if you're shocked when someone aims kindness your way. that oughta tell you somethin' about yourself.
uh. no thanks.
how could i be?
i think my brother said that once.
maybe it was my father.
i'm not a water person.
so we should cut it.
or you could tie me in a sack, throw me in the river. tell the police you thought it was oddly-wrapped lard.
does your wife like special pickles? they're fine with cold cuts.
seven and a half month anniversary?
it was pretty much like that for a month.
somewhere in there. we got married.
after that, i had to follow her to see her.
which i know was wrong of me.
she didn't know she was pregnant.
uh. where are y.
come home. i'll make you one.
you okay? except for being thirsty?
me too. i'll tell bunny you miss her.
there's. cold chicken.
i knew we had our problems. but i never thought i'd hear that word.
i knew if i could take it. in the end. it would all work out.
brain tumor and liver cancer. one apiece.
dicky. it's mom and poppa. they.
so. for the funeral, i thou.
don't see how. big mortgage. spent their savings on the doctors. i hadda send some grocery mon.
sorry, ed. i gotta drive down to my parents' place. i'll be back, friday.
in what sense do you m.
should i finish the sawmill piece?
that's the last thing she'd ev.
at least she took her toys. wanted her to be happy.
quoyle. q-u-o-y-l-. no, y, then l-e. yeh, it's my kid.
who knows? who knows?
he's passed on. he's dead. you said mockingb.
are you a detective, lieutenant?
well, as you've probably deduced, i am his son. cause i'm at his place. as alleged.
which is?
the good. please.
that's. the good n.
and petal?
that don't mean for sure she w.
in the store. that way, you've got the whole selection.
give us a minute.
i mean him.
she had an accident.
there was a car crash, sweetie. and they found. you know, the body. of her friend.
petal can't come back, she's dead. you know dead. like the turtle.
uh. no, bunny and i like to.  uh, early to bed, earl.
i never knew her, really.
but she was driven by terrible forces, no one could understand. she was a locked door. even to me.
some people probably thought petal was bad clear through.
i think she just couldn't get enough love.
in what sense do you m.
uh. there's mom. and that's poppa.
those are temporary.
like the falcon.
well, that was my friend partridge. made the call. and it's just an interview.
take it easy. floor mighta fallen into the cellar.
is that a belt or a crown?
sodas get flat withou.
that why the barbies are watching?
they must be chilly, tho. should i get their clo.
i was lookin' for that all over our old place. the landlady s.
you had quite the heavy morning. take the rest of the day off.
be right back, and we'll start talking breakf.
yeh, her farts are pretty scary.
i was gonna say. i'll keep my eyes peeled.
be cheaper to build a new one. on the riviera, even.
i'm not. a water person.
not a water person.
someone found a pretty wife.
someone always does.
that'd be me. the second one.
listen to this. 'well, we see the postman has landed in jail for 45 days for throwing the mail in killick-claw harbor. he said he had too much to deliver, and folks could just take a dip and help themselves.'
this is great stuff. 'a snowmobile mishap has taken the life of 78-year- old rick puff, who was on his way home from what the widow puff calls a 'screech-in and a carouse,' when his machine fell through the ice. a well- known accordion player, mr. puff had served four years in the 1970s for sexual assault on his daughters. bet they aren't crying, either.' this billy pretty can really write!
from what?
headline. dog fart fells freelance reporter. promising career nipped in bud.
based on my i.q. test, huh. where'd i rate?
so he said. waitin' for his license.
mr. buggit. i'm not. well, a water person.
him and jack. tell it.
and that's enough t?
man's a witch.
say it fast.
i'll drink to that.
hey, how 'bout we ask what's wrong with you? there's nothing wr.
which one of those women is in charge here?
well, my lord, whoever runs the place should be giving this a little more attention.
i mean, children need structure. no one's even guarding that craft table, they could be running around with scissors and get hurt.
um. i write for the newspa.
well, i was just.
she has wonderful. posture.
oh, yessir. he was in all the papers. way back.
you are a woman of mystery, aunt. mystery and surprise.
you said upholstery. never said yacht uphol.
where's bunny?
what does that mean?
little early in the day f.
poor old girl.
i never thought so.
another necklace, huh? can i help?
