"Got a letter from your crazy aunt's lawyer." "Said she needs a live-in." "How much you make this week?" "She's got money." "And we're the only family she's got." "Says right here, I'm in charge." "What are you saying?" "Be nice." "Be loving." "Take care of her." "That's what I'm saying." "You think you could do that?" "Heck, I'd even name the baby after her." "Dory." "Kind of catchy, don't you think?" "Food ain't free, you know." "I feel numb." "Like everyone sort of half likes me." "Or half hates me." "There are days I'd pay the devil himself to get me out of here." "Today was one of those days." "Adele." "Aunt Dora?" "Aunt Dora?" "Aunt Dora?" "It's me, Adele." "It's nice to be here." "I found an old picture of you." "You were so pretty." " Maybe later we can..." " Just leave it there." "Excuse me." "Do you have any of these?" "They'd be right there." "She said exclusively imported." "She's bought them here before." "I'll go check." "Here." "Pomegranates..." "Adele." "I don't know, Mom." "I haven't seen her." "She's always in her room." "Ask her if you can get an advance." "These baby vitamins, so damn expensive." "Okay." "I gotta go." "She's calling." "Okay." "Can I get you something?" "It's been so long, I almost forgot about the doll." "Hope you don't mind but I put it away." "It always gave me the creeps, you know." "Anyway, Mom said to say hi." "Let me know if you need anything." "Adele." " Hi." " Hi." "Can I get a slice and an orange soda?" " Plain cheese?" " Yeah." " Two-fifty." " Okay." " Actually, just an orange soda." " Sure." "Here." "Let me get it." " Are you sure?" " Yeah." " I can pay you back." " Don't worry about it." "Okay." "Thank you." "I'm sitting over there, if you want to join me." "Sure." " I'll have a soda." " Sure." "I saw you staring at me the other day." " Where do you live?" " In the tower on Main." " How about you?" " Staying at my aunt's." " Here in town?" " Over on Wyndham." "The street with all the Victorians." "Some strange cats those Victorians." "You know what they used do for fun?" "They'd dress up in weird costumes, pose for each other." "Tableau vivants." "Can you imagine?" "Your great grandmother, dressed up like a nymph." "Dancing around while everyone cheered." "Had some crazy times." "You're late." " Sorry, I..." " Just go to bed." "I made a new friend today." "Beth." "She's not like the girls back home." "She doesn't care what anyone else thinks." "She just says things." "Whatever is on her mind." "I wish I was more like that." " Adele." "Hey." " Hey." "Sardines?" "Lucky cat." "Yeah." "So this is your aunt's house?" " I'd invite you in but..." " Come on." "I'm just about dying of thirst." "You'd be cruel not to offer me a glass of water." "Thanks." "I just bought some pomegranates." "They're from Mexico, do you want one?" "Just water's fine." "Thanks." "You can't go up there." "Why not?" "She doesn't like having people in the house." " What's through here?" " It's just the basement." "Far out." "Here." "Try it on." "Come on." "What do you think?" " She's agoraphobic." " So she won't go outside?" "Won't even leave her room." "What's the point?" "Sometimes I wonder." "Wonder what?" "Can you unzip me?" "I'll be quiet." "Adele, I'm jealous." "Your life is so Jane Eyre-ish." "Complete with a mad woman in the attic." "But I have to tell you, the house smells really bad." "The whole place should be fumigated with her inside." "I'm glad you came." "Do you like my blouse?" "You have such nice things." "Looks nice on you." "How much is it?" "Aunt Dora?" "I was wondering, do you think I might be able to get a little advance?" "I know I just started but..." "Not now!" " Hello?" " Adele, it's Beth." "You doing anything later?" "I was thinking maybe we could grab a drink." "Sure, that sounds great." "I'll have a Manhattan." "Beth!" "You look cute." "Hope you're not sick of me." "Thank you." "That man... he's evil." "Checks going every month..." "You do the wrong thing for the right reason and..." "Cheers." "You got any fun plans for the weekend?" "Just the usual." "Tea and sardines with Aunt Dora." "Adele." "How about you?" "My friend has this cottage, up by the lake." "I've been doing these grave rubbings." "Last time I went I found two small graves." "They had shifted in the ground." "And one of them it had this crack." "I was thinking about lifting it up." "Just to get a glimpse of what's down there." "You should come." "It'd be fun." " What do you think?" " I'm not supposed to leave her alone." "It'll just be for a