""They call it a Valentine, my dear," ""and they tell me it's all the rage in england" ""these days." ""Of course," ""a gentleman like you has little interest" ""in the new styles," ""but if valentines ever become popular in America," ""then you will likely receive many of these in your life," ""and I want to give you your first," ""as it will surely be the only Valentine," ""and the last, that I will ever give to you."" "Thank you." "Hazel..." "I believe this address is on your route?" "Yes." "But why don't you just..." "It's been postmarked, so perhaps you could..." "Deliver it today?" "Sure, but it'd still be easier to..." ""A postmarked envelope must be delivered to the street address thereon,"" "miss obacheena." "Without regulations, we would have a world without order, and a world without order would be anarchy, and anarchy is..." "Is, uh..." "Bad?" "Yes." "Yes, thank you for your assistance, and your discretion." "Good morning, Oliver." "Ms. mcinerney, all ready for the Valentine rush?" "No." "This just came through from the terminal annex." "It got routed through special investigations, and they said you're the man for the job, something about a mailbox and an explosion." "And I know what you're going to say," ""no Valentine is stupid if it's sent with good intent,"" "but I know you're going to say something Oliver O'Toole-y, or..." "Excuse me, officer, where do I go to turn myself in?" "♪ Hey!" "♪" "♪ Oh, yeah, baby ♪" "♪ like a fool I went and stayed too long ♪" "♪ now I'm wondering if your love's still strong ♪" "♪ ooh, baby ♪" "♪ here I am ♪" "♪ signed, sealed, delivered I'm yours ♪" "♪ then that time I went and said goodbye... ♪" "So..." "Where are we going tomorrow night?" "Or is it a surprise?" "Well, it's gonna be a surprise if I can't find a restaurant." "Oh, Norman, if you haven't made a reservation yet, it's going to be too late to find a nice place." "I'm sorry," "I've just never really done the Valentine's day thing before." "That's okay." "You know, you could always come to my place, and I could whip us up something myself." "No." "We've..." "We've talked about that." "I will think of something." "Don't worry." "It's my first Valentine's day, too." "I mean, usually, I go to the..." "Oh, my gosh, I don't have to go!" "Go where?" "Well, you know how the folks from main facility who don't have dates on Valentine's always have their own party?" "Well, this year, I won't be there." "I will be in my kitchen cooking for you." "Oh, look, the Brazilian beef baron's having a Valentine veal special!" "Oh." "Morning!" "Hey, where should Rita and I go for Valentine's day?" "I'd let you guys have our reservation to montaldo's if, well..." "If I had a boyfriend." "And if he had the good taste to reserve a table for two at the nicest place in Denver." "But I don't have a boyfriend." "Nope." "I work at the post office delivering other women's valentines from their boyfriends." "Norman, could you please run these to certified returns?" "Are you finished already?" "No." "But I think it would be good for you to run these up first, and then come back for the rest later." "Is there such a thing as a fancy taco truck?" "No." "Huh." "So, you don't have a date for tomorrow?" "Well, we can't all have a Norman." "I was kind of hoping that Oliver would, you know..." "What?" "Me and Oliver?" "That's ridiculous." "No, Valentine's is..." "It's all about romance, and there is nothing romantic between me and Oliver." "We're so..." "I mean," "I send emails, and he writes letters," "I binge-watch on my iPad, and he goes to the library," "I live in cherry creek, and he lives..." "Where does he live?" "You and Oliver have a thing." "A thing?" "I can read the chemistry." "Chemistry does not a romance make, Rita." "What?" "You're even starting to talk like him." "Well, Oliver is... a gentleman, and he is recently, amicably, but freshly divorced, and I doubt that he's ready to take anyone out for Valentine's." "Let alone a co-worker." "A co-worker he has a lot of chemistry with." "Don't end a sentence with a preposition." "You did it again." "Hey, where is Oliver?" ""Dear maddie," "I don't know how you're going to take this letter..."" ""But I have to write it," ""because you always demand the truth from me," ""and that's what you deserve, no matter how hard it's going to be to hear."" ""I remember when I met you, at the first debate of the season..."" ""Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth,"" "wrote John Gillespie magee, a brave young aviator who captured the sheerly awesome experience of pushing the boundaries of space in 1941..." ""Sheerly awesome?"" "How can we put a price tag on vision?" "On the courage of a man like John magee, who died believing in something greater than himself?" "For a much smaller price than he had to pay, how can we not continue his journey?" "A journey where we, as John said, may someday also "touch the face of God."" "Breakfast." "Requests for overtime and part-time time cards must be submitted by 4:00 P.M. today." "Uh-huh..." "Do you have any idea how hard it is to postmark a bear?" "Gimme." "Let it go..." "Uh, this is" "Ms. haywith's colleague, Mr. dorman." "Could you repeat that, please?" "Mm-hmm." "Uh-huh." "Right, yeah, no problem." "She'll be there." "Great..." "Yes, yes, it's amazing." " Thank you so much." "Bye." " Thank you." "Norman?" "Uh, remember when" "Rita went to the national miss special delivery pageant in Washington, D.C., and was fourth runner-up?" "She did receive the miss special handling award." "What's going on?" "Remember the lady who won?" "Mindy, the singer." "She quit the post office." "She got cast in les miz on Broadway." "She's the really miserable one." "So... what?" "So, the first runner-up is on tour with her hip-hop group postal mama." "What about the second runner-up?" "Pregnant." "Very pregnant." " Third?" " She's in jail." "Something to do with counterfeit Elvis commemoratives." "So..." "So... there