"Vincent:" "This is where the wealthy and the powerful rule." "It is her world," "A world apart from mine." "Her name..." "Is catherine." "From the moment I saw her, she captured my heart" "With her beauty," "Her warmth and her courage." "I knew then, as I know now," "She would change my life..." "Forever." "Catherine:" "He comes from a secret place, far below the city streets," "Hiding his face from strangers," "Safe from hate and harm." "He brought me there to save my life." "And now, wherever I go, he is with me in spirit." "For we have a bond stronger than friendship or love." "And although we cannot be together," "We will never, ever be apart." "¶ ¶" "How do you spell the last name again?" "C-h-a-n-d-l-e-r." "Charles chandler." "He was admitted this morning." "You'll have to check with the duty nurse in icu." "Your father's had a stroke." "Why don't you have a seat in the family room?" "¶ ¶" "¶ ¶" "Man:" "An artery gets clogged," "And that prevents the blood from reaching" "A particular part of the vascular tree" "In this case, the blood vessels that feed the brain." "It's a pseudo-coma." "Loss of all motor function and some sensory function." "In other words..." "(sighs)" "He can't move and..." "He can't see you." "(whispers):" "You mean he's blind?" "Yes." "But we believe that he may still be able to hear you" "And understand what you're saying." "He's stabilized now," "And we're staying optimistic about some partial recovery." "How optimistic?" "You should prepare yourself for any possibility." "(monitor beeping)" "(whispers):" "Daddy?" "(sighs)" "Daddy, it's me." "¶ ¶" "I'm here." "Always." "(sighs)" ""always."" "It's such a father's word." ""always."" "What is it?" "What are you thinking?" "Something he did when I was little." "(soft laugh)" "He'd make me laugh, that's all." "Whenever I was upset, he'd make me laugh." "(sighs)" "He'd come to the door, and I would be..." "Crying on the bed." "Already a part of me would start to smile." "I would try not to, but I couldn't help it." "And he would say in this deep voice," "(deeply):" ""don't laugh." "Don't laugh."" "(laughs)" "And he'd come in, and I would try not to look." "But I would look anyway," "And there he was..." "With..." "This enormous, red clown's nose" "(laughing)" "I don't even know where he got it." "That's a wonderful memory to have." "I wish we'd stayed that close." "You told me before..." "The growing distance between you." "We got in a habit." "There were things I didn't want to tell him." "And..." "There were things..." "You couldn't tell him." "Catherine..." "There's still time." "Catherine:" "I'm trying to understand your side of all this." "And I don't even know if you can understand me." "But I hope you can..." "Because I want you to know that I love you..." "And I'm here for you." "(sighs)" "Daddy..." "I want you to know that I'm okay." "A lot of things have changed for me in the last two years." "Even if sometimes you didn't understand those changes," "You always trusted me." "(monitor beeping)" "Remember when you said that what mom wanted" "Was for me to have a happy life?" "Well..." "It's a complicated thing." "But..." "I am happy, daddy." "I really am." "It's just that..." "(sniffles)" "There's been a part of me that I haven't been able to show you." "You see..." "I haven't been alone." "There's been someone in my life." "His name is vincent." "When I had the accident," "It was vincent who saved my life." "Those days that I was missing, they weren't lost or forgotten." "I was with him..." "Healing... (laughs softly) ...Learning things about myself I might never have known." "But vincent was a secret I couldn't share," "Not even with you." "I realize that to you I am a stranger," "And that was not your choice." "But what catherine and I share" "Has taken great courage," "Especially for catherine." "She's sacrificed much in order to live a life" "Of generosity" "And of love." "Daddy, I've gotten so much back." "I had to change." "I had to find my own strengths." "And vincent has helped me to do that." "Please know this." "That I will protect catherine," "Watch over her," "And love her till my last breath." "Catherine:" "My father made strong friends." "And it means a lot to me" "That so many of you could come today." "I thought for a long time about what I could say up here," "But everything I thought of seemed small and insubstantial" "Next to the man that my father was." "So what I'd like to do" "Is to read to you a part of a story" "That I know he loved." "It's a story about two toys." "A new toy, a rabbit," "And an old, worn-out toy, a skin horse." ""'what is real?" "' asked the rabbit one day" ""when they were lying side by side." ""'does it mean having things that buzz inside you" ""and a stick-out handle?" "'" ""'real isn't how you are made,' said the skin horse." ""'it's a thing that happens to you" ""'when a child loves you for a long, long time." ""'not just to play with, but really loves." "Then you become real.'"" ""'does it hurt?" "' asked the rabbit." ""'sometimes,' said the skin horse," ""for he was always truthful." ""'when you are real, you don't mind being hurt." ""'does it happen all at once, like being wound up,'" "The rabbit asked, 'or bit by bit?" "'" ""'it doesn't happen all at once,'" ""said the skin