes a deep breath, shakes his head.
CHARLIE (CONT’D)
That was something I really wanted to
share with my Dad -- with both my
parents. It hurt so much that they
weren’t here to see it, to share in this
amazing thing that happened to me.
(a beat)
And you know what? I, um...
(shaking his head)
...I kind of forgot what it’s like to to
be loved as a son.
Charlie gets a little choked up.
CHARLIE (CONT’D)
I mean, I’m loved as a brother, and now
as a father... and
(hesitating)
a husband, but... not as a son anymore.
And it’s definitely different.
Bailey puts his hand on Charlie’s arm. He understands.
Everyone waits, watching Charlie.
CHARLIE (CONT’D)
Taking care of Owen and now my own kids,
remind me what that was like... and of
how much my Dad loved me.
He wipes his eyes as the scene fades.
DISSOLVE TO:
INT. INTERVIEW ROOM - DAY
Steve and Nancy are shuffling though their notes.
NANCY
Okay, this is about all for today so...
STEVE
We’re gonna meet an hour earlier
tomorrow. Is that cool with you guys?
JULIA
Sure.
BAILEY
Why not?
CHARLIE
My schedule’s open.
They all look at Claudia. She’s slumped in her chair. But
it’s more than that. Head down, face in her hands.
NANCY
Claudia?
CLAUDIA
Tomorrow. Two o’clock. I got it.
Her words don’t ring quite true. It gives everyone else an
uneasy feeling.
JULIA
Claud...?
BAILEY
You okay?
She lifts her head up. Looks her brothers and sister in the
eye.
CLAUDIA
You know how Mom used to bake bread? She
did it just for us, and she got mad when
it turned out bad.
CHARLIE
That’s ‘cause the bad batches were like
rice patties.
BAILEY
And we still had to eat ‘em. We put
loads of butter on ‘em, but it didn’t
help. They still tasted horrible.
Claudia doesn’t hear any of this. She’s still lost her own
thoughts, her own concerns.
CLAUDIA
But she wanted to do it, you know, for
everyone else. At parties, everyone
looked forward to it.
BAILEY
The bread?
CLAUDIA
Yeah, ‘cause they all knew it would be
great.
JULIA
I don’t get it, Claud. It doesn’t
seem... Are you sure you’re okay?
A slight chuckle from Claudia. She doesn’t sound okay.
CLAUDIA
Were you close to Mom?
Under ordinary circumstances, it would be an odd question,
but now...
JULIA
We all were, right?
CLAUDIA
But I have... I play the violin, just
like her. And she was good. She was
brilliant, actually, and I can’t live up
to that.
BAILEY
But all those competitions you won,
Claud... Don’t you think... I mean,
come on... you won, so...
JULIA
It would have made her proud.
CLAUDIA
That’s all I ever wanted.
CHARLIE
And you did it. You got the trophies to
prove it.
CLAUDIA
But it was just a hobby, Charlie.
CHARLIE
I don’t get it... Hobby?
CLAUDIA
Yeah, that’s all it was. Something I did
because Mom did it. Like you guys with
Dad and football. Only I was better at
it than she was. At least, that’s what
she told me. After a while, I started to
believe it. I started to think that I
was really good.
BAILEY
Hey, Claud? I’m gonna let you in a
little secret: they don’t let you into
Juilliard for being average.
CLAUDIA
But that’s not... Playing was just a
hobby for me. I just imitated Mom. Did
what she did. And it came easy. But I
just wanted to please her, you know?
JULIA
We all did that, Claudia. We all wanted
to make them proud.
CLAUDIA
But after the accident, that all changed.
The violin, it became... it was like a
memorial. A way to hold onto her.
Something that was just hers and mine.
CHARLIE
That’s really sweet, Claud.
CLAUDIA
No, because it’s like practice. I never
wanted to do it, but I felt like I had
to. Mom always made me do it. And I
never liked it. But after the
accident...
(beat)
I just kept playing. It was for her.
It was only for her. That’s the only
reason I kept with it all these years.
If Mom was still alive... I don’t think
I’d be playing at all.
Her brothers and sister just sit there, amazed.
INT. HOTEL ROOM - EVENING
Charlie, Bailey, and Owen are unpacking their bags. There’s
an open doorway to an adjoining room, and Julia and Claudia
walk through it.
CLAUDIA
We have a coffee maker in our room.
