Original release date: August 13, 2021
“On this night, long after we had thrown in the towel on us, here we were again, crawling back into the ring. This time, though, it would be different. We just never imagined how different it would become, or how quickly.”
* * *
♪ We face the music together ♪
♪ And throw our hats in the ring ♪
♪ Facing all kinds of weather ♪
♪ And not afraid of anything ♪
♪ Hey ♪
♪ When the sun comes up, we’ll be on our way ♪
♪ And we don’t care where we land ♪
♪ And the waves are high, but we won’t turn round ♪
♪ ‘Cause your hand is in my hand ♪
♪ And, oh-oh ♪
♪ You make me feel invincible ♪
♪ ‘Cause it’s you and me ♪
♪ Through the wind and hail ♪
♪ Setting sail into the world ♪
[man] One, two, three, four.
♪ ♪
[man speaking indistinctly on radio]
Mum?
Mm?
[Flynn] I just want it plain.
No ketchup or butter.
No ketchup or butter.
Right.
[Betty] And I want the bagel toasted, so it’s hot.
Well, it’s toasted. It’s hot now.
Where’s the regular milk?
This is almond milk.
You forgot to get milk.
I can’t drink that.
Aren’t you all supposed to be vegans by now?
That’s when you’re 13.
Ooh.
Well, don’t you want to be ahead of the curve? Hmm?
Don’t forget, your dad’s picking you up today.
[Flynn] Don’t bother with lunches then, Mum.
[Elizabeth] Why?
Dad does his Fajita Fridays.
Mm. For lunch?
As soon as we get in.
Gets takeaway?
No.
He makes them, from scratch.
They’re the best.
Bet they’re delicious.
Piping hot.
[Flynn] Yeah.
“Piping hot.”
[sighs deeply]
Yeah, okay.
Enough with the sighing.
I get it.
It’s not your bag.
You know, it’s not… highbrow enough.
Highbrow?
[stammers]
What’s with this… spitting and choking?
[chuckles]
They’re supposed to love each other?
Oh. You poor sheltered child.
[chuckles] Everyone’s doing it these days.
Really? Is that based on actual scientific fact or something you’re regurgitating from trashy magazines?
I-Is Chat trashy?
You need to buy me lunch.
Exactly. Well, I can buy you a very nice lunch.
Do you think it’ll sell?
Sadly, I do.
Do you? Hmm.
Yeah.
Super interesting guy.
Ooh, really?
Mm. Good-looking, too.
I mean, not that shallow things like looks matter to you.
Lily, Lily. I’m actually all right where I’m at right now.
Sure.
My marriage just didn’t work.
It ended. You know.
Mm.
That’s because you chose a besotted boy when you needed a man.
It wasn’t Van’s fault.
I had big plans for married life, constant expectations leading to disappointment.
I know.
It was as much my fault as it was his.
But it was never gonna work.
No.
I’m not closed off to it.
If it, if it happens, it happens. Wonderful.
I’m just not gonna peddle myself like some used car on a website.
But you’re a vibrant young woman.
You know, you should be with somebody.
‘Cause you are?
How is that working out for you?
Yeah.
I could wring his neck.
And not in a good way.
There is no good way.
Oh, you’d be surprised. [chuckles]
You are such a prude. [laughs]
[doorbell buzzes]
[knocking]
Mm. Okay.
Come on, guys. I don’t think your mum’s here.
Think she might have had an early morning.
Or a late night.
Yeah.
I have keys.
Oh, no. We’ll… we’ll-we’ll come back.
Wait, she’s…
Oh. Um…
Oh!
[Van] I’m really sorry about this.
Uh, I-I tried texting. Uh, Boo needs her ukulele.
[Betty] Mm-hmm.
[Elizabeth] Saturday morning.
Why aren’t you glued to screens like regular kids?
That’s because I have my talent competition.
You’re coming, right?
Yeah.
Wild horses wouldn’t stop me.
Boo.
[whispers] Sorry.
What’s that?
Oh. It’s her flask.
Dad made yummy soup.
Mmm.
And it keeps it piping hot. How’d you get so good at this?
Yeah.
At what? It’s just soup.
It’s, uh, mixed vegetable, a little bit of basil, maybe some garlic…
Not the soup, dummy. The whole…
Super Dad thing.
