Stepmom Page #10

And stops. Because the paper has come off. A giant deluxe model

beginner's VIDEO EDITOR. Annabelle is STUNNED silent. So's Rachel.

ANNABELLE:

(tears in her eyes)

Oh, Mommy...

And JUMPS into Jackie's arms, CRUSHING her with the hug mothers

live for.

JACKIE:

I hope it's the right kind.

ANNABELLE:

Are you kidding? It is so much better

than the one Rachel showed me!

Jackie strokes her baby's head.

JACKIE:

Well, I thought. You know, why wait?

The child turns to Rachel, frozen in the doorwary.

ANNABELLE:

I told you I was big enough! Is my

mom the greatest, or what?

Rachel swallows.

RACHEL:

The greatest.

HOLD on the look. The women share.

EXT. NORTH VALE STABLES - DAY

Jackie and Annabelle riding. The kid is still on Cloud Nine.

Jackie's eyes are on her.

ANNABELLE:

...I mean, she knows all the music,

and pop stars, and clothes and stuff.

She's like still a kid, herself.

JACKIE:

Like a big sister.

ANNABELLE:

She knows every neat junk food place.

Looks to see if her mom is okay hearing...

ANNABELLE:

Actually. She's kind of cool,

when you get to know her.

JACKIE:

I bet.

Annabelle studies her mom's profile.

ANNABELLE:

And don't tell her I told you.

JACKIE:

Secret's safe with me.

INT. LUKE AND RACHEL'S BEDROOM CLOSET - NIGHT

Rachel sits cross-legged on the floor of the walk-in closet. Next

to her, a glass and a botle of Stolie, getting toward the bottom.

An ashtray filled with butts, and...

...a card board box. Dragged out of somewhere. Photo albums, loose

snapshots. Vintage stuff. From her face, this is not a carefree

romp down Memory Lane. She takes another hit on the Stolie. More

than slightly intoxicated, weaving, squinting at...

...the next photo. Luke, young, straddling a Kawasaki. Jackie,

just as young, holding him from behind. She wears a halter and

shorts, and looks simply terrific.

Rachel looks drunk and jealous. With an overlay of self-pity.

Brings the photo closer. Squints harder.

RACHEL:

What the f*** is that?

Her worst fears confirmed...

RACHEL:

...a tattoo?

INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - NEW YORK - DUSK

The lights are coming on in The City. Jackie sits staring out the

window, as an IV drips into her arm. She is alone, and down. And

fighting the fear of what may come to pass. Her pager goes OFF.

Jesus. She pulls a cell phone from her purse. Works it with one

hand. Brings up...the smile. Showtime.

JACKIE:

(softly)

Hey, good-lookin', I was just

thinking about calling y...

INTERCUT throughout: Ben on the phone in Rachel's and Luke's

kitchen. He is alone. Staring through the glass window of the

oven...

BEN:

Rache says I have to eat lamb. I

told her you're making me spaghetti!

JACKIE:

Honey, this is Thursday. I pick you

up tomorrow, and we do big spaghetti.

BEN:

And many meatballs.

A nurse enters, and Jackie shoots her with a wave of her fingers.

JACKIE:

You'll be up to your armpits in

meatballs, I'm flying them in

from Sweden.

BEN:

Is that like Luigi's?

She loves this kid so much.

JACKIE:

Not a lot, sweetie. It's a country.

Like Canada. Only smaller.

BEN:

Where are you, anyway?

And the feeling comes straight to her eyes. She can't fight it.

JACKIE:

I'm somewhere, thinking of you. And

meatballs. And you know what?

BEN:

Yes.

JACKIE:

Of course, you do. Being magic.

Then you know I've got a flu bug,

and I turn green and barf profusely

when I even think about food. So,

all the more meatballs for you. But

you know what.

BEN:

I did. Do I have to eat lamb?

Daddy didn't cook it, she did.

JACKIE:

Do me a favor? Eat it, and then

give me a secret report, okay? Pay

particular attention to whether it's

chewy and if it tastes more like

chocolate or soup.

He laughs. And she can hear that. And her eyes fill. And she

murmurs...

JACKIE:

Hey, that's a world-class laugh

you got there. Can I all you

sometime? If I fell blue.

A silence. And for a heartbeat, the fear. Did he hear it in my

voice? But no...

BEN:

Sure. You got my number.

And now she's crying. But she can't. She can't. Gains control

for a whispered...

JACKIE:

That I do. Always will.

BEN:

Mom...?

She sniffles...

JACKIE:

I'm fine, ba...

BEN:

Tomorrow? Can I have one

butterscotch pudding for dessert?

See her relief. Secret still safe.

JACKIE:

Nope.

He's crestfallen.

JACKIE:

We can only have two.

INT. SUPERMARKET - DAY

Jackie is pushing her cart. Ben sits in it, pulling things off the

shelves. On automatic she's putting them back.

BEN:

Mommy, if your real name's Jackie and

I call you mommy; and Rachel's real

name's Rachel...Then when I see her do

I say hi Stepmommy? And if my name's

Ben, how come you don't call me son?

JACKIE:

(lost in thought)

Thursday's fine...

Frustrated, Ben CLIMBS OUT of the cart and trails behind Jackie.

He reaches for an apple off the BOTTOM of a huge display of Red

Delicious, and the whole thing comes TUMBLING DOWN. Shaken, she

looks around for Ben. He's gone.

INT. SUPERMARKET MANAGER'S STATION - DAY

Jackie with a Store Manager and a Policeman stand at the front of

the store near the Bakery. Jackie is totally distraught.

JACKIE:

I looked away for one second...

Just one second...he's...he's...

POLICEMAN:

How would you describe him?

JACKIE:

He's my son! He looks like his

father! His name is Ben -- he

answers to Harry --

MANAGER:

Is he wearing a red shirt?

The manager POINTS to the frozen food bin. There, lying on his

back atop dwindling stores of Breyer's ice cream...is Ben. Hands

and beaming face PRESSED to the underside of the glass. Jackie

does the only reasonable thing...

JACKIE:

YYYAAAAAAAHHH!

...and FLINGS OPEN Snow White's glass coffin.

JACKIE:

ARE YOU CRAZY, YOU COULD SUFFOCATE

IN THERE!!!

BEN:

Nope. I got my warm t-shirt.

Enough of a non-sequitur to make everybody blink, before Jackie

YANKS him, roughly and tenderly, from the bin. She CRUSHES him in

a violent, desperate hug...

BEN:

You found me cause I'm your

priority, huh?

She kisses him fiercely. At the edge of tears. Whispers...

JACKIE:

You got that right.

EXT. SOCCER FIELD - 3 O'CLOCK PRACTICE

Luke coaching the girls team. Annabelle one of many who surround

him for that final word of wisdom...

LUKE:

Alright my Little Warriors, remain

calm; trust that the ball will find

you; remember they're your opponent

not your enemies -- Not kick MAJOR

butt!

In the bleachers, Jackie sits alone with Rachel. They are having a

coaching session of their own. Rachel points down to the field,

where...

...Annabelle pushes her hair over her eyes.

RACHEL:

She's gonna trip over her own feet,

if she doesn't get her hair out of

her eyes.

Jackie casts a sidelong glance at Rachel. Decides to tell her...

JACKIE:

Pushing her hair over her eyes.

Means she's avoiding a confrontation.

Rachel looks over. Really? Jackie decides to share more. Reading

Rachel's reaction to...

JACKIE:

If she's twirling it, she's playing

something out in her mind. If she's

stopped combing it, she might be

depressed...

As Rachel listens she's unconsciously twisting her hair.

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