" We did it!" " Good luck, soldier." " When did you last see her?" " Our wedding day, four years ago." "Met her on Friday, married her on Sunday, left on Monday?" " Pretty much." " Me too." "Ain't war hell?" " I bet we don't recognize them." " I'd recognize her anywhere." "I find the pheasant to be quite pleasant." "I find the pheasant to be quite pleasant." "How do you find the wine?" " I find the wine extraordinarily..." " Betty?" " I prefer to dine at home, alone." " Paul?" "Paul!" " When you weren't on the dock..." " I didn't know!" "Didn't you get my letters?" "I started to read them, I did." "But after the first few I couldn't bear to hear about the fighting and killing..." " I wrote you almost every day." " I know, and I kept them." "Look." "See?" "Even the thought of you in all that danger, it was too much." "I knew if I got them, you were alive." "That's all I cared about." "That you were alive." "Safe." "That's all that was important to me." "Can you forgive me?" "Yeah." "Sure." " I wrote to you." "Did you get those?" " I got a few." "I told you I wasn't a big writer." "It's a course I'm taking." "Self-improvement." "His name is Armisted." "He's rich." "The whole country's making money." "You've been away, you don't know." "But you will." "I saw Mr. Sweeney to make sure he held your job." "You can start anytime!" "Just make sure you wear your uniform." "Who could resist a war hero?" "Of course, I negotiated a raise." "Betty, I don't want to go back to selling chocolate." "You've got something better?" "No, I don't." "But you know in the war, I had time to think about what's important." "About what I want out of life." "For me." "For us." " I wrote you all this." " Are we back to those letters again?" "You want me to read the letters?" "No." "It's just you'd understand what I'm feeling, what I want." "Sweetie tell me what you want." " I thought some time..." " Time's money." "I want things, Paulie." "My whole life I've been without." "I want things." "Don't you want things?" " You'll wear your uniform, right?" " My uniform?" "To sell chocolates." "Millions and millions of them." " Won't you?" " Yes." " Here, let me help." " I'm sorry." " He's going to kill me." " It's just glass." "You can replace it." " Sorry." " No, it's my fault." "Look at this mess." "Here you go." "Are you okay?" "Ticket, please." "Had an accident." "Thanks." "At your speed, you could've made Sacramento before me." "You smell anything?" "Oh, my God!" "I'm so embarrassed." "I wanted to apologize, but you looked so peaceful." "Apology accepted." "Good book?" " Quite a mouthful." " It's required reading." " College?" " My master's degree." "Playing hooky?" "No." "Going home." "My family has a vineyard in Napa." " And you?" " Business in Sacramento." " The train goes to Sacramento." " My ticket didn't." " I mean, it did when I got on, but..." " Oh, no!" "I think this is yours." "I thought it was a mistake." "I'm so sorry." "Is this seat taken?" "How are you?" "Look, I'm Bill." "This is my buddy Herman." "And you're...?" "Not interested." "I had a girlfriend who always said she wasn't interested." " It was never what she meant." " Definitely not." " No." "Not after she got to know me." " Stop it!" " Fellas." " Come on, just give it a shot." "She doesn't want to be bothered." "Just let her be." " Now, what are we gonna do?" " Shut up!" "I think he broke my nose!" " I must get to Sacramento." " Not on this bus, you don't." "We haven't been properly introduced." "I'm Paul Sutton." "Victoria Aragon." "I'm sorry about the bus." "I feel terrible." "All the problems I've caused you." "You should go." "Who knows what will happen next?" "There's always the possibility of a forest fire, I suppose." " Why aren't you on the bus?" " My stop." " You're waiting for a ride?" " No." "No." "A miracle." "He's going to kill me." " Who?" " My father." " Lf this is about the picture frame..." " It's not about the picture." "It's none of my business, but if you'd like to talk about it..." ""I was not meant for the conventions of this world." "I am a free spirit."" " Who's a free spirit?" " My professor." "He and I were..." "We were..." "Just because a free spirit broke up..." "I'm pregnant!" "You're very upset." "I can understand that." "Definitely understand that." "But, Victoria, look at the positive side." "It's a new life arriving." "And that's a miracle." ""I will kill anyone who dishonors my family."" "How many times has he said that?" "A million?" " It's just a figure of speech." " It's not!" "My father means what he says." "Always." "He's very old-fashioned." "If I come home this way, without a husband, he'll kill me." "I know he will." "What if you do show up with a husband?" "Who does what?" "Comes for the day and then leaves?" "Sure." "Meets the family." "Stays one night, then leaves." " Writes a letter saying he's..." " Abandoned me?" "Happens." "You're very kind for trying to