7th Heaven, Season 6

Eric:
You left home. You went to New York. You moved in with Jeremy and his family and without warning, boom, you were back on our doorstep. We'd like to know what happened.

Lucy:
You know, it was a bad goodbye, a long terrible flight and I don't feel like talking about it.

Eric:
What do you mean by "bad goodbye?"

Lucy:
I am 18! I am an adult, I don't feel like talking about it!

Lucy:
I don't feel like having dinner with everyone. I really don't feel like being around people, so I'm just gonna go pick up something. Is that a problem?

Eric:
You know, I pulled a lot of strings to get you into Cobell Seminary. Are you planning on going back to New York and to Cobell?

Lucy:
Isn't it enough that I'm not getting married? Do you want me to tell you I'm not going to college in New York? Is that what you want, more bad news? Okay, fine, I'm not going to Cobell! Are you happy? [storms out in tears]

Matt:
Well, it looks like not only is Lucy back, she's crying just the good old days. Some things never change, huh?

Eric:
What are you doing home?

Matt:
Well, didn't Mom tell you? I got laid off.

Matt:
Dad, I haven't been out of work for 48 hours.

Eric:
You can't afford to be out of work for 48 hours much less 72 hours or any amount of hours.

Eric:
What's new?

Ruthie:
Nothing really. I'm just a couple of years away from puberty. I'm pre-puberty, prepubescent, they call it. So, I'm going to be going through some changes.

Eric:
Yes you are. And I hope you know that whatever changes you're experiencing, that you can talk to me about them. Changes can be very exciting. Changes can be scary. And sometimes we have very little control over the changes we experience. None, really. Except the way we react to those changes and controlling our reactions require a lot of conscious effort. So, we don't want to get too stressed out. We just have to stand back, observe what's going on, go with the flow, live life from moment to moment, doing the best we can do for who we are.

Ruthie:
That's deep. Are we talking about you or me?

Eric:
Everything pretty much. Do you have any questions?

Ruthie:
Maybe later.

The Colonel:
Hi. You know, if you spent as much time at school as you do with that boyfriend of yours, you would now have one year of college under your belt, instead of just a couple of courses.

Mary:
I know. But I'm not sure if college is my goal.

The Colonel:
What is your goal? Marriage?

Mary:
Maybe. We're thinking about it.

The Colonel:
I think Wilson is a fine young man and a good father to his son and you would be a good wife and mother if that's what you decide you want.

Mary:
But?

The Colonel:
But, let's say you marry and God forbid something happens to Wilson. Would you be able to support little Billy? Now this is not the first time you thought about this, right? You know, I think a college education offers more opportunities for employment, but you're not interested in college. Maybe you should try public service. Public service is a wonderful way to serve your country and support your family. And my dear, it seems very clear that you are about to have your own family. So let's not waste anytime on trying to figure out who we are and what we want to do. You are the future Mrs. Wilson West, mother to Billy West. Get a job at the end of the week.

Annie:
I'm sorry. I just can't be there for you right now. I went to the doctor last week... and...

Eric:
We're pregnant again, aren't we? Are we?

Annie:
Eric, how could you think that?

Eric:
Well, you're tired, you're hungry, you're eating weird.

Annie:
So, we're not pregnant! I'm starting to go through the change of life. I'm starting to get hot flashes. I can't sleep at night. And...

Eric:
Menopause?

Annie:
Well, technically I'm in peri-menopause.

Eric:
Well, that's great. Thank you Jesus! Tell me what you're thinking? It's okay. I'm here for you. We're in this together.

Annie:
I'll tell you what I'm thinking. First of all, we're not in this one together. I'm in this alone. As much as this is about me, my body, my mind...and spirit, I need to be by myself more, uh, whether that's in he kitchen or the bedroom. So, secondly, I may not want to be as intimate as frequently as we have been in the past. And I don't want to be pressured.

Eric:
Have I ever pressured you to be intimate?

Annie:
You said you missed me the other night, that was pressure.

Annie:
I don't know what's going on with me.

Eric:
Annie, you're going be fine. Everything is going to be okay.

Annie:
You don't know that. All we know is that everything is going to CHANGE!

Eric:
[to himself] Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes.

Eric:
You know this isn't a conversation I want to have with my son who is six weeks away from getting his learner's permit.

Simon:
Four weeks.

Eric:
Six.

Simon:
But you said four.

Eric:
Now I say six.

Simon:
But the law says I could have gotten it six months ago.

Eric:
Yeah, but I'm the law here in this house, six weeks?

Simon:
But the law is the law outside of this house, and that law, the law that every other teenager relies on as protection from overbearing parents says otherwise.

Eric:
And yet it's going to be six weeks, and if your attitude doesn't change its going to be seven, eight or nine weeks depending on when you recognize that driving is a privilege.

Simon:
Yes, driving is a privilege. It's a privilege that comes at 15 and is granted by the DMV.

Eric:
Let me ask you something, Do you live at the DMV? Do you eat at the DMV? Did the DMV buy you those sneakers that are in your closet that you never wear? And one more thing, is the DMV buying you dinner?

Simon:
Those guy are losers man, you know that.

Mick:
Yeah, I know that. That's why I'm gonna blow 'em away.

Simon:
I beg your pardon?

Mick:
Hey, you said it yourself, right? I mean one day they're gonna push me too far and I'm gonna blow 'em away.

Simon:
But you don't mean that?

Mick:
Yeah...I do. I can't take it anymore.

Simon:
I understand that, but...when you start talking about actually blowing people away...

Mick:
We've moved 10 times, and every time it's the same, they're all the same. All of 'em.

Simon:
Shooting people won't solve your problems.

Mick:
Right, should I just let--uh, what's it called, their teasing. Yeah, I should let all their teasing roll off my back.

Simon:
It's better than shooting people.

Mick:
Not for me.

Simon:
For everyone, come on. You know you don't want to hurt anyone.

Mick:
You know...I do. The only way these guys are gonna shut up is if they can't talk anymore. But look, I just wanted to call to say thanks, and don't worry, you won't get hurt.

Kid #1:
[to Simon] What's with you, Camden?

Kid #2:
I don't care what's with him. Just don't embarrass us like that again.

Kid #3:
Or we might shoot you.

Simon:
[to teacher] Excuse me. You had to have just heard that. You did, didn't you? You heard the whole thing, and then you just, what, hid in your classroom?!

Teacher:
Students aren't the only targets, Simon.

Simon:
Well, can't you at least talk to their parents?

Teacher:
I have. The parents are just like them.

Simon:
So what are we gonna do about this!?

Annie:
Ruthie asked me to tell you not to call her Snooky anymore.

Robbie:
I thought she liked it. What happened?

Annie:
Well, Lucy told her that you calling her Snooky is a polite way of calling her Sneaky.

Robbie:
That's not it at all.

Annie:
Well, then you better go tell her. She's pretty upset. She likes you a lot.

Robbie:
Are you kidding? She loves me!

Annie:
I know. [starts crying and hugs Robbie] We all love you, we do!

Robbie:
I never said you were a sneaky person. I said you were sneaking cookies. That's all.