JULIA
Yeah, so I guess we’ll be doing breakfast
over there, huh?
Charlie looks around the room, sees everyone settling in.
Sees them all together.
CHARLIE
This is nice.
JULIA
It’s just coffee, Charlie.
CHARLIE
Not that. I mean, when was the last time
we all slept in the same place?
Bailey thinks about it.
BAILEY
Had to be... our old house.
JULIA
God, that was like, a million years ago.
CHARLIE
Feels kinda nice, doesn’t it?
Smiles stretch across their faces. It does.
INT. HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT
Darkness. Charlie and Owen are in the double beds, and
Bailey’s pulled the couch out into a bed. Owen’s fast
asleep, but Bailey and Charlie just lie there. Eyes open.
After a moment, Bailey sits up, leans on an elbow.
BAILEY
(whispering)
Charlie, you awake?
CHARLIE
Yeah.
BAILEY
Kinda weird, huh -- talking about it.
Charlie sits up.
BAILEY (CONT’D)
I mean, it’s not like we never talked
about it before, but--
CHARLIE
No, I know what you mean. It was always
little groups. Like we couldn’t burden
everyone all at once.
BAILEY
Exactly. If I needed to talk about it,
but Jul was, like, fighting with Griffin
or something--
CHARLIE
--Or Justin...
BAILEY
(smiles)
--Or Justin, I’d go to you. And if you
had stuff going on, I’d talk to her.
CHARLIE
But never Claud.
BAILEY
No way. And -- I don’t know -- maybe
that was wrong. Maybe talking to her
would have helped her.
CHARLIE
Yeah. But maybe not.
Silence returns, and Charlie lies back, trying to get
comfortable. Bailey still sits up, thinking.
BAILEY
Do you still hear him, Charlie? Dad, I
mean.
CHARLIE
What?
Owen, still asleep, rolls over. The brothers lower their
voices.
BAILEY
After the accident, that counselor told
us we could still talk to them.
Remember?
CHARLIE
Yeah.
BAILEY
Did you ever do it?
CHARLIE
(sits up, thinking)
Actually, no.
BAILEY
I did. Remember Dad signed me up for
that football camp?
CHARLIE
(thinks)
Football camp...? That summer thing?
BAILEY
Yeah. I asked Dad if he still wanted me
to go -- you know -- after.
CHARLIE
Really?
BAILEY
I was totally struggling with it ‘cause I
didn’t want to do it. But then it was
like, Dad was the one that signed me up,
you know?
Charlie manages a nod as he takes this in.
BAILEY (CONT’D)
So I didn’t know what to do.
(beat)
But once I asked him, I had no doubt. He
wanted me to go. So I did.
CHARLIE
Huh.
BAILEY
You can still ask him stuff, Char. You
can. And it’s not like you know exactly
what he would’ve said every time, but...
sometimes you do.
Charlie nods.
BAILEY (CONT’D)
You should talk to him, Charlie. About
Kirsten.
CHARLIE
(shakes his head)
Bay, look--
BAILEY
No, really. C’mon, if he was here you’d
talk to him, right?
Charlie thinks about this.
CHARLIE
Look, Bay -- just because you think Dad
wanted you to go to some football camp
eight years ago--
BAILEY
It’s not just that, Charlie. I still
talk to him.
CHARLIE
You...?
(with slight skepticism)
And he’s still answering your questions?
BAILEY
He did tonight.
CHARLIE
Tonight?
BAILEY
I asked him if I should talk to you about
this.
Silence as the brothers look across the darkened room at each
other.
INT. HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT
CLAUDIA is on one double bed, lying on on a pillow. She
clicks the T.V. remote, switching channels as JULIA is
brushing her teeth. After a moment, Julia finishes and walks
over to the other double bed. She pulls back the sheets, and
climbs in.
JULIA
(yawning)
You gonna watch that much longer?
CLAUDIA
(turning the T.V. off)
Nope. There’s never anything good on
anymore, anyway.
She turns over and scoots back to the upper half of the bed.
JULIA
Okay. Nighty night, then.
CLAUDIA
G’night.
Julia switches off the light and the girls settle in. After
a moment:
CLAUDIA (CONT’D)
Remember when Mom used to tuck us in?
And we would do “Eskimo” kisses with our
noses?
Julia giggles in the dark.
JULIA
Yeah. And when she would sing “I love
you...a bushel and a peck. A bushel and
a peck...”