do i have to take my clothes off?
you know. you do look good in blue.
give you folks a lift?
well. my aunt can't bring bunny to the daycare, she's got her shop now. but i worked it out with my boss. so i'll be bringin' her come next week.
if that's all right.
only the best ones.
so the newfie drills another hole in the ice, aways off from the first one. once again, the voice booms, no fish down here!
so he moves way down the ice. drills another hole. voice comes again, i said, no fish down here!
the newfie looks around. still nobody. hollers, who are ya? the voice o' god? voice comes back, no! the arena manager!
heard it before, huh?
you guys hungry?
is he learnin'?
said it was.
well. a boat's a boa.
that goes with the shipping news. profile of a vessel in port.
that's the one i didn't do. mrs. diddolate sprained her wrist. period.
pretty mu.
run it.
as for the part about you havin' half a mind? no comment.
headline. reporter disembowels self with rusty joke.
jack, i completely understand, i would fire me, too.
in a heartbeat.
you give me a chance, and what happens? i buy the wrong boat, i write the wrong story, i am the lowest form of alleged life. in fact, your comment.
was an insult to the doughnut.
don't move!!
and if you don't move. until i get there. then.
then you win!
that. was so easy.
thing about the barge piece? i just thought it'd perk up th.
goin' fishin'?
thirty-eight years. first time anybody said you done it right.
i just, uh, came to see if you'd heard abou.
that's. that's just terrible.
in new york. they said she had a.  personality disorder.
all these hallucin.
you know how many she makes?
and she's saving her mother a room. did she tell you that?
she talks to her at night. i can hear through the door.
you know how kids think. you have all those books.
i mean. if you had to guess.
if you guys aren't chasing me, i'm gonna be completely cheesed off!
if you pick enough, we can sell 'em for a thousand dollars. and give it to aunt agnis to make up for those staties who didn't pay h.
i'm thinking i'm sorry. for everything.
cindy crawford and me is doin' fine.
oh, that'd be agnis.
well. she does have that posture goin'.
there's me.
well, you said. there's no one else.
hey. if you wanna rest next to him. i'll paint yours at the same time. no extra trouble.
attaway, girl. you're smarter'n all of us.
more obvious. than the wife?
so there they were, this goofy old codger and his dog, big as life.
here i was worried about bunny night and day, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with her.
her only problem is her dad worries too mu.
so what is th.
well. i've been workin' longer hours. so dennis and beety were kind enough to bring bunny to the daycare. fed her a lotta meals, too. they're real friends.
nobody hangs a picture of an oil tanker. that's the header.
well. whatcha think?
well, sure.
run it. like i wrote it.
like i wrote it.
if anybody's there, you better come out now!
like i said. nobody hangs those.
how can a man resign. to nobody?
i know the word, card. it means you two deserve each other.
headline. reporter becomes magnet for dead men.
what was my panic? he was already dead. maybe i thought, in some dim way.
if it wasn't too late for him. it wouldn't be for petal.
once i was past the shelter of the lee shore, and into the real wind. i realized my mistake.
headline. reporter becomes anchor man.
stupid. stupid to drown with bunny so young. no life jacket, no floating oar. no sense.
and i wondered. am i going where she's gone?
and will i see her?
you don't smoke.
you don't have to, i'm all right. i'm in heaven.
nice. you sittin' up with me.
who you worried ab.
i asked. who you worried about?
not really. wouldn't be right.
and she talked about it. just like that.
so we're patient. and we wait, and we're good to her. and. maybe. time.
well, hurry up. thirty, forty years i'll be rarin' to get back out on the water.
uh. wavey? if it's all the same to you.
she musta done something. really bad.
see, a good dad would say hitting is always wrong. you coulda hurt her bad. i guess you know that.
wish i'd seen it. it really sounds funny.
well, there won't be any trouble at school. i'ii take care of that.
because the best thing about people. is they can forgive each other. i heard that this morning.
that. and she won't want the story printed in the paper.
me neither.
uncle nolan? can i come in?
uncle. my daughter bunny and i. we got you some hot bread. and some meat. some dried fish. some squash and vegetables. a cake. some warm clothes.
see, i am qu.
him.
naw, i just come from seein' your cousin nolan. guess i was thinkin' about him.
