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all right?

I just need something.

Is that an invitation?

Bye.

Bye.

remember the blue beetle?

It promised us a long and happy life.

Forget it.

Hansel and Gretel's mother

was a terrible woman.

Why didn't the witch eat her?

I don't think you told the story right.

Honey, your mama is gonna come get you

just as soon as she can, I promise.

Stop picking at that doll's eyes, will you?

That makes me nervous.

Bernice!

Bernice! Come here.

What do you think you're doing?

Do you think I am stupid?

I wouldn't find out?

What's the matter?

What do you think you're doing?

What did l do?

If you have something to say

to me, say it flat out.

Do not say it behind my back.

Do you have something to tell me?

No.

Tell me!

What do you want me to say?

Stop playing innocent!

I know what you told him!

Told who?

Your father. I just got off the phone.

Do you know what he said to me?

"I'm sorry you're taking this so hard.

I'm sorry you can't get out of bed,

but we have a daughter to take care of."

What did you say to him?

Nothing. It wasn't bad.

I just said you were sad. We both are.

That is our business.

That's not his business.

Besides, we're not sad. We're fine.

We are not! You don't care about me,

ask me about school.

You don't make breakfast.

You promised Daddy

you'd take care of me!

I promised Daddy?

Well, you know what?

Daddy promised me the world

and Daddy didn't honor his promise.

I will break every promise

I make to your daddy.

Birdee, stop it. That's enough now.

It is not a crime to tell the truth.

Not in this house.

Don't yell at her.

She's my daughter.

I'll yell at her all l want to.

Will you just take a look at yourself?

Wandering around night and day

in your bathrobe.

You're hiding out. You're scared.

Lord, what happened to you?

You used to be so pleasing.

You know what?

I had to be pleasing, Mama.

With the town joke as a mother,

I had to be pleasing.

When you'd flounce yourself

into school...

...with your roadkill hat

and freshly skinned bag.

Mom, l learned how to be pleasing.

You're pleasing nobody.

You're miserable yourself.

And I've never been unhappy.

So the joke is on you, honey.

Don't yell at her.

Oh, Im finished, believe me.

Come on, Travis. Come on out here.

I didn't hurt you, did l?

Because I wouldn't hurt you for anything

in the world. You know that, don't you?

It's okay. Night, Travis.

Night.

Excuse me.

Birdee. Birdee Calvert!

I heard you were back in town.

Hello.

Debbie. Debbie Reissen.

Debbie Reissen.

How are you?

How are you?

Did you come here to see Dot?

Dot.

Dot. She runs the whole office now.

Oh, yeah, yeah. I came to see Dot.

She'll be so tickled.

Oh, great.

Dottie, in a million years,

you'll never guess...

...who came all the way from Chicago,

Illinois, to see you.

Take me off the intercom, please.

Blinded with fear

She guessed.

Would you like to have a seat?

Great. Thank you.

She'll be right with you.

Ain't no time to grieve

Said it's daybreak

If you'll only believe

I saw you on television.

Really?

I taped it.

Yeah.

Sing it, sing it

Sing it to the world

Sing it, sing it

Birdee! Come on in.

No calls, Deborah.

Hi.

Hi.

I didn't keep you too long?

Oh, no, it's fine, thank you.

You look beautiful.

Same old Birdee.

Same old Dot.

Heh, heh.

You have no idea who I am, do you?

No, sorry. I don't.

It's all right.

When I knew you, l was about 5 inches

shorter and about 70 pounds heavier.

We didn't exactly eat

at the same lunch table.

Polka Dot?

Is that right?

Yeah. Ha, ha.

Nobody's called me that

in a long time.

Oh, my God! You look fantastic.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Have a seat.

Oh, my God. I mean,

it's remarkable.

Was I really that terrible before,

Birdee?

Oh, no, no, no. l just meant that--

Yeah, well, l know what you meant.

People change.

We get better as we get older.

Yeah.

Gosh, you look exactly the same.

Well, no, actually l--

Oh, l know.

I heard about you and Bill.

Yeah.

Yeah, he always was the ladies' man.

You all right?

Oh, Im fine, Im fine.

You know, so much of that

is staged for TV.

It's for ratings and...

Yeah.

So you need a job.

What sort of work have you been doing?

Um, housework.

Bill worked and he didn't want--

We have a daughter.

So l took care of her.

Okay.

How fast do you type?

Don't type.

Okay. Computer skills.

Don't compute.

Oh, goodness.

You're gonna have to give me some sort

of idea what you're looking for here...

...because I'm not likely

to find a listing for prom queen.

Well, um...

...l used to take pictures.

I was good at that.

So maybe l could get a job

at the newspaper...

...or Jackson's Portrait Studio.

It's closed down,

and the newspaper is not hiring.

I can tell you that right now.

Oh, okay, okay.

So...

Dot, l would really like a job.

One that I could

like myself for...

...even if it's just

for a little while.

Birdee--

Dot...

...l don't know how l treated you

in high school.

I'm guessing it was pretty bad...

...seeing how you're hell-bent on

putting me in my place right now.

And that's okay.

Just--

Just put me in a job too.

I would really be grateful.

Well...

Shoot some pictures over the weekend.

Okay, great.

I'll look them over.

Great.

I'll do what I can.

Thank you. Thank you.

Enjoy your food, honey.

Thanks.

It's not for sissies,

you know.

Dining alone.

Gotta be made of some

pretty stern stuff to do that.

Really?

See, the trick is

to seem mysterious.

Like the choice is yours.

Impressive.

Yeah, well,

you pick these things up.

Would you care to join me?

Can't do that.

That would be cheating.

Oh.

Besides, Id rather wait.

Well, l gotta go.

Remember, mysterious.

That's the key.

Oh.

Maybe order some dessert,

just to spite them.

All right.

Make me proud.

Keep the change. Thank you.

Thank you.

Smile

Though your heart is aching

Smile

Even though it's breaking

When there are clouds

In the sky

You'll get by

If you smile

Through your fears and sorrow

Smile and maybe tomorrow

You'll see the sun come shining through

If you just smile

These are good, Birdee.

Really?

Really.

So do you think you can find something

for me like we talked about?

Think l can.

Great. Thanks.

And then you take the film, like so,

and you run it through here.

Now, make sure that this here

is shut tight.

Okay.

And then you just follow it along, like so.

And then it comes out here, like so.

And then you separate it.

Like so.

That's right.

Now, everyone's film has to be

developed in less than an hour.

Okay.

Otherwise it's free.

Any questions?

Nope.

Occasionally, we get pictures of

a somewhat questionable nature.

Naked pictures?

Oh, we never comment on them.

We just hand them over

as if we hadn't seen a thing.

I understand, Mr. Davis.

But first, we make a copy.

And we put them in the second drawer

under the counter.

And you can have a look

any time you want.

Just don't take any of them

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