"Previously on Signed, Sealed, Delivered..." "You must be the new branch supervisor." "It's a whole new ballgame, baby." ""Frontier Duchess"..." "Okay, okay, okay, I wrote it." "Don't you ever wonder what he does outside of this place?" "I have been taking dancing lessons." "I'd be happy to be your dance partner." "What time did you get to bed?" "I didn't." "Are you gonna do this?" "Did you tell him?" "Not everything." "I mean, not yet." "I've got a meeting at 8:30." "Drop this off on the way to work?" "Yeah." "Don't wait." "I don't know about this..." "I know." "Okay?" "It's a risk." "If you do this, I don't want to see you get your heart broken again." "But if you don't do it," "I really don't want to see you get your heart broken again." "Yeah." "How long has this been going on?" "A year." "If someone tells you they're leaving you and going to Paris, and you never hear from them again, you'd think that, sooner or later, they'd stop checking every letter that comes through from France" "and admit to themselves that maybe she never sent her forwarding address." "She did promise to write." "Yeah, well, she promised "till death do us part," too." "But then she sends a letter that just happens to get lost, and finds its way to the dead letter office someday?" "I mean, please, he can't really believe that?" "Good work today, everyone." "Oliver, I've found a song for our dance routine" "I'd like you to listen to." "♪ Move your body move your body ♪" "♪ move your body... ♪" "♪ Move your body, move your body... ♪" "When you agreed to fill in at my dance showcase, did I not make it clear that actual music was involved?" "♪ Move your body move your body... ♪" "This is what we'll be dancing to." "Honestly, Oliver, sometimes, I think I was put on this earth for the express purpose of dragging you into the 21st century." "It is far too late in the day to discuss manifest destiny," "Ms. McInerney." "Rita Haywith, you're my hero." "You've got a best-seller here, baby." "Renita Hayweather, Frontier Duchess?" "It's intoxicating." "It's intoxicating, and, um, oddly familiar?" "Cora, I am so glad that you like my book, but I, um, I really, really need it back now." "I really, really need to read it now." "What is it about it that you think she finds so intriguing?" "Well, let me see..." "Maybe the part where Renita is slinging smoothies at the juice bar saloon in Chilicothe, Kansas, when the dashing pony express rider," "Mr..." "D'Lorman, swaggers into the joint, and changes the course of her life forever." "Sounds as though he really swept her off her feet." "He did." "He does." "Did." "Norman?" "What is it?" "Only one way to find out." "Up we go." "Norman's very mechanical." "He can take apart anything and put it back together, and he hardly has any leftover parts." "Isn't that just wonderful?" "He seems very talented." "Got it!" "It's a package." "It was stuck." "But I got it out." "Hi, Rita." "So, all that's left is a partial Colorado zip code." "Open it." "Well, I'd like a little more time to examine the packaging." "Well, I'd like some more time to get back to the duchess, so keep it moving." "Look, there's an envelope." ""Dear dad, it's hard to believe it's been so long since we've seen each other when we used to be together every day." "I'll never forget the day I realized that" "I loved being your son, but I would never be the son you wanted me to be ..."" "I don't care what the dealership told you." "You don't need a new transmission." "Tell you what I'm going to do," "I'm going to top up the transmission fluid, double-check the brake pads, and then you'll be on your way." "and it's on me." "We didn't know how we were going to pull all that money together." "I think you two have got bigger things to worry about." "Thank you." "So much." "The way I see it, it's just good business." "I'll be right back." "Hey." "Did you see that?" "Those people were about to get ripped off, and now they're gonna tell their friends about the experience they had here." "That's important, Danny." "They seemed really happy." "Well, that's exactly right." "See, it's not all about fixing cars, it's about gaining their trust." "You'll see." "You'll learn to love it as much as I do." "But I like to draw." "We've done all right for ourselves doing something real, and one day, when you're running this place, you'll see that I'm right." "Now, put that