The Family Stone Page #4

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about having this child at all.

I'm sorry. I would sign,

but I don't know the language.

It's OK.

Do you believe in nature versus nurture?

Is that all a concern

in terms of bringing a child into your house?

- Not sure I follow you.

- Why wouldn't we bring it into the house?

Well, I just mean the gay thing.

I mean, there's no irrefutable evidence

one way or the other.

They think they've isolated a gene, but

they don't know what it's for or what it does.

- Isn't it for window treatments?

- There you go.

One contributing factor to being gay

may be the environment.

Well, I mean, look at my drapes, right?

Aren't they horrible?

There's no way it was this environment.

Meredith, most of us here believe

that sexual orientation is the result

of a genetic predisposition,

much like handedness.

- Handedness?

- That and Mom. She tried to make us all gay.

What are you talking about?

I didn't try, Everett.

No, true, I did hope.

I did desperately hope that

you would all be gay - all my boys,

and then you'd never leave me.

I'm so sorry by the way, girls.

Right.

Sybil asked me when I was eight if I was gay.

- Se asked all of us that.

- Yeah. Stop pretending you're so special.

Ben, are you sure that you're not gay?

I'm here, I'm queer, get used to it.

I gave up hope on Ben years ago.

You didn't really... You didn't really hope

for gay children, did you?

Well, I don't think that anyone wishes for that.

- Meredith.

- No, sorry. Please don't misunderstand me.

I don't... Well, I mean...

All I mean to say is I just...

I just don't think any parent would hope

for a child to be challenged like that.

- I'm sorry. I didn't hear a word.

- Sorry. This isn't coming out right.

All I'm trying to say is that... What I mean

to say is life is hard enough as it is,

and it seems to me that you wouldn't want

to make it any more difficult for your child.

I mean, Patrick. Patrick, you must understand

what I'm trying to say, right?

- What did she say?

- Well, now, boss,

I think we have been hit twice.

No. No. No, I'm sorry.

I did not mean that. Honestly.

Why don't you try saying

what it is you do mean?

Everett.

All right, that's enough.

I'm sorry.

Well, that's enough.

I just think any parent

would want a normal child.

- Goddamn you!

- Sybil.

- Don't "Sybil" me.

- For the child, to make it easier for the child.

That's enough!

- That's enough.

- Dad.

It's too much, Everett. That's enough.

Excuse me.

Meredith. Meredith.

Thanks a lot.

I know how she can seem.

You.

I love you.

And you are more normal

than any other a**hole sitting at this table.

OK?

OK.

I need a fork.

- There you go.

- Thanks, Ben.

Is she OK?

How would you feel?

Amy, not funny.

- I'm gonna go see...

- I got her. I got her. Excuse me.

Excuse me. I've lost my appetite.

Everett.

What seems to be the problem here, ma'am?

OK.

Come on. Move over.

I know where we can go.

Any luck?

- I'm gonna go look for 'em.

- Everett, take our car.

Wait, I'm coming with you.

Can we finish this later?

Here you go.

Let's go.

She's not in her room.

Excuse me.

Are you sure there are no messages?

Sorry.

Where would he have taken her?

- Thanks, Gus.

- Sure, Ben.

- Have a lemon.

- Yeah.

I am not a bad person.

You're a total mess. Look at you.

I am?

I mean that in the best possible sense,

of course. You know that.

I do?

I love the gays.

- Gay people.

- They know that.

Then why?

I took her to the nicest restaurant I know,

and she didn't say a word to me.

Not one word. All evening.

But I tried.

And I try and I...

- I would've slept on the couch.

- Maybe you should stop.

Just stop.

Stop trying, you know?

It's exhausting,

trying to keep that lid screwed on so tight.

Just...

You know, relax.

Try it.

I'm not comfortable.

OK.

Here's the thing, Meredith.

You have a freak flag.

You just don't fly it.

It was the first totem pole

to be raised in that community in 100 years,

and it was just because this guy -

I guess he was a fisherman -

would wander around,

you know, from bar to bar,

talking about how he had

this hole in his heart.

That's how he put it.

He said he couldn't sleep.

He would just lie there in bed

because of this hole in his heart.

- Sorry. You don't even want to hear this.

- No. No, no. Tell me. Tell me.

Well...

The community got together

and they found the guy a log.

The guy had never carved a thing before

in his life. It took him five years.

I flew there for the raising and it was

just this tiny, tiny island off of the coast.

The whole town was there.

It was...

It was incredible.

You just couldn't look at it without crying.

I'd love to see that.

Well,

it's there for you.

Ben.

- Ben Stone.

- Holy crow. Brad.

- How are you?

- Good.

- Merry Christmas. You remember David?

- Yeah. Hey, Dave. Happy holidays.

So what's going on?

Are you working tonight?

- Yeah. Just got off.

- Are you here with Amy?

No, no, I was just kind of... I was...

Well, this is Meredith. Meredith Morton.

Brad Stevenson, David Silver.

We went to school together.

Meredith's Everett's...

Meredith and Everett, they're, well...

Hold the phone.

Brad?

Brad Stevenson?

My God.

Aren't you the guy that popped Amy's cherry?

- Do I know you?

- This is too good.

Let me buy you a drink. What do you say?

- You too. What was your name?

- David.

That's what I'm gonna do.

I am gonna buy you boys some beers.

Everyone in here. Bartender?

I would like to buy a round for the house.

Coming right up.

- Do you feel like you chose?

- What do you mean?

Chose your life.

Said, "This is the thing I'm gonna do.

These are the things I want."

Not necessarily because

you were good at this thing

or because everybody told you that

that's what you should want,

because everybody said that's who you were.

I don't know.

I mean, like this artists' grants work,

how did you know that's the thing

you were gonna be passionate about?

- Who said I was passionate about it?

- No, no, don't do that.

Don'tjoke.

You know, I've been thinking about

his monastery I missed seeing in Hong Kong.

Like that's an important thing.

Then you should go.

I want to go to Alaska.

I do. I wanna see that totem pole.

I wanna see that thing that felt

like a hole in the centre of that guy.

That thing he needed to make

just so he could sleep.

That's my song. Finally, my song.

Brad, dance with me.

You better do what she says, Brad.

Come on, Brad. Dance with me.

So, Brad, listen.

You tell me. I don't know what I did to her.

I don't know what I said.

Well, I haven't seen Amy in over a year.

I'm not really sure if I can hel...

You haven't seen her in over a year?

Well, how are you gonna get her, Brad?

How do you think

you're gonna get her like that?

- I don't even know if she wants to see me.

- Of course she does.

Look, Brad, I like you.

You should come tomorrow.

It's Christmas, I'm making breakfast.

I'm inviting you.

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