Ruthie:
But you still think I'm sneaky.

Robbie:
I don't think you're sneaky. I think you're cute. And I think the name "Snooky" suits you....and I like the sound of it even if you never snuck a cookie. And I like having a special name for you because you and I have a special relationship. I never had a little sister. I think you're great.

Simon:
[to his family] What is wrong with everyone? What's with all the teasing and the name-calling? Why do we have to keep doing that? You know what, I'm sick of it. I can't take it anymore.

Lucy:
When you marry someone, you marry their family, and I didn't marry Jeremy because I didn't marry his family.

Annie:
So you quit school, and came home.

Lucy:
Maybe I'm not cut out for the ministry.

Annie:
Because?

Lucy:
Because his family teased me relentlessly for being a goody-good-two-shoes. They called me Mother Teresa.

Annie:
She was a great woman.

Lucy:
I am not Mother Teresa. I offer what I said to Ruthie as proof. I should only hope to do one thing as great as any of the millions of things Mother Teresa ever did. They drink, they smoke pot, and they throw a lot of parties, and yet...I liked them. I don't approve of how they live their lives, but I liked them. I like everybody. They just didn't like me. I kinda got kicked out.

Annie:
How could anyone tease my baby for being good?

Lucy:
It's hardly a Camden world out there.

Ruthie:
I just want to know what happened.

Lucy:
The way you're always sneaking around, I'm surprised you don't know already. In fact, that's what your nickname should be. Sneaky. Not Snooky, but Sneaky.

Ruthie:
I'm not sneaky!

Lucy:
Yes, you are, and I think Robbie was trying to tell you that in a nice way.

Ruthie:
No he wasn't! He doesn't think I'm sneaky, he was teasing me.

Lucy:
Yeah, but why do you think he was teasing you? Maybe he was trying to point something out to you. Good night, Sneaky! [turns over and goes to sleep; Ruthie's eyes fill with tears]

Simon:
[to his Social Studies class] I don't feel safe at school, and I'm tired of waiting for everyone else to make our school safe for us. You know, every time there's a shooting, we hear that the shooter was someone who felt that there was a score to settle, and it's always someone who felt they had to shoot someone to get even. You know, that's a weird concept. Some calls you a name, so you kill them? But the name-callers are relentless. You know they are. And like a pack, they engage others in their hunt to destroy the already vulnerable students. They're torturing people. And you know what? We allow it. We hear them, we don't speak up. Or worse, we hear them, we join in. If not in the hallways, on the internet. The teasing that isolates one student or a couple of students from the rest of us has to stop. And I think the only way it's going to, is if we stop ourselves. The issue is not who's to blame. The issue is who's going to take the responsibility. Why don't we claim responsibility? I mean, after all we're the one with the really power here. We have the power to change people's lives. We have the power to save people's lives.So I say we claim that power. Seize the day. You know, there are always going to be cliques in high school, there are always gonna be the popular students and the not-so-popular students. There are always gonna be winners and losers, teasers and the teased. But I think it's time for the mean and the cruel to be silenced by our insistence...before they or any of us is silenced by a gun. You know, because we don't know who's on the brink. We can't know who's merely threatening retaliation, and who's actually is capable of carrying out a threat. What we do know...is that we can make a difference.

Annie:
Robbie has offered to pay $200 a month, but he wants a 3-year lease so he can stay here until he finishes college.

Eric:
Three years? I mean... is he sure he wants to stay here for three years? Three years is a long time.

Annie:
It's $7,200.

Eric:
It'll go by like that.

Annie:
Matt will probably go away next year to medical school, and Lucy, being Lucy, could end up back in New York, and Simon's probably gonna go away to college. So why shouldn't we rent the room to Robbie when it's finished?

Eric:
Why not? It's $7,200 and James is busy.

Annie:
Of course, if Mary ever came back.

Eric:
I don't think Mary is coming back.

Annie:
I want her to come back.

Eric:
I want her to come back, too when she's ready.

Billy:
Can I call you Mommy?

Mary:
I....

Billy:
Just for today. We don't have to tell Daddy.

Mary:
I think you better just call me Mary.

Billy:
Ok. But when can we call you Mommy? Because I never had a mommy and I want a mommy.

Lucy:
And how much rent is Robbie willing to pay? Because whatever it is, I'll double it.

Annie:
You don't have a job.

Lucy:
Right. I don't have anything.

Annie:
Oh, Luce, Luce!

Annie:
The point is that you...you...you don't understand what I'm going through. And I wasn't supposed to go through it for a long, long time.

Eric:
Me too.

Annie:
What?!

Eric:
I'm trying my best. I am--but I just seem totally unprepared to deal with this stage of your life. I don't know what to say. I don't know what to do. I'm lost. I'm completely lost. And you, my dear, are completely....

Annie:
Nuts!? Is that what you were going to say? Because the problem is not that I'm nuts. You want to know what the problem is? More specifically, do you want to know what your problem is? Your problem is that you feel sorry for yourself and and the person you should be feeling sorry for is me. Yes, I am a nut! I'm the one who let that guy in here. I'm the one who had to deal with him until the ambulance got here. I'm the one who had to go to the hospital and deal with him because you didn't. And then I'm the one who got hauled off by security. So, if you want to feel sorry for someone, feel sorry for me!

Eric:
[to himself about Annie] Why don't you just take your hormones and go drive someone else crazy besides me?

Annie:
I heard that!

Robbie:
You're not going out with a pregnant girl.

Simon:
Why not?

Robbie:
Why! Because you feel sorry for her. Dating is difficult enough without dating someone who's got a complicated life. And you're too young for those complications....way too young.

Annie:
[to Eric] You let my 15-year-old son go out on a date with a pregnant girl?!

Eric:
I think you're more you than you have been for a long time.

Annie:
What?

Eric:
So, I...I just find it funny that I'm having so much trouble adjusting because we're both just adjusting to you being you.

Annie:
What?

Eric:
The first year that I knew you, you were just like this. You in no uncertain terms told people of what you thought and that was one of the things that attracted me to you, that and the fact that there was never any predicting when you were going to tell someone what you thought. I remember you let my dad tell you like twenty seven times how to put a diaper on Matt before you told off the The Colonel like, like I'd wanted to tell off The Colonel my entire life.

Annie:
What are you saying, I've always been a nut?

Eric:
Pretty much. But you've mellowed over the years. And now you're back without warning and it's a beautiful thing. I love you. I've always loved you. And I'm always gonna love you, till death do us part. Even if it kills me.

Annie:
You know, you think you are so smart. I liked you better when you were feeling sorry for yourself.

Eric:
We haven't spent time together for a long time.

Annie:
It's been a week.

Eric:
A week is a long time when you're in love.

Eric:
You know, in some ways your mother hasn't changed since the first day I fell in love with her 20 years ago.

Matt:
And in other ways?

Eric:
She's mean. Really, really mean...I didn't mean it the way it sounded. I love her. It's just that lately it's a lot tougher to love her.

Matt:
You know, I'm so glad I have to go to work because I don't like where this conversation is going.

Wilson:
[to Mary] Marry me. We belong together and I love you.

Annie:
I'm quitting school.