book away and do something for me, will you?" "Here, sweep up a bit." "Atta boy." ""If this sounds like an apology, it is." "I've tried to call, but there's been no answer." "I hope you're okay." "I'm sorry I've let so much time go by." "I just wasn't ready, but my life has changed so much, and I'm starting to appreciate why you wanted so much for me."" "I wonder what happened." "There's no telling how long this has been lost." "I mean, it could take a week, or even a month to deliver." "And that's assuming that we can find Danny's father at all." "Throw it in the trash." "Forgive me, Ms. Brandt, but how does a woman who can appreciate the passionate nature of Rita's book not see the power and passion in real life?" "I've seen it." "But reading about it is better." "What else does he say?" "Oliver?" ""I'm sending this gift to you to prove that I finally made it." "It's my way of saying that, despite our differences, the best part of you lives in me, and the best part of both of us is my gift to you."" ""Love, Danny."" "Well, this man needs to know that his son forgave him, no matter how long it's been." "The saddest words are those left unspoken." "Ms. McInerney, shall we dance?" "Hello!" "Hello." "I'm sorry, this room is reserved for a private lesson with Madame Francesca." "Yes, I know." "You must be Ovileer," "Oziveer..." "Osv..." "Ol..." " Oliver?" " Ovileer!" "Yes, Ramon Rodriguez at your service." "Mr. Rodriguez, we're here for..." "Who is this stunning beauty?" "Please, tell me you are Shane!" "Okay..." "My pleasure." "And may I say, if you dance the way you smile..." "As I was saying, Mr. Rodriguez, we're here for a private class with Madame Francesca." "Well, I'm afraid" "Fancy Francie is no longer with us." "What happened to, Fancy Francie?" "Well, let's just say one should never put up one's livelihood as collateral when holding two pairs and a queen." "Are you saying she lost the studio in a poker game?" "Yes." "Yes, she lost." "But I win!" "So, everybody wins!" "Now..." "We must work very, very, very, very hard, yes?" "No." "Of course, yes!" "Because we still have the big showcase this Friday, no?" "No." "Yes, um..." " Okay, Mr. Rodriguez..." " Oliver." "Please, take her hand." "Good." "Now, head erect." "Arms erect, and..." "Everything erect." "Ready, "Ollyverr"?" "And... dance." "How much longer?" "Almost there." "This should make the ink raise out of the paper fibers, making it legible again." "No!" "Don't do that, Renita!" "She did it." "I thought she was supposed to be supervising the whole building, not just us." "She's not supervising anybody anymore." "All she ever does is read my book." "Well, she did say it was like reading about real people." "We're back." "Eleanor in passports sends her regards." "Shane, can I talk to you for a second?" "Ms. Brandt, still riveted, I see?" "Go away, and hurry." "It's only a matter of time before Norman figures it out." "I don't know what I was thinking." "That's what happens when you write a thinly-veiled romantic fantasy" " about someone you know." " But it was an accident." "How do you accidentally write an autobiography, Rita?" "Well, because people always say you should write about what you know, but all I know is, well, me." "And Norman." "Yeah..." "No, no, no, no..." "You lucky devil." "I'm sorry?" "Read this right here." ""Renita struggled as Gary, the badly-dressed gunslinger, dragged her down the saloon stairs." "Suddenly, a familiar voice cried out her name."" "Renita!" ""And in a single moment, he took apart her heart and put it back together again, with nothing left but the memory of another life..."" ""She melted the minute his nose met hers."" ""It was then that Renita knew that this Mr. d'Lorman was more than just an ordinary pony express rider."" "How 'bout them apples?" "What apples?" " It's you." " What?" "Why won't you wake up and smell the yoo-hoo, honey?" "Give me the book." "Norman?" "Any luck with the address?" "It worked like a charm." "So it was postdated three years ago." "Addressee, Henry Barrett." "118 South Lake Street, Aurora, Colorado." "What do you say, Oliver?" "Well, as long as we're back in time for dance class." "No answer." "And you're sure this is the right address?" "Yeah, 118 South Lake Street." "Excuse me, is this Henry Barrett's house?" "Well, yeah, it used to be." "The McKinleys live there now." " Did you know