Uh…
I don’t know. I guess, uh, when you’re on your own, you have to do the stuff that the other person used to do.
You just got better at everything and I just got worse.
I think I had more room for improvement, didn’t I?
You have a point.
That’s true, yeah.
What time?
Oh, I guess, like, after the rehearsals.
2:30 in the Calder Hall, isn’t it?
[Betty] Oh, yeah.
Yeah.
[chuckles] Okay. Come on.
Okay. Bye-bye.
[Flynn] Bye, Mum! Bye.
Bye.
[cheering and applause]
I don’t really like the competition aspect of these things, but that was bad.
Yeah, that was.
And now we have Betty Cannon on the ukulele.
[whooping]
[cheering and applause]
♪ When you were young ♪
♪ And on ♪
♪ Your own ♪
♪ How did it feel ♪
♪ To be ♪
♪ Alone? ♪
♪ I was always thinking of ♪
♪ Games ♪
♪ That I was playing ♪
♪ Trying to make ♪
♪ The best of my time ♪
♪ But only love ♪
♪ Can break your heart ♪
♪ What if your world ♪
♪ Should fall ♪
♪ Apart? ♪
[cheering and applause]
Yay!
Whoa. [chuckling]
I know. Look at her.
Come to dinner. Tonight. If you fancy. Celebrate.
You were saying earlier your cooking’s disimproved, so…
So, I’ve got an idea. Ooh! Why don’t we order in and celebrate?
Why don’t we have that banana bread you made at school?
There’s loads of that left.
No, no, um…
No, that expired.
No? I’d, um…
Yeah, and, also, the-the bananas weren’t…
I’d love to.
If you’re busy, I didn’t mean to…
Uh, no. I can, uh… I can, I can rearrange.
What, uh… what time?
Seven?
Great.
Okay, kiddies. I’ll, uh…
I will see you later. [grunts] Bye-bye-bye-bye-bye.
Bye-bye, Dad.
Wait, don’t forget chocolate cake.
Yeah, and…
What about Flynn’s banana bread then?
No…
It expired, remember?
Wine! Wine.
Okay, wine, Flynn’s banana bread…
[Flynn] I think
it went a little wrong whilst I was cooking it.
[Betty] Yeah.
[Elizabeth] Come on.
See you later.
[Flynn] Yeah! Okay, bye!
[Elizabeth] Come on.
No, I mean, I was immature.
I loved… I loved the idea of being grown-ups, but I… I didn’t really have any of the tools, you know?
So weird talking to a guy whose emotional baggage about his controlling ex-wife is something I can completely relate to.
[chuckles]
Well, my kids seem lovely.
It’s…
Perfect date.
Perfect.
Do you remember that flat in Bow?
[sputters]
How did we survive a winter there?
Ha! You wore a ski suit to bed.
I remember that.
I did. [laughing]
I finally found a woman to move in with me, and… you were genuinely putting more clothes on to go to bed than you wore during the day.
I mean… [stammers] Can you imagine how disastrous that was for my… my young male psyche?
It had zips.
I’d never skied. It was tricky.
[laughs] -Do you remember, do you remember that night where we… we, um… we broke up the chairs and burned them on the fire ’cause it was so…
You broke up the chairs.
And then when my parents came round, there was nowhere for them to sit. That was a red flag right there.
Oh, come on.
It was romantic.
It wasn’t romantic.
Eating tuna out of tins.
No television, no… phone.
No computers.
What the hell did we do all day?
We kissed.
We sat on the sofa for hours, just… just kissing to pass the time.
[inhales]
Did we?
Must’ve been… That must’ve been fun.
[inhales, exhales]
You remember.
You don’t remember?
[siren wailing in distance]
I remember the tuna.
[inhales, exhales]
♪ ♪
Ooh.
[chuckles]
Yeah.
Come to bed.
Okay.
You sure?
No.
You still got the ski suit?
♪ ♪
[birds chirping]
[door creaks]
[floor creaking]
[quietly] Come on.
[Van chuckles]
Shh. Don’t make a peep.
[chuckles softly]
[whispers] Okay. Bye.
Mmm.
Hmm? That was fun.
It was. Yeah.