help me." "Maybe it might work..." "But there's nobody." "Miss Aragon!" "Victoria." "There's me." "Was it horrible?" "The fighting?" "Once the shooting starts, you just go blank." " You try to think of something else." " What did you do?" "Write letters to my wife in my head." " Later, I would write them down." " About the war?" "About what I'd like our life to be like when I got home." "The perfect little house, kids running in the yard with the dog great job..." " She must've cherished every word." " Yeah, every word." " You're very kind to do this for me." " And the baby." "I'm doing it for you both." " Then we both thank you." " You're both welcome." "We call it Las Nubes." "It means "The Clouds."" "It's beautiful." "We're gonna do this right." "The Wedding Bonbon Deluxe." "A big seller around June." "We're unarmed." "Don't shoot." " Hello, Papa." " Victoria?" "Who's this?" "Paul Sutton." "My husband." " Marie!" "Marie!" " It'll be okay." "Like hell it'll be okay!" "I will not allow this!" "I'll go to the Pope to get this undone!" "We weren't married in a church." " Mama." " Victoria!" "Here's the problem." "Is this how you were raised?" "To betray your mother and your father?" " I did not betray anyone." " What are you talking about?" "What do you think I'm talking about?" "The gringo." "His name is Paul, Papa." "I told you." "I told you." "A girl's place is here." "At home!" "Here!" "Not alone in some city doing God knows what." " I go to school there." " Will someone tell me what's going on?" " Your daughter, she is married!" "Grandpa, make him stop, please!" "That's right." "Coddle her." "The whole bunch of you." "But I tell you right now this will not stand so long as I draw breath." "I swear to God!" " Alberto!" " You are so unfair." "Me?" "I'm unfair?" "I came home to tell my family that I spit on their trust?" "I'm the one who rubs in their face that I married this...?" "Well, what do you do?" "Chocolate." "I sell chocolate." "You." "You are the head of the family." "Say something." "I am Pedro Aragon." "Welcome to our happy family." "Thank you." " May I?" " Sure." "Of course." "Help yourself." "It's wonderful!" "It's wonderful." "Why can he never just say, "I'm happy for you." "Congratulations"?" " Why is everything a drama?" " It is a shock." "Not for Grandma or Grandpa." "Or you." "Why is he always this way?" " I hate him!" " He is your father." "He has never taken change well." "Even as a child." "Only with the vines, he has patience." "He should have some for us too for a change." "You could have prepared us." "A letter would've been wiser." " I wanted to surprise you." " You certainly succeeded." "He wants me to marry a man in Mexico I've never met just because of his "bloodlines." I am not a horse." "It's my choice who I marry." "Not his." "How many times have you said, "The heart wants what the heart wants"?" "And is this what your heart wants?" "Really and truly?" "Really and truly." "It will be fine." "You'll see." "Everything will be perfect." "What a delicate ring!" "You look beautiful tonight." "Marriage becomes her, no?" "Dear God, bless this food we are about to eat." "Bless the harvest of the grapes you've given us in your wisdom and grace." "Amen." " Amen." " Bon appetit!" "This is pumpkin flower soup." "My grandmother's specialty." "It's delicious." "It was in the family before your Declaration of Independence was signed." "With all the commotion, we never heard the story of how you two met." " I was on leave in June..." " July." " Just after I moved to the city." " That's right." "July, at the USO." "I didn't know you worked at the USO." "I wasn't actually working there." "Then what were you doing in a hall filled with strange men?" "Pedro." "Oh, excuse me." "My grandfather lived to 102." "He used salt like the fish in the sea." "My great-grandfather was 106!" "So tell us, Mr. Sutton since we now have such a clear picture of how you two met where are you from?" "Moline, Illinois." "Wherever that is." "It's exactly in the middle of the country, right?" "Right." "And your parents?" "They are still in Moline?" " I never knew my parents." " Oh." "Who brought you up?" "The fairies?" " I grew up in a home." " Whose home?" "I meant an orphanage." "Wonderful." "This is just wonderful." "My daughter can trace her ancestors back 400 years to some of the finest families in Mexico." "And you are telling me she has married a man with no past?" "Or worse, a man with no past and no future." " Wonderful." " You don't know that he has no future." " You don't know anything about him." " Do you?" "Yes." "I know he knows how to love somebody." "I know he wants a house, with kids and a dog." " A great job." " You mean like the one he has?" "Excuse me." "It was very good." "Thank you." " He doesn't pull any punches, does he?" " I'm sorry." "You must think they're horrible." "When I was a kid, every night I'd go to the orphanage roof