Hope Floats Page #4

home with you.

Oh, all right.

You can sit right down there.

Okay.

Birdee Calvert.

Oh. l bet the customers

will stand in line to see you again.

Oh, yeah, we have a full range of arts

and crafts to keep our loved ones happy.

It's like summer camp, really,

only it's all year round. Lucky them.

Charlie, come here.

Here we are.

Look who's here, Mr. C.

Birdee.

All these people just to see you.

Told you she was coming.

So good to see you.

Well, enjoy.

So how are you keeping,

Daddy? Huh?

What's wrong with him?

It's just a stroke.

Nothing to worry about.

And a little Old Timer's.

She means Alzheimer's.

l know what l mean.

But you know exactly what's going on,

don't you, Daddy? Yeah.

Oh, thank him for the bunny.

He doesn't even know who l am.

Sure he does, sweetheart.

It's just a little hard for him

to show it. Come on, say hello.

Sure, go ahead.

Travis, you want to kiss

your grandpa hello?

All right. l think what we need

here is a little ice cream.

That's a great idea.

Let Mama and Grandpa have a little time

together. We'll be in the cafeteria, Harry.

You'll be okay?

We'll be fine.

So.

Well, I'll tell you one thing.

I'm not gonna sit here and tell you

what a nice place we got you in...

...or how good you look.

Because we're adults, right?

Well, at least you are.

Hey, Mama says you do that

blinking thing with your eyes.

One blink for yes, two for no.

Can you do that?

Hm?

Just on your good day, huh?

I get it.

That was Bernice, Daddy.

You remember Bernice?

There it is.

That's Bernice, Daddy.

She's the best thing I ever did.

I wish Bill could be here...

...but we're having a bit of trouble.

But enough of that, right?

I'm going to write her name

right down here...

...on the bottom of her picture.

So when she comes back here,

maybe you could recognize her...

...and give her a little sign or something.

She could really use one.

What, Daddy?

Chances are Ill see you

Somewhere in my dreams tonight

I recall your laughter and your smile

I remember how

You made me feel so at ease

I remember all your grace, your style

Chances are Ill hold you

And Ill offer all I have

You're the only one l can't forget

You're the best I've ever met

You don't have a daddy, either, Mom.

Don't break that. I've had it forever.

Come on, it's late.

Here you go.

My little burrito baby.

Snug as a bug in a rug.

You're out of luck if your nose itches.

Good night.

Night, Mom.

Well, if it isn't Birdee Calvert.

Bobbi-Claire Akins.

Patterson now.

Oh, great.

How are you? l heard

about your sad news.

How Bill could humiliate you like that

in front of the entire world...

...is just beyond me.

We have a satellite dish, so we got to

see it twice. Once Central, once Mountain.

You poor thing.

What can I do for you?

Anyway, I brought you these.

My sister's wedding reception.

Triple prints, please. I'll come back

after I get my hair done.

I just love this thing

you're doing with your hair.

It's so down-to-earth

and natural-like.

I wish I could be more like that.

I'm fearless that way.

No. No. No, no, no!

No! No!

What is the matter with you,

you big piece of crap? Ugh!

Mr. Davis.

I'm sorry, Bobbi-Claire.

I'm...

Sorry? You think that does it?

These pictures were irreplaceable!

I know, I know. Something

must have got in the gate.

There's nothing! There's not a blur,

not a face with red eyes.

Think Debbi-Lynn

gets married every day?

Debbi-Lynn?

Isn't this her fourth or--?

It is her fifth,

Miss High and Mighty.

But they each had

very different themes.

And now there is

nothing to show for it.

Well, at least l caught it

before the other ones got ruined.

Oh, yes. You are just

Little Miss Employee of the Month.

Mr. Davis, I hope I can count on you to

make sure that this never happens again.

And l believe you know

what I mean.

What?

Oh, dear. Am l gonna

have to fire you?

Oh, come on,

she'll cool off.

It's gotta be hard carrying

around all that hair, you know?

Well, if she sends a bill...

...Im gonna have to dock you,

Birdee, for at least half.

I'm sorry.

Now, come on. Let's get this back online.

Go get back online.

Shut up.

Did you know that

you were the first girl l ever kissed?

l did know that, yup.

We were playing spin the bottle.

And you stuck your tongue in my mouth.

I didn't know

you were supposed to do that.

Of course.

l was mortified.

I thought you were an epileptic.

I went home and told Mama I was kissing

you and you had a seizure in my mouth.

I was over the moon for you

back then, Birdee.

You knew that.

No, I didn't.

Why didn't you

ever say anything?

Coward.

Chicken.

Chicken, pure and simple.

Big chicken.

I don't know.

You and Bill were up here.

I was somewhere else.

I mean, what would you have

said if I had asked you out?

I don't know what l would have said.

I'm not the same person I was back then.

How about if

I asked you out now?

Is that what you're doing?

Yeah,

that's what Im doing.

I would have to say no.

Because I'm a married woman.

What's the matter with you?

Not on a date, though.

Just dinner.

Married people have to eat, right?

I don't know. l don't know.

What about I take you to a nice place,

get a great fish dinner?

Boy, am l glad we're not having

steak. Im a little rusty at roping steer.

Yeah, well, you're not so hot

at this, either.

Relax, Birdee.

Just sit back

and let the fish come to you.

You know who would love this? Bernice.

Hey.

Breathe.

I'm breathing.

Just listen.

What have you been doing since--

It just kills you to be quiet for five minutes.

Like it kills you to answer

a personal question.

I went to California.

You didn't like it?

I'm here, ain't l?

Yes, you are.

Yes, l am.

You know those people

who publish those calendars?

Uh-huh.

They'd love your pictures.

So l like pretty pictures.

That's who l am.

You don't get voted Most Popular

and Best Smile if you have an edge.

You know,

you do have a great smile.

Don't show it to me, though.

Come here.

Hey.

Come sit by me.

Want to help?

No.

Don't smile now.

I'm not.

Let's see his smile.

He's got a great smile.

Hold on.

He won Smile of the Year

in his school. Get it?

Hit the ball, Popeye.

Big Dolores!

Can't you do this in the backyard, Mama?

It's so embarrassing.

Honey, they're dead.

How can they be embarrassed?

l hated this so much

when l was your age.

One day, all of this is gonna be yours.

Hey, what's wrong?

How was school?

Fine.

Nah-ah.

Big Dolores is going to murder Bernice.

Be quiet, Travis.

Who's Big Dolores?

She's the meanest

and dumbest girl in school.

But she keeps passing, because

even teachers are afraid of Big Dolores.

She has her own gang too.

It's called Big Dolores.

What's she got against Bernice?

Bernice hit Big Dolores in the face

with a volleyball...

...in front of the whole school.

And now Bernice is going to die.

Bernice, you hit somebody in the face

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