Eric:
What?

Annie:
I'm quitting school. No more college.

Eric:
I didn't know how much teaching meant to you.

Annie:
Well, it's not the teaching really. It's being around kids. You know how much I've always loved having children in my life, working with them, helping them. You know, in a couple of years, Sam and David, they'll be in school. Ruthie's doing great. Simon's in high school. Robbie and Lucy are in college, Mary's in New York and Matt's going off to medical school. So...our kids need me, but they don't need me. If I teach every year, I'll have a new batch of kids who I'll need to help the way I helped our kids. It's the perfect job for me. All I have to do is take what I've been doing at home for the last 20 years and put it in the classroom. I can do it. I think I'll be good at it.

Eric:
I'll help. I've always supported you in whatever you wanted to do. I love you. I want you to be happy.

Annie:
I want to be happy, too.

Annie:
Lately, with all the changes I've been going through I found that sometimes I'm more comfortable in the company of women. I love you, but you know, sometimes I need to talk to a woman.

Eric:
Why is that?

Annie:
I don't know. Women: we're all part of a club. Rich, poor, fat, thin, happy, unhappy, we're all going through the same things. And you can be a lot of things for me, but no matter how hard you try, you'll never be a woman.

Eric:
Never wanted to be until now. But I get your point. You and me, we're okay?

Annie:
We're better than okay.

Matt:
(to Eric and Annie) I'm gonna be... a gynecologist.

Annie:
Well, he does love women.

Annie:
[to the class] I know we just started reading "Swiss Family Robinson" today but can anyone tell what they think the moral of the story is?

Christy:
I think the author is showing us that even though you may not be shipwrecked with your family that all families have to figure a way to get along.

Annie:
Yes, good. The author, Johann David Wyss, is telling us that all relationships require a lot of work. Patience, tolerance and love. He wrote this book to teach his own sons life lessons.

Christy:
If two people fight all the time, they should break up, right?

Annie:
Well, yes, if two people are fighting all the time then maybe they shouldn't be together, but you're young.

Christy:
That's what I think, too. Thanks, Mrs. Camden.

Ms. Mackoul:
[to Annie] Did you tell a student that her parents should get divorced? When Christy Parks' mother picked her up at school today, she told her mother that you said her parents should get a divorce. Now her mother is very upset. She just left my office...what exactly did you tell Christy?

Annie:
Well, I don't know what Christy's parents are fighting about, but whatever it is it can't be more important than their daughter. Don't they see how their fighting is affecting her?

Eric:
You know, there are a lot of parents who believe that as long as they are not yelling at their kids their kids aren't affected by their yelling. They don't seem to understand that a parent's relationship with each other affects their children for the rest of their lives. If we can learn how to have a good relationship from our parents, we can learn how to have a bad relationship from them too.

Annie:
Thanks, but of course, I know all that, which is one of the many reasons they asked me to teach.

Eric:
Hey, I'm just trying to be supportive.

Ruthie:
(to Eric and Annie) You know, you guys fight a lot.

Annie:
Do we fight a lot?

Eric:
Maybe, I don't know.

Annie:
You don't know if we fight a lot?

Eric:
I don't know what answer won't cause a fight. Maybe I need to find a better way to communicate with you.

Annie:
And maybe if I take hormones, everything will go back to normal?

Eric:
I didn't say that.

Annie:
But you wanted to.

Eric:
No, I didn't. I want you to do whatever you need to do. And I want us to stop fighting.

Annie:
But we've always had fights, and we're always gonna fight.

Eric:
Well, then maybe we need to find ways to fight that are more productive and friendly.

Annie:
You're right.

Eric:
I honestly was just trying to help.

Annie:
But I don't always need your help. I want to solve my own problems by myself.

Eric:
We're a team. A good team. We've always worked together and our relationship has been the better for it.

Annie:
But lately I feel the need to have things that are just mine and I'm going to try to be nicer.

Eric:
And I'm going to be more considerate of your feelings.

Annie:
I do love you.

Eric:
I love you, too.

Annie:
I guess we need to show it more, huh?

Mrs. Parks:
Thank you, Mrs. Camden. Christy is lucky to have you as a teacher.

Annie:
Considering everything that has happened today that is very sweet of you to say.

Lucy:
[to her family] Robbie and I have something to tell you.

Ruthie:
Is this about you two being together?

Lucy:
You know about us?

Ruthie:
Oh, everybody knows.

Lucy:
[to her family] Does that mean you're okay with us being together?

Eric:
No.

Ruthie:
[about Robbie after he broke up with Lucy] I'm next, and when I get him I'm keeping him. Three's a charm.

Hank:
Julie and I are not in a fight. We're in total agreement. We both want a divorce.

Eric:
Divorce?!

Hank:
Julie and I are getting a divorce. So if you'll excuse me, I have patients.

Eric:
[to Annie] When two people get together for the wrong reasons, there can only be one outcome. Lucy and Robbie will eventually have to face why they got together. And when they do, they'll break up.

Eric:
Mary tells me she's here permanently.

Annie:
Permanently? That's the best news I've ever heard. We have our whole family back together again.

Eric:
Don't you want to know what happened with Wilson?

Annie:
I'm sure she'll tell us eventually.

Eric:
[to himself] What's wrong with this picture?

Annie:
I've got something to say to you and I think you're old enough to hear it. Life isn't fair, so get over it.

Ruthie:
Thank you for letting me know that. Only a parent, a mother, would care so much that she, you, would explain such an important lesson in such a simple and direct...way.

Ruthie:
I also want an apology for all that stuff she did last year when she got kicked out.

Lucy:
I don't think you're gonna get that. I don't think any of us are going to get that. I think we just have to accept Mary for Mary.

Matt:
What are you talking about?

Eric:
The prodgial son.

Matt:
Or the prodigal daughter.

Eric:
[about Mary] She's still incredibly irresponsible and she seems to have absolutely no awareness of that. How are we going to make her conscious?

Annie:
Oh, you mean how are we going to make her confess. Here we go! It's Richard Nixon all over again! I love Richard Nixon.

Eric:
Since when did you love Richard Nixon?

Annie:
Since I heard someone saying that what God is showing us through parents is that he loves us despite the things we do, not beacuse of the things we do. You don't even recognize your own sermon, do you?

Annie:
[to her kids] You know what's really unfair? What's really unfair is that your father and I have worked around the clock for 20 years to give our children a good home. To send our children to school. To buy them the clothes that they want to buy, and yet those children, the very same children that we sacrificed ourselves for over and over again think that they should decide who gets what and when they should get it.

Simon:
No...

Annie:
Don't speak. I will give your sister Mary anything I want to give her, anytime I want to give it to her, because I love her and I am happy that she is home. Mary needs us. She needs her father. She needs me. And she needs you. And I've got some news for all of you: we need her. We need to embrace each other and support each other because that's what families do. And until you're ready to do that, you know what? You can just live out here! (referring to the garage) You've got a change of clothes, one week's allowance and some school books. You're more or less on your own. Until you're allowed the privilege of telling me that just how much you regret you're total lack of respect for me and my decisions. And then at that time, if I like what you have to say, I just might let you back into the home that your father and I created. Until then, take care of the rebellious one known as Ruthie. You can come in and use the toilets, nothing else! Not the kitchen, not the laundry, not the shower, not the phone and not the TV. Enjoy.