Henry?" " Yeah, sure." "He and his boy lived there a good long time, then the kid took off." "And, well, Henry stayed on till..." "Till he got cancer." "Then everything kind of went downhill, you know?" "Is Mr. Barrett alive?" "Yeah, well, he was last night when I saw him at Lenny's taproom." "He took a room there upstairs, and he works as a janitor at an office building." "But if you're lookin' for him, I'd try the bar first." " Thank you." " Yup." "Hello, we're looking for a Henry Barrett?" "You the I.R.S.?" "No." "U.S.P.S." "Mr. Barrett?" "We're from the United States postal service." "We're trying to deliver a package to you." " It's from New York." " I don't know anyone in New York." "It's from your son, Danny." "Then I really don't want it." "Maybe if you just read the letter." "It seems very important to him that you receive this." "There's only been one thing that's ever been important to Danny," "and that's not me." "That's it, Danny." "You've got to learn how to run the shop from the ground up or nobody will respect you." "Someday, this place will all be yours." "Dad..." "What's this?" "My application to Columbia University." "What's it got to do with auto repair?" "It doesn't, dad." "I want to study art." "Right." "Why is this the first time I'm hearing about it?" "It's not, dad." "You just haven't been listening." "Well, I'm not paying for it." "I'll get a scholarship." "Look, I'm not asking you to support me, dad." "I'm just saying I don't want to fix cars." "I paid for the clothes on your back and the food you eat by fixing cars!" "Yeah, and I washed every single one of 'em." "While listening to you go on and on about how we're gonna run this place together until we die?" "I can't believe this." " We had it all figured out." " You did, dad." "But this is your life." "I mean, it's not my life." "Look, I've gotta save it before I'm stuck here." "You're not an artist, Danny." "You're just a kid who doesn't have the guts to face the real world." "Look, just forget it, dad." " I'm outta here..." " Hey!" "You walk out of here, you don't come back." "I mean it." "Yeah, so do I." "That was 11 years ago." "I miss him." "I'm sure he missed you, too." "Triple star." "Henry Barrett, please." "You're talking to him." "How can I help you?" "Mr. Barrett, my name is Sarah." "I'm calling from New York and I'm engaged to your son." "Mr. Barrett?" "Did something happen?" "No, no, he's fine." "I just thought, well..." "I know you two haven't spoken, and... it's just that... since we're getting married, maybe it's time to work things out." "Hey." "Who are you talking to?" "Your dad." "I just thought that maybe..." "Is that Danny?" "Can I talk to him?" "I'm sorry, Mr. Barrett." "He won't come to the phone." "He's got this idea that he doesn't want to call you until he's finally made a name for himself." "And he's getting pretty close." "Right." "Well, when he does, tell him to call me." "Thanks for trying." "I never heard from him again." "A few years after that," "I got cancer, and I..." "And I lost everything." "Mr. Barrett, that package is postmarked three years ago." "Danny did try to reach out to you." "He had no idea you never received this." "And you had no idea he was trying to send it." "You each took the other's silence as more rejection." "It seems like a..." "A terrible misunderstanding." "Maybe it is." "But if he really wanted to, he could've tried harder." "Maybe you could have, too." "Do whatever you want with it." "Toss it." "Send it back, I don't care." "Well..." "I'm sorry to hear that." "Yeah." "Very nice, Ovileer!" "We'll take a five-minute break, and we try it again, yes?" "Okay." "I just don't understand." "I mean, how can a man like Henry who loves his work and his family so much end up sitting alone at a bar all day?" "Well, I imagine he sits there asking himself that very question, despite already knowing the answer." "Which is...?" "You want someone to share in your dreams, so much so that you stop listening to theirs, and one day, you turn around, and they've run away to Paris." "You mean, New York." "New York." "I mean, New York." "Of course." ""She searched his eyes for a sign, a look, a smile, anything that might convince her that his divided heart would break free of its prison." "But it was clear that he was not yet free of the demons that pursued him." "Not yet." "Not today..."" ""And so the Duchess