she is, miss United States special delivery." "No way." "They're unveiling the new president's day forever stamp, and they need her in Washington to pull the sheet." "Norman," "I'm going to miss our first Valentine's dinner together." "You could have it tonight." "My plane leaves tonight." "How about a nice romantic..." "lunch?" "I have to meet my cousin, serge, at the mailbox grille at 1:00 P.M." "Weird serge from the pawn shop?" "I would cancel, but he said that it's important." "Oh." "But you could come with me." "It won't be the same, but at least we'd be together." "Norman!" "Certifieds are in!" "Well..." "Looks like I'll be alone on Valentine's after all." "I really hope you're not." "...and a $300-million budget, which, in a survey released last week by the stetson research group, could have fully-funded the recently-failed house bill hr24568, proposing a federal subsidy for public school infrastructure, a far more relevant and immediate goal" "than another foray into the black hole of space exploration..." "Thank you, debaters, and that completes the last round of the morning preliminaries." "Please see the results in the main hall, where the winners will be paired off for the afternoon finals." "Hey." "I like how you referenced the gross national product of Russia during the '60s space race." "It was very impressive." "It must be my use of actual facts and rigorous research that you found so refreshing." "I'm sorry?" "Look, you might be able to skate through the early debates on charm and folksy story-telling, but when you get to state next spring, if you get to state, they'll be looking for substance, not seduction." "Come on, Becca, let's go." ""I always figured sooner or later" ""somebody would see through all the smoke and mirrors" ""and realize what I feared most about myself," ""that I wasn't a great debater, just a good showman." ""But nobody ever had the guts to call me on it until you."" "It's early, maddie." "We'll get them next time." "Yes!" "Sweet." ""I can only imagine what you thought of me" ""after that first debate." ""I never thought you'd be anything more to me" ""than the competition to beat this year." ""What scares me" ""is what you're going to think of me now." ""I never meant to hurt you, and I never meant to... "" "Oh, my goodness." "It's still such a shock." "Well, you should have been miss United States special delivery in the first place." "This is a very bittersweet victory, Norman." "I'm going to miss you." "First tweet of the new miss special delivery." "Congratulations!" "What was that?" "Well, you're going to be famous now..." "Oh, Norman," "I think your cousin's here." "Oh, serge!" "Over here!" "Oh!" "Oh..." "Ah, there you are." "Oliver, Rita just got a call from..." "I'm sorry, Ms. mcinerney, not now." "Please read this." "Right here." ""I never thought you'd be anything more to me" ""than the competition to beat this year." ""What scares me" ""is what you're going to think of me now." ""I never meant to hurt you last night, maddie," ""and I never meant to..." "Kill anyone."" "These are pretty amazing, serge." "You've got a whole lot of vintage valentines here." "Norman, look at this one." ""My heart leaps for you!"" "So, are these from a private collection of yours?" ""Yes."" "I bet you you got these at the pawn shop." ""Yes."" "It's like he's taken a vow of silence or something." ""I have taken a vow of silence."" "Well, there you go." "Why?" ""I am moving to Minnesota to join the little brothers of perpetual frost."" ""It's a monastic order dedicated to meditation and contemplative ice fishing."" "Well, you've always been very spiritual." ""I know you're an expert" ""in mail and stuff, and I heard you were in love..."" ""So I want you to have these."" "Me?" "These could be worth a lot of money, serge." ""I took a vow of poverty, too."" "That's really nice of you." "Thanks." "Good luck." "If you're ever in Minnesota, look me up." "We'll fish." "I-I didn't have a card for that." "I guess this is it." "I could drive you to the airport." "Oh, thanks, Norman, but you don't have a car." "And I still have to go home and pack, so I guess this is..." "Goodbye, for now." "But I'll be back on Monday." "Okay." "Okay, and I'll think of you every day." "Whoa." "Norman, look at this." "What?" "Uh..." "linen envelope, silk ribbon, postmarked by hand," "1835, addressed to postmaster" "Mr..." "Somebody." "New Salem, ill..." "Illinois?" "Norman, think." "Postmaster, new Salem, Illinois?" "1835?" "Oh!" "Wow." "Wow..." "Wow." "We're going to have fun with this one." "We?" "You're asking me for my help, aren't you?" "Well, I think any letter containing a reference to killing someone demands special attention." "Well, let's see." "The envelope is useless, half the pages are singed, and all we have so far are two high school debate teams from 15 years ago." "Putting maddie at about 16 or 17." "Debate competitions move around every month, from host school to host school, kind of like a football season, so she could live anywhere in the tristate area." "And a good debater spends so much time researching and prepping every possible topic, that they don't really have time to kill anyone." "I debated in high school." "Astonishing." "Well, teenagers, debates, death..." "I've googled with less." "Okay, I'm running a search for all high school debate teams" "15 years ago in Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah." "It should take..." "Forever." "Forever?" "A day, probably." "Do you wanna wait?" "No." "Okay." "Uh, we should settle in, then." "Oh, uh..." "Sorry." "Here we go." "Thank you." "People do crazy things for Valentine's, don't they?" "I suppose." "So, here we go." ""Do you remember the second competition?" ""The resolution was the national minimum-drinking-age law should be repealed."" "The resolution was the national minimum-drinking-age law..." " ...should be repealed." " Heads." "Your