They’ve got drama on Tuesdays, 6:00 till 8:00.
Right. Okay. And?
[laughs]
Shh.
[♪ Gary Clark and Gregor Philip: “Home Again”]
It’s a date.
♪ Little cars and small apartments ♪
♪ Boulevards before my heart went wrong ♪
♪ You were all my missing persons ♪
♪ And I’ve been missing you for much too long ♪
♪ The day was only waiting for the sun ♪
[panting]
♪ You took me home… ♪
Need a lift?
I really thought I’d make it home.
Then I remembered I’m… [pants]
I’m 48.
What gives you the right to be so cheerful this time in the morning?
[chuckles] Well, I just spent the night with the woman of my dreams.
Good for you.
Where’d you meet?
Well, that’s the tricky bit.
[starts engine]
I, uh… I used to be married to her.
Oh, do fuck off.
♪ ♪
Shut up.
Van?
[shushing softly]
We weren’t very good at being married, but… everything else works.
That’s twisted. [stammers]
I’m shocked.
I’m sure you are.
[chuckles]
Trapped in your orthodox marriage.
I don’t want to put a dampener on it, Liz.
Aren’t you just taking the path of least resistance?
You know, just falling back into something familiar.
I’m not marrying him.
Be very careful, Elizabeth.
It’s fun.
No expectations on either side.
[knocking]
[doorbell buzzes]
[chuckles]
Hey. Wow.
You look amazing.
Sorry. I was just, um… I’ve just come from work.
Do-do you mind if I lift the bike in?
Bring her in.
[chuckles]
Okay.
Thanks.
Ah…
I was, um… I was gonna pick up some wine on the way, and then I was like, “Is this…”
No, no. Don’t be silly.
Don’t be silly.
[inhales]
Hey.
Maybe I should’ve got some wine.
Shall I go and get some?
No, no, no, no.
I was just… No, it’s too sad.
Okay.
And we haven’t got time.
There’s an Irish dance class after drama class.
Could sign the girls up for that.
That would give us some time.
Do we need that long?
Well, it’s funny you should say that.
I did a-a tantric yoga class last week.
Mm…
Yeah. I picked up a few tricks.
Sh…
Oh, you’re interested now?
I’m just…
[laughs]
I might be interested.
Well, I was at the back of the class, so, um… No, no.
Oh, right. Here we go.
But, from what I could see…
Were you, now?
No. From what I could see…
Can I show you?
So…
[inhales] Yeah, uh, use…
If you give me your hand and you sort of put that there…
[sucks air] Saucy.
…and then…
Yeah, it’s very saucy.
And then this one under there.
Yeah? You paying attention?
Wow, I’ve never seen that before.
[laughs] Just round here.
Okay.
Yeah. Concentrate.
[Elizabeth] Bog-standard so far.
[Van] Okay, and this is where it gets… this is where it gets pretty complicated.
[Elizabeth] Okay.
You ready?
Okay.
Gonna keep this fun, right?
Yeah. Yeah. No, of course.
No. You’re the boss.
♪ ♪
[chatter in distance]
[line ringing]
No.
I’m going to have to call your mum.
Your dad’s phone is still going to answering machine, and… I have to leave soon.
Can you call him once more?
My mum said she had something important on this afternoon.
Well, I was explaining to your colleague that I don’t have the receipt.
It was, it was 12 years ago.
Yeah.
Yeah. Exactly.
Oh, I actually don’t… I don’t remember.
It was, um…
Um…
It was… The name?
The name is Cannon.
Ivan Cannon.
Yeah.
I’m looking for the size, the-the ring size, exactly.
Okay.
Yeah, I’ll hold. Okay. Thank you.
Nice.
Oh.
Thanks.
So… when the lady orders the baklava, I return with one baklava and the ring on another plate.
Or two baklava.
And no ring?
Oh, no, no. Definitely the ring.
What if she orders something else?
Oh, well, just, um,
put it beside whatever she orders.
Gotcha.
Okay. [inhales]
Um, great.
Wish me luck.
Good luck.
What?
I found out today.
Why didn’t you… why didn’t you tell me?
I just… I only just…
[clears throat]
I only just found out, and, um…
Yeah, I’ve got breast cancer, and it’s quite advanced.