day." "She'll be fine." "You need to start putting yourself first for a change." "Come on, Adele." "Don't be a sitter, be a doer." "I'm so confused." "Beth whispered in my ear that she loved me." "At least I think she did." "Maybe I'm crazy." "Twenty-nine dollars." "Twenty-nine dollars?" "That's awfully expensive." " What's it for?" " Heart medicine." "It's an anti-coagulant." "Miss?" "Here." "Just get her this." "It's all natural." "Can't trust these pharmaceuticals, they only care about money." "Come on." "Look at this." "Oh, my gosh." "That's repulsive." "Why would anybody want this?" "I don't know." "Shit." "I think she's awake." "Aunt Dora?" "Are you okay?" "You sure she didn't fall or something?" "Maybe hurt herself." "Get her out of here!" "I'm really sorry about last night." "I promise that it won't happen again." "About an advance?" "Do you think..." "You're just like your mother." "You'll get paid next week, as we agreed." "I finished all my chores." "I'm heading out soon." "I'm just trying to help, you know." "Wait." "I didn't mean what I said." "You're not like her." "She's pregnant, you know." "I don't know if you knew that or not." "She said if it's a girl she's gonna name her Dory after you." "Aunt Dora?" "Aunt Dora, this isn't funny." "Aunt Dora, open the door!" "Aunt Dora, this isn't funny!" "It's beautiful." "Can I tell you something?" "I had an abortion." "I was with a friend." "Not too far from here." "We took some quaaludes and there was this guy." "Just laying there on the shore." "He kept looking at us." "So I took my shirt off." "And he just... he just laid there." "So I ran up nice and close and kicked some sand in his face." "And when he turned over you could see he was hard." "I whispered in my friend's ear you go first." "I just stood there listening to her moan." "Then it was my turn." "And he just laid there." "His face all red still covered in sand." "Till he came inside me." "Men are pigs." "Yeah." "For sure." "You know, it's pretty easy to put a collar on a pig." "This is Buzzle." "My dad gave him to me just before he died." " How did he die?" " Car accident." "I was only seven." "That sucks." "So your aunt, she's..." "My mom's older sister." "Step sister." "A lot older, actually." "When I was little my mom would drop me off with her sometimes." "For the weekend." "Mama pajama." "That's what I would call her." "We would just... drink tea and eat cookies in our PJ's." "And she would tell me strange stories about my grandparents." "For fun." "So she was normal." "She was never normal." "She was never like this." "This bad." "We would go out." "Like, to the park and fly kites." "But never anywhere where there was a crowd or anything like that." "How'd she get so bad?" "Who knows." "I haven't seen her, in like, forever." "She's got money, and my mom thinks she's gonna get all of it." "And you're just here, keeping an eye on things?" " Something like that." " Who knows maybe she'll leave you everything." "The house." "You know, the monkey." "Yeah, right." "I don't think so." "She doesn't like me very much." "Not anymore." "Can you imagine though?" "My mom would freak." "I had fun today." "Thank you." "I love you, Adele." "What's wrong?" "Nothing." "I'm just..." "I'm not really..." "Okay." "Here." "Just lie in bed." "Next to me." "Adele." "Who was that?" "Just a neighbor." "Mrs. Connolly." "Sweet old lady." "I thought you didn't like old people." "I invited a friend over." "He should be here soon." "Here's fine." "Just let me off here." "Aunt Dora?" "Aunt Dora?" "Aunt Dora, please, I'm worried." "Adele." "You've reached the law offices of Myers..." "What are you doing here?" "Adele!" "Adele!" "I thought we were together." "Together?" "You mean, like..." "Strange day." "I should probably feel bad or something, but I don't." "I miss Beth." "I miss the cat." "But I don't miss Aunt Dora." " Do you buy jewelry?" " Yeah." "I can do ten on that." "I can do thirteen on that." " That's it?" " Yeah." " What about these?" " No." "There you go." "Receipt?" "Do you see her?" "My place." "It's only a few blocks." "Sure." "I'll give you a ring soon." "Jesus!" "Beth!" "How'd you get in?" "I came to thank you for the ring." "Such a beautiful ring." "Are you okay?" "You seem different." "How'd you get in?" "You shouldn't leave the door unlocked." "Beth?" "Beth?" "Adele." "Adele." "Adele." "I'm sitting over there if you want to join me." "Sure." "I love you, Adele." "Adele." "Adele." "Adele?" "Adele?" "Adele?" "Adele?" "It's me, Dory." "Adele."