that was more consideration. than i deserve.
so if y'called around. musta found somepla.
i can't put him there, til i go down to st. john's. see it's all right.
come with me.
i mean, the kids could stay with
well. remember when you said. someday, i'd do something nice for you?
hey. overnight trip to st. john's. all expenses paid.
now, listen to this for t'morrow. after i sign the papers at the home.
hey, it's my treat. you agreed.
a friend told me once. love is the only thing that counts.
so when you told me how you think about your husband. i really understood, becau.
because real love. just comes once.
see, you know some of the stories about petal. some of the bad things. what you don't know.
sorta. because of it.
see, love. isn't about what's good for you. isn't about what you wish it was. isn't about what. would make you happy.
love. is about want. what you really want. and you can't change that. even if it's poison.
so that's why it's great. to have a real friend. when you're. lonely.
i cou.
she did stay my friend. in her way. even tho, for awhile, we didn't see each other a lot.
funny. how one little talk. can change everything.
tell me about it. just get the aunt's house fixed perfect, and i gotta move.
three hours to drive from the point, with all the ice. alvin won't have my boat ready til new years. agnis can stay over her shop. bunny and i have to find a room in town.
hopin' you'd offer, almost worth it just t'inconvenience ya. unfortunately, i'm too fond a yer wife.
last friend left me. turned into a truck driver.
what's the barrel for?
perfect for th' chips.
works. we forgot to buy dip.
oh, yar. from new hampshire.
feeling that and more. what's the situation?
editorial meetin', y'say. 'bout what?
well, don't get all weepy-eyed abou.
well, billy'll do a helluva job.
course. i'd need a raise.
well, your son.
his whole life would be changed. if he could come upon. a fishing license.
uh. i didn't. most of these
there's two. are yours.
you prob'ly want to wait for christmas.
it's from a museum catalogue. but it's not real. it's a copy.
it's nice for your eyes. i thought.
it's for everyday. you don't have to save it for special.
it was so big, i thought it was a tea cozy for your car. but if it's for me, it has to be bigger, huh?
you kiddin'? after the holidays, we'll have to stretch it.
not used to a woman. giving me presents.
one christmas with petal, i gave her eleven things. and i wrapped them. and watched her open them up.
she didn't have anything for me. like every year. but this one time, she said, 'wait a minute.'
she ran to the kitchen. i heard the fridge open. she came back. with her hands hidden behind her. then, she held out.
two brown eggs. she gave them to me from her own hands. they were cold.
must sound really stupid. but they meant a lot to me.
i broke 'em, careful. made her an omelette with 'em. and i saved the shells. in a little box.
oh, yeh. they're on a shelf behind my desk. at the paper.
well. i gotta collect bunny. beety's gonna have supper waiting.
well. merry christmas!
we get so little mention in the wires. thought you'd like to see.
head in the suitcase. the mystery's solved.
silver melville was captured in moored with a cruise steward. the boy was twenty, a looker, wearing armani clothes. driving a nice lexus.
says she did it all for love.
some women. shoulda done it to their brother.
mavis said you buried warren here. called it an anniversary.
for some, it does.
y'know what the feathers around here need th' most? a good ruffling, i say.
y'know what i need th' most?
a really big breakfast!
hey. congratulations.
last night. on the stage? you were.
they're beautiful. i never saw 'em. all together.
well. any woman would.
you knew billy's dad?
remember what i told you.
we're the ones have to be awake. to how much we love him.
and how we should be good to each other. while we have the chance.
you think?
that's cos he's peaceful. no worries, anymore. no troubles.
i found this in jack's drawer at the paper. i don't know if it's somethin' special.
you hungry? there's sandwi.
you bet. you can count on tha.
new year's present.
oh, yeh. it's a quoyle tradition.
thanks. for the mirror.
what? 'i'm keepin' m'damn lobster license'?
maybe he just said it. to make your uncle dennis laugh so hard. you think?
that's something the world is always teaching us. and sometimes, the learning comes later.
you know. what we wait for? it's like the main stem of this boat. it gives us our shape.
see, i know why you saved a place for petal. all this time.
cos i'm the daddy. and you learn how to do. by watching me.
you just watched. better than i knew.
watch this.