Lucy:
Joy? What kind of name is that.

Mary:
A name for the look on Robbie's face.

Lucy:
I am not jealous of my own sister. I'm just angry that you've shown up and expected to be treated like royalty or something!

Annie:
Do you have a problem with my punishing the children without your approval?

Eric:
While I don't want the garage apartment for my own, I can understand why they're upset about your giving it to Mary. We don't even know if she needs it.

Annie:
So? They don't know if she doesn't. Maybe she and Wilson need it.

Eric:
I got the feeling from Wilson that they broke up and he's just letting Mary tell us, and I gotta know why that is. Because it suggests the why, it won't be something we like.

Annie:
What do you feel her problems are?

Eric:
I feel her problems are that she's irresponsible, self-centered, and inconsiderate of other family members.

Annie:
I think she wants to be responsible, and that's something. I think it's good for her to be self-centered right now. It's good for her to focus on herself and come to love herself, because that's the first step in loving others. And I don't think she's inconsiderate of other family members. On the contrary, I think other family members, including you, are inconsiderate of her and her needs at this time.

Eric:
So we can agree to disagree about Mary and who she is and what her future holds, but I think that Matt and Lucy and Simon and Ruthie are in agreement.

Annie:
With you, and you are wrong, just like you were wrong about Nixon.

Eric:
(to the twins) He should have apologized.

Simon:
I have to get out of here. I have to get out of here to survive. And once I do, unlike you and Mary, that's it for me. I'm never coming back.

Matt:
Yeah, I remember 15. Let's go.

Mary:
I am still crazy, irresponsible, bad Mary and after all this time I don't think I learned squat. What's it gonna take to get my life in order, huh, Luce?

Lucy:
I don't know. But whatever it takes for us all to get our lives in order, I'm pretty sure we can get it right here at home.

Annie:
I was wrong and you were right, but not in the way that you think.

Eric:
Still, music to my ears.

Annie:
Mary is not the prodigal son, and I made a mistake in treating her as if she were. She never left to go discover herself. She didn't go out into the world and get into trouble and hit rock bottom and then come crawling home for forgiveness. She never did that. She showed signs of getting in trouble, and we sent her to your parents before she had the chance to do something that she or we would regret. And you know what? It worked, Eric. And I don't think we've ever given ourselves credit for doing the right thing in saving her from hitting rock bottom. Now, maybe she didn't learn anything. But I think part of the reason why she claims that is that she's afraid that she did. She's afraid to make another mistake.

Eric:
You know, for a guy who just got an apology, I'm feeling pretty lousy.

Annie:
It's a lecture coughed with an apology. I think if we can just let Mary discover who she is and what wants to do, surrounded by our love, guided by our genius...then maybe she will learn something. Maybe she'll even contribute something to the world.

Eric:
Let's just aim for Glen Oak.

Mary:
[to her parents] I am really sorry that I let everyone down. And I am sorry that as part of this wonderful family, I didn't realize that doing all the things that led to my getting asked to leave would affect everyone, and not just me. I apologize. From the bottom of my heart, I apologize. And I want to thank you for letting me go live with the Colonel and Ruth, and I'm...not the greatest student of life, but I must have learned something, and I want to be here now. And I hope you'll give me a chance to do better, because I can do better.

Eric:
And I want to apologize to you, too. I think I could have cut you some slack when you showed up here, but instead, I...

Mary:
Don't cut me some slack. Stay tough. I need that. [leaves]

Eric:
Okay. [to Annie] Wait. What did she mean by that?

Mary:
[from the top of the stair] I mean I still need you.

Mary:
We want you to find us boyfriends.

Lucy:
Husbands, even.

Eric:
I beg your pardon?

Lucy:
We want you and Mom to find us someone to love. We want to get married...eventually.

Eric:
Marriage is a bond made by two people who share a very deep and personal connection. For the two of you to ask me to choose someone with whom I think you could share that connection is...well, that's...nuts. I'm not a dating service. I'm your father and a minister.

Mary:
Scared?

Eric:
No, I'm not scared. I just... I think it's not up to me to stir you to the right person. It's up to God. When the time's right, the right guy will come along, for the both of you. You just have to be patient.

Lucy:
(to Mary) Yep, he's scared.

Lucy:
[to everyone in the living room, watching TV] Wait, is that Dad?

Robbie:
Yep, that's your dad. If I were Simon, I'd drive that car to Canada!

Ruthie:
Why don't you just admit that you were wrong and apologize for being so rude, when all I was trying to do was help you? (Lucy makes a face at her, Ruthie makes one back) Crash and burn. How it feel to be beaten by an 11-year-old?

Annie:
I can't thank you enough for giving me this opportunity to work here, doing something important. It's been rewarding and interesting and fun...

Mrs. Mackoul:
But you don't want to do it anymore?

Annie:
No sorry.

Mrs. Mackoul:
Well, the funny thing is, I was going to ask you to come on fulltime. With everything going on in the world, parents want the added security of a private school, and we've had so many requests that we're expanding. We need more teachers.

Annie:
I appreciate the implied offer, but I can't. Thank you.

Lucy:
If God didn't want me to have that ring, he wouldn't have had Jeremy give it to me.

Ruthie:
You're actually going to invoke the name of God as the cause for your insanity?

Lucy:
Doesn't everyone?

Eric:
Did she tell you why she quit?

Simon:
No. But it wouldn't be like me to ask my mom why she does anything. She's my mother, but she's your wife. Maybe you can ask her, or maybe not. I don't know how those things work.

Eric:
Well, aren't we calm for everything that's gone on around here?

Annie:
I feel very calm. I've been feeling very conflicted, but as of today, I feel very calm. And that's good because with all the tings going on out there in the world, it helps to stay calm in here. See, I had this dream for years to teach, and finally after all that time, I got my dream when Mrs. Mackoul asked me to join that staff at Ruthie's school. It was very much my dream come true.

Eric:
And now you're giving up your dream come true?

Annie:
It's no longer my dream. I love working with any one student, but I feel disconnected working with a group of students in the classroom. I want to do more than discuss questions of morality. I want to inspire each child to lead a moral life. I think I can find a better way to do that.

Eric:
And you don't feel sad that you always had this dream to each and once you got it, it wasn't what you wanted?

Annie:
No, it probably happens to a lot of people.

Eric:
Yeah, it does, but...usually they just hang on to it because after all that dreaming it seems a shame to give it up or admit that it was a mistake.

Annie:
Well, I feel good about it. For me, letting go of the past is freeing.

Eric:
Hmmm, evidently that's a gene that wasn't inherited by Mary or Lucy. (they both laugh) We've got a lot of letting go to do over the next few years.

Annie:
Yeah, we do. But we've got a lot of holding on, too. (they both look at the twins playing)

Ruthie:
Yasmine was walking home from school when a couple of boys started following her. They were calling her names because she's Muslim and trying to scare her, and one of them even picked up a dirt clod and threw it at her.