Why didn’t you tell me? What…
It’s not your problem.
Well, what have you… Did you tell the girls?
I haven’t said anything.
Haven’t… I haven’t told anybody.
Listen, I’ll… I’ll move back in.
I’ll move back in. It’s, um…
Liz, let-let’s get… let’s get married again.
Let’s just… let’s just…
Why the fuck would I want to get married?
I don’t know. I just…
The last few months have been great, and… this doesn’t change anything. This is just a diagnosis.
This is not the end of your life.
And I want to be with you.
Liz, I… I want to be with you, and…
[scoffs]
I can’t… really… deal with this right now.
Uh, s… Uh, n… [exhales]
Enjoy.
Liz, look, I’m-I’m just…
No, no, no, no. Please, I just…
I need some space.
♪ ♪
[female voice] You have one new message received at 10:15 p.m.
[Van] Hey. I’m sorry my timing is so shitty.
And of course I’m here for you in whatever c…
♪ ♪
[Flynn] Why is this happening now?
I’m afraid you can’t plan your life out.
Not like chess, is it?
You can’t work out 20 moves ahead.
Things just happen that you can’t… that you can’t foresee.
And sometimes they’re really good things, like… falling in love.
Like having two beautiful girls.
Hmm?
Yeah.
Yeah.
And sometimes they’re rubbish things.
Yeah.
Like being here.
Yeah.
Is that an invitation for a hug?
Yes. Mm.
I’ll have that, please.
I’ll take it. Thank you.
Mm.
Oh.
I feel much better.
Mm. Same.
Yeah. [chuckles]
That’s good.
Me, too.
[chuckles softly]
[♪ Gavin Clark: “Painted Glass”]
…chop these up.
[speaking indistinctly]
♪ We were walking through the old town ♪
♪ Coming in over the pass ♪
♪ You were checking your reflection ♪
♪ There in the shopfront smearing glass ♪
[speaking indistinctly]
♪ I saw the glory of a new love ♪
♪ Oh, this pain ♪
♪ This restlessness ♪
♪ Some days, I feel better ♪
♪ Some days, I feel blessed ♪
♪ Oh, there’s only a few of us left… ♪
[nurse] I appreciate that, but only next of kin or immediate relatives are allowed in the recovery ward.
And next of kin is given here as a Mrs. Lily De Courcy.
Okay, all right, this is… this is ridiculous.
I’m their father, for God’s sake.
I understand that, but there’s nothing I can do.
I can only go by the patient’s declaration.
Mrs. De Courcy is in there at the moment.
Do you want me to ask her to come out and perhaps she can take the children in briefly?
It’s okay, Boo. It’s okay.
Okay. Yeah. If you could do that. Thank you.
Hey, girls.
Yeah, your mum is doing really well.
Okay, I’m gonna take you in in a minute, okay?
I’m sorry. You know, they couldn’t be happier.
Yeah.
Surgery’s gone really well.
They think they’ve got everything.
They’re really pleased.
Okay.
And Liz is doing great.
Uh, thank you. That’s great.
Yeah.
She’s, uh, booked in for radiation on Tuesday.
Okay.
So they’ve given me a schedule.
But I’ll just forward it on to you?
Sure.
Yeah. Um…
Okay. Uh, girls, um, go in with Lily, and I’ll-I’ll wait for you here, okay?
Okay.
Okay. Bye, Dad.
Okay?
We’re gonna be quiet as mice, okay?
Yeah, okay.
Because it’s a recovery ward, not really her room.
[siren wailing in distance]
Yeah. Let’s try and be quiet.
[indistinct P.A. announcement]
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
[speaking indistinctly]
[female voice] You have one old voice mail received at 10:15 p.m.
[Van] Hey. I’m sorry my timing is so shitty.
And of course I’m here for you in whatever capacity you need.
But the truth is that I love you.
The reason that I’m free on Saturday nights, every night, is because I stopped dating.
I felt stupid sitting opposite some woman who wasn’t you.
And that has nothing to do with the girls or our marriage or even your diagnosis.
I want to be with you, and I want you to be sure about that.
I’m actually still at the restaurant.
I kind of thought you might come back.
That’s all I’ve ever really wanted.