ran into the forest, as if her very life depended on it, the Montana Heather tearing at her cloak, her heart throbbing, never daring to look back..."" "You can't run away from life, Duchess." "And you can never run away from love." "But I think we should run away from the Earl of Hayweather." "I think she was up all night reading your book." "The transformative power of great literature." "So, where do we stand with Danny Barrett?" "Rita, what did you find out?" "Well, there are 167 Daniel or D.H. Barrette in the Greater New York area." "And there are 200 Sarahs." "I mean, this could take us days." "We've gone as far as we can, Oliver." "It's time to open it." "Did Danny paint this?" "He must have, but..." "It doesn't look like he signed it." ""I'm sending this gift to you to prove that I finally made it."" "Danny must have painted it." "If he painted this, he must have painted others." "They must be somewhere, a gallery, or a museum." "I met a man who was a genius at using old bike parts and used toasters to make automatic clotheslines." "And here we go." "And?" "He lived next door to a guy who sold aluminum siding." "And?" "And he went on a blind date with a girl who..." "What is it?" "Norman!" "Her sister was a curator at an art gallery." "Touchdown." "It's a remarkable painting." "One of his finest." "We can't seem to find where Danny signed it." "It's hidden right here by the mountain." "The artist is famous for hiding symbols in his work, including his own signature." "But the artist isn't Barrett." " It's a D.H. Ruprecht." " What?" "Someone else painted this?" "I can't believe Danny would send a painting to his father by someone else, and try to pass it off as his own." "Maybe Danny never succeeded, so he couldn't admit it." "Well, why send anything at all?" "I don't think Danny was lying about this." "He said he wanted to tell Henry all about it." "So, who is D.H. Ruprecht?" "A very promising painter who exploded onto the New York art scene a while back." "This is a fine example of his late work." "His late work?" "You just said he was very promising." "Ruprecht died in a loft fire about three years ago." "Much of his work was destroyed, which makes this piece quite valuable." "I'd like some photos, if you don't mind." "No, please, by all means." "So, what was Danny doing with such an expensive painting?" "Well, you said your friend was a painter?" "Starving artists often pay each other with their art." "Maybe Ruprecht traded this for one of your friend's paintings." "Makes sense they might have known each other." "You said your friend was from Colorado?" "Yes." "So was Ruprecht." "Always put a mountain into his work somewhere." "How old was D.H. Ruprecht when he died?" "Young." "About 26, 27." "Very tragic." "I know what you're thinking, and I hope you're wrong." "D.H. Ruprecht." "D.H..." "D.H..." "Daniel Henry Ruprecht?" "Daniel Henry Barrett." "What?" "I checked the phone records, tax records, real estate records, but he was so young," "I never thought to check the obituaries." ""Daniel Henry Barrett, 26, died three years ago in a loft fire in Soho."" "Danny Barrett was D.H. Ruprecht." "So, Henry spent the past three years being angry at a son who he doesn't know is dead?" "That's so sad." "What are we going to do with the painting?" "We can't return it to sender, obviously." "Obviously." "There you are." "I wanna show you guys something." "Please tell me you didn't remove a valuable piece of art from the dead letter office and bring it to breakfast at the Mailbox Grille." "Okay." "So, listen to this." "I was up all night, doing searches on D.H. Ruprecht." "And guess what?" "He never painted just one painting at a time." "He always painted in groups of threes." " Tryptychs?" " Yes, and every set of three told a story." "So, like morning, noon and night." "Or caterpillar, cocoon and butterfly." "Or peanut butter and jelly!" "No." "Not peanut butter and jelly." "Themes, Norman, big themes, about life, and love, and death, and hope." "And they were always shown together because two wouldn't make sense without the third." "And this painting..." "The one that's..." "Not hiding underneath the coffee table right now." "Goes with two others that Danny never sold." "And so far..." "I haven't been able to locate them." "Maybe they were destroyed in the same fire that killed Danny." "Maybe, but all three were shown