The Keeping Hours

---

1

[soft piano music]

[indistinct chatter]

You nervous?

Jacob?

Jacob, are you hiding?

[footsteps thumping]

- Jacob?

- [rattling]

[giggling]

Hmm.

I wonder where Jacob could be.

- [shouts]

- Hey!

- [laughs] I got you.

- Yeah, you got me.

What are you doing up in the attic? You

know you're not supposed to be up here.

I, um, was hiding.

Yeah. Well, why don't

we get your best-man clothes on

- so we can get this show on the road.

- No thank you.

- Whoa!

- [grunts]

Hey, hey, hey. The sooner

we get this over with,

the sooner we can

all have cake.

I don't wanna wear the tie.

You're gonna look

really good with the tie on.

You're gonna look like me.

Then I want two...

- pieces of cake.

- Deal.

And I want a real train set,

with lights, bridges and houses.

You drive a hard bargain.

Let's go get married.

[grunts]

And now, Mark and Elizabeth

will recite their vows.

No pressure, just pretend

like we're not here.

[laughter]

I, uh...

Uh, summer before law school

I spent half my financial-aid

money on a really expensive bike,

and then I crashed it

in some middle-of-nowhere trail,

but was lucky,

because there was this beautiful

girl out hiking that day.

- Me.

- And she gave me her whole pack of Life Savers.

[laughs]

And kissed me...

to take my mind

off the pain.

Thank you

for saving my life.

I vow to make it up

to you every day.

I was kinda hoping you'd vow

to fix up this house.

- [laughter]

- Yeah, all right. I'll do that, too.

- And Elizabeth.

- Oh.

Hold that.

We had, um,

eight years,

one child,

one unrealized dream house,

your law school, and my MFA to think

about this whole marriage thing,

and now I don't know

why it took us so long,

because there is no me

without you.

Is that it?

Are we married? [chuckles]

Ring.

- OK.

- [Mark] All right?

Thank you.

OK.

- [man] And now, by the power vested in me

- It fits.

- by the Church of Universal Life and the Internet,

- Come here.

I finally pronounce you

husband and wife,

- and you're already kissing the bride,

- [cheers and applause]

So my work here is done.

Time for cake!

[both] Cake!

[chatter and laughter]

[dance music playing]

[screams]

[slow music playing]

Time for the honeymoon?

Yeah, it's time

for the honeymoon.

Are you sleeping?

Are you sleeping?

Brother John,

Brother John

Morning bells are ringing,

Morning bells are ringing

Ding, dang, dong

Ding, dang, dong

Are you sleeping?

Are you sleeping?

Brother John,

Brother John

Morning bells are ringing,

Morning bells are ringing

Ding, dang, dong

Ding, dang, dong

[cell phone vibrating

and chiming]

[chiming stops]

[treadmill beeps]

[whirring]

New interns?

I am so sorry.

[stammers]

It's parent-teacher

conference day

and I-I totally

missed the memo.

But my sister's on

her way in to get them.

So...

Guys. [snaps fingers]

[cymbals clinking]

Is that my monkey?

Um, Riley, we don't take

things that are not ours, OK?

That-that belongs to Mr. Bennett,

so let's please bring it inside.

Go on.

[clinking]

Thank you.

Sorry about that.

That's good, thank you.

[elevator dings]

[PA chatter]

- [door opens, shuts]

- [Mark] Hi, Dad.

It's me. It's Mark.

I know. I know

my own son when I see him.

Why you eating this crap?

It's all sugar.

I thought you moved away.

I did, Chicago.

But I'm back.

Been back a year.

- How you doin'?

- I'm up for a promotion. Head of the department.

Not sure I'm gonna take it,

obviously.

I don't know if I wanna

manage a whole department.

You're retired, Dad.

- You don't have to manage anything.

- [TV chatter]

That woman looks

just like Elizabeth.

[woman on TV] Up next,

author Elizabeth Wells

celebrating a remarkable year

- on the bestseller list...

- [Mark] It is Elizabeth.

...Upwelling:

A Year By The Sea.

Now, Elizabeth,

are you surprised...

What's she doin' on TV?

- She wrote a book.

- Well, that's wonderful.

How is she?

We're divorced, Dad.

We've been divorced

for six years.

I hope you're not letting her

raise that boy all alone,

because a boy

needs his father.

Jacob's dead.

Seven years.

Seven years ago today.

[cell phone vibrating]

Hey, Gary, what's up?

[Gary] Hey, buddy,

how's it goin'?

Uh, look, I got

some bad news for you.

Your tenants moved out

in the middle of the night

and managed to trash the place

before they went.

They just moved in.

Gary, what is so hard

about finding a nice,

long-term tenant?

What can I say? People are pigs.

Do you want me to list it again?

I can get a crew

in there to clean up.

- Sell it.

- You sure?

Let me stop by, pick up

some stuff out of the attic.

I'll call you when I'm done.

- [reel buzzing]

- [grunts]

- Ow.

- [boy] Shoot!

Hey! Hey.

- [woman] What? What is going on?

- Oh!

Huh? [gasps]

Oh, my God! Are you OK?

I'm so sorry.

I promised to take him fishing.

- It's totally my fault...

- That's not a toy.

Can I get you a Band-Aid?

Have you had a tetanus shot

in the last ten years?

You might wanna get

a tetanus shot.

[clatter]

[rock music playing]

[dog barking]

[music shuts off]

[electronic humming]

[crackling, humming stops]

- [door slams]

- [footsteps pattering]

[electricity crackling]

[footsteps running]

[pounding on door]

[woman] Peggy!

- Peg?

- What?

Hey. Uh, is Peggy around?

No. Peggy is not around.

Who are you?

I'm Janice.

I come in peace.

You know when she'll be back?

- Never, by the look of things.

- [dog barks]

She and her boyfriend, Steve,

trashed the place and

skipped out on the rent.

- Are you the landlord?

- Owner.

You know where I can find

Peggy and Steve?

No. I had their number

in my phone

but it bricked when I tried

to upgrade my operating system,

that is why I stopped by.

All right.

Good night.

Well, is everything, um...

OK? You know, with the house?

Why?

Well, you said it was trashed, and

I noticed the broken windows.

What can I say?

People are pigs.

Yeah, well, just in case

you need to reach me,

here's my card.

I'm a medium.

I was doing some consulting

for Peggy and Steve, you know.

So if you feel like

you need some consulting,

- then you know where to reach me.

- Great.

I also walk dogs.

You got dogs?

No dogs.

Good night.

- Hey...

- [door shuts]

Good night.

[line ringing]

[recording] You've reached

Elizabeth Wells,

please leave a message

and I'll return your call.

- [beeps]

- Uh, hi.

Um, Elizabeth, Mark here.

I wanted to let you know that

I'm finally selling the house.

Uh, there's a lot of stuff

up in the attic.

Uh, figured you might

want some of it.

So why don't you call me back

on this number, and...

- [loud boom]

- [gasping]

[breathing heavily]

[creaking]

[squeaking]

["The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face"

by Roberta Flack playing on radio]

The first time

- Ever I saw your face

- [clattering]

I thought the sun

Rose in your eyes

And the moon and the stars

Were the gifts you gave

To the dark

And the endless skies,

my love

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