Yasmine:
That's when Ruhtie ran over and started yelling back at them, but they still kept on following us.

Eric:
And this was happening right outside our house?

Yasmine:
It's happening everywhere.

Eric:
Did these boys ever physically hurt you?

Yasmine:
No. Just my feelings.

Eric:
Feelings are important, too. They matter a great deal, and you matter. We're not gonna let this continue.

Lucy:
I just started thinking about Yasmine and how people can be so cruel, and how horrible I was to you which didn't make me much better than those boys... and how everyone in the world has the same capacity to be so mean and intolerant. It just makes me feel so sad.

Mary:
You know how it makes me feel? Angry.

Nasreen:
I was happy, until one day, our entire world turned upside down. I go out on my usual errands and suddenly people are staring at my hijab. I've worn it all my adult life, and now I get looks and whispers as I pass by. Why? I'm still the same person, I haven't changed. I try to believe that some people are just curious, but why wasn't I asked about it years ago? Why now? See, it's not curiousity, it's suspicion.

Eric:
Fear can bring out the worst in people, and fear is evidence of a lack of fatih. I mean, for some people, that's a lack of faith in God. For others it's a lack of faith in themselves, but for others its a lack of faith in their fellow man. I hope what's happened with Yasmine doesn't make you lose your faith in people's kindness.

Nasreen:
Oh, how can I? I have proof sitting right here in front of me. I'm sorry to have burdened you with my problems. I'm a very pro-avtive person and I hope I'm not sounding like a victim because that's not my intent.

Nasreen:
I appreciate your sympathy, but I don't expect you to completely understand what I'm going through.

Annie:
As a mother, I understand at least some of what you're going through. I know the fear and worry over the safety of my children.

Ruthie:
I still don't understand it. She didn't do anything. Her family didn't do anything. They're Americans just like everyone else.

Annie:
I know, Ruthie. I know.

Ruthie:
[reading Eleanor Roosevelt] It is not fair to ask of others what you are not willing to do yourself.

Mary:
Sometimes it's not easy to do the right thing. It's not easy when you've done stupid things and you have to make up for them.

Ruthie:
It's not easy when you do smart things either.

Ruthie:
[addressing the school board] My name is Ruthie Camden, and first, I want to say how much I like going to the Eleanor Roosevelt School. My classes are really cool, and I get to do so much more than I did at my old school. I love horses, and I even get to take Equestrian classes. It's like a dream come true for me. I've learned so much at this school. Last week, during science period, Miss Riddle talked to us about the spine. Se taught us how important the spine is to the entire body. The spine allows you to hold your head up high. Well, I don't think I'll be able to hold my head up high in this class anymore, if this school doesn't let my friend Yasmine attend. And from what I've read about her, Eleanor Roosevelt has a really strong spine. This school is named after her, and if you want to know more about her, you should read the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It's all about freedom, justice, and peace.

Eric:
[whispers to Annie] Out of the mouths of babes.

Ruthie:
So, if this board chooses to do the wrong thing, I feel that it goes against everything Eleanor Roosevelt stood for, and I will have to quit!

Woman #1:
[whispers] We'd get our scholarship back.

Woman #2:
I have a friend whose kid would like to get in. They're not Muslim.

Ruthie:
Hello. That was the end of my speech. I said I was going to quit! [Eric, Annie, Mrs. McCool, and Miss Riddle get up and clap, everyone else is silent] Tough crowd.

Mary:
I heard what you did tonight, and I'm really proud of you, Ruthie.

Ruthie:
Yeah. Mom and Dad told me about a billion times already. Big deal.

Lucy:
What you did was really amazing, so don't think that it's not. You stood up for someone who was being discriminated against because of her religion, and that's a big deal. A very big deal. The biggest!

Ruthie:
Yeah, and look where it got me. Now I have to change schools.

Mary:
Look, Ruthie, I know how much you like private school, and nobody would think badly of you if you don't go through with it, if you don't want to.

Ruthie:
I don't want to, but I think it's something I have to do. Eleanor Roosevelt said, "It is not fair to ask of others what you are not willing to do yourself". I think I have to bite the bullet.

Annie:
I can't get over Ruthie. I'm so proud of her.

Eric:
Yeah, we've done good, Mom.

Annie:
Sometimes, when I think our world is getting a little crazy, I think about our children and what good, compassionate people they've turned out to be.

Yasmine:
Thank you Mrs. Camden, thank you for this. It's not just about going to school for me, it's about walking on higher ground.

Simon :
How do you do that?

Morris :
Uh, do what?

Simon :
Be so popular. Everybody knows you. Everybody likes you. You hang out with the coolest kids in school. Face it, man, if this school had a king you'd be it.

Morris :
Hey, people know you, too.

Simon :
People know me as some school do-gooder. Saint Simon, son of a minister.

Morris :
Maybe but that can be cool, too. I mean you're always doing the right thing, even if it doesn't make you the most popular guy. And doing what's right counts for something

Simon :
Yeah, it counts for me having no fun this year. I'm sorry, I'm tired of doing the right thing. I want people to like me because I'm wild and crazy and fun. You know, not-not because I'm good I want to hang out with your friends. Your friends are the best.

Morris :
You don't even know my friends

Simon :
They're popular, and they have fun. What else do I need to know?

FRIEND:
Ha-ha! You hear the news?

Tom:
My parents took off for the weekend. Which means...party. Oh I already lined up the women, man. It's gonna be a blowout.

FRIEND:
So, are you in?

Morris:
Oh, I'm so in, I'm already there! Whoo!

Simon:
Yeah, I'm in too!

Morris:
Um, Tom, Mike, you know Simon.

Mike:
Uh, Simon Camden. You're that minister's kid.

Simon:
My dad's a minister, yeah.

Tom:
I don't think you'd feel comfortable at my party. It's not gonna be a religious affair.

Simon:
My dad's the minister, not me.

Tom:
So, you want to come to my party, huh? Okay. Okay, fine. Come.

Simon:
Great! I'll get the address from Morris. I'd better get going -- I don't wanna miss my bus. I can miss my bus.

Mike:
We're out of here.

Tom:
Yeah.

Simon:
See you guys later!

Morris:
I'll call you later.

Simon:
Right. I'll see you tonight.

Morris:
What are you doing?

Tom:
He wants to come to the party, let him come.

Morris:
Simon's not ready for one of your parties.

Annie:
Before you and Simon go to this party tonight, I need to know what your intentions are.

Morris:
Intentions?

Annie:
Yes. Do you intend to drink? Do you intend to smoke? Do you intend to part-take in any illegal activity? Do you intend to watch over my son and make sure no harm comes to him? Do you intend to have him before his curfew?

Morris:
Hey, I'm just giving him a ride.

Annie:
No, you're not just giving him a ride, you're in charge of him.

Mary:
[to Simon] You don't get it. You just don't get it. And you want to know why I know you don't get it? Because for over a year I didn't get it.

Ruthie:
[to Simon] You know, you've been throwing up most of the night, so we haven't had a chance to talk. What is wrong with you, huh?

Simon:
I didn't know I was drinking alcohol.