call." "Con." "On the contrary, to suggest that lowering the drinking age to 18 will curtail bad behavior in underage students reminds me of the time when I was 12, in the summer, and I grew four inches." "I grew so fast, that my legs were able to hit the accelerator of the family truck." "But my dad was smart enough not to give me the keys to the car, though." "Not only do statistics support the belief that the 21 and over law encourages more illegal purchases and consumption of alcohol among underage students, it fosters dangerous and sometimes fatal behaviors, such as binge-drinking, not to mention..." "The debate was carried by the team from..." "Wyoming, arguing the pro side." "Semi-finals will begin after lunch." "Nice try, you guys." "Really." "Thanks, Paige." "I don't know about you, man, but I could use a fat burger and a six-pack right now." "Very funny." "Nevertheless, many Americans believe that..." "On the other hand, statistics have shown over the last few years..." "You skate like you debate, you know." "Excuse me?" "Left, right, left, right." "You're not going with the flow." "You know, you're not having any fun." "I don't do this to have fun, okay?" "I do it to prepare." "I pick a topic, and left is pro, right is con." "You drive down from Wyoming every month for these things, huh?" "Do you take anything seriously?" "What's your problem with me?" "It is physically impossible for a 12-year-old to grow four inches in three months." "Details." "You don't do your homework." "You do just enough to get by, and then when you run out of facts, you make them up." "Hey, Abraham Lincoln was a great debater, but he didn't win on just statistics, he gave a little personality, too." "You..." "Are not Abraham Lincoln." "True." "But I bet I could be a good president one day." "Well, you could, like, play one on TV." "Look, okay," "I know how to sell an idea, but I'm short on statistics." "You are great with research, but you never, ever smile." "I gotta learn to use my head, and you gotta learn to use your heart." "I think we can help each other out here." "Why?" "Why would I want to help the competition?" "I mean, unless you're trying to psych me out, and trust me, you can't." "Okay, well then, then..." "What if we just..." "Skate?" "Fine, but keep up." "♪ I rode my bicycle past your window last night ♪" "♪ I rollerskated to your door at daylight... ♪" "♪ It almost seems like you're avoiding me ♪" "♪ I'm okay alone ♪" "♪ but you've got somethin' I need, well... ♪" "♪ I got a brand-new pair of roller skates ♪" "♪ you got a brand-new key ♪" "♪ I think that we should get together ♪" "♪ and try them on to see... ♪" "♪ I've been lookin' around a while ♪" "♪ you got somethin' for me... ♪ ...this is not simply an emotional issue... ♪ I got a brand-new pair of roller skates... ♪" "Statistically, 47% of all registered voters surveyed last year indicated... ♪ I ride my bike I rollerskate ♪" "♪ don't drive no car ♪" "♪ don't go too fast but I go pretty far... ♪" "♪ For somebody who don't drive ♪" "♪ I've been all around the world ♪" "♪ some people say I done all right for a girl ♪" "♪ oh, yeah, yeah... ♪ ...spent over nine billion dollars last year." "However, all the facts are meaningless without the human factor." "Um..." "Because any human being with a beating heart that has ever spent the night in the hospital with someone they love... ♪ Oh, sometimes I think that you're avoiding me ♪" "♪ I'm okay alone ♪" "♪ but you got something I need, well... ♪" "♪ I've got a brand-new pair of roller skates ♪" "♪ you got a brand-new key ♪" "♪ I think that we should get together and... ♪" "So?" "How is the beating heart of maddie alstrup feeling today?" "Feels pretty good." "And you were kind of great today." "You might even make it to state." "Maybe." "Maybe?" "Are you basing that on your research, or are you finally trusting your instincts?" ""I keep thinking" ""how different everything would be now" ""if I just hadn't kissed you that day." ""But I did, and nothing will ever be the same."" "Well, that's sweet." "He kissed her, and everything changed." "Everything certainly changed for whomever he killed." "Yes, well, there's that." "That kiss set something into motion, and someone died." "I'll filter the program to search for fatalities occurring around the time the mailbox blew up." "Okay, here it is." "Saturday, march... 24th." "It was 4:15 in the afternoon." "Is there something you want to tell me, Oliver?" "We're out, and I'm not prepared to discuss this yoo-hoo free." "I wasn't going to tell you this, but I have Angie the barista keep a couple of emergency yoo-hoos for you behind the bar at the mailbox grille." "Ms. mcinerney, you never cease to surprise me, and I hope to someday return the favor." "I started in the post office as a zip code shelver, and moved up to mail carrier." "15 years ago, I had this route," "I walked these streets, collected the mail from that box on the corner every day at 4:00." "It was supposed to be 3:55, but, well, i had a sort of crush on the female police officer who covered the same beat." "Most days around 4:00, she'd be parked over there taking her break, sipping a cup of coffee, and I'd make sure that I happened to be cleaning out the mailbox at the same time," "and we'd have a pleasant conversation." "And one day, she wasn't there, and instead of cleaning out the mailbox and going on my way, i stalled." "I went to the coffee shop and got a coffee, and waited to see if she'd show." "And then some clown, an actual clown, ran his party truck over the curb, and a tank of helium in the back must have tipped over and rolled onto a block of dry ice." "And of course, when helium experiences a sudden change of temperature, well..." "I knew I'd never rest until I'd made things right, because none of those letters would have been damaged if I'd just done my job." "No one ever thought to blame me, but I knew, so I volunteered to help recover them." "And it was then that I realized they weren't just letters, they were lives." "A birthday card, a house payment, an apology." "When we were finished..." "When I thought we were finished..." "I didn't want to stop." "I knew I wanted to keep doing that, trying to restore what was lost." "So I applied to the dead letter office." "And look at all the good you've done." "Leave the past in the past where it belongs." "I thought I had." "Feels like a double-fudge day, hmm?" "Why not?" "Norman?" "Norman?" "Are you all right, my friend?" "Oh, uh, my cousin gave me a box of antique valentines, and one of them is incredibly old and will probably send shock waves through the annals of American history, and Rita's gone home to pack," "and then she's flying to Washington D.C., so I'm going to spend Valentine's day here alone, with my cigar box, without her." "Alone." "Norman, I think you may be overstating the importance of Valentine's day." "It's really just a made-up holiday to sell chocolate and pressure men to take you to a romantic restaurant, and say that they can't live without you." "Unless, of course, they don't say they can't live without you, and then you just end up crying in the ladies room." "A rather bleak assessment, Ms. mcinerney." "I prefer to think of Valentine's as simply an opportunity for two people to recognize a mutual interest, enjoy a quiet meal, perhaps even celebrate the multi-faceted nature of love as defined by the greeks, phileo, storge, Eros, and agape." "Hence, the ladies room." "Hence?" "You know, you're really starting to sound like Oliver." "Okay, well..." "Well, I am sure" "Oliver would be happy to take you out on Valentine's and keep you company." "Oh, unless you're already booked?" "Well..." "That's okay," "I'll just have dinner with Shane." "No!" "Uh..." "I mean, she may already have plans." "Do you?" "Um..." "Oh, wait!" "There's a lecture tomorrow night at the Colorado stamp collectors club." "I guess I could do that." "Yes!" "That's a wonderful idea." "Nothing like a little philatelic diversion to take your mind off your troubles." "Well, Ms. mcinerney, it has been a long day..." "It's 3:00." "Norman can analyze maddie's letter," "I'll evaluate the historical significance of his mysterious Valentine." "Why don't you just, um..." "Take the rest of the day off?" "I thought we had more to talk about." "Nothing that can't wait till tomorrow." "Norman and I need some man time." "Go home." "Relax." "Putter." "Check your mail." "Putter." "Okay." "Check my mail..." "Huh." "It must be serious if I, uh, need some man time." "The course of true love never did run smooth, Norman, but you and Rita have declared your feelings for each other, you've finally put your raft in the river." "You may hit a few rocks along the way, but..." "But at least you've begun the journey." "Now, what's all this about rewriting American history?" "Hmm?" "It's postmarked 1835." "I haven't opened it, but look at the return address." ""A.R."" "And it's addressed to a postmaster, Mr..." "Somebody..." "New Salem..." "Illinois." "Oh, my goodness." "Yeah." "Probably." "I mean, talk about a river." "He was rafting on the Illinois river in 1831 when he hit some rocks." "That's how he ended up in new Salem, where he met a beautiful girl named..." "Ann Rutledge." "A.R." "The story goes they were secretly engaged to marry." "But nobody knows for sure because Ann died of typhoid, and Abraham Lincoln quit the post office, and left new Salem forever, and never talked about her again." "Now, there are a lot of theories out there, but nobody knows for sure if they were in love." "But now?" "Well..." "We may find out once and for all." "You know that river you were talking about?" "Do you think you'll ever get on a raft with anyone again?" "I hope so." "Rita!" "Hi, hazel!" "I just heard." "Miss special delivery." "It couldn't happen to a nicer government employee." "Thank you." "It's such a shock, and I still have so much to do before I go..." "Hey, um, can I ask you a favor?" "Are you heading to Shane's?" "Yeah, I'm on my way." "I'm running late." "Could you...?" "Oh, sure, just drop 'em in the box." "You're such a sweetheart." "All right, well, see ya." "See ya." "Rita?" "Hmm?" "What are you doing here?" "Aren't you supposed to be in..." "I am, and I'm late." "But every year, I've been in charge of the decorations for the people with no date on Valentine's day party, except that Norman and I happened, so I figured, since you don't have a date," "that maybe you could just handle it." "I'll handle it." "Oh, great!" "They're pretty old, but I think there's still one year left in them." "Fine." "But I'm not staying for the party." "I'm going to the gym, I'm getting a massage, and then I'm going home to eat pizza while I order discount designer shoes online." "Oh, my gosh, I forgot to pack shoes!" "Run." "I've got it covered." "And have a..." "Thank you!" "Figures." "Turns out tonight's lecture at the stamp club is on "blatant misuses of postage due."" "That's a worthy topic." "And high time, too." "You wanna come?" "Uh, well..." "You know, Oliver, there's more to me than meets the eye." "Oh, I am aware of that, Norman." "See, I think you wanted to ask Shane out for dinner, and then you chickened out." "Well, for your information, and your information only," "I did, in fact, mail her a Valentine with a personal invitation, and I am awaiting her response." "You mailed it?" "You couldn't just ask her?" "Well, I wanted to do something special." "Waiting till the last minute is pretty special." "Hope you like veal." "Good morning." "Morning." "Happy Valentine's day." "Oh, Norman, are you gonna get through it okay?" "Oh, yes." "Rita and I have a phone date after my lecture tonight." "You two are so adorable." "Yeah." "What is this?" "Oh." "Apparently, I am now the entire decorations committee for the postal workers without dates party tonight." "Oh, did you plan to attend that?" "No." "No, no... mm-mm, no." "No." "I'm just pinch-hitting for Rita." "So, you have other plans?" "Well, "other" is..." "What about you?" "Well..." "Eleanor in passports said that the party is canceled this year because everybody got dates." "Terrific." "Everybody has a date tonight." "Oh, and to top it off, the program I was running just froze my computer." "Excellent, uh..." "Why don't you get Norman up to speed, and I will be right back." "Um..." "So if you're not going to the party tonight, does that mean you have a date?" "Honestly, Norman, the pressure to have a date on Valentine's is both demoralizing and demeaning." "But if somebody were to ask you," "I mean, today, would you go?" "This late?" "That would just be insulting." "Hazel..." "About that letter?" "Oh, you're welcome." "No problem." "She got two Valentine's cards yesterday, one from her mother, and the fat one from you." "You were really pushing it on the postage, by the way." "Oh, gotta run..." "Perfect timing." "We're back in business." "I'm filtering for the first name maddie." "Oh, happy to hear it, Ms. mcinerney." "Did she say anything?" "She said Valentine's is demeaning." "Demeaning?" "And anyone who would invite her at the last minute would be insulting her..." "Something like that." "Insulting?" "Maybe she got it, but just doesn't want to hurt your feelings." "So, maybe she'll wait till tomorrow and then pretend she didn't get it." "I saw that in a movie." "All right," "I want this letter situation resolved." "We shall press on, if you don't mind." "Now, where were we?" "Thank you." ""To be honest, maddie," ""I started competing in these debates every month just to have something to put on my college application..."" ""But after a while" ""I started looking forward to them" ""because it meant seeing you." ""And by the time we made it to the spring finals," ""just being there together, well," ""I felt like I'd already won." "I wish you could believe that. "" "How'd it go?" "Well..." "We qualified." "We did, too!" "Good for you!" "Hey, ry'." "Hey." "So, it looks like you're still in the running." "Looks like it." "See you later." "You know..." "If it finally comes down to you and us tomorrow, trust me, maddie won't back down." "Because I won't let her." "What are you talking about?" "Maddie..." "For a really intelligent girl, you can be so stupid." "He's been using you." "Hold on..." "Last year, Paige booker was the big threat, so Ryan got her spinning so fast, she couldn't remember the bill of rights." "He used her, and now he's using you." "He zeroes in on the competition, and if they're insecure, he encourages them." "If they're vain, he compliments them." "If they roller blade, he learns how to roller blade, too." "You told me your mom saved up to buy you those skates for Christmas." "Okay, it was like that at first..." "I can't believe this..." "But you were different." "I mean, we've been good for each other, haven't we?" "Maddie!" "Just listen to me for one second, please..." "Don't touch me." "I honestly care about you, and that's a fact." "Since when are you interested in facts, Ryan?" "I'm interested in the truth because you taught me to be." "Just like I taught you to argue with your heart and trust your gut." "So, what is your gut telling you now?" "That I was a fool." ""Who I was when I met you" ""is not who I am now, maddie," ""and I was so angry because I thought you couldn't see that..."" "I could use that six-pack now." ""If I'd only known last night" ""what you were going to say this morning," ""I would never have left the hotel." ""But now, it's too late."" "Oh, dear." "Nothing's come up for maddie or Madeleine." "But now we have a date, and we know they both competed in the finals at the brown palace hotel." "Okay, I can work with that." "Give me a second." "It's quite a mystery, that letter you have from new Salem." "Have you read it yet?" "Not yet." "I'm taking it slow, like... postal archeology." "Probably a wise course." "It could be quite a discovery." "Now, how does something like that get into a cigar box in a pawn shop in Denver?" "Perhaps the question isn't "why?" Or "how?"" "But "why now?"" "Bingo!" "The brown has hosted the tristate finals since 1998." "Hmm." "Oh!" "Look at this." "I set up an alert to notify me whenever anything was posted about Rita." "Oh, this looks like it's her first press conference." "Yes, it was a big surprise!" "I mean, yesterday, i was sorting mail in Denver." "Yes?" "Can you comment on that tweet of you kissing your boyfriend?" "Oh... well..." "That wasn't a kiss, and that wasn't my boyfriend." "I mean, he's just a coworker who had something in his eye." "I don't have a boyfriend." "I'm free as a bird." "Next?" "The reservations were made by the schools, and they did not keep records of student names." "What about the schools?" "The special events coordinator is busy with the Valentine's ball." "She can't get us a list until Monday." "We can't wait for that." "We have to give Norman something else to do besides dismantle the lobby." "Norman?" "How are you feeling?" "Norman, uh..." "Please..." "I'm sure Rita will explain everything tonight when you talk." "But right now we have to focus, okay?" "And the heart." ""Have you ever been so upset, you don't even know what you're doing?"" ""That's how I felt last night..."" ""Ithurtso much, i just wanted it to stop."" "Hey, wake up." "Where have you been?" "God, you stink." "What happened?" "I hit a trash can." "Are you okay?" "I don't know." "I just want to say that if you meant what you said, that you care about me, then whatever happens today," "I want you to know that I'm in love with you." "No matter who wins," "I'll be waiting for you by the tree, and..." "I hope we can keep..." "Skating." "How's that for speaking from the heart?" "Resolved, the federal government should withdraw tax credits non-governmental organizations providing programs for the homeless that fail to comply with..."" "...those who are lost on the perilous and lonely journey of homelessness have become too marginalized to pull themselves back from invisibility." "If our government by the people cannot be for the people, all the people, then we, too, have lost our way and we will find ourselves on that same road that leads to losing not only our identity," "but our very existence as a compassionate and just nation." "In 1962, the percentage of homelessness among Americans was..." "I'm sorry, let me start over." "Homelessness in this country in America is a new concept..." "It's..." "I mean, it's not..." ""I realized two things" ""this morning, maddie." ""That I was responsible for the death of an innocent person," ""and that I have to take responsibility for that," ""no matter what that means." ""So instead of meeting you at our tree today," ""I'm going to turn myself in." ""So I won't be there to watch you in the finals," ""but at least now you'll know why." ""This is going to change my life..." ""But I can't let it change yours," ""and I'll understand if you don't want to have anything to do with me again."" ""Just remember that" ""when you told me you loved me for..."" ""Just remember that when you told me you loved me," ""for one moment today," ""I was truly happy." ""It may be the last time I ever am." ""Love, Ryan." ""P.S." "Take good care of your heart."" "You know, when I filtered for a maddie," "I didn't get any hits, but maybe if I try a Ryan?" "I can't imagine what his life must have been like." "Ruined by one single mistake." "Not necessarily." "If he was under 18, then his name would never have been released." "Nobody would ever know." "Except for us." "I'm not sure we should know." "Let's just..." "Keep trying to find maddie." "I think we just did!" "It's not Madeleine, it's Madison." "There." "I found him!" "It's a Ryan..." "Oh, wow." "It's..." "Ryan hallett." "Governor Ryan hallett." "I suggest we adjourn for the day, and resume this discussion tomorrow." "I'm sure you don't want to be late to..." "Whatever." "Oh, right." "Mm... mm-hmm." "Well, then." "Good evening." "Mm-hmm." "I have my, um, lecture this evening, and then Rita's gonna call, so..." "Good night." "Happy, um..." "Norman, I really think you're making too big a deal out of this." "My girlfriend says that she doesn't have a boyfriend." "I think that's a big deal." "But why would I want the whole world to know about us?" "Why wouldn't you?" "Because the world is a different place now, Norman." "I mean, everybody tells everybody everything." "I mean, they post it, or they tweet it, and then it's just out there forever, and..." "Are you saying that we're not forever?" "No..." "I'm saying, this is our life." "We're not somebody's... hashtag." "Look, I'm really tired, Norman." "Can we talk about this when I get back?" "Sure." "I'll see you Monday." "Until then, I guess you're "free as a bird," huh?" "Norman..." "Goodnight." ""February 14, 1835." ""My dearest..." ""I continue to gather strength" ""from the words we shared when you visited me yesterday." ""Though my body fails, my spirit grows ever stronger," ""and I am able to send you this." ""They call it a Valentine, my dear," ""and they tell me it's all the rage in england these days..."" "♪ I know for certain the one I love ♪" "♪ I'm through with flirting' ♪" "♪ it's just you I'm thinkin' of ♪" "♪ ain't misbehavin' ♪" "♪ I'm savin' my love for you ♪" "Norman?" "Norman!" "Were you here all night?" "Yes?" "No." "Well..." "What's this?" "Oh, uh, that's the antique card that serge gave me." "It's beautiful." "It's almost 200 years old." "And all handmade?" "Yeah." "Somebody sure did care about somebody." "Yeah." "Good morning, everyone." "Norman." "You are..." "Not yourself." "I just need a shave." "A gentleman must never forsake his morning ablutions." "Do what you must, and we'll regroup at the grille at say, 10:00?" "Okay." "Sorry." "So, how was your evening?" "Lovely." "Uh, spent it with a..." "A friend." "And you?" "Oh, it was great." "You know, uh, wine, candlelight, music." "Ah." "I, um, I did some research, and there is no record of the governor being involved in a hit-and-run, or ever having received a dui." "However, there is a sealed record for a Ryan t." "Hallett that was filed 15 years ago with the clerk of the juvenile court, which suggests that whatever he did back then was expunged, and that gives him the legal right to say he doesn't have a criminal record." "My goodness." "You did all this, and still had time for a candlelight dinner?" "I got up early." "Yes, well, impressive." "But the issue is not governor hallett's juvenile record." "It is Madison alstrup's delayed letter." "Well, she was living in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and working as a reporter for the Cheyenne-union post, until about a year ago, when she packed up her apartment, and left no forwarding address." "I'm sure you'll think of something, Ms. mcinerney." "Um..." "I must attend to Norman." "He seems a bit blue." "Oliver!" "Hallett is a good governor." "Even his opponents like him." "Whatever he did, he turned himself in, and he paid his debt." "If we deliver that letter to a reporter, then we're handing her the power to destroy a good man who was once just a stupid, broken-hearted boy." "What happens after we deliver the letter to Ms. alstrup is between Ms. alstrup and her conscience." "Ah... ah-hah." "Ah-hah?" "Well, this is about your conscience." "That lady cop that you had a crush on, you haven't seen her in 15 years, and it still bothers you that you allowed her to get in the way of performing your duties in a timely manner." "Rita's right." "I really am starting to sound like you." "Please keep me informed of your progress." "There must be something in here we are missing." "Oh, and the police officer." "I never said I haven't seen her since." "I'm still unclear how this got so out of hand." "Somebody took a selfie with us and tweeted it, and somebody else posted it, and somebody else pinned it, and before you know it," "Rita's gone viral with her own hashtag." "I have no idea what you are talking about, but, uh, I am outraged." "So was Rita, I guess." "But when you're in love, don't you want to just shout it out to the world?" "Of course." "For some reason, strangers have chosen to shout it for you." "You know what her hashtag is?" "Norman, please." "Let's, uh, not go there." "Can I help you?" "Yes, I'm Shane mcinerney." "I called from..." "The post office." "Right." "I'm Becca." "Hi." "Hi." "She never married." "She worked in Cheyenne until last year when she got sick, and Becca convinced her to come down to Denver to see a specialist, and she never left." "Good work, Ms. mcinerney." "Oliver, I did my job, but can we just think this through before we deliver this?" "If Ms. alstrup is as sick as it sounds, she is highly unlikely to create a political scandal." "I agree, but what Ryan says in that letter could still be pretty shocking." "It's the last thing she needs." "What good could come of this, really?" "Well, I think..." "It's always good to know that you were loved, isn't it?" "May I help you?" "Yes, please, my name is Oliver O'Toole." "My colleagues and I were hoping for a moment with Ms. Madison alstrup." "She's not taking visitors." "Oh, we don't want to disturb her." "Good, 'cause you won't." "We do need to deliver this to her briefly in person." "We don't all have to go in, just one of us." "How about none of you?" "But we're from the United States post office on official business." "Honey, you could be the governor of Colorado on official business, and you still wouldn't get by me." "He's almost finished." "Thank you." "I bet you guys were busy this week." "All those valentines, right?" "350,000." "And not one of them was for me." "There you go." "I'll see you Tuesday." "Ricky, you hang in there, okay?" "Governor, these are the folks from the post office." "Hi, I'm Ryan." "Governor, I'm Oliver O'Toole, this is Ms. Shane mcinerney." "Hi." "Thank you for fitting us in." "Oh, of course." "So, I understand you have some kind of a special delivery for me?" "Actually, we were hoping you might deliver it for us." "It was damaged when the mailbox you dropped it in exploded." "That was 15 years ago." "Yes, but once it's mailed, we are still required to deliver it to the name on the envelope." "Of course." "Governor, it was necessary for us to read the letter in order to process it." "Can you give us some time?" "So you know..." "Yes." "Nothing can explain or excuse what I did." "He was homeless." "No friends, no family." "There was no one to even miss him, or to apologize to." "He was never identified." "A man, just as alive as any of us, trying to do the best he could, and in a one moment..." "He was gone." "I was a minor, so it never came out, but I never took another drink, and I decided to spend the rest of my life trying to make up for what I did, but you never really can." "I can understand that." "I always suspected that this was out there, and that maddie might show up one day, blow the whistle on me." "Now I know why she never did." "For all she knew," "I was only guilty of being a user and a liar." "And for all I knew, she'd read this and decided that I wasn't worth the trouble." "It's funny, you know, how two people who care about each other so much can let all their insecurities get in the way and completely get it wrong." "I'll bet she hates me now." "Uh, actually, governor," "I believe she needs you now." "What have you got there?" "Oh, uh..." "It's kind of a Valentine love letter." "Well, of course, it's a love letter." "Look at those two little people kissing." "It was mailed in 1835." "Just the fact that it exists could rewrite American history." "One day, you're spilling your heart out to your one and only, and a couple of centuries later, the whole world is reading what was only meant for the two of you." "Yeah..." "What's happened to the world?" "You put that away before something happens to it." "Yes, ma'am." "And you're still not getting in there." "Yes, ma'am." "Sometimes, Ms. mcinerney, you are a complete mystery to me." "Sometimes?" "Why would you lie to someone about not receiving any valentines?" "That wasn't a lie." "Oh, please, Ms. mcinerney, if for whatever reason you were too uncomfortable to decline the invitation in person, you might try leaving your mother out of your rather sad attempts to dissemble." "Oliver, I have no idea what you are talking about." "I'm talking about dinner last night." "Okay." "I lied." "I didn't have a date." "But I didn't lie about getting any valentines." "I didn't receive a single one this year, not even from my mother, by the way." "And you're one to talk." "You said you spent the evening with a friend." "Well, if one cannot be one's own friend, then..." "Then..." "Wait, how did you know?" "And please don't change the subject." "Oh, for heaven's sakes, what are we even talking about?" "We're..." "Governor hallett, this is our colleague, Norman dorman." "Dorman." "And this is..." "May I help you... governor?" "I understand Madison alstrup is a patient here?" "She is." "But I can't give you her medical information." "You don't have to." "I know." "When we were teenagers, she told me that she had a congenital heart defect." ""P.S." "Take good care of your heart."" "I understand that she doesn't want visitors." "Well, folks like this, getting ready to go, it's not that they don't want visitors, it's they don't want just any visitor." "And governor, you're not just any visitor." "Sir?" "I want to tell her the truth, and I want to tell her I'm sorry." "I just don't know how to tell her goodbye." "Uh..." "Um..." "When Abraham Lincoln was 26 years old, he went to visit a woman who may or may not have been his fiancee." "Nobody's ever been able to prove it." "We do know that that she was dying of typhoid, so he had gone to say goodbye to her." "Nobody knows what they said to each other that day, but after he left, he was never the same again." " Norman..." " She told him..." "Well, I like to think that she told him not to dwell in the past, or blame himself for what he couldn't change." "And no one could ever understand the special bond that they had, and I think that she told him that none of it would matter if he didn't carry on after she was gone." "And, I guess we both know, that he did." "That girl." "I'm guessing she died around... 