together just once at a gallery show before Danny sent this to Henry." "His tryptychs were always painted on tall, rectangular canvases, so that it felt like you were looking out a window into the past, the present, and the future." "Tell me what you see right there." "Well, the first one is a man standing next to a car, holding a little boy's hand, but they're looking in opposite directions." "Danny and Henry, right?" "That would be Danny's past." "The second one is a young man and a woman looking at each other." "Which I'm guessing is Danny with Sarah, which represents his present." "Now, take a look at the third one," "Danny's future, the one he sent to Henry, and remember what the curator said about hidden symbols." "Well, Danny and Sarah are looking out..." " What is that?" " It's too hard to see." "That's why..." "I brought the original." "Well, they're looking way off into the distance at a tiny person?" "A baby?" ""The best part of you lives in me." "And the best part of both of us is my gift to you."" "That's Danny's future!" "I think Henry has a grandchild." "We can't jump to conclusions." "We have to find them before we tell Henry." "I'll get right on it." "Ms. Brandt, what a pleasure to see you still sitting at my desk." "Aren't you late for your health and safety symposium?" "Shh!" "I'm on the last page." "Did you really read all of Rita's book?" "All 780 pages?" "But the last page is the best." "Come here, honey." ""As they floated over the Rookies, aloft in their hot-air balloon, the Duchess whispered a great truth into Mr. d'Lorman's expectant ear." "Life is for the taking if you only have the courage to listen to the bidding of your heart." "Unless your heart is messing with you, in which case you really can't trust your heart at all.'"" "Wow." "I didn't realize I was so deep." "but you are deep." "Deep, deep, deep." "You're deeper than you know." "And you're deeper than Norman knows," "I'm afraid." " How deep are we talking here?" " Read on, Norman." "Norman..." "Would you be upset if I asked you not to read my book anymore?" "I'm not sure." "Cora said that it was really addictive, which sounds bad, but then she said that it was inspiring, which sounds really good." "And then she said it was all about me and you." "But that's just silly, right?" "Right." "Baby..." "I know you poured your whole heart into that book." "That's why it's so big." "Thank you, Cora." "I don't want you to worry about anything, because you are magnificent." "Okay, I got it!" "Daniel Henry Barrett married a Sarah Ann Williams in New York City five years ago." "It's the right age, right birthplace, and his parents are listed..." "Father, Henry David Barrett." "Mother's maiden name," "Judith Ellen Ruprecht." "And that's not all." "Ten months later," "Sarah Williams Barrett gave birth to a baby girl, Danielle, six pounds, seven ounces." "And the address is in Saratoga Springs." "So they must have moved upstate after the fire." "Well, then, there it is." "It's time to tell Henry that he has a grandchild." "But first, we'll have to tell him he's lost his son." "So it was a fire?" "The news said it was probably a combination of turpentine and rags ignited by an old space heater." "Okay." "So that painting that he sent me..." "It's very good, and quite valuable." "Then he did make a name for himself?" "I sure got that wrong." "At least now you know why you never heard from him again." "Henry, that painting was his first attempt at reconciling with you." "And then he died, never knowing why I didn't get back to him." "Henry..." "The painting Danny mailed to you, it's one in a series of three that he painted about his life." "The first was of you and him." "The second was of himself and Sarah." "But the third, the one he wanted you to have, well, it was sort of a birth announcement." "Do you see this?" "Right here?" "You have a granddaughter, Henry." "Her name is Danielle." "She's two years old now, and she lives with her mother in Saratoga, New York." "I don't even know what to say." "I'm a grandfather, and..." "I've lost my son." "Henry, I can't even imagine what you must be going through right now, but the last thing Danny painted," "I believe, was a message of hope." "It was Danny's way of saying everything you taught him as a boy, he used, to learn how to become the best man he could be," "the best artist he could be, and even