Nights in Rodanthe Page #3

But when I get to the house,

his son won't even let me see him.

Kicks in my car.

Must have been very hurtful.

He was angry.

I meant for you.

To be held responsible

for the death of a mother.

Look, if me being here

makes you feel uncomfortable, I can go.

I was planning on grilling a salmon

for dinner.

Sounds good.

ADRIENNE:

Oh, Jean, don't worry so much.

Whatever I didn't find in the inn,

I bought downtown.

-We're gonna be just fine.

JEAN [O VER PHONE]: Whoa, whoa, whoa.

"We"? Mm.

[LAUGHING]

Don't start with me.

I didn't mean anything by "we," all right?

Dr. Flanner and I.

Doctor, is it?

Listen to me.

I'm not gonna do this with you.

So now we know he's rich.

But is he good-looking?

I am not having this conversation

with you.

[LAUGHING]

That good-looking, huh?

I didn't say that.

You know I didn't say that.

Oh, come on.

Tell me my great-grandmama's place

is doing you some good.

Come on, it is, isn't it?

It is, you could tell me.

Don't you have something

you're supposed to do...

...like meeting dealers,

showing them your work?

I am meeting and I am showing.

[MAN SPEAKING IN FRENCH]

I am giving all I got.

God.

-This is Miss Amanda.

PAUL:
Aw.

Before and after.

-You see the whole story there now?

-Ha-ha-ha.

She is really something else.

Whatever she thinks or feels,

she will let you know.

She's like her dad like that.

You don't have to second-guess her.

But I do admire her for her honesty,

really I do.

I don't think there's much

she admires about me lately.

But that's fine.

And this is my Danny.

PAUL:

Oh.

Look at him. Is he about 9?

-Ten, yeah.

-Ten.

He's always in his own world.

I think when he grows up,

he's going to be a writer...

...or philosopher...

...or do something really special

with all of that solitude.

-You light up when you talk about him.

-Thanks.

Both your kids.

I saw a picture of you with a little boy.

Must be your son?

Mark.

He's 28 now. Believe that? My God.

Yeah, he's a...

He's a doctor, like his dad.

Well...

...I don't think he'd see it quite like that,

but he's-

He heads a clinic in Ecuador,

up in the mountains.

Wow. He must be doing

some important work there.

I tend to think he's hiding.

Probably from me.

Oh, stop. Stop.

Well, when was the last time you spoke?

Ah, it's been almost a year now.

Yeah. Yeah.

I'm sorry, I just can't imagine that.

I mean...

...you know, Amanda drives me crazy...

...but not talking for a year, I...

He was there when the woman died.

And I had...

I sent the surgery nurse out there

to tell the husband...

...which probably wasn't

the smartest thing to do.

But I had four operations

that morning already...

...and I had another patient waiting

in the next O.R.

I feel like me standing around

with the husband...

...was not gonna bring his wife back.

Mark did not approve.

I'm sure he felt it was just another example

of me making the wrong decision.

Bad doctor. Bad father. Bad, bad, bad.

Anyway, in a month he was gone.

Hmm.

I've been leaning on

a pharmaceutical company...

...to send drugs and medical equipment

down there.

I'm going down there for two weeks.

I'm gonna bring him back.

Must be something in this wine,

I am just, "Blah, blah. "

I'm sorry. I'm really sorry.

Stop.

I'd like for you to come with me.

Okay.

All right, where are you taking me?

Jean had a great-grandmother

who came here right after the Civil War.

You're surrounded by the spirit-gods

that she taught Jean about.

That's Yemaja.

This is you, isn't it?

I was in my 20s. Ha, ha.

God of thunder.

Not a happy guy tonight.

Oh, there's Amanda. With Jean.

-Jean's her godmother.

-Hmm. Oh, she's adorable.

Sweet.

I made that.

-This? You made this?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Get out of here.

Years ago, from driftwood.

Something I learned

from the local women.

They used them for special things

that they loved and wanted to keep safe.

The more scarred and twisted the wood

the better...

...because if you could make something

beautiful out of it, it meant that much more.

What would you keep in yours?

My children.

And Jean.

And memories of my father.

Yeah.

Who keeps you safe?

Well, you fall in love with someone,

you know...

...and you make a family...

...and you become

what you think you're supposed to be.

And you change

and you give up certain things.

Then they look at what you've got left

and you wish you...

I don't know, you just think

maybe you shouldn't have.

Don't.

Just don't do it anymore.

Huh.

[PHONE RINGING]

Oh, my. Sorry, I forgot it was even...

Oh, it's Amanda.

Oh.

Hi, sweetheart.

[LAUGHING]

I knew you were gonna have a good time.

That's great, sweetie.

I'm looking at a baby picture of you

right now.

How's Danny?

Good, that's great.

That's great, honey.

Yes, I am thinking about

what your daddy asked me.

That's right, thinking about it, sweetheart,

that's what I said.

Amanda. Amanda. Listen to me, honey.

That's something that your father and I

are deciding.

It's complicated, sweetheart.

We have to talk about it.

There isn't anything to talk about. Okay?

[O VER PHONE] Dad says he loves you

and he wants to come back. You promised.

I promised? What did he tell you, honey?

You said you would give him a chance.

You're only thinking about what you want.

It's not fair to us.

Put your father on the phone.

DANNY [O VER PHONE]:

Stop picking on Mom.

AMANDA:

Stop being such a little mama's boy.

DANNY:

Dad, Amanda called me a mama's boy.

I hear you're gonna have

some bad weather.

Did you tell Amanda that I promised you?

Don't get mad. She got ahead of herself

because she wants things to work out.

I can't believe how irresponsible

you're being.

You drag the children into a conversation

that you and I haven't even had?

You know what? No. I covered your ass

with those kids when you left me.

I don't even deserve a weekend here alone

to think...

...after you've pulled a 180 on me?

You say you wanna come back to me

and what am I supposed to do?

Just pretend that the last seven months

didn't even happen?

You okay?

["A ROCKIN' GOOD WAY" PLAYING]

I think I'm going to have a drink.

How about a shot? Would you like

to have a shot? I'm gonna have a shot.

Yeah. Yeah, I'd like a shot.

Ooh.

You know the thing about this music?

No, what?

Mm.

The thing about this music...

...is the same thing about this whiskey.

Which is?

Mm.

I forget.

Now, I love Jean...

...but she buys all this canned food

in case of a hurricane or something...

...and she never eats it.

She keeps it forever.

'96.

That's Hurricane Bertha.

Mm.

Spam. Spam!

[ADRIENNE GRUNTS

THEN PAUL CHUCKLES]

Who eats lard?

You know what lard does to your arteries?

Do you understand?

Please.

Hmm.

[ADRIENNE LAUGHS]

I have always wanted

to clean Jean's pantry.

-Succotash.

-Succotash.

-Thank you.

-Swish!

Vienna sausage.

-In a can? In a can? In a can?

-In a can.

-Yes!

-Here comes the wind-up.

Watch out. Okay, come on.

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