horse." ""'you become." "It takes a long time." ""'that's why it doesn't often happen" ""'to people who break easily or have sharp edges" ""'or have to be carefully kept." ""'generally, by the time you are real," ""'most of your hair has been loved off" ""'and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints" ""'and very shabby." ""'but these things don't matter at all," ""'because once you are real," ""'you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand." ""'once you are real, you can't become unreal again." "It lasts for always.'"" "(ship's horn blares)" "Jay:" "Your father and I drafted this after you left the firm." "He wanted to..." "Well, we both wanted to protect your option to return." "That's not a decision" "I'm prepared to make right now." "Of course." "Whatever you decide, though," "Doesn't affect your entitlement." "Basically, you're due" "Continuing and uncollected fees, but only on those cases in which" "Charles was actively involved." "Jay:" "Rather than a prolonged payment schedule," "Mark and I discussed the possibility" "Of offering you a lump-sum settlement." "The fact is, your father's participation" "Has been pretty limited" "Over the past few years." "Jay:" "Mark..." "I'm just being honest, dad." "We've come up with a range of figures" "Which I think are quite substantial," "But it's certainly open to discussion." "That's fine, jay." "Right now, I'm not feeling very open to discussion." "(door opens)" "(door closes)" "(knocking at door)" "Marilyn!" "How are you?" "I'm all right." "Really." "How about you?" "I'm not sure yet." "It's hard to imagine this place without him." "I know..." "(sighs)" "Mark doesn't seem to have the same problem." "Mark is a very young man." "He has his own ideas." "He said that daddy hadn't been" "Very active in the practice lately." "That's nonsense." "Marilyn, come on." "You can be honest with me." "Cathy, even when you were here, your father was letting go" "Of some of the responsibility." "So that I could take over." "I suppose." "And when I left..." "When you left," "I think your father's priorities changed." "But he respected your decision, cathy." "I think your honesty helped him realize" "That corporate law wasn't everything." "God knows, I'd been trying to do that" "For 25 years." "He lived." "He took time for the things that he loved:" "Travel..." "The theater..." "Old friends..." "You." "You really were his world." "(horns blaring)" "(horns honking)" "¶ ¶" "(knocking at door)" "Joe:" "Cathy?" "Joe!" "Hi." "I took an early lunch." "Thought I'd stop by and see how you were doing." "Come in." "You..." "Want something to drink?" "No, no, thanks." "I'm fine." "At least sit down." "Yeah, okay, for a minute." "So, how are you doing?" "Better." "Escobar tells me you're coming back to work tomorrow." "I think the work will be good for me." "What else am I supposed to do?" "Look, cathy, I'm no psychiatrist," "But experience teaches us things that books just can't." "When my father died..." "It, it goes a lot deeper than you think." "It takes a long time to get your head straight." "A lot longer than three days." "(sighs)" "I don't know." "I don't know what I want to do." "I just don't know." "(indistinct voices)" "¶ ¶" "¶ ¶" "¶ ¶" "(panting)" "I had nowhere to go." "You're here now." "(panting)" "I've been walking everywhere..." "Like I'm looking for something." "I don't know." "Catherine, what you're looking for is inside you." "I'm losing myself." "I can't go back there." "Catherine..." "There's nothing for me there." "I tried!" "That life isn't mine anymore!" "Give yourself the time to mourn." "Vincent..." "I need to be with you." "I need you." "I need you." "Come." "(subway train passes in distance)" "Vincent:" "So sudden a loss, you had no time to prepare." "The pain..." "Goes through me and then subsides." "I can feel it in you." "I know you can." "It's late." "You should sleep." "I am tired." "Are you sure you'll be all right?" "I'm sure." "Vincent..." "Good night." "Good night." "(distant, rhythmic tapping)" "How's catherine?" "Sleeping." "(subway train passing in distance)" "Vincent..." "I know how difficult this is for you." "To have her so close." "Yes." "How long will she be staying?" "As long as she needs." "I see." "Catherine knows how much her presence here affects me." "Does she?" "What have you told her?" "Nothing." "Perhaps you should." "What should I tell her that won't frighten her?" "She's already in enough pain." "Before, there was the safety of distance between you." "But now..." "She comes here in grief." "Whatever she needs," "Whatever sacrifice I must make, I will make..." "To be there for catherine." "Vincent, I'm afraid for you." "Afraid for..." "For both of you." "Father..." "I fear..." "That whether catherine stays or leaves," "It's going to cause you both deep sorrow." "(subway train passing in distance)" "(distant, rhythmic tapping)" "Geoffrey:" "Good morning." "Good morning, geoffrey." "Vincent wanted me to ask if you needed anything." "Well, do you need anything?" "Maybe some hot water." "Where is vincent?" "He's down in the lower tunnels, working on the new chambers." "He said if you need him that I would go get him." "No, no." "I'm fine." "What is it?" "I'm sorry about your father." "Me, too." "Do you miss