and make a wish on every star I could see." " That's a lot of wishing." " It usually boiled down to one wish." " What was it?" " For what you have in there." "Everyone telling you how to live your life?" "Better than having no one telling you." "I don't know about that." "I do." "That's no reason for him to treat you that way." "And I was going to say something but I thought, "What if it were me?"" "My only daughter marries a strange man and I'm the last to know." " I'd probably act the same way." " No, you wouldn't." " I don't know about that." " I do." "Well, it's only another eight hours and I'll be back on the road." "I think the worst part's over, don't you?" "This bed was part of my dowry when I married Mr. Aragon." "It was my grandmother's before that." "Her dowry." "She had it brought all the way from Paris." "He was a diplomat, my grandfather." "This is where we spent our first wedding nights." "My mother my grandmother and me." " We can sleep in Pedro's room." " In that teeny, tiny, little bed?" "On your wedding night?" "You need room to maneuver." "I know it's not your first night together but I'd like to think it is." "It's just that from the beginning all our marriages have been so blessed." "You know, it's out of love that my husband roars so." "We are very traditional people." "This modern world takes a little getting used to." "He'll come around." "Love each other." "Always." "First he comes into my house, steals my daughter and now he takes my bed?" "No!" "Can't you see your daughter is a woman?" "She was not "stolen" any more than you stole me." "Or have you forgotten that room under the stairs in my father's house?" "I asked for your hand properly." "With respect." "Who is he?" "He is nobody!" "He is her choice." "And she is our daughter." "Alberto, it is from us that she's learned to be who she is." "If we don't trust her, we can't trust ourselves." "Say good night so they won't go to bed thinking you're furious." "But I am!" "I am furious with them." "You should smile more." "You are so handsome when you smile." "First, go and wish them good night." "Come on." "Go." "Do you like selling chocolate?" " No, not really." " Why are you doing it?" "It's part of why I took this trip." "Try and figure things out for myself." " But you have things figured out." " It's not that easy." " It's complicated." " It doesn't sound that complicated." "You're not married." "I'm sorry." "It's just not a good time for me now." "You've been wonderful." "More than wonderful." "Would you turn around, please?" "There'll be someone for you, Victoria." " You needn't make me feel better." " No." "I believe that." "I believe there's a someone for everyone." "Someone who'll love you, no matter what." "Would you marry someone if it wasn't your baby she was carrying?" "If I loved her." "Good night." "Good night." " May I?" " One moment, Papa." "Your mother sent me to wish you good night." " Good night." " Good night, Mr. Aragon." "Good night." "Does the door have a lock?" " Do you think he suspects?" " I don't know." "Better not take the chance." "In case he returns, I should stay." "Good night." "Good night." "Victoria!" "It's all right." "It's all right." "It was just a dream." "It's nothing." "It must be the change." "Coming home." "Everything so fast." "What's the matter?" "Frost!" "What do you think?" "It hasn't reached the inside." "We can still save them." "We have a chance." "Now!" "How can I help?" " Can you fly?" " Lf you show me." "We're losing everything, and you want me to show you?" "Look." "Damn it, spread out." "Spread out!" "Like a butterfly." "If you're going to help, help!" "Butterfly." "Get the heat down on the grapes." "Follow me." "Up." "Down." "Up." "Down." "That's it." "Come on, with me." " The bus doesn't leave until 11 a.m." " Then it's daylight." "Everyone will be up." "It's better this way." "Less questions." "I wish you the best of luck." "You too." " Buenos dias, senor." " The call of the grape robs our sleep." "When she's ripe, she calls to a man." "Give me that." "Walk with me." "Bring the chocolates." "You know, everybody gives advice, how to grow them." "And the doctors, they say, "Don Pedro, no chocolates." "Pedro, no salt." "And no cigars." "And as little brandy as possible."" "What the hell do the doctors know about the needs of a man's soul?" "Nothing." "May I?" "Oh, this one." "This looks like my granddaughter's..." "I never noticed that." "In 1 580, the first Aragon, also a Pedro, left Spain for Mexico with a dream in his head, the clothes on his back and a root from the family's vineyard inside his pocket." "Excuse me." "May I see one more?" "Which one?" "That's wonderful." "Come." "I will show you something." "This is the root I brought with me." "A descendant from the root the first Pedro brought with him." "All our vines come from this one." "It's not just the root of Las Nubes." "It's the root of our lives."