"... a report by this entertainment industry analyst released today... showed a severe drop in the summer box office results at the major studios." "A Warner Brothers spokesperson pooh-poohed the projections..." "Previn?" "Previn, are you in there?" "It's George, the building manager." "I started to smell something a few days ago... but I just thought someone was cooking cabbage." "See?" "You can still smell it." "I'm not crazy." "Oh, my God!" "I'm just surprised." "Why?" "I told you I was going to write a book." " No, you didn't." " I thought I did." " What?" " I need to get in there." "So you're just gonna sit down today and start writing?" "Yeah, I think that's how it's usually done." "Except for Hemingway." "He stood." " What?" " I need to get in there now." " What?" "You think I can't write a book?" " No, of course not." "It's just a book is so big." "Not all of them." "Well, it's just the last time we talked about you doing something new... you mentioned getting Billy's friends to help you open an art gallery." "Yeah, well, I got to thinking." "I don't need to help others express themselves." "I should do it myself." "I think this is great." "Charlotte finally speaks." "Your fucked up childhood from your point of view." "People will want to read that." "No way." "I'm not gonna write a memoir." "What is it, then?" " Fiction." " Really?" "That's so ambitious." "I love it." "I hope I'm going to be in it." "I've always wanted to be thinly veiled." "You might be in it... if you ever do anything interesting." "I need help." "Do you think the hair on Mr. Peterson's forearms is sexy?" "Or is it too unkempt?" "Sometimes he gets all tufty." "I really don't have time for this." "This weekend is my last chance to take the SATs." "I have to do well." "Just take a break." "It'll keep you from burning out." "Every fall, I rate the male teachers' fuckability." "I've been doing it since the sixth grade." "I am, like, 400 times smarter than you." "Why aren't you panicking more about this test?" "Because I know how to play the game." "I have a tutor." "I've taken practice tests." "And my mom's life coach is advising me." "Your mom's life coach?" "Parker, do you have any idea what a parody of yourself you are?" "I feel bad for Mr. Van Kirk." "If he hadn't stopped working out, he could've easily cracked the top 10." "Give me that." "Gitterman's coming in at 22?" "I was feeling generous." " Hey, Claire." " Gary, hi." " See you this afternoon?" " Yep." "Gary has a great ass." " You think he has a great ass?" " Yeah." "Like you haven't noticed." "My mom calls them buns." "She's so not of this century." "I don't care how much she pays her life coach." "I could fuck Gary." "Easy." "So this woman in her 40s just died alone in her apartment?" "Just out of the blue?" "I mean, she must have had some kind of medical condition." "No, she choked to death." "She lay there for a week before anyone found her." "Why didn't anybody notice sooner?" "Maybe they thought she was on vacation." "Here are the arrangements for her funeral." "They're self-explanatory." "You should be able to take care of it." "Shouldn't I talk to whoever's gonna bury her?" "Nate, it's a pre-need." "She buried herself." "She bought everything she wanted ahead of time." "You have her contacts for family and friends, directions for the service... and the specifications about her restoration." "She knew exactly what kind of service she wanted." "You'll need to order the sheet music for the organist." "And I am telling you I'm not going." "She certainly had a sense of humor." "What song is that?" "It's from Dreamgirls." "You know it:" "And I am telling you" "I'm not going" "You're the best man I've ever known" "It must be weird to fill one of these things out for yourself." "I had fun doing mine." "I have a test on Monday, I have an art history paper due next week." "I know I could do a good job on both if I had more time, but I don't." " Do I have something on my face?" " No." "You're giving me this look." "It's just nice to see you so involved." "Are you taking the SAT this weekend?" "I saw the books in the library." " I don't know why I didn't tell you." " It's okay." " I just signed up for it." "I wasn't sure." " No, it's great." "You're taking school more seriously, and you're gonna take the SAT." " It shows you're nurturing yourself." " Give me a break." "I'm so scared of