someday, the best father he could be." "He sent you so much more than a painting, Henry." "He sent you a family." "So, what do I do now then?" "Well..." "You could always write them a letter." "I wouldn't know what to write." "I'm more of a talker." "Then I have an idea." "Would you meet me for lunch tomorrow, Henry?" "Sure." "Great." "I don't know, Ms. McInerney." "We did our duty, we delivered the painting and the letter." "If this idea of yours doesn't work," "I'm afraid Mr. Barrett might be hurt again." "Well, you're just going to have to trust me on this, Oliver." "Then, you're going to have to trust me again." "Is this postal-related?" "No." "But we only have one more night before our dance showcase, and we still haven't chosen a song." "We have chosen a song." "You just don't like it." "I have one more song to pitch." "Please?" "And it's on vinyl." "Same tempo, same steps, just a different song." "You know..." "It's getting late." "I'm a little..." "Tired." "Yeah." "Me too." "Good night." "Good night." "Something's different." "It's..." "Cora." "She's not here." "I hope she's okay." "I saw Ms. Brandt down in human resources." "She's retiring from the post office to write her memoirs." "I wrote my memoirs once." "I don't remember where I put them." "Well, I bet they're fascinating." "Mr. O'Toole, it's almost lunchtime, and I'd like to leave a few minutes early." "If this is regarding Mr. Barrett, that doesn't fall under official postal business." "Well, the business of the post office and the mission of the post office are vastly different." " You of all people should know that." " Vastly?" "Well, if they're vastly different, then I stand corrected." "It's a red-letter day." ""Oliver O'Toole stood corrected."" "You should mark it in your calendar." "No need for sarcasm, Ms. McInerney." "You've made your point." "Not yet, but I'm about to." "Well, are you coming?" "Mr. Barrett, I'm so glad you came." "I've got great news." "Sarah emailed me last night, and we are a "go"." "Really?" "What are we a "go" for?" "You'll see." "I've heard about this, but I've never done it." "It's so simple." " Sarah?" " Hi, Shane!" "Hi, how are you?" "I've got Henry right here." "Henry!" "Hi!" "Is that her?" "Can she see me?" "Yes, she can." "Go ahead." "Sarah?" "Wow, I've waited for this moment for so long, and now I don't know what to say." "Neither do I." "So, I heard the painting got lost for a while." "Yeah." "But I've got it now." "It's..." "Well, I don't know a lot about art, but it looks pretty darn good to me." "It's really good." "Danny was a great painter." "That painting goes with two others." "They're over there, right behind me." "I can send it back so they can all be together in one place." "Why don't..." "You bring it here, Henry, and then we can all be together?" "You want me..." "To bring it?" "Danny loved you, Henry." "Well, I loved him." "I loved Danny." "He knew that, and he wanted to call you so many times, it's just that he was..." "Just so bull-headed like his father?" "Like father, like son." "And like granddaughter." "There's somebody here who is demanding to see you." "This is your granddaughter, Henry." "This is Danielle." " Look..." " Look at you, sweetheart." "You're so beautiful." " Hi!" " Hi." "You have your daddy's eyes, and your mama's smile." "Real life really is so much better." "Guess it depends on the life." "Mine's pretty good." "I guess." "Yeah." "You've done a wonderful thing." "Please, accept my apologies for ever having doubted you." "You're easy to forgive, Oliver." "Well, perhaps not after my next apology." "I've given it a great deal of thought, and I think it would be best if we... didn't dance together at the showcase tonight." "What?" "Why?" "Well, there's really no reason to continue now." "I mean, I've accomplished what I set out to do." "I'm sorry, accomplished what?" "I only ever intended to take a few lessons." "Um, you see..." "My wife surprised me a few years ago with a gift certificate for 10 lessons, and I believe it was my reluctance to take those classes that contributed to her overall..." "Dissatisfaction." "I see." "So, in the event that she should tire of Paris and return to Denver, then you'll be ready to..." "Dance with her." "Yes," "I hope so." "Thank you for understanding." "You were a wonderful partner." "Sure." "Oliver..." "We were good together, weren't we?" "We were."