When a Man Loves a Woman Page #7

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I guess it's a speech.

At my meetings, when you have six

months, you stand up and tell your story.

That's all.

And it's, uh,

a week from Saturday.

And I'd really

like you to come.

What? I'm not gonna say

bad stuff about you.

Oh, you're gonna lie, huh?

I'm gonna accept

responsibility.

That's what it's for.

No wonder I'm confused.

- I'd really like you to come.

- Well, I'll sleep on you- it.

- You wanna go home with me, huh?

- Never entered my mind.

- Enters mine.

- Really?

Yeah, all the time.

I just don't know...

what it would be like, because I'm really

afraid of that roller coaster thing.

- Oh, I hate that.

- You know, when people break up and then they make up...

- and they break up and they make up, and the very thing...

- People can be so immature.

that attracts them is the reason

that they shouldn't be together.

And I can't do that,

Michael.

I can't do that any more.

I'm moving to Denver.

They're talking about roll-backs

in this domicile, and if I...

take the transfer, I have a-

I have a better chance to keep flying.

It's either that or change airlines, and

I'd have to start from the bottom scale.

So I told 'em that I'd have

to talk to you first...

before I could commit.

Well, you've worked a lot of years

to just start at- at the bottom.

I can bid for

the San Francisco route.

And with passes and

everything, I can s-

This accepting responsibility stuff

is really fun.

I better go home.

- I-I-

- Don't go yet.

- I gotta go.

- Don't go.

Hey, partner.

Can I see that?

Thought Mom was gonna pick me up

after movement class.

She is. I'm just here

for a visit.

It's a bug box.

Just wanna see it.

Ooh.

I like a name that

tells you what it is.

How come you're here?

Come here.

I came to say I'm sorry.

I'm sorry for the fight we had the

other day at the park. That was my fault.

And I'm sorry for not making it

better when Mommy was away.

Wasn't so bad.

I'm really sorry for

almost leaving you with Grandma.

But mostly I'm sorry for the

kind of daddy I was or wasn't...

all the time

since I've known you.

Why are you saying this?

I'm leaving

for Denver tonight.

I'm moving there.

You and Mommy are

getting divorced.

No, no one's even

talked about that.

And if that were

to ever happen...

I'd get lots of free passes,

and I'd call you all the time...

and I'd come to visit

all the time.

'Cause Casey will

still be your daughter?

No. 'Cause you're

my daughter...

and I will always

come back to see you.

I will always come back.

Not like my dad?

I love you so much.

Just like your real daddy.

But I'm really scared.

I'm really scared.

I'm scared that you

don't know how much I love you...

and so I'll always have to be

doing stuff so you'll know.

I'll try to do stuff too.

You have to go there, huh?

Yeah.

Oh.

I'm gonna miss you

so much.

I'm sorry, baby.

You can do it.

You can do it.

You can do it.

You can do it.

Hey there, buster.

You goin' on a trip?

Boo. Bad decision.

Cat got your tongue?

It's a long trip this time.

Like Mommy's trip?

Maybe longer, but I'm

gonna call ya every day.

Every day. And I'll be back

every chance I get.

And when I can't...

you'll come visit me.

Like Mommy?

- Yeah.

- Will there be swans?

Swans?

Swans are possible.

- Bye, baby.

- Bye, baby.

Thank you for

the fan appreciation, folks.

It was a lot less dramatic

than it looked.

For those of you connecting out of Denver,

please check your monitors for any delays...

and for the rest of you...

welcome home.

Hi, I-I'm Alice,

um, alcoholic.

Hi, Alice!

I've been sober

for 184 days.

I- I drank my first beer

when I was nine years old.

My dad's an alcoholic, so my mother

liked to blame my lapse on his example.

That way she could hurt

both of us at once.

Anyway, I liked my beer,

and the ones that followed.

And about a year ago

I got drunk.

I couldn't stop getting drunk.

It had never really happened quite

like that, and I still don't know why.

I've lied to everyone

that I know...

everyone I love, and, uh...

I was ashamed and terrified

and humiliated every day.

Uh, one day I...

got out of the shower...

grabbed a towel and decided

to go get the paper.

And nobody saw me go out

the front door or at the curb...

which was a very good thing because I was

holding the towel just folded in my hand.

I know how lucky I've been...

because there were times when I drove my

little girls around just ripped out of my mind.

One Saturday I took

my baby girl on errands...

and when I got home...

I realized

she wasn't with me.

I had left her someplace.

And since I couldn't remember

where I'd been...

I had no idea where, so...

I spent the next few hours

calling every shop I'd ever been to...

until finally the tile guy

rang my front doorbell.

They had found my address

on a check.

I rewarded him,

of course, you know...

by never going back

to his store.

My bottom was 184 days ago...

when my, uh,

my little girl...

watched me wash down

aspirin with vodka.

And then I hit her.

And when I passed out,

she was alone with me...

and she thought I was dead.

And all of my life I will

never know what that did to her.

And I know I have to

forgive myself for that.

And I have to forgive myself for

what I've done to my husband.

It's horrifying how much you can hate

yourself for being low and weak...

and he couldn't save me from that,

so I turned it on him.

I tried to empty it onto him,

but there was always more, you know?

When he tried to help,

I told him that...

he made me feel small

and worthless.

But nobody makes us

feel that, man.

We do that for ourselves.

I shut him out because...

I knew if he ever really saw...

who I was inside...

that he wouldn't love me.

And we're separated now.

He's moved away, and it was

so hard not to beg him to stay.

And I don't know if I'm gonna get a

second chance, but I have to believe...

that I deserve one.

Because we all do.

Thank you, Alice. Everyone,

let's take a 15-minute coffee break.

Thanks.

Just so beautiful.

I just hope I can do it too.

How do you feel?

Like a cigarette?

- Yes. Thank you, Sponsor.

- You're welcome.

- That was wonderful.

- Thanks for letting me talk.

Alice, you really made me cry.

Me too.

Me too.

My wife is an alcoholic.

Best person I ever met.

She has 600 different

kinds of smiles.

They can light up your life.

They can make you laugh

out loud just like that.

They can even make you cry

just like that.

That's just with her smiles.

You'd have to see her

with her kids.

You'd have to see

how they look at her...

when she's not looking.

To think of all the things

she lived through...

and I couldn't help her.

- Maybe helping wasn't your job.

- The hell it wasn't.

See, I love her.

And I tried everything.

Except really listening.

Really listening.

And that's how

I left her alone.

I'm so ashamed of that...

and I couldn't even tell her.

Maybe if I tell her,

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