having my own thoughts or going my own direction... that I need some safety or approval." "This stuff is just cop-out distractions." "You know what?" "This session's given me some clarity." "I should just blow this test off... and look really hard inside myself for what I really want." "Claire, you're obviously frightened by taking this test." "Why?" "I don't know." "It's like, when I think about the test..." "I see this nasty fluorescent light." "The kind that shows all your pockmarks and tiny scars that you wish you could hide." "I see." "So it's very safe in the darkness, isn't it?" "Okay, you're getting kind of corny." "All I'm saying is you're finally in a place where you're coming into your own." "You're afraid if people see the real you, it'll be scary." "And guess what?" "It is scary." "For all of us." "Isn't it?" "Don't be silly, David." "You don't need to apologize for what you said about the plan." "If you live in a neighborhood for a long time... and somebody moves in and renovates the house across the street... that could just make you feel your own house is shabby." "I see." " Did you just insult me?" " Of course not." "You'll see." "When you're ready, you're going to live in a palace." "Claire, wash your hands." "We're about to eat." "Don't set a place for me." "I'm not staying." " Who are you having dinner with?" " No one." "I'm having coffee with someone I met at St. Stephen's." "David, if you have a date, just say it." "Nothing ever gets built if the materials aren't labeled properly." "Okay, I have a date." "David, I'm having a problem with the Emily Previn funeral." "Let's hear it." "I've called her entire contact list, and the friends she listed have moved or died." "She has two distant relatives." "One of which I can't reach, and the other has this phobia about funerals." "Some people are so sick." "Now we know why she wasn't found for a week." " I don't think she had anybody in her life." " How awful." "Have you called her job to notify her colleagues about the service?" "No." "She worked at a temp agency, so she just had jobs here and there." "She must have had someone that she forgot to list." "Try her high school." "Everyone has friends from high school." "No, they don't." "Maybe they have people they talk to, or do things with... but they're not really friends." "They're just filler." "What?" "It's true." "I want a glass of wine." "Oh, God." "It's so weird." "Who the hell was Emily Previn?" "Nate, are you okay?" " Yeah, I'm fine." " 'Cause your eyes look really weird." "Yeah, it's just this medication I'm taking." "It makes me a little drowsy." "That's all." "Honestly." "Maybe Emily Previn was autistic." "I read an article about a high-functioning autistic person who didn't need people." "She just had a job designing these big cattle slaughterhouses." "At night, she came home and sat in a machine... that made her feel like she was being hugged." "And that was all the intimacy she needed." "That's really upsetting." "I don't see why this person has to be mentally ill... just because she had a life that doesn't conform to a familiar image in our heads." "Maybe she was living the life she wanted." "A life without the hassle of other people." "What kind of a life is that?" ""Well, I'm sorry, Your Honor..." ""but how was I supposed to know it was your car?"" " I don't think I could be a public defender." " No?" "Why not?" "I just don't think I could defend people who are guilty." "I guess I could be a some-of-the-public defender." "So, what do you do?" "Me?" "My family owns a business." "Actually, it's a funeral home." "But I got out of that really quickly, and now I'm in textiles." "I like fabric." "I have to be in court in the morning." "I have a lot of work..." " Okay." "Maybe we'll see each other around." " David, relax." "It's fine." "I understand." "I guess there's not much of a spark here." "I thought there was." "You don't?" "No, I do." "I was just worried." "I'm sorry, Ben." "I get a little nervous at these things." "If I seem calm, it's only because I take a beta-blocker... before I have to get in front of a jury or first dates." "You're still nervous on the inside, but you don't show it as much." "Do you have any extra?" "Let's go on a real date next time." "Like, for dinner." "Okay, that would be nice." "You seem a little..." " Are you coming out of a bad breakup?" " No, I'm coming out of a bad celibacy." "I was in a relationship, but that ended." "Well, whatever happened, I blame him." "You shouldn't." "He's a great guy." "You get your spoiled little ass into that bed right now!" "Do you hear me?" "You suck!" "Right now!" "I mean it!" "I'm not tired." "When I'm at my real home, I don't have to go to sleep until I get tired." "I'm going to turn off the lights now, and soon you'll be tired." "What if I never get tired?" "Then you'll lay awake for hours and hours wondering why life is so hard." "That's what the rest of us do." "That sounds boring." "You get used to it." "Do you want to talk about anything?" "Like how you feel about staying here?" "Or being scared, because your mom's been in Oakland so long?" "No." "Okay." "But we don't know how long you're gonna be here." "So why don't we both try and ease up on each other a little bit, okay?" "You guys have bad toothpaste." "My first instinct is to get angry with her." "I open my mouth, I hear my father." "Stop being so hard on yourself." "That child is not easy." "I swore to myself I would never be like him." "I'm not in the mood." "Fine." "Get up!" " Hello?" " Hi, Melissa." "It's Brenda." "Chenowith." "Your massage therapist." "Hey, how's it going?" "Listen, I was just wondering if you hadn't eaten yet... if you wanted to have lunch." "Actually, I'm at a restaurant right now." "Look, I'm probably breaking all these client/masseuse boundaries." "I'll see you at your regular appointment tomorrow." "No, I was just gonna say I'm by myself." "I'd love the company." "Thank God." "Oh, Jesus!" "This one's gonna be one hell of a ride." "I'm sure you'll be able to take care of it." "Yeah?" "Well, don't be." "She must've been laying out for a week in a partially-ventilated space." "Why can't everyone die in an air-conditioned room?" "Her face is discolored from being lain on." "That I can fix, although it's gonna take me hours." "Her abdomen's all distended." "This woman's got a lot of gas in there." "When I poke a hole, we're gonna get some major fumes." "Whew, Nellie!" "I have no idea why I came in here." " Maybe you have Alzheimer's." " Yeah, maybe." "We really are just biology, aren't we?" "You may need to talk the family out of an open casket." " There's only so much I can do, man." " She doesn't have any family." " No one?" " No friends, or anybody." "I ran an obituary in the paper today." "I'm just praying someone will read it and come tomorrow." "Pre-need?" "If she wanted an open casket, we'll try to give her one." "I'll boost up the fluids and see if that'll bring the swelling down." "There's a good chance we're going to get some skin slippage, and then we're screwed." "Maybe she was just some vicious asshole, you know?" "Just twisted and evil." "Maybe that's why she didn't have any people in her life." "No." "You can tell what kind of life people lived even when they're dead." "Yeah, she was all right." "Please have your IDs out and ready so we can speed things along." " Claire Fisher." " ID?" " Sign right here." " Name?" " Parker McKenna." " Let's see." "Parker." "Sign here, please." "Next?" "Does anybody have an extra number two pencil?" "Here you go." "So it sounds like a pretty serious relationship for you." "It is." "I love Nate." "I really do." "But, lately, I feel kind of separate from him." "Which I know is healthy on one level." "But, on another, I kind of miss how it was." "When we started seeing each other and weren't together..." "I'd be wondering, "What is he doing," all day long." "Now?" "I never even think about it." "I don't know exactly when I changed." "But at some point, he became less present with me." "Sometimes I think it's because I don't give him enough to be present for." "But then I think, maybe he's not present because he knows if he was really present... then I'd leave him." "You know, it's just so sad that you can love somebody so much... and have absolutely no idea what's going on in their head." " Relationships are fucked." " That's what I always say." "I haven't had a real relationship in over a decade." " Is that because you..." " Because I blow guys for money?" "I'm so sorry." "That was..." "It's okay." "I've only been doing that for about five years." "So why, then?" "I'm just not built for it." "Some people aren't, I think." "It's not healthy or unhealthy." "It just is." "Oh, shit." "I'm being paged by a client." "I am not driving out to Calabasas in this traffic." "Let the jerk whack off." "You know, I'm really glad you could have lunch." "Me, too." "You know, it means a lot to me that you're so normal around me." "Most people have preconceived notions about what I do." "Yeah, well, people can be such judgmental assholes." "You don't have to tell me that." "You want to know what's worse?" "Most girls want to be my friend so that they can pump me... for all the gory details about being a lady of the evening." "It's just question after question, like I'm some kind of freak." " All right, you get three questions." " Oh, goody!" "There's that one." "No, I think that one makes you look fat." "Very funny." "Which one do you think will look better on Miss Previn?" "The pink one." "Didn't she specify which gown she wanted, or did Dad slip up?" "No, Dad didn't slip up." "She wanted to be buried in her own clothes." " The outfit she came in with was shot." " Give her the blue to get rid of it." "It's coming apart in the back." "David!" " Mom, did you want something?" " I was dusting your casket wall." "If this woman wanted to be buried in her own clothes... then one of you boys should go to her home and pick something out." "Isn't that a bit much?" "I remember Dad doing it once or twice." "You get the building manager to let you in." "Fine." "I'll pick out something dressy." "Considering the shape her body's in..." "I should pick whatever covers her up the most." "I'll come with you." " You don't have to do that." " I know that." "Aren't the guys scary?" "It must get dangerous." "To tell you the truth, it doesn't." "You just have to trust your instinct." "It's never wrong." "We're kind of like animals that way." "When I first meet a client, I take a good long look into his eyes." "That stupid stuff they say about looking in people's eyes is true." " You just look into them, and you know." " Know what?" "You know, whether someone is right, or whether they're... you know, wrong." "And if they're wrong, you just get out of there immediately." "No." "I think everyone has the answers to everything in life." " It's a matter of knowing how to listen." " You're fantastic!" "Fuck, you are!" "There is no bullshit with you!" "You are just who you are." "Period." "Even the way you talk about your work." "You provide a service for which you're well-compensated." " Unlike the rest of us losers." " Please." "If there was anything else that paid this much, I would do it in a heartbeat." "But there's not a touch of victimhood about you." "It's almost like it's empowering, in a way." "I went through that whole feminist rationalization stuff at first." "Now I'm just a little more honest." "It's just a way to pay the bills." "Sorry I can't make it to the funeral." "My kid's got a soccer game." "She was one of your tenants, for God's sake." "She lived among you." "Hey, come on." "I just started, all right?" "She only lived among me for a week." "She never even got to finish her crossword puzzle." "All right, look." " Five minutes?" " Yep." "Great." "Mom!" "Eddie needs to adapt to how things have changed." "I have a lot more responsibility now." "He needs to be more understanding that sometimes I'm gonna be tired, man." " Yeah, kids come first." "Period." " Exactly." "Have you had this conversation with him?" "He'd just say I need to make more time for him, which would piss me off." "So why bother talking to him about it?" "Because you keep everything bottled up inside you, my friend." "That's not good." "That creates cancer." " Give me a break." " It does." "My wife's cousin was a very angry person, but she never showed it." "She just cleaned all day, then she lost both her breasts." "It's weird." "You get away from me, dickless fuck!" " You don't own me." " What the fuck's wrong with you?" "You know, you fucking lie to me, bitch!" "Bitch, I'll blow your fucking brains out, you stupid cunt!" "I wish you would, but you don't got the balls to shoot me!" " Police!" "Drop the gun!" " Stay out of this!" "Fucking cops!" "Drop the gun." "You shoot me, they'll shoot you." "Then you'll be dead!" "You know what?" "The world will be a better place!" " Shut up!" " Drop the gun now!" "What is wrong with you?" "What did you do that for?" "What's wrong with you?" "I like all of these, but they seem so flat." "I wish one had a little more oomph." " Just grab that one." "That one has oomph." " No, it doesn't." "Don't rush me, Nate." "I'm not nearly done... and I haven't even started with the shoes and the jewelry." "Nate Fisher." "Yeah, hi." "I left a message there for Father Martin Farrell." "He was requested by the deceased to officiate at her funeral." "Great!" "Well, I'm fucked." "I'm sorry, Sister." "Are there any other priests you'd recommend for a funeral tomorrow?" "Mom?" " What, are you hungry?" " Of course not." " Then, are you ready to go?" " I don't know." "Maybe she liked solitude." "Maybe she was living the life she wanted and was happy." "I hope so." "But what if some nights, she wanted to talk to someone... and she picked up the phone... and realized she didn't have anyone she could call?" "What then?" "We don't know that she didn't have anyone to call." "Maybe there was someone." "I hope so." "No one thinks you did anything wrong." "You were just doing your job, okay?" "Now I know what's different." "You're not wearing your glasses tonight." "I was getting dressed, and nothing looked right... and I realized it was all my glasses' fault." "So I put in these contacts, which I actually hate... but I thought it was worth it, if you'd..." "This is me without beta-blockers." "It's good." "Maybe it's even better." " I still work in the family business." " Excuse me?" "I'm a funeral director, that's who I am." "I have to say, I'm glad you're not in textiles." "That sounded really dull." "Why did you lie?" "Well, come on." "People always get that look in their eyes, like there's something wrong with you." "They wait about 5 seconds before bringing the conversation around to necrophilia." "I just liked you too much, and I was scared it would repulse you." "So what made you tell me now?" "Because on our last date, I just sort of liked you... and now I really like you." " So I didn't screw things up because I lied?" " No, I think it's cute." " And I'm gonna wanna take this slow." " All right." "Can we just make out, already?" "We had plans to meet tonight." "At the Tiki Ti." "Did we?" "Claire, why did you blow me off?" "And why didn't you return my phone calls?" "Because I have nothing to say to you." "Look, I know this is about the SATs, but it wasn't my fault." "It was my mother's idea." "She heard about this girl through one of her friends." "She's this genius from Westlake who's going around taking the test." "And let me tell you, it works." "She got three people into Yale and five into Harvard." " This is so gross." " What was I supposed to do?" "My mom came into my room last night and told me she'd already paid the girl $1,000." "You make me so sick." "Just get out of here!" "Okay?" "I don't feel like ever seeing you again." " You're serious?" " Yeah, I am." "Fine." "Fuck you, Claire!" "By the way, I flirted for 45 minutes with Gary Deitman outside of school yesterday... and he's this total horny little freak." "And I'm gonna bag him, big time." "Congratulations." "I hope you and his stupid buns will be very happy together!" ""David Fisher and Benjamin Cooper invite you to a holiday open house. "" ""Merry Christmas from Ben and David."" ""Happy Holidays from the Cooper-Fishers."" ""Fish  Coop, new this fall on ABC."" "Keith, what's wrong?" "I'm not sure." "Okay." "Come in and sit down." "I shouldn't have even come here." "It's fine." "You want a beer?" " I have Rolling Rock or Amstel Light..." " I killed someone today." " Oh, my God." " It was this guy..." "Him and his woman were having a fight." "They were obviously both high on something." "He had a gun and..." "I'm sure whatever it was, you did the right thing." "He's dead, you fucking idiot!" "I should have aimed at his arm or his leg." "I'm stupid." "I'm so fucking stupid." "I never killed someone before." "I can't live with this." "I don't know how to help you." "Do you want to pray?" "Maybe that would do something." "David's not up yet?" "So where's Emily Previn?" "She's in there." "So she's not gonna have an open casket." " I couldn't do it." " Okay." "I was supposed to take the kids to dinner so Vanessa could have the night off." "But instead, I was here." "Until 9:00 last night." "Skin was fricking pouring off that woman's face!" "I get all this shit from Vanessa, and I wasn't able to restore the poor lady!" "Nobody could have." "But, here, you think you can do it?" "Here's some tools." "I want to watch you swim in that skin." "Go ahead!" "All I said was okay." "I'm sorry." "I just wish I could've done her the way she wanted." "If it'll make you feel any better, I don't think there are even gonna be any mourners." "Thanks." "Hello?" "It's me." " I thought you were still here." " I had to get back home." "Are you okay?" "Yeah, I'm fine." "Listen, what happened last night, that was wrong." "I don't know why I went to you, but obviously I wasn't thinking right." "Obviously." "I'm in a relationship." "I know that." "I'm not an idiot." "I just thought you and I could be friends... but I was just kidding myself." "Look, I don't think that you and I should see each other anymore." "David?" "Yeah, I'm here." "Sure, whatever you want." "I knew you would understand." "Goodbye." "Bye." "Thank you." "That was intense." "You're practically like jelly." "You don't need this." "Maybe not, but I love it." "You're gifted, you know that?" "Hello?" "Don't give me that bullshit." "I want your ass there in half an hour." "Okay, fuck you." "You are officially dead to me now." "Everything okay?" "I have a client at 2:15, and my watcher just cancelled." "Your watcher?" "He likes to be watched by another girl while I do him." "It's the easiest $100 in the world... and this asshole just blew me off for a runway audition." "God, I hate models." "Fuck." "If you're sitting in the corner depressed, pick up." "Pick up." "All right, be depressed." "Listen, if you're in a jam..." "This isn't a science project, honey." "This is business." "Please." "You think I can't handle it?" "Like I said, it's pretty easy." "Actually, it's like you're invisible." "Just sitting and watching." "I can do that." "I sit and watch all the time." "In fact, that's mostly all I do." "I guess you've been in three-way situations before." " I mean, who hasn't?" " Yeah." "Fuck." "I've never seen you this angry before." "It's terrific!" " No, my nephew made that." " Sorry." "Here, talk to me." "This girl cheated on the SATs, and now she's gonna get away with it." "Okay, what's this girl's name?" "When I realized what was going on, I just wanted to run and not take the test." "But I did." "I took it, like an idiot." "And what was the point?" "It's all just some stupid game." "I don't know what I want, but I don't want this." "And this is your excuse to bail?" "Bail?" "What's that?" "Some hip lingo you think kids say?" " You are so lame sometimes." " Direct your anger at me, if you need to." "By the way, you can fuck Parker McKenna, but if I were you, I'd wear a condom... because I'm sure she has hepatitis, at the very least." "What are you talking about?" "If you're referring to the conversation I had with Parker, that's all it was." "A conversation." "I have conversations with lots of young women." "They approach me." "Claire, I'm worried about you." "Why?" "You're getting your life together, and it scares you." "So you want to slip into the old habit of focusing on someone else's drama... instead of concentrating on yourself." "You need to stop doing that." "You're right." "And now is probably as good a time as any to talk about the sexual tension between us." " What?" " It exists." "It's a part of transference and counter-transference... so we should acknowledge it's out there, and it'll never be acted upon... because to do so would be irresponsible and destructive." "Do you have anything that you would like to contribute?" "No, I don't." "Okay." "I bet you I could glue this together if I tried hard." "I know people don't really glue things together anymore... but I could probably fix this." "You've reached the private line of David Fisher." "Please leave a message after the beep." "Hi, David." "It's Ben." "I'm calling to figure out what time's good for you on Saturday." "And I had a really good time last night, especially the making out part." "Okay." "Bye." "Yeah, honey." "You know exactly how I like it." "Come on." "Move your tongue around it." "Yeah." "And I am telling you" "I'm not going" "I'm the best man you'll ever know" "There's no way I could ever go" "Nate, I love you!" "Now that I've heard this song five times in a row, I can honestly say I dislike it." "I'm here for the service." "Look around, nobody's here." "There's not gonna be any service." "I couldn't even get a minister, and they get paid." "I've taken care of that." "Father Jack is on his way here right now." " Just give me 10 