Claudia joins in and the girls sing:
CLAUDIA AND JULIA
“...and a hug around the neck. A hug
around the neck and a barrel and a heap.
A barrel and a heap and I’m talking in my
sleep about you. About you...”
The girls share a good laugh.
CLAUDIA
Wow... I haven’t thought of that song in
years. I kinda forgot about it.
JULIA
I never understood it at all.
CLAUDIA
(giggling)
Me, neither. But it didn’t matter -- it
was always so great. You just don’t know
it when you’re a kid.
JULIA
I know.
CLAUDIA
I can’t wait to do things like that with
my kids. I’m really looking forward to
doing all those kinds of things... having
the family traditions, like trick-or
treating at Halloween and summer road
trips and birthdays and... just
everything.
A pause in the darkness.
JULIA
Wow, Claud. Kids? Are you serious? I’m
like, not even thinking about that stuff
yet.
CLAUDIA
Really? Don’t you ever?
JULIA
Well, yeah, I guess so. Sometimes. Like
in a really distant, down-the-road-that’s
something-I’d-like-to-do way. But not
now. Not seriously. Gosh, no.
Julia turns over and props herself up on one arm.
JULIA (CONT’D)
Have you and Todd talked about having
kids?
CLAUDIA
(smiling)
Well, no. Not exactly. I mean, it’s not
like we’ve picked out names and have it
all planned out. But I know it’s
something I want to do. And Todd, too.
Maybe not right away, but... I do think
about it.
JULIA
Whew. I like that “not right away” part,
Claud. ‘Cuz I know I can’t talk you out
of getting married--
CLAUDIA
Good. Glad we have that straight.
JULIA
--but you guys will have plenty of time
to have a family later. Plenty of time.
CLAUDIA
I know, Jul. I’m not in a rush, okay?
Like I said, Todd and I haven’t even
really talked about that part yet.
JULIA
Okay. I’m just saying, enjoy each other
before you add any other things into the
mix. It’s hard enough just being
married. Trust me.
CLAUDIA
Believe me, I’ve seen what all of you
guys have gone through. I get it.
JULIA
We just want you to be happy, Claud.
That’s all.
The girls lay there in silence for a moment.
CLAUDIA (CONT’D)
You know what you were saying today, Jul?
About your wedding day?
JULIA
Uh huh.
CLAUDIA
I don’t think it’s going to be the same
for me. I mean, I know I’ll think about
Mom not being there, but... you and
Kirsten, you’ve been there for all the
“big” things in my life so far, you know?
And everybody else has, too. For all of
my competitions and my prom, and my
school graduation, and... all of you will
be there for me at my wedding, and...
well, we’re all a part of Mom and Dad,
so... sometimes that’s enough.
INT. INTERVIEW ROOM - MORNING
Nancy and Steve have set up shop again -- tape recorder, note
pages, etc. The Salingers are back for another day, only
sitting in different seats.
NANCY
(addressing the group)
We’ll get started in a second...
Before sits down, both she and Steve move their chairs closer
to Owen.
NANCY (CONT’D)
Owen, you’ve been kind of quiet through
all this. Is there anything you’d like
to say?
Owen simply shrugs.
OWEN
I dunno.
STEVE
Well, how about this: how about you just
tell me what you know about your parents?
OWEN
Alright.
STEVE
We’ll pretend it’s show-and-tell, like at
school. All you have to do is... well,
you’ve done that before, right?
Owen smiles. Show-and-tell is easy.
OWEN
Course. Plenty of times.
STEVE
So there you go. The floor’s all yours.
He’s still not quite sure what to say.
OWEN
Okay...
STEVE
Just “show-and-tell” us your parents.
Take your time. Say anything you want.
OWEN
I’ve seen pictures...
STEVE
That’s good. Are you in any of them?
OWEN
...and I’ve heard stories...
STEVE
Do you have a favorite?
OWEN
...but I never really knew my parents.
Steve can’t think of a thing to say.
CHARLIE
Yeah, but, Owen, we’ve told you all about
them.
BAILEY
That’s right. Like how when you were
born and Dad saw you were a boy, he
fainted and broke his nose on the floor.
CLAUDIA
That was classic.
JULIA
And how instead of a bear, he bought you
a little stuffed football to sleep with.
(to Charlie and Bailey)
Sports.
OWEN
But I don’t remember any of that. I
can’t tell those stories like you guys
can. I was only a baby. And what this
man said about show-and-tell...?
CHARLIE
Yeah, O?
OWEN
Other kids in school talk about their
grandparents like that. They never met
‘em, and they don’t know ‘em, but they
still talk about ‘em. That’s kind of
what I do with Mom and Dad.
Claudia is the only one among them who sort of understands.
CLAUDIA
I was just a little older than you are
now when it happened. And I wanna
remember everything I can about them, but
it’s hard. And some things just sort
of... slip away. But that’s what
brothers and sisters are for. The things
I forget, they remind me about. The
things I don’t know about them, they tell
me. And it helps. It makes it better.
(beat)
It makes us a family.
Owen lets this sink in.
OWEN
But Claudia... All you guys talked with
them. You... I dunno, talked.
(beat)
But I don’t even know what Dad’s voice
sounds like.
Claudia chokes back a tear and nods her head.
DISSOLVE TO:
INT. INTERVIEW ROOM - DAY
Steve and Nancy are both jotting down some notes. Engrossed
in the task, actually.
CHARLIE
Can I say something?
Nancy and Steve look up from their pads.
NANCY
(smiling)
Sure. That’s kind of the point of all
this.
CHARLIE
Bailey and Julia won’t remember this...
well, Bailey might, but my Dad kind of
rode me hard. He was always on my ass,
‘ya know? Pushing me. I have to do
this, I have to do that. This is what’s
best for me. Don’t ask questions, just
do it.
JULIA
You’re wrong, Charlie. I know about that
stuff. I was there, kinda hiding in the
background, but Dad never noticed.
BAILEY
Yeah, I saw it too, and he kinda pulled
some of that same stuff with me, but
not... it wasn’t the same like how he
talked to you. That was intense. I
remember you and him, sitting up late
around the kitchen table, and Dad just...
those issues. Man! Talk about heavy.
Charlie nods. He remembers. All too clearly.
CHARLIE
And I hated it. Bad. Worse than Julia
setting the table. Because I didn’t get
it. Half the time I didn’t even know
what he was talking about.
BAILEY
So you just sat there and took it?
CHARLIE
No, it wasn’t like that. Well, it kinda
was. Actually, that’s exactly what it
was like. But I’m looking through
hindsight, here. And I’m seeing the good
stuff.
JULIA
Just concentrating on the positive, huh?
CHARLIE
No... well, yeah, actually. Because
it’s...
I see the man he hoped I would become.
He never forced or, pushed, or... what’s
the word, Jul...
JULIA
Imposed?
CHARLIE
Yes! Imposed that stuff on me. He just
saw potential. But I wasn’t able to, you
know, see that quality in myself. But he
did. He recognized it. Right off the
bat. But I fought it, just because he
brought it up. Just because I wanted to
rebel. And here’s the funny thing: now I
want to throw my arms around him, hug
him, hold him close, and tell him that he
was right. That he knows more than I can
ever hope to. And I learned that lesson
the hard way.
(beat)
But I can’t tell him that. I can’t
introduce him to his grandson and tell
him that I wish the same things for him
that he wished for me.
Bailey reaches out, touches Charlie’s arm.
BAILEY
Sometimes hindsight, it’s not such a bad
thing.
Charlie pats Bailey’s hand. He knows. It’s in his eyes.
All his siblings can see it.
DISSOLVE TO:
INT. INTERVIEW ROOM - DAY
Steve and Nancy have put their pads aside. They’re sitting
in their chairs just like the Salingers are: slumped down,
feet out, relaxed. Just a group of people hanging out
talking.
But the tape recorder is still running.
NANCY
Okay, so we’re done with all the formal
stuff. You know, the questions, the
poking and prodding.
STEVE
But there’s just one more thing...
Great. There’s always a catch.
NANCY
And this is just my own curiosity here.
But I’m wondering if there’s a certain
memory -- something special about your
parents -- that you all share. Not your
own personal... all the stuff each of you
went through, but something that... You
know what I mean?
The corner of Charlie’s mouth curls into a sly smile. Bailey
and Julia lock eyes with each other. Claudia reaches out,
rubs Owen’s arm.
STEVE
So...?
CHARLIE
It happened totally by chance. We never
would’ve, I mean, if it weren’t for
Julia...
BAILEY
What d’ya expect? She goes through
everything.
JULIA
(smiling)
Hey!
BAILEY
Just kidding, Jul.
She gives him a good-natured little kick.