Ruthie:
Well, you should've figured it out. What kind of role model are you trying to be?

Simon:
I'm not a role model.

Ruthie:
Yes, you are. Sam and David and I look up to you. And with Matt leaving, and he is leaving, you're the resident big brother of the house. Robbie's here and that's great, but I depend on you and tonight you let me down. You let everyone down.

Simon:
I'm sorry. Is that what you want to hear?

Ruthie:
No, I don't want to hear anything. What I want is for you to stop trying so hard to fit in with other people and start trying harder to fit in around here. I want you to sober up for good and start becoming a man, the kind of man I can look up to.

Annie:
So are we going to punish the kids for aiding and abetting Simon?

Eric:
I think we should not punish them, but not tell them until tomorrow. That way, they'll think they're being punished which will be almost like being punished.

Annie:
Parents of the year.

Eric:
Nah. Just parents.

Eric:
I really thought Simon was mature enough to handle tonight. He really has matured so much since September.

Annie:
We got to see that maturity disappear in one night.

Annie:
Happy Valentine's Day. [she kisses him] I've got a big surprise for you. [she kisses him again]

Eric:
Is the surprise better than that?

Annie:
Oh, much.

Eric:
So? What's your big surprise?

Annie:
I really thought you would've guessed. Haven't you noticed how much happier I've been in the last two weeks? I went to the doctor. I started hormone replacement therapy, and I feel great. My energy is back and I am happy, really happy.

Eric:
You took hormones for me?

Annie:
I took hormones for me.

Eric:
Okay, whatever. You're happy again and that's all that matters. Okay, I have to admit, I had noticed that you've been a little easier to be around lately. I mean...well, you know what I mean. You have to know what I mean or you wouldn't have gone on hormones. Boy, this...this was the best gift you could have ever gotten for me. I love you.

[Annie then dumps wine of his head]

Shana:
What? Are you calling every ex-girlfriend you ever had trying to figure out why you're alone?

Matt:
Maybe.

Shana:
Do yourself a favor and stop looking for the future in the past. The great love of your life is out there somewhere just waiting for you to find her. And you're never gonna find her if you're stuck in the past with me and Heather and all the rest of the women you dated.

Matt:
Thanks.

Shana:
So…boldly go forward and...find the woman of your dreams. You know what? When you find her, she's gonna be one lucky woman, because you are a great guy.

Matt:
Thanks.

Shana:
Don't mention it. Good night.

Matt:
Bye. [hangs up] As kitty as my witness, I will never have another Valentine's Day like this again. [holding a Hello Kitty doll]

Matt:
[gets down on one knee] Sarah...

Sarah:
Matt?

Matt:
Will you marry me?

Sarah:
When?

Matt:
When? Whenever you want. You set the date.

Sarah:
Oh Matt. Yes! I will, I accept, I do!

Mary:
I think Matt is crazy enough to get married. I almost did... Why are you all looking at me like that?

Lucy:
Because while Matt may do some things as stupid as you, he wouldn't do something stupider then you.

Robbie:
I'm not so sure about that.

Mary:
Thank you.

Lucy:
I bet you money we'll get married before he does.

Mary:
He's not getting married until he gets out of medical school and that's years from now.

Lucy:
And you don't think we'll be married until he gets out of medical school?

Mary:
It's not likely.

Matt:
[answering the phone] Mr. and Mrs. Matt Camden. Hello?

Ruthie:
I don't believe it! You really are stupider than Mary!

Matt:
Ruthie?

Ruthie:
Oh! You got married!?

Matt:
Shhh!

Ruthie:
Don't you shush me! I just missed your wedding and I don't even know the bride!

Matt:
Ruthie, I love you. And I know you won't tell anyone because you know how important this is to me. Good night, Ruthie. I'll see you tomorrow.

Ruthie:
Good night, and Matt...I love you too. Congratulations.

Matt:
[after Ruthie finds out that Matt got married] Could you Ruthie? Could you keep it a secret that you know we got married last night? Could you just forget and never say anything? I mean, because that's a terribly big secret for a little girl to keep for the rest of her life and I don't even know if I should ask you.

Ruthie:
You can ask me anything, horse or no horse. You're my brother and this is a good secret, the best secret I've ever heard. And we both know I know them all. I can do it. As God as my witness, I will never, ever tell this secret to anyone, cause I owe it to you for being my big brother for 11 years. I love you. I respect you. You have my word of honor. This stays with me.

Sarah:
What he's try to say is...we're engaged...we went out. We fell in love. We wanted to get married.

Matt:
I know what you are thinking. You're thinking we don't know each other, and when we get to know each other then we might change our minds, but...we're not going to change our minds. I want to be married to Sarah and I really am in love with her. She's a wonderful woman and I am happy we found each other. I've been, um...really lonely. Even in my past relationships, I felt lonely. But I don't feel lonely anymore. Sarah and I have a lot in common, and most of what we have in common is that we both love our families., and we want to be a family. A family that loves and respects each other as much as I respect and love all of you. And I hope you respect our decision because this is my life. And this is what I want.

Annie:
You don't really think they did get married last night and maybe they're just telling us they're engaged to kind of get us use to the idea?

Eric:
It's impossible. You know, I like that. I like that idea a lot. So I'm going with married. They're already married.

Lucy:
Wife?

Matt:
Wife-to-be.

Eric:
You're engaged?

Matt:
Yes, we are.

Annie:
Then congratulations, son. I'm very happy for you.

Annie:
He is over 21. Matt probably thinks he doesn't have to call.

Eric:
Well, to tell you the truth, I don't want him to call because I'm worried what it might be.

Annie:
I'm sure he's fine.

Eric:
He better have not been at a hotel, or I really will forbid him from going out with this Sarah again.

Robbie:
I'm sorry. It's just that he's a little old to...(Eric gives a mean face) then again he does live under your roof.

Eric:
Yes, he does.

Robbie:
Of course, he's leaving soon to go off to medical school and when he does, you're gonna have a hard time trying to control what he can and can't do.

Sarah:
Ever been to a Jewish wedding?

Matt:
Sarah's father's a rabbi.

Eric:
Life's funny, isn't it. Matt's marrying a Jewish girl. Who would've thought?

Matt:
[to Simon] Uh, let me think about that, no! Last thing we need is another one of your goofy friends.

Sarah:
[to Simon and Matt] And my folks won't mind, my father loves a big a audience. If he could have a crowd in the bathroom to watch him shave, he'd do it.

Lucy:
Watch this! [she fakes a faint] Well?

Ruthie:
Well what?

Lucy:
That was a faint, I think I'll try that nobody argues with a fainter!

Ruthie:
It needs work you look sleepy not fainty.

Lucy:
Ok! [Tries it again] Better?

Ruthie:
I'm not sure...

Lucy:
Maybe if I crack my head against the wall!

Ruthie:
Are you sure you haven't already done that?

[Lucy makes a mean face]

Lucy:
What are kids doing these days to get out of school? Fake fevers, trick thermometers, run any throat techniques anything new out there?

Ruthie:
No, same old stuff. Although, Talia Skepka ate a caterpillar last week to get out of P.E. but she didn't throw up until two periods later, so the timing has to be worked out.

