Bethany

Mr. snuffles, what do you

have to say for yourself?

You're so silly.

There you are.

Of course not, we're the

bestest friends forever, ever.

I'll always be true.

Who are you talking

with, Princess?

Just with my dolls, mommy.

Get some sleep, darling.

We have a big day ahead of us.

So that went well.

Are you okay?

I'm okay.

So what did Hodges say, any

legal problems about probate?

Nope, it's all done,

wrapped up in a pretty

legal bow with my signature.

I'm sorry, sweetheart,

that was inconsiderate.

Where would you like to

go, anywhere, just name it.

Home, I'm going home.

Hey, miss Mason,

some of your students

want to say goodbye.

Bye, we love you!

Bye, miss Mason!

We're here, baby.

Wake up, sleepyhead.

You know me and long car rides.

You excited to be home?

Yeah, something like that.

Well, come in.

Let's get some

lights on in here.

All right.

Huh.

Time to buy some light bulbs.

And what is behind

door number one?

Can we make sure that the

kitchen and bathroom work

before we go exploring?

Otherwise, we need to go to

a hotel, I need to shower.

Shower it is, okay, baby.

That's one down.

Now a shower for milady.

I can't believe this is you.

That is some big hair.

How come you never showed

me this pic before?

- Because it's not me.

- What?

That's her, that's mother.

Huh.

She's got a lot of

these laying around.

They're all of her.

They always were.

You two could be sisters.

I'm an only child.

Tea, extra honey.

Thank you.

Looking at pics of

a supermodel, I see.

She seemed to think so.

You never really

talked about her much.

There's a reason.

Care to share?

Mother only cared

about what she wanted,

not what I wanted.

She was impossible to be around.

That sounds like all mothers.

I mean, you know mine,

all she ever does

is guilt-trip me and

tell me to have kids and,

uh, send me corned

beef and cabbage.

She wanted to be around you.

I got so lonely, I had

an imaginary friend.

- Really?

- Yeah.

Her name was Bethany.

What, no neighborhood

kids or kids from school?

I was home-schooled,

and playing with other

children was unladylike.

Wow, my mom is starting to

sound a lot less annoying.

I wouldn't go that far, you

remember last Thanksgiving?

Yikes, yes, I do, and

her cell phone rings

to the stabbing

music from psycho.

This is a big decision,

we need to talk about it.

No, we don't.

Yes, we do, Claire.

Look, baby, I love you...

And I love you, Aaron.

That's not the question here,

it never is, it never was.

I think that we should deal

with things one thing at a time,

and this house is a big

enough thing to deal with,

so can we please

just deal with that...

I am, and you're

right, it is a big thing.

It's a great big thing

that we talked about

and agreed upon

before we moved here.

Well, it's different now.

How?

- It's better.

- For you, maybe.

For me, this house...

It's the best break

we've ever gotten.

Being here feels wrong,

off,

like I'm walking through

someone else's memory of life

and I don't want it to be mine.

I'm sorry, sweetie.

I am.

But the reality is,

this house is old,

it needs a lot of work

before it could make any

money on today's market,

but for us,

it's priceless, we've won

the lottery here, sweetie.

Yeah, well, when

you win the lottery,

you cash in the ticket,

you don't move into

the f***ing 7-Eleven.

Don't.

Don't storm off like

that's your final word.

I left my friends and business

to come here with you,

as well, so don't act like you're

the only one on the cross.

Goodnight, Bethany.

Claire, I think you're

deflecting the question.

Remember, my office

is a safe place.

The only thing that matters

here is honesty to ourselves.

No one is perfect in

the eyes of the world,

so let's address the

monster in the room.

You want to have a

child with Aaron?

Yes, I do, just not right now.

Is that because last time,

the baby was stillborn?

No, it's because I don't want

to have a child in this house.

Why?

Because I don't want

to become my mother.

And having a child in

this house would do that?

I mean, that's crazy.

Do not call me that.

I'm not calling you crazy,

I'm saying the thought process

is crazy...

Well, it's the same thing.

That's good,

Claire, you're angry.

Now let's talk about why.

I cut both of my wrists

after my baby was born dead.

I was filled with pain

and anguish and hormones,

and I lashed out at

myself to end it.

And I have come to terms with

that, it's part of who I am,

but it is not why I don't want

to have a baby in this house.

Good, good.

So, let's figure out why.

What do you think it might be?

Claire?

Honey?

I'm sorry.

It's not your fault, Aaron,

and anger isn't

always a bad thing.

It's progress.

- Really?

- Absolutely!

Her anger will pass,

but the moment will be fertile

ground for contemplation.

Just be patient.

Okay.

Okay, thank you.

She always prides beauty

and status above all else.

These were your mother's?

No, these were mine.

What are they for?

- Beauty pageants.

- Beauty pageants, huh?

How come I never

knew about this?

Because I did them

when I was a little kid.

That's just, that's just cruel,

making a little girl for fight

for the validation of strangers.

That's all my

mother cared about.

I'm sorry, honey.

This is it.

This is my life.

You see, she's

won every pageant,

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes