The Family Stone Page #3

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OK.

- Everett.

- I expected a little more, at least of you.

What?

Well, you know, the coffee's

not too good over there at the inn.

Thank you.

So, you're coming back, right?

You'll come back?

- Yeah. I'm just checking in.

- Good.

Good deal.

Oh, boy.

What a day.

Well, thank you.

Yeah, I had a dream about you last night.

- What?

- Yeah. I did.

I ended up having a dream about you.

- Well, what was I doing?

- Let's go.

Are you coming?

You know, you gotta make sure to bring

back the mug 'cause it's Sybil's favorite.

- Or she'll kill you.

- OK.

So,

we are going to welcome Meredith back

withoutjudgment.

We will welcome her and her sister Julie

into our home with open arms.

We will try to behave

like a civilized family might.

- Right, Amy?

- Why do you keep singling me out?

lmagine what she had to have felt

in order for her to call her sister.

She is staying.

You gotta give her credit for that.

Excuse me.

I'd like to say something here if I may.

Forget it. And I know you gave her my mug.

Let's vote Ben off the island.

- I'm ashamed of all of you.

- There's news.

- Even you.

- He's gonna ask me for that ring. I know it.

- He can't marry her.

- Thank you. Where have you been?

- They don't love each other.

- He'll ask for that ring.

Mom. Enough about the ring.

- What ring?

- Grandma's wedding ring.

- Mom.

- Yep.

This is the woman I'm gonna marry.

You're talking about Meredith, right?

Mom, remember when

I was dating Becket Royce?

But she was great, now.

Wonder whatever happened to her.

What you told me was when I met the woman

who was to be my wife, I should come to you.

I should come to you because you wanted

that woman to wear your mother's ring.

Well, I've met that woman, and I wanna

ask you for the ring that you promised me.

I'm gonna give it to Meredith tomorrow.

On Christmas.

Mom.

No.

- Mom.

- I can't. That woman.

- "That woman"?

- OK, Meredith.

It's just, honey, I can't give you

my mother's wedding ring so that she...

- You made a promise to me.

- Tough sh*t.

I'm sorry.

I know you're disappointed,

but think how I feel.

God.

Goddammit! Who took the last

of the coffee and didn't make more?

There's supposed to be a pot right here.

I mean, who doesn't know the rules?

- I'm sorry, I was just wash...

- You're back.

I can make more coffee.

- All right, who put all the crap on my desk?

- Meredith's making us breakfast.

It's for tomorrow.

It's for Christmas morning.

It's strata. It's a Morton family tradition.

I know you and Patrick have dinner planned

out, but I wanted to contribute something.

And my sister's coming. I just wanted...

I just wanted to do something for everyone.

Well, that should be nice.

Everything all right at the inn?

Yes, thank you.

I hope they put you in a room

near Patrick and Thad.

Thank you for bringing my mug back.

Going to be a lot

of broken hearts in this town.

- What do you think of this?

- That's a beautiful choice.

Platinum setting.

I believe that's a three-carat stone.

And that's good?

Thad, what do you think? Is it big enough?

Let me just look up the specifics on that one.

Do you see a different one?

Don't do it.

- What?

- Marry her, Everett.

Please, don't marry her.

Thad, I am getting married.

Is this about Mom?

Of course it's about Mom.

Here we are. It's a lovely ring.

So the bread absorbs this, and then...

- Hi, Susannah.

- Have you seen Mom?

Yeah. She's taking a nap.

And then, really,

it's just as fast as your wrist allows.

- Fast, fast, fast.

- You've done that before.

Every Christmas.

Who else knows?

- Do you want a brownie?

- No, thanks.

Good.

So it's worse this time, isn't it?

What do you mean?

Mom, Dad.

I mean Mom.

It's not good.

I only found out a couple of weeks ago.

But you've known longer than that.

Well, we weren't sure.

And she wanted to wait, you know,

until after Christmas to tell you kids.

I know, Ben. I know.

This gets folded in.

A touch more oregano.

More Parmesan.

It goes in the fridge overnight

and bakes for a bit in the morning.

- Are those mushrooms?

- Yeah, those are mushrooms.

Isn't Everett allergic to mushrooms?

He is?

Hi, honey. Wha?

Well. Well.

OK.

- Honey.

- I love you, Mom. I love you.

What's going on?

What's wrong?

Did you and Daddy have fun getting stoned?

- Kelly.

- Yeah.

OK.

What have we got going on over here,

in Santa's workshop?

OK, what can I do to be of service?

Meredith, what can I do to make you happy?

Well, I think I'm all set.

Everett had to run some errands in town,

and then he and Thad

were going to meet Julie's bus.

- Now, are those mushrooms?

- I didn't know!

What does she look like?

I only saw a picture of her once.

Is that her?

- Julie.

- Ow.

- You all right? Think you can stand?

- Yeah, I'm OK. Yeah. Ow.

- What is it?

- No, nothing, just my knee.

- Sorry. I didn't see you.

- No, no, it's my fault.

Can you bend it?

Yeah. Yeah. No, it's fine.

Thank you. God.

- Hi.

- Hi. OK. Thanks.

- Are you all right?

- Yeah, I'm OK.

- You got it?

- It's no big deal.

- What happened?

- She fell.

This is so embarrassing.

I missed a step. It was totally my fault.

- Please, you've all gotta stop.

- Are you sure?

- It's not bleeding now.

- You poor thing. Merry Christmas.

- Merry Christmas.

- Amy, hurry.

- These are, like, a million years old.

- What took you so long?

Amy. The mean sister.

You got that right.

And you're with Thad, right?

- Yes, I'm Patrick. Merry Christmas.

- Here.

Let me help you.

Why don't we go to the bathroom?

What a great kid. Perfect for Ben.

- You're kidding.

- Strata, for tomorrow.

Meredith, what am I doing here?

You're cooking. Everything is fine now.

What did you have me come for?

Well, they certainly like you, don't they?

Julie, why don't you tell us

a little bit about what it is you do?

Me? I review artists' grants proposals.

- At the Rockefeller Foundation.

- Well, Ben is a documentary film editor.

Yeah, and Amy's a teacher

and Dad's an architect, so wha?

- Are you in New York?

- San Francisco.

- Actually, I live in Berkeley.

- You know, I wasn't speaking for you.

Well, you know...

Grandma signed something really, really bad.

Tattletale. I saw what Grandma signed.

Way to go. Nice signage. Nice.

So how is it that you and Everett never met?

Well, Julie's impossible.

She's been traveling all year.

- Can I be excused?

- OK. Why don't you go put your p.j.'s on?

- Elizabeth. Come back. Come back.

- So, your being deaf...

Actually, we were amazed by how little issue

the agency had over the whole hearing thing.

They had more questions

about us as a couple.

And about money.

This may be personal, but do you have

a preference about the child's race?

Julie.

- I'd like a black baby.

- Don't you already have one?

- Can you dig it?

- I'm so sorry. I...

No, it totally doesn't matter to us.

I was just wondering.

Julie.

We're just so excited

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