him?" "Very much." "I never knew my parents." "But I miss 'em anyways." "Do you still have a mother?" "She died when I was ten." "When I was your age." "I guess that makes you an orphan, too." "I guess so." "That's okay." "I spent the entire morning by myself," "And somehow I didn't feel alone." "You're not alone here." "It's strange." "What?" "Being here." "It makes me realize what I've been missing all along." "The chance to be with you." "I wasn't sure if this time would ever come..." "If I would ever be so certain." "But, you know, it's always been a dream." "For both of us." "I want to stay." "(sighs):" "Catherine..." "You know me, vincent." "You know what I'm feeling." "I want to live in your world." "I don't want to go back." "I don't want you to go back." "(line ringing)" "(line continues ringing)" "(hangs up)" "Cathy?" "She's not here." "Vincent:" "Our world sleeps," "And she is near." "Strange and wonderful and sad," "This feeling rising in me like a tide." "To have all I ever dreamed of so close," "And yet to know that... (sighs)" "All I know is that she is here," "And that I must live for her," "Surround her easily," "Guide her out of suffering." "While she is here, I must live moment by moment..." "For her." "(sobbing)" "(continues sobbing)" "(sobbing continues)" "(continues sobbing)" "Just cry." "(sobbing stops)" "¶ ¶" "¶ ¶" "(distant, rhythmic tapping)" "(subway train passing in distance)" "(distant, rhythmic tapping)" "Vincent." "(sighs)" "Charles (deep voice):" "Don't laugh." "Don't laugh!" "Don't laugh!" "(quietly):" "Dad!" "(soft chuckle)" "It never worked much after you were 13, anyway." "I have missed you so much." "I've missed you, too." "(sobs)" "These last few days, I have felt your presence so strongly." "I've been near." "That's what grief is." "Soon I'll move farther away." "(sobs):" "No." "Don't worry, it's all right." "It's necessary." "And I understand so much more about you now." "What you have is a rare thing." "With vincent?" "Yes." "I wish I could have told you sooner." "You had to wait until I was old enough." "(crying):" "Did you understand?" "I understood everything he said," "And I understood everything you said." "I just wanted you to know how much I love him." "And how much I love you." "(sobbing)" "Your love made it easier for me to let go." "Yeah." "Do you think I'm doing the right thing?" "Do you remember..." "After we lost your mother," "You always wanted to go into the park?" "I wanted to climb trees." "Almost every Saturday." "And I used to watch you." "And sometimes you'd be very bold," "And you would climb very high," "And then you would look down on me." "And you were always smiling." "Well, I'll tell you a secret." "Inside, my heart was pounding so much" "I wanted to cry out two words, but I did not:" ""don't fall!"" "(laughs)" "I was so worried about you," "And so proud of you at the same time." "You wanted to climb trees," "And somehow I knew I had to let you." "I had to trust you." "And never once did you go out so far" "That the branches would break," "Or stay up too long in the cold." "And when you were ready, you always came back down." "I've stayed too long." "Dad, please." "I can't." "Good-bye, cathy." "Dad?" "!" "Dad..." "(subway passing in distance)" "¶ ¶" "¶ ¶" "¶ ¶" "But it wasn't like a dream." "He was there..." "Talking to me." "Giving you his blessing." "Yes." "He..." "He understood about our secret." "He understood." "Everything." "I could feel his trust." "Whatever I do now..." "It's okay." "You found peace with him." "Yes." "But not yet with yourself." "I..." "I'm not sure." "Don't ever be afraid of the truth." "I don't want to hurt you." "I don't ever want to disappoint you." "By returning above." "I feel like I've failed." "(sighs)" "Catherine..." "Every moment that we share" "Is a triumph and a gift," "And every one of those moments is..." "A lifetime, complete." "There is no failure." "It doesn't mean our dream can never be." "It just means that now is not the right time." "You came here to grieve," "And to begin to heal," "But now your destiny is to be in both worlds." "You're a woman of both worlds." "That is who you are." "But my heart is here." "And my heart is with you." "Wherever you are," "Wherever you go," "You take me." "You stand for me..." "For us..." "For our dream." "You carry our light." "That, too, is your destiny." "Do you think that someday...?" "Will we ever be together?" "Truly together?" "Only if and when we understand" "How great the sacrifice and how large the fears," "And are able to move through them." "I'm not scared." "Catherine, we are something that has never been." "And our journey is one that none have ever taken." "We are just now setting out." "We must go with courage." "And we must go with care." "¶ ¶" "I'm a little scared." "I know." "Isn't that strange?" "No." "¶ ¶" "¶ ¶" "Thank you, vincent." "¶ ¶" "Hi, joe." "Cathy." "Wh..." "Where were you?" "I mean, where the hell have you been?" "Thanks for worrying." "(sighs)" "I'm ready to come back to work." "You sure?" "I'm sure." "Okay." "Vincent:" "Wherever you are," "Wherever you go, you take me." "You stand for me..." "For us..." "For our dream." "You carry our light." "¶ ¶" "(sighs)" "(laughing gently)" "Don't worry, daddy." "I won't fall." "I won't fall." "¶ ¶"