I know you didn’t want things to get too complicated, but that’s kind of unreasonable in itself because I can’t control how you make me feel.
I know now that I never stopped loving you.
So I’m-I’m running around like a-a crazed teenager every time you text me.
I don’t know what else to do in the face of everything but to tell you that.
Because… it’s not going to change.
My feelings for you aren’t going to change.
I have loved you since I met you, and I will always love you.
End of.
Um, as the… as the girls would say.
[engine idling]
Hey, if you want anything, we can stop.
I can run in.
I should be good.
You sure?
Thanks.
Okay.
Thanks.
You’ve done more than enough, Lily.
Just go home. I’ll be fine.
Don’t be crazy.
I wouldn’t hear of it.
[Betty] [whispers] One…
[popping]
Surprise!
[laughing]
I nearly had… I nearly… Oh! [giggling]
[Elizabeth] That, that is a real surprise.
So lovely. What a lovely surprise.
[Van] Hello. Say hello.
Give me a little kissy. Careful of my arm.
[kissing] I see…
Did you miss… You missed my cooking, didn’t you?
Ooh.
Yeah, we miss everything about you.
I miss everything about you.
Yeah, we sure did.
Whee!
Sit down.
Sit down, Mum.
Thank you.
Thank you. Can you stay for a bit?
I want to…
Yeah, yeah, of course.
…let her go. Madam, you are free to go.
Balloons and…
I’ll call you tomorrow.
See ya, Van. Hey, girls.
Thanks, Lily. See ya.
[smooching]
Bye! [giggles]
[chuckles]
Well, let’s get my coat.
Shut this up.
I’m gonna take your coat.
You’re gonna take my coat for me.
[Van] Do you want to have a race, you two? Yeah?
[Betty/Flynn] Yeah.
Ready? Steady? Go.
Ready, steady, go.
Crocodiles and sharks. Okay.
[yelps]
Oh, Boo’s really quick.
[Flynn] [laughs] Oh!
[laughs]
[Elizabeth] Come on.
Oh!
[Elizabeth] What did you just say?
I said if they both do it, um, without touching the ground…
[Betty] Oh! Oh, my God.
…I’m gonna get them lunch at Alfred’s.
[girls chattering]
What a sap.
I thought you were supposed to be toughening them up.
Okay, you’ll take the gravel.
I would’ve been over here already.
No!
Toughening them up? Have you seen them?
I think… I think they’d both kill us without missing a beat.
[chuckles]
[Flynn] I got Captain Maloney!
Okay, now I need to go save him.
[Van] Yay!
[indistinct chatter]
Oh, my God. Did you see these gems?
They’re amazing.
Scuse me. How much is this?
[vendor] Like, for all the crystals?
[indistinct chatter]
[Van] Show her your crystals.
[Betty] Ooh.
[Flynn] Ooh.
[gasps] Oh, my God.
This one’s, like, a crystal tree.
It’s a dreamcatcher, Mum.
[Betty] Mummy, look.
Is this, like, a crystal solar system?
[Betty] What are these?
A bit small.
What’s the heart?
Well, you… well, you need to bring your pocket money with you.
[girls chattering in distance]
Just one.
Okay.
I should put it. Go to bed.
I am.
[Betty] Daddy!
I’ll be five minutes, honey!
I can do it by myself.
Okay?
I can do it by myself.
No. Uh… [grunts]
It’s okay. Uh…
If… [clears throat] if it, if it’s okay with you, I, uh…
Yeah, sure.
Okay.
Nothing to hide.
Literally.
[chuckles softly]
[exhales]
Okay. It’s all right.
[exhales]
All right, then.
Okay.
Stuck.
[shudders]
[bandage peeling]
Okay.
There’s that.
Okay.
Can I take this off?
Take the other piece.
It’s fine.
Yeah, okay.
[inhales]
[peeling bandage]
[grunting softly]
Don’t want to touch there.
Okay.
[sniffles]
Help put my dressing gown on me, please?
Oi.
[grunts]
It was the biggest crocodile she’d ever seen. It…
[Betty] Uh, what was the…
[Van] The crocodile’s mouth was this big.
[Betty] Um, are you sure it was a crocodile?
It had 100 teeth in it.