Lucy:
I have to get out of this dinner tonight.

Ruthie:
Stay home with Robbie.

Lucy:
Think I could?

Ruthie:
Oh man, I knew it!

Lucy:
Hey, it's just that sometimes when a couple breaks up it's not totally clean, there's some unfinished business and this would be a good time to clean it up.

Ruthie:
That's not all there is to it, you have to have a reason to stay home, a reason you can say out loud to Mom and Dad.

Lucy:
Man, I love Buffalo. This is a fun town!

[Mary and Ben open the door to see Kevin and Lucy kissing]

Ben:
Hmmm...[they ignore him] Kevin!

Lucy:
Hi!

Ben:
Come on Kev. Let's go.

Kevin:
I had a great time.

Ben:
We can see that.

Kevin:
Good night. [they kiss]

Lucy:
Good night.

Eric:
He bought her an engagement ring.

Sarah:
You bought me an engagement ring!?

Annie:
You didn't give him any money, did you?

Eric:
We don't have any money.

Annie:
Matt can't afford to buy an engagement ring on his own.

Sarah:
You can't afford this.

Matt:
Yes, I can.

Sarah:
No, you can't.

Matt:
It's only $200.

Sarah:
Excuse me? What did you say?

Eric:
The ring's...

Sarah:
A fake.

Matt:
No, it's gennette.

Eric:
A perfectly simulated diamond-like substance.

Annie:
Maybe it's not too late. Maybe you can stop Matt from...

Matt:
Sarah, please! Stop! It is gennette! It's gennette!

Sarah:
I can't even believe you bought me a fake ring! How could you!? It's so fake and cheap and if not getting me a ring weren't bad enough. Just leave me alone, okay!? Leave me alone!

Matt:
Oh, hey, thanks, Dad. She loves the ring.

Lucy:
Mary's going to be a flight attendant for Jet Blue airlines. Did I tell you I met a guy? [Eric and Annie shake their heads] I didn't? well he's really cute. He's a cop. His name's Kevin. He's Ben's brother, you know, Mary's firefighter, Ben. Well, let's gets down to baggage claim. I'm feeling lucky!

Kevin:
[to Ben] Did you know Lucy's going to be a minister?

Lucy:
If you don't hurry up we're gonna miss our flight, and thank you.

Mary:
Thanks for what?

Lucy:
For bringing me here.

Mary:
I'm glad you had a good time with Kevin.

Lucy:
We're gonna keep in touch and he's gonna come to Glen Oak when he gets some vacation time.

Mary:
Luce, I'm not going back. Really, I'm staying here in Buffalo.

Lucy:
I know you like Ben, but you can't just camp out in Buffalo and hope that things work out. I mean, you have to go home.

Mary:
I'm not in Buffalo for Ben. I'm here for me. I'm going to be a flight attendant for Jet Blue Airlines. I start my training tomorrow.

Lucy:
That's your plan, a flight attendant? But school?

Mary:
I'm gonna finish school. Once I finish my training I can fly out to Glen Oak any time I want and I can still do classes with you.

Lucy:
Are you serious?

Mary:
Yeah, I want to do this. I thought about it a lot, and it just...feels right. Don't get me wrong, I'm scared to start something new again. But I think this time it's all gonna work out.

Mary:
Your brother's in love with my sister.

Ben:
It's too soon for them to be in love.

Mary:
What about us? [They kiss]

Simon:
[when the phone rings] Hello?

Patty-Mary:
Is Kevin there?

Simon:
Maybe, whom should I say is calling?

Patty-Mary:
Just tell him he has a phone call kid.

Simon:
I don't think so.

Patty-Mary:
Tell them it's Patty-Mary.

Simon:
I need more information, Patty-Mary.

Lucy:
Home!? You're in Glenoak?!

Mary:
I'm not just in Glenoak, I'm here!

[Lucy is shocked]

Eric:
[after Sam and David have new beds] Well, I guess it's official, they're not babies anymore.

Annie:
It's a good thing. They're suppose to grow.

Sam:
See, this is good.

David:
Good bed.

Eric:
Yes, it is.

Eric:
[to Simon] In case you were wondering what your sister was screaming about at 2:30 in the morning, Mary's home. And she brought Ben and Ben's brother. Now your mother's making them sandwiches, even though they're grown men who can make their own sandwiches. Heh. Yeah.

Annie:
Mary! Ben! And you must be Kevin! Welcome!

Eric:
Welcome?

Mary:
I'm an airline attendant. I get buddy passes and I brought them home with me for a surprise. Is it ok?

Annie:
It's more than okay! Kevin!

Lucy:
Isn't he great?

Annie:
Oh, he is!

Annie:
Since when do you have a pen pal who's a Marine?

Ruthie:
Since I changed schools. It's a class project. A volunteer project. It's to let all the men and women who serve in the armed forces know how much they're appreciated. We can't send real mail, so we have to send e-mail. That's the safe way to do it.

Annie:
What do you write about?

Ruthie:
Oh, different things. Sometimes just funny stuff that happens around here. You know, to give him a laugh

Annie:
Funny....family stories?

Ruthie:
Yeah, I've got plenty of 'em. You can't just write about serious stuff. He gets enough of that being in the Marines!

Lucy:
[about Ruthie's pen pal] So, how did he wind up in Afghanistan?

Ruthie:
He had just gotten back last September and he wasn't supposed to go anywhere for a while, but on September 11, the world changed. That's what Dwight said. He got his orders to go to Afghanistan in November, and he didn't want to leave his family so soon, but that's just part of being a Marine. They go where they're needed. He left the day before Theresa's birthday and the day after the Marine Corps birthday ball. Dwight and Theresa had a great time, but then they had to say good-bye. It was sad, but sad good-byes are just part of being a Marine, too. [Mary and Lucy look upset] Hey, the Marines are tough. They can take it. And their families are really brave. They have to be.

Colonel:
I didn't want you to hear it on the news, hon. I wanted to come and tell you myself, face-to-face.

Ruthie:
Well, who's gonna tell Sergeant Morgan's wife? Who's gonna tell Theresa? And who's gonna explain it to their son, Alex? Alex is only five years old! That little boy's probably never even heard of Afghanistan!

Colonel:
No, probably not. But I'm pretty sure he has heard of the United States of America. That's the country his father died for. The United States of America, and he died in an effort to keep freedom alive for his son and his wife, and all his family, and for all the sons and daughters and mothers and fathers in this country. He died for me, and he died for you.

Ruthie:
But I didn't want him to die.

Colonel:
He was a Marine. He died with honor.

Man:
I'm a veteran myself.

Robbie:
Good for you. Thanks for serving.

Man:
[pauses] I don't think anyone's ever said that to me before. Thank you.

Simon:
Where are you off to so early?

Annie:
Oh, we're spending the day with Mrs. Bink.

Simon:
(looks at the twins) What did they do?

Annie:
They're not being punished. They're just learning to take care of older people in the community. Mrs. Bink would love to see them, and she's getting older. It's hard for her to cook, so we're gonna go over and make her lunch and hang out for a while.

Simon:
Staff Sergeant Dwight J. Morgan would be very proud.

Annie:
I hope so. I wanted to do something bigger, something universal and world-changing, but this is what I can do today, and this is what I'm going to do today, in his honor.

Annie:
I'm dead. You're looking at a dead woman. You're looking at a dead woman, and a stupid woman. A stupid, dead woman!

Eric:
Bad day, honey?

Annie:
I almost broke the entire family up with one dish. Image what I can do with a whole meal!

Ruthie:
[to Robbie] Eavesdropping? How very Camden of you.

Sarah:
I feel badly that none of my family made it to your mothers dinner.

Matt:
Under the circumstances...

Sarah:
Still, later tonight I'll call your mom and apologize. We were this close to pulling it off, to doing what neither of us thought we could do, get married with our two families thereby bringing us and our two faiths together, like a family is suppose to be.

Matt:
Just for the record, I didn't think we were this close to pulling it off.

Matt:
Our fathers are never going to admit they are wrong, apologize and show up and the synagogue as nothing ever happened.

Richard:
I don't believe in the marriage so I can't marry them. It's as simple as that.

Robbie:
With me here, Simon can take over Matt's role in the family and you can have your room back.

Ruthie:
So, you're not moving?

Robbie:
No, unless you can tell me why all of a sudden my best friend in this family is declaring war on me and is trying to get me to leave the only place I ever really considered home.

[Ruthie just walks out]

Matt:
It's a mistake, Dad. A big mistake. I mean, I love you, but if you don't show up at my wedding, I don't know if I'll ever be able to forgive you.

Eric:
And, if you convert tomorrow, I don't know if I'll ever be able to forgive you.

Matt:
So, we're at an impasse, both of us refusing to give in to the other. I wonder which one of us will win, or if we'll both lose.

Eric:
You still planning on getting married?

Matt:
Yes, are you still planning on not being there?

Ruthie:
You can have your room back if you want it.

Robbie:
I'm fine with the garage. Look, I really need to finish this best man speech. I'm having a lot of trouble, so if you don't mind.

Ruthie:
Are you kicking me out?

Robbie:
Yeah, just like you kicked me out.

Ruthie:
Well, are you kicking Sam and David out, too?

Robbie:
No. Sam and David can stay.

Ruthie:
Well, that's not fair!

Robbie:
And neither is the way you're treating me. You know, when you're ready to apologize and explain why you've been so mean to me, I'll be here. Are you ready? [long pause, Ruthie walks out]

Kevin:
[on the phone] No matter how much I like you, I just can't pick up and move to Glen Oak. My family is in Buffalo. My job is in Buffalo. I want to be with you, but I can't just give up my life.

Lucy:
So I should just give up my life and move to Buffalo?

Kevin:
I didn't say that, but it would be nice if you considered it.

Lucy:
I already used up my one "give up my life and move halfway across the country to be with the one I love" chip with Jeremy. I can't do it again.

Kevin:
Well, you can't ask me to do something that you're not willing to do yourself. (pause) Are you still there?

Lucy:
Yes. I'm still here. In Glen Oak. Without you.

Matt:
Sarah's father has worked it out so that tomorrow, before Sarah and I get married, I can convert, and I'm gonna do it.

Eric:
What? I thought you weren't going to address this issue until later--maybe when you and Sarah had children, or after I was dead.

Matt:
Look, I have my reasons, and I'm ready to do this.

Eric:
You can't seriously think that in less than four months, you've studied and researched Judiasm, a religion that's thousands of years old. Well enough to convert!

Matt:
Well, I've been going to temple with Sarah and her family every Saturday since Sarah and I got engaged, and I've been attending conversion classes, and--

Eric:
[sarcastically] Oh, why, I didn't know that you've been to temple 15 times and taken some classes. Well, why didn't you say so? Of course you're ready to convert! [pauses] Just for your information, converting just for marriage is wrong.

Matt:
You can't call off my wedding, and you can't stop me from converting. Dad, you have to let me live my life.

Eric:
Okay, live your life. Get married. Just don't convert.

Matt:
I know this is not about religion. This is about you not wanting to let me grow up, but...

Eric:
Oh, no, this is about religion. I don't want you to convert! And just so you know, it's not because you want to convert to Judiasm. If you wanted to be any other religion, I'd have the same reaction, and not because I think that our religion is better, but because you can't make a decision as big as changing your faith this quickly! And if you weren't getting married, you wouldn't be thinking about it, would you?

Matt:
Dad, you can't stop me.

Eric:
Are you really gonna do this tomorrow? Convert?

Matt:
Yes.

Eric:
Then it'll have to be without me.

Matt:
I'm sorry, but I think I just heard you tell me you weren't coming to my wedding.

Eric:
Maybe if I don't go, it'll give you some pause, and you'll rethink your decision.

Matt:
I can't believe you'd do this to me.

Eric:
Someday you'll thank me.

Matt:
You're assuming that someday, I'll be talking to you again.

Rabbi Glass:
I made a suggestion, and Matt agreed. This is Matt's decision, not mine, honey.

Sarah:
Okay, Dad. If you're helping Matt to convert tomorrow purely because you think that he is totally committed to it and ready to enter into a covenant between God and Jewish people, then good. But if, like I suspect, you're only doing this as a last ditch effort to try to cause some sort of drama that might cause my wedding not to happen?? Well, if that's the case, then let me tell you that Abraham himself isn't going to be able to protect you from my wrath! [kisses him and walks out]

Colonel:
How do you think I felt when you rejected the Marines?

Eric:
I didn't reject the Marines. I...

Colonel:
Chose a different path? Took a different road? When you came to me and said you were not going to enlist in the Marine Corps and indeed had already enrolled in Seminary, I felt you were rejecting me and my whole way of life. At that time, that was unbearable. And then I realized that you weren't rejecting the Marines or me. You were choosing something else, following your own heart, as is Matt. Matt may leave your house, Eric, and he may leave your church, but he can never leave behind what you taught him. What makes him, him is you. You raised him. He'll always be your son, and as long as he goes out into the world and does some good, does it really make any difference whether he's Christian or Jewish, as long as he's still Matt? That, I eventually had to realize about you. You may not be a Marine, but by heaven, you are my son, and up until now, you've always done the right thing and made me proud. Do the right thing, and make me proud.

Colonel:
Do I understand that you are not going to the wedding?

Eric:
I have my reasons for not going, and they're not up for discussion or debate.

Colonel:
Who do you think you're talking to? Some friend who stopped by for coffee? I'm your father, and Matt's grandfather, and I've just flown 2,000 miles to attend this wedding. Whether you want to or not, you're gonna tell me what the devil is going on here!

Eric:
Matt plans to convert.

Colonel:
Who cares?

Eric:
I care, and obviously, you don't understand, and that's why I don't want to talk about this!

Colonel:
You feel that you raised Matt in a certain way--your way. And now, as an adult, he's choosing his own path, and you feel that he's rejecting you, or rejecting the road you thought he'd take in life, the road you picked for him to take life. And now you're hurt because you can't understand why he doesn't want to take your road.

Eric:
Okay, maybe you do understand.