CLAUDIA
But even if it wasn’t her, one of us
would have come across it sooner or
later, right?
CHARLIE
Maybe not, Claud. You know Dad and his
hiding places.
NANCY
I’m sorry. Hiding places?
The Salingers know she’s right. Perhaps they did get a
little ahead of themselves.
BAILEY
See, we were in their bedroom. Their old
bedroom, that is, and--
OWEN
Are you guys talking about the present?
Smiles from his brothers and sisters. He hit the nail on the
head. Drove it home with a sledgehammer, actually.
CHARLIE
You bet, O.
OWEN
(smiling)
Good. I like this story.
Charlie ruffles his hair.
JULIA
Well...after everything, um...we had to
clean out all our parents’ stuff. Box up
their clothes, get their bottles out of
the medicine cabinet, that sort of thing.
BAILEY
Right. And we thought we got all of
their, you know, their private stuff.
The stuff the didn’t want us to know
about.
CLAUDIA
Like that pack of cigarettes under the
mattress on Mom’s side of the bed.
CHARLIE
Or that little book where Dad kept track
of how much he bet on each 49’ers game.
BAILEY
So we thought we got it all.
JULIA
But then... I was in the basement.
There were, like, nine loads of laundry
to do, and the washing machine was acting
up. I had to open this thing on this
pipe...
CHARLIE
It was a check valve, Jul.
JULIA
Whatever. And I couldn’t turn it with my
hands. So I went to Dad’s tool chest to
see if I could find something. It was
this huge thing with a million drawers,
but nothing in any of ‘em fit the thing
that I needed to turn. So I started
taking the drawers out. What did I know,
right? Maybe there was something behind
them.
(beat)
Turns out, there was.
And it was better than any tool.
BAILEY
I just came out of my room and was going
down to get a snack, and there’s Julia,
coming up the stairs, right? And she’s
holding it out in both hands in front of
her, just looking at it like... And as
soon as I saw what she was holding, I
knew.
It’s a sweet recollection, and it feels good to share it.
CHARLIE
See, Dad was always hiding gifts he
bought for Mom.
CLAUDIA
‘Cause Mom would always snoop and find
them.
CHARLIE
Yeah, so Dad had to get creative with his
hiding places.
JULIA
All I wanted was something to turn the
pipe with. Then I found this gift. It
had a bow and everything. You guys
remember the card?
BAILEY
He actually wrote a poem. Maybe that’s
where you get it from, Jul.
JULIA
It was just two lines on the back of his
business card, Bay.
CLAUDIA
But he got the gift a good, what... month
and-a-half before he had to give it to
her? That’s the part that gets me. He
planned ahead.
But they’re the ones who discovered his plan.
NANCY
So what was it? What was the gift?
The Salingers all try to choke back secret smiles.
CHARLIE
We never unwrapped it.
JULIA
There’s this great paper on it. Pink
with little, shiny flowers that reflect
the light, and this white ribbon-like
thing that weaves through it all.
CLAUDIA
But most of that stuff has faded now.
STEVE
So where do you keep it? Like, on a
shelf with dust and stuff?
Not even close.
BAILEY
We thought about it. And, let’s be
perfectly honest here, that’s what would
have happened if Charlie didn’t come up
with the idea.
CHARLIE
(smiling)
I wanted to put it under the Christmas
tree. It seemed like the thing to do
that year, you know? Owen was still a
baby, and it just, I dunno... felt right.
JULIA
And then we did it again the next year.
CLAUDIA
And the year after that.
BAILEY
And the year after that.
CHARLIE
Then it was just became a tradition.
OWEN
It’s better than Santa Claus.
INT. HALLWAY - DAY
The door to room 431 swings open and the Salingers, one-by
one, begin to file out. Steve and Nancy are on the threshold
saying their goodbyes.
NANCY
I can’t tell you how much we appreciate
you guys coming in to talk to us.
CHARLIE
(tilting his head)
Actually, it was really great for us,
too.
They smile, then as the Salingers walk down the hallway they
spot another family -- a boy and two girls -- similar in age
passing them, walking toward room 431.
The Salingers turn their heads, watch them walk by. See that
they’re greeted by Steve and Nancy.
NANCY
Thank you so much for coming.
Steve and Nancy shake their hands as they file into the room,
one-by-one.
The Salingers look at each other and reflect on this, and it
hits them:
Their story is just one of many.
FADE TO BLACK.
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