[Betty] That’s an alligator.
[Flynn] Like this?
The-the crocodile…
A bit like that. Exactly.
Are you sure it’s a crocodile and not an alligator?
And the crocodile looked at her… Hey.
Would you mind staying?
Yeah. Of course.
Okay.
Okay.
And the crocodile’s mouth had…
Guess how many teeth it had in it.
A hundred, a thousand.
Fifty.
A thousand teeth.
[birds chirping]
Van’s been great.
With the girls, with me.
Patient, reliable.
Wow.
Capable.
Ah.
Just gets on with it, really. No fuss.
Do you love him?
I don’t know what I feel.
I’m beginning to think that maybe I never stopped loving him.
[exhales]
That doesn’t mean we’re meant to live together.
I’m not well.
Everything feels… uncertain.
When next do you see Dr. Wyman?
Tomorrow.
What?
You don’t think it’s good news?
[Wyman] Although we haven’t beaten it yet, it’s important to stay positive, Elizabeth.
What I’d like us to do is to change our approach and join a clinical trial a colleague of mine, Dr. Kang, is running here, using an immunotherapy drug.
Okay.
Obviously, there’s no track record, so I can’t provide you with much data, but initial indications are very promising.
Would I have to be admitted?
Only for a couple of days.
And if your tolerance is okay, you could continue at home.
Sign me up.
Excellent.
You’re making the right choice.
I’ll get all the paperwork.
Um… could you bring my original admissions form?
I’d like to change my next of kin.
What?
I’m bumped?
Yep.
[groans]
[indistinct P.A. announcement]
[Betty] It’s Italian roast,
Dad’s favorite.
Hmm.
[sucks air] Let’s see.
[swallows] Delicious.
Told you.
But… tomato-y?
You didn’t wash it out, you idiot.
[laughing]
I’ll tell you what, you and Betty can buy something in the vending machine.
And then I’ll come and get you. Okay?
[Flynn] Okay.
[departing footsteps]
♪ ♪
[Elizabeth] How many times has one of them done that and I haven’t even noticed?
I can’t bear the thought of them growing up without me.
[Van] Hey, you’re gonna get through this, huh?
I mean, please? [chuckles softly]
You have to. They’re, uh… they’re already sick of me.
They’re not sick of you.
Can’t get enough of you.
You’re actually amazing.
On that note.
[humming softly] Da-dum.
Don’t worry. It’s not a proposal. [laughs]
It’s a… That was, um…
Open it.
I just, I noticed you, uh, looking at that ring at the market.
That…
Wow. [laughing]
Moonstone. [inhales]
Well, it was too small, but…
You had it altered.
Yeah.
[laughing]
So annoying.
[laughing]
[sniffling]
Why? Am I driving you nuts?
[chuckles softly]
Yeah.
Sorry.
I mean, sorry, not sorry.
[whispers] I would have said yes.
Really?
Mm. [chuckles]
[sniffling]
It’s not… Are you sure it’s not just the drugs talking?
I haven’t started them yet.
Okay. [exhales]
Okay.
That’s-that’s good to know.
Yeah, for-for future reference.
[shudders]
Yeah, there’ll be… there’ll be more proposals.
Okay.
Yeah.
[laughs]
So-so be warned.
[sniffles]
[♪ Neil Young: “Only Love Can Break Your Heart”]
You probably, um…
Yeah, I bet you know this, but… the, uh… the moonstone is, uh, renowned for its healing properties.
♪ When you were young ♪
[inhales]
♪ And on your own ♪
[exhales]
♪ How did it feel ♪
Here’s to healing.
♪ To be alone? ♪
In all its forms.
♪ ♪
♪ I was always thinking ♪
Yeah.
♪ Of games ♪
♪ That I was playing ♪
♪ Trying to make the best ♪
♪ Of my time ♪
Yeah.
♪ But only love ♪
♪ Can break your heart ♪
♪ Try to be sure ♪
♪ Right from the start ♪
♪ Yes, only love ♪
♪ Can break your heart ♪
♪ What if your world ♪
♪ Should fall apart? ♪
♪ ♪
♪ I have a friend ♪
♪ I’ve never seen ♪
♪ He hides his head ♪
♪ Inside a dream ♪
