Jake: I wish I could make it better for you somehow.
Amanda: You can.
Jake: Really? What? Name it.
Amanda: Tell me who has my baby.
Amanda: Please, Jake, where is he? Where is my little boy?
Jake: Babe, I -- I -- I can't.
Amanda: Come on, just tell me. I can take it, Jake. I can handle it. Please.
Jake: You know I -- I can't do that.
**********
Jake: You told me that you didn't want to know any details.
Amanda: I'm allowed to change my mind.
Jake: But then you told me what I should do in case this should ever happen --
Amanda: I told you not to tell me anything.
Jake: Right, no matter what. That's what you said.
Amanda: But that was before I saw him, Jake, before I held him in my arms.
Jake: Which you weren't supposed to do in the first place.
Amanda: But I did. And if I'm going to move past this, then I need more than those moments in the hospital. I need more that just thinking about him, tiny and fragile, you know? I need to imagine him strong and healthy and thriving. And I can't do that if I don't know where he is, who he's with. Look, I'm not asking for an exact location. I just want --
Jake: You know, you're looking for a picture. You want to see the picture.
Amanda: If I envision him -- I don't know. Maybe it will be easier to let go.
Jake: All right, all right, all right.
Amanda: Really? Ok, ok. I don't really know where to start. I guess, um, the parents. I mean, are they madly in love? Do they have other kids? Oh, what's their house like? Well, I don't even know if they own a house, but I --
Jake: Hold on. Slowing it down now. If we're going to do this, we're going
to do it right. Close the eyes. Close them. Close them, mm-hmm.
**********
Jake: It's a small, sleepy little town. It's nestled into the countryside, which is a perfect place to raise a child.
Amanda: And the house?
Jake: Well, the house is a little small. I'm warning you now, but it's a two-bedroom, one-bath -- it's the perfect-size house, actually, for this perfect little family. They were high school sweethearts that actually got married right out of college.
Amanda: What do they do?
Jake: He's a veterinarian, and she's a teacher, and they work really, really hard. In fact, they've got this really cute little dog, too, that I meant to mention.
Amanda: Well, you can't grow up without one of those.
Jake: No, you can't. So they have been waiting and working and working and waiting for the perfect child to come along. And finally, now he has, and that is thanks to you.
Amanda: Well, it sounds like he's going to be really happy.
Jake: I don't have a doubt in my mind that he will be.
Amanda: I just -- I need a tissue. I'm going to be right back. Thank you.
Tad: Hi.
Jake: How long were you standing there? What are you doing?
Tad: What does it look like I'm doing? I'm sticking my nose in your business. What do you think you're
doing? That little miniseries you came up with -- was that to ease her conscience or yours?
**********
Tad: Who are you? How can you look your wife in the eye like that and lie?
Jake: Do you think I'm enjoying this? It's ripping my heart out.
Tad: All right. Then do the right thing. Step up -- tell her about Liza and the baby.
Jake: I can't do that.
Tad: Yes, you can. What -- because of David?
Jake: Yes, because of -- do I have to explain it to you? You're the last person in this town I should have to explain it to.
Tad: Jake, I get it. He's toxic, ok. I've been there before. But don't you see what you're doing? This -- this fantasy thing that you're weaving, it's get more and more complicated daily. Look, ok, terrific. Today, Amanda wants the broad strokes. Whatever. But what are you going to do tomorrow or the day after that when she wants details like a name and an address?
Jake: You see what you're doing? You're working yourself up. Don't worry about it. I got it under control, ok?
Tad: You don't know that.
Jake: Yes, I do know this. I liked it when you were the funny joke guy. Why don't you go be that guy again? I got this.
Tad: Hey, hon.
Amanda: Hey, what's wrong?
Tad: Ah --
Jake: Nothing, nothing. Tad was just talking about Liza's baby, and apparently, he's got a big set of lungs.
Tad: Oh, yeah. He's got some pipes. Breaking decibel levels every day. I'll -- listen, I'll see yous guys later, ok?
Amanda: Ok.
Jake: See yous guys.
**********
Jake: Well, I bagged up the salads, because you clearly weren't enjoying, and I thought maybe we would take this in a whole other direction. So I thought maybe we could start with some calamari. Muy crunchiente, which is Spanish for extra crispy, which is from the Latin crunchamundo, which they later named a candy bar -- forget it. What we'll do is, we can start with dessert, which is a way to go backwards, and we could have a hot chocolate sundae.
Amanda: What I would really like is to hear more about the baby, even if it's just fantasy.
Jake: Hmm. You know, I have a couple of fantasies of my own, and each and every single one of them seemed to involve whipped cream for some reason. I don't know why that is.
Amanda: Really?
Jake: Oh, yeah, mm-hmm. See, the whipped cream is on your cheek, and I go to wipe
it off with my fingers like that, and somehow or another it works itself down to the --
waitress: Ahem. Do you want to order?
Amanda: A hot-chocolate sundae. To go.
Jake: Yeah.
**********
Amanda: The look on that waitress' face was priceless.
Jake: Yeah. I think this right here -- I think this is what's priceless.
Amanda: What can I say? You make me smile.
Jake: Well, that's my job. It's a horrible job, but, you know,
someone's got to do it.
[Amanda giggles]