minutes." " For what?" " Federico?" " Yes, Mrs. F?" "Could you come upstairs, please?" "Keith?" "David, I need you for a few minutes." " Mom, I have a headache." " Too bad." " But I'm in the middle of a show." " Just do what I say!" "And get out of those ragamuffin clothes." "Why is this happening?" "I don't know." "Our structures probably need new fencing." " And our roofs had bad shingles." " I had shingles once." "She was supposed to have an open casket." "I did the best I could, okay?" "I didn't see you down there helping me out." "Leave it alone." "We gather to mourn the passing of Emily Previn." "I did not know Emily Previn." "From what I gather, few, if any, people did." "People might wonder what point there is in leading a life... where you don't touch any other lives." "But it would be arrogant of us to assume that." "Every life is a contribution." "We just may not see how." "I'm glad to encounter Emily Previn, even if it is in death." "Everyone comes into our life for a reason... and it is our responsibility to learn what they have to teach us." "Now, in accordance with Emily's wishes..." "I will read from the Book of Matthew, Chapter 11." "Strange, but somehow I feel like Emily won." "She remains a fucking question mark right up to the bitter end." "Basically all I know about her is that she kept Wheat Thins in her refrigerator." "That's something." "So, tell your mother I have to get back to work." "Unlike some people." "I'm sorry, Federico, but I have a headache." "Am I not allowed to have a headache?" " It's so good to see you." " Hello, Father." "How is everything at St. Stephen's?" "It's okay." "Apropos of what I said earlier, I wanted to thank you, David." "I'm really glad you came into my life." "You will never know how much you taught me about myself." "Really?" "How so?" "Another time, maybe." " You look a little sad." " I have a headache." "Well, God bless." "David, come over here." "There's something I want to say to the three of you." "Oh, Lord, our gutters are clogged." "I think we need to see about removing the leaves." "That's very funny, Claire." "I know you think the plan is ridiculous." " No, we don't." " We just think it's weird." "Did any one of you wonder why I felt the need to change the structure of my life?" "Did you even care?" "At first I didn't understand why I was so upset about Emily Previn." "Then it hit me." "I don't want to turn into her." "Life is hard enough without not having people to help you." " But, Mom, you have us." " I do not." "Nate, you've been walking around like a zombie for months." "You're lying in bed during the day, God knows why." "I have a headache." "Claire, I can't even look in your direction... without you acting like it's some incredible imposition." "All I want is for us not to be strangers." "I want some intimacy." "Give me intimacy." "Won't any of you have intimacy with me?" "Okay, I guess I have my answer." "Mom, wait." "I just think that intimacy should happen a little more organically than this." "Fine." "Then I'll simply wait for it like I have been." "I just pray that it happens before I end up like Emily Previn." "Now, if you'll please excuse me." "When I saw you typing at your computer, you had the strangest expression." "I was writing." "It's called flow." "You know all about flow, don't you?" "Let me ask you a question." "Do you think you and I have as much intimacy as you want?" "I don't have as much of anything as I want." "That's not really much of an answer." "It wasn't really much of a question." "Did you remember to lock the door?" "Yes, I did, for the second time." "You've been acting strange tonight." " What do you mean?" " Well, you've been all jumpy." "Oh, God." "Okay, something has been on my mind." "Nate Fisher... would you be my wife?" "My God, this isn't what I was expecting." " Is that a no?" " No, of course not." "It is kind of an ugly ring." "It's got these Greek letters on it." "Delta Phi Delta." "It's my grandfather's fraternity ring." "I found it when I was cleaning up... and that's when I got the idea... to propose to you." "So why today?" "I don't know." "I just started thinking..." "I don't know what I'd do if I ever lost you." "Well, I'm not going anywhere." "Promise?" "Of course I'll marry you." "I love you." "Absolutely." "I love you." "Yeah, let's get married!" "Yes!" "Let's get married!" "Come on!" "I love you, too."