Arcadia Page #5

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Unbelievable!

What were you thinking, Nat?

I did it.

You're in real trouble,

young lady.

Don't you ever pull a stunt

like that again.

Well, if you weren't speeding,

then we wouldn't have gotten

- pulled over in the first place.

- Don't push me, Greta, you hear me?

Just as crazy as your mother.

What? What did you just say?

It's nothing new, is it?

She's always playing

the victim, you know.

Just after you were born...

I don't know if you knew

anything about this,

but I'm gonna tell you 'cause I think

you're old enough now.

Just after you were born,

she went up to Vermont,

to her sister's.

She wanted to separate.

I wasn't gonna let that happen.

She was just being hysterical,

calling her parents every day,

getting them against me too.

Her dad, your grandfather, tried to

get involved. It was bad stuff.

I mean...

It was really bad stuff.

Wha... What kind of stuff?

She was claiming

I'd emotionally abused her,

bullshit stuff like that.

Excuse my language.

But that's the word for it.

She was lucky I was willing to stay married

to her, mostly for your sake, you know.

That's just not the kind of thing

a mother should do with a baby.

I convinced her

to come back, but...

your life would be

different now if she hadn't.

Your mom used to be so happy

back when I met her.

She was so pretty.

She still is.

Hey, Ham.

Things happen for a reason.

You know?

You're gonna love Arcadia.

No more cliquey New England.

Your dad's never had a shot

like this one, never.

Now I get to be my own boss,

you know?

But I just worry that

the same thing's gonna happen...

No, no, no.

This is an entirely

different situation.

These guys were literally begging

me to come out there.

Cheer up.

You're gonna be

a California girl.

My California kids.

It's Grand Canyon day!

You gotta be kidding me.

Maybe it'll go fast.

What is this, national Grand

Canyon day? Jesus.

We're finally here, Natty.

Finally.

Uh, that'll be $49.

Twenty-five for the vehicle

and 24 for the two adults.

I think I heard you say $49.

I must have heard wrong.

No, you heard right, sir.

Really?

I...

I don't know that I can condone

that kind of highway robbery...

when it comes

to a national treasure.

Let me ask you something.

Do you feel comfortable

charging that kind of money...

for something owned

by taxpayers?

Someone's gotta pay for the upkeep,

the salaries and so forth.

Well, I thought that's

why I have the pleasure...

of the federal government taking

40% of my salary every year.

Nope. It's not for the Grand Canyon

entrance fees, sir.

Yeah?

You can keep

your Grand Canyon then.

Dad, you can't do this to him.

You just can't.

I thought a promise

was a promise.

Okay, I'm sorry, guys, but...

we're way behind schedule.

You kids gotta start school.

I gotta start my job.

We don't wanna rush through

something like that.

We'll go back someday

when we have more time, okay?

Hey, I tell you what.

We'll go to Walnut Canyon instead.

You told us we were

going to the Grand Canyon,

not some other dinky canyon.

Yeah, well, we're not.

That's just the way it's gonna be.

Why? Just because you're too cheap

to do what you promised?

You better shut

your mouth, Greta.

Not this again.

You shut yours too.

Or what? What are you gonna do?

Abandon us like you did Mom?

Give me a break. You know damn well

your mother's coming later.

Why do you keep feeding us this bull?

You're divorcing her! Admit it!

Why don't you

just tell us the truth?

Hey! I've had enough

of your lip.

Your mother abandoned you,

not the other way around.

Get that through your goddamn skull,

you ungrateful little sh*t.

Who's with you right now?

Who's carting you 3,000 miles at great

personal hardship and expense? Huh?

I got news for you.

It's not your mother.

You're a liar!

I wanna go back to Mom!

- Get out then. Get out!

- Jesus, Dad, stop!

- No! - Yeah. Get out and

run back to your mommy.

- I don't wanna look at your little face.

- Dad, this is crazy.

You can't do this.

Stop!

- You're a f***ing a**hole!

- Get out!

Hi. Tom, Jane,

Caroline, Greta and...

Come with me a second.

You know, I don't enjoy having

those kinds of arguments with you.

I don't want them

to keep happening.

I do understand that this is hard

on you, this move and all.

I'm going to tell you something that

will probably make it harder.

Your mom...

isn't at Aunt Deedee's.

Where is she then?

She's at a psychiatric clinic.

Why?

Because she had a breakdown

when you were at camp.

Breakdown? That's right.

A nervous breakdown.

She'll be there a little longer,

then she'll be out.

Why did we leave her then?

You know why.

We had to get

to California, Griz.

It'll be okay.

She'll be out soon.

What about the lawyers...

and Grandma and Grandpa?

They seem to think that I'm not

allowed to move you kids,

and they're wrong.

What are they doing?

Oh, they're just making

empty threats mostly.

Nothing you need

to get too worried about.

What's gonna happen? It'll all

be okay, Griz. I promise.

Does Caroline know?

Why didn't you tell me?

Why wouldn't you tell me?

Well, I didn't wanna make this

whole process harder on you kids.

But you lied to us.

No.

You said so yourself. Sometimes you

have to lie. No. Not in this case.

Listen.

There are realities kids aren't

supposed to deal with yet.

You have the rest of your life

to deal with this crap.

I'd rather not be a part

of dishing it out now.

But you are.

This move is going to turn out to be

one of the best things...

to ever happen to our family.

We're not even

a family anymore.

Oh, that's not fair.

You kept acting like everything

was gonna be fine.

I think it will be.

I don't.

Ah-ha-ha!

There it is, guys...

Los Angeles.

The city of angels.

Los Angeles.

We made it.

Whoo-hoo!

Well, nerds,

you've just traveled 2,848 miles

to your new home.

What? This will be fine, guys.

You haven't even seen the pool.

Come on.

Ah, okay, so,

we'll all sleep in here together

till we rent the furniture.

That way you guys don't have

to sleep alone.

We're renting furniture?

Yeah.

- When will that be?

- Soon.

Hey, Dad?

Yeah?

Are these for the pool?

Well, that's one way to use 'em. But we're

gonna use 'em as mattresses for now.

Does someone wanna give me a hand

blowing these things up?

Well, tomorrow I'll drop

you guys off at school.

We'll have to find

another solution though...

because I'll need

to leave early for work.

I'll get you guys bikes.

What about me?

I'll figure something out.

- Come on, Caroline.

- You could ride a bike too.

- When's Mom coming?

- Please say soon.

Probably in the next

couple weeks.

We'll see.

You said she'd be here.

Yeah.

That's what I thought.

I'm sorry I don't have

all the answers.

No one does.

Hey, Ham?

Mm-hmm?

Could you show me how to do

my hair like yours? For school.

Why do you wanna look like me?

I don't know.

You're pretty.

I'll do it for you

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