Hope Floats Page #6

so l could live the way l wanted.

I don't know. l figured, out of everybody,

you'd understand that.

I do.

I envy you. Everything

you love is right here.

Not everything, Birdee.

Hey, hey, hey.

Justin, l can't--

Shh.

You are so beautiful.

I'm not afraid of living alone

l was alone before he came

I don't have the strength

To fight anymore

But this time's not the same

So tell me why I keep holding on

To something l just cannot see

What makes you stay

When your world falls apart?

What makes you try one more time

When it's not in your heart?

At the end of your rope

When you can't find any hope

You still look at him and say

"I just can't walk away"

Tell me, what makes you stay?

I'll talk to you later. Bye.

Mama?

Kitchen!

Where's Bernice?

Oh, they ate hours ago.

Boy, she had a face on her

like a bucket of worms.

And l don't know what's going on there.

What's this?

Oh, nothing.

I just invited Justin over for dinner.

He sounded like he could use cheering up.

I don't want to see Justin tonight, Mama.

Justin is my friend and if

he's feeling down in the dumps...

...and l feel like cheering him up,

that's my business.

This is not the time for your matchmaking.

Matchmaking? What an imagination.

Ugh. God.

Come on, Birdee. Come on.

Join us.

You don't have to say anything.

You know, you could just sit there.

Maybe, you know, you could

quietly chew or something.

Oh, there's nothing

you can do about it, sweetie.

I'm going upstairs to sleep.

All right.

Now, Birdee,

this has never been a rude house.

Strange, perhaps, but never rude.

Now, l would like you to go

and welcome our guest.

Hey, I'm still your mama, missy.

You move it.

Hello, Bernice.

These are for you.

Thanks, but I'm allergic.

Hey, Mrs. Calvert.

How are you, Justin? Glad to see you.

How you doing?

Good.

l don't want these.

Bernice.

But thanks anyway.

Hey, Birdee. What's going on?

Hey, Justin.

Oh, my goodness.

You've been cooking in here, huh?

Oh, that's nothing.

I hope you enjoy it.

Yes, indeed.

Come on, let's all sit down here now.

That's fine.

You're not joining us,

Mama?

Oh, you know, l forgot.

I ate earlier with the children.

You know, I'll tell you,

this memory is really going.

Sorry about last night.

I'm only sorry about this morning.

I know you have a crush on me.

A crush?

Birdee, this ain't high school.

You know what l mean, Bill.

Justin.

What?

My name is Justin.

It ain't Bill.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

You know, Birdee...

...you used to be so...

...l don't know...

...audacious, bold.

People would stop to watch you

come down the street.

"Here comes that Birdee Calvert."

Their eyes would light up.

You could see it on their faces.

Look at me.

You think you've lost that.

I can still see it.

Bill can't see that.

You don't know anything about Bill.

I know that Bill could let you go.

Damn, Birdee!

When are you gonna face up to the fact

that he ain't coming back for you?

Get out of here. My daddy is coming back.

Bernice.

He loves me and he wants my mother.

He'll kill you if you come around here.

Stop it.

Tell him.

Be quiet!

You better go.

Yup.

Listen, why don't both of you go out?

Bernice and I will stay here and visit.

Oh, no.

That's all right.

When you get tired of waiting,

give me a call. l hope Im still around.

Thanks, Mrs. Calvert.

Boy, you just amaze me, Birdee.

You know, your love life has always

been a disaster area.

They ought to have those

big orange cones all around you.

What can I say, Mama?

I'm my own crown of thorns.

Hey, you think life goes on forever?

You think behind every chance

is another chance...

...and then another one and another one?

It's the worst kind of extravagance,

the way you spend your chances, Birdee.

Get out of here and don't come back!

Bernice!

Bernice, stop it. What is the matter

with you? What are you doing?

Why didn't you tell him

he loves us and is coming back?

Because I don't know,

all right?

I don't know if Daddy loves us

and l don't know if he's coming back.

He loves me! He loves me,

even if he doesn't love you!

Oh, l just sent him away.

What more do you want from me?

I want my daddy.

He wouldn't have left

if you had loved him enough.

No, your daddy didn't love me enough.

This is all your fault and you know it.

Aunt Birdee.

Help, please, somebody.

I've fallen over and I can't get up. Help!

You know, that is the prettiest one.

Birdee Calvert.

She looks like

she belongs in a bar.

Why, hello, Birdee.

It's about time

you came by and said hi.

Hey, Mike.

You being good?

Well, Im trying to be.

Just doesn't seem

to be working out that way.

Can l get a vodka tonic,

extra lime, please?

You surely may.

Thanks.

What do you want to say to Dennis?

You know how, late at night,

I get calls really late?

Just say it. What?

When they call me...

Thanks.

On me.

...they call me to dance.

Thank you.

Hey.

I'm really an exotic--

I'm really an exotic dancer.

You shouldn't have done this on TV.

l mean, Birdee.

I mean, what kind of name--? What--?

You know what happens to birdies.

They're cat food. They're target practice.

Birdee, Birdee, Birdee!

Come on. Hey, come on.

Look, it's a good name.

Have some coffee.

Might wanna pace yourself.

Know what? I'm fine. I'm gonna go home.

You sure?

Don't let me get like that, for God sakes.

Don't ever let me get like that.

l look pretty pathetic, huh? Yeah?

Uh-huh.

Poor woman. Husband leaves her

on national television.

I know. We cried. Ha, ha, ha.

You know what? Do not believe

everything you see, all right?

Boy, if I believed everything I saw

down at the photo shop...

...Id believe Miss Bobbi-Claire

got herself some new titties.

I got one word for y'all.

Polaroid!

Polaroid!

Oh, come on, Bobbi-Claire.

Don't leave.

Come on, you won.

Come on now, Birdee. Take it easy.

Oh, man.

Que sera, sera, people.

Birdee.

Are you okay?

Whatever you do, Mama,

please, don't say anything.

Don't be clever, don't be smart.

Because I really can't take it tonight.

Why don't you sit on that?

The tiles are always so cold

in this bathroom.

Everything is so wrong without Bill.

I know.

l miss him so much.

I know.

He used to call me "baby."

I never in a million years thought

I'd be a woman who liked that...

...but l did, with him.

Sure you do.

I miss his hands.

Just his hands and

the way that he would just--

He would put them on

the small of my back...

...and just lead me into a room.

It made me feel so safe.

I miss all that.

Of course you do, honey.

Oh, God.

I know it's so easy

to blame him.

But you know what?

I think it's me.

I do.

Because he used to look at me

and l used to see myself in his eyes.

And it was like he saw me.

And l was audacious, Mama.

I was.

And then, l don't know,

things just started to change.

The harder l tried to be

what he wanted me to be...

...the less I saw myself in his eyes.

Just one day,

I looked and I was gone.

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