1835?" "Yes, ma'am." "Where is he?" "Norman could get lost in an elevator when Rita isn't around." "Oliver..." "Hmm?" "You know, if it weren't for you being, well, you, that letter might not have been delivered in time." "If it weren't for me, that letter would have been delivered 15 years ago, exactly on time." "But you always say that God moves in mysterious ways, right?" "Oh, that reminds me," "I almost forgot..." "I have choir practice in half an hour." "You and Norman can take the car back to the dio," "I'll walk." "The church is just down the street." "Oliver!" "You know I wasn't lying when I said I didn't get any valentines, right?" "Have a good weekend, Ms. mcinerney." "How's Rita?" "I saw her on TV." "She looked pretty happy." "She loves you, Norman, and you love her." "Look, we both missed out on a nice dinner last night, so what do you say we close up, and we go grab something?" "Oh, that sounds..." "Wait, you didn't go out with Oliver yesterday?" "No." "How come?" "He didn't invite me." "Yes, he did." "No." "No, he didn't." "What about the Valentine he sent you?" "Am I losing my mind?" "I didn't get any valentines!" "Something's weird." "Hazel!" "Hazel..." "Do you remember delivering any valentines to my house this week?" "Besides the one from your mother?" "And the other one from..." "Well, you know." "No, I don't know." "I never got them." "Of course you did." "I gave them to Rita, and we put them in the..." "Uh-oh." "Uh-oh?" "She was carrying a box and..." "The decorations!" "Rita promised that she'd give them..." "Norman!" "Ha!" "You wake up in the morning, and you never really know how your day is going to end." "Focus, Norman." "It's a plain cardboard box with a bunch of valentines decorations in it." "What, like crepe paper and hearts and stuff?" "I don't know," "I never opened it." "Rita said that it was all pretty old and I just..." "Hey, hearts and crepe paper and stuff!" "Yes!" "That's it!" ""Dear Ms. mcinerney," ""I've been thinking that Valentine's day" ""might present the perfect opportunity" ""for our long-promised dinner." "I have reservations at..."" ""Montaldo's..." ""...a lovely spot" ""where we might share some stimulating conversation" ""and enjoy the music." ""It has been a long time since we danced." ""Awaiting your response, sincerely, Oliver O'Toole."" "He thought that I..." "And I thought that he..." "And look, it's handmade." "Somebody really cares about somebody." "Oh, Norman, I..." "Go on." "Why aren't you in...?" ""I missed you."" ""I couldn't wait until Monday."" ""I took the first flight back."" "No, I'm sorry." "I should have known you were just protecting what we have." "It's just..." "You were there with those important, sophisticated postal executives, and I just felt..." "I just thought..." "I just thought I lost you." "Norman..." "That's impossible." "Wherever I go, I will always carry you with me." "I want you on my raft." "Aw..." "Wait, what on earth does that mean?" "I love you." "I love you, too." "Maddie." "Hey." "It's Ryan." "Ryan?" "It's been so..." "I waited." "What happened?" "It's a long story." "No stories, just the facts, right?" "Well, this story you gotta hear." "Very nice!" "Okay, we'll see you on Sunday." "You were so good today." "Wow, that was really fun." "That was wonderful." "You were great." " Really?" " Yeah." "Little nervous." "I ran in late." "I almost didn't make it" " I was in such a..." " Why?" "What happened?" "Ms. mcinerney?" "Oh, my goodness." "What a surprise." "This is Dale, uh, Travers," "Dale, this is Shane mcinerney." "We work together at the dead letter office." "Wow!" "It's nice to meet you, Shane." "I don't think I've met any of Oliver's friends from work." "Well, I don't usually get to... church." "You should come sometime." "Have you ever heard Oliver sing?" "Yes." "No." "Well, sort of." "Not, um, here." "Well, you're really missing something." "I've got to get to work." "Late shift." "It was so nice to meet you." "Goodnight." "Bye." "She's, uh... a soprano." "Ah." "So, what brings you here?" "Oh." "Uh..." "I just found it." "Hazel had given my valentines to Rita, and Rita put them in a box, and..." "Am I... too late for dinner?" ""Just remember that" ""when you told me you loved me," ""for one moment today," ""I was truly happy." ""It may be the last time I ever am." ""Love, Ryan." ""P.S." "Take good care of your heart."" "So..." "You loved me." "I loved you." "I tried." "I tried to take care of my heart, but..." "I'm sorry that I wasn't there to help." "What happened to the man?" "When I got out of juvenile hall," "I tried to find out about him, but nobody knew anything except that his body was still at the county morgue, waiting to be claimed." "I watched, and I waited, and..." "Nothing." "So, two years later, they let me claim his ashes, and one beautiful Saturday afternoon," "I took his ashes to our tree, and I asked for forgiveness, and I made a promise to him that I'd never forget that I'd been given another chance to change my life, and I'd taken away his chance to do the same thing." "He died on the 23rd of the month, so every month, on the 23rd, no matter what," "I make sure to get back there, back to that tree, and to him, and I..." "Say a prayer." "I'm still trying to forgive myself, maddie." "But, you know, when I'm there, somehow, I..." "Somehow, I do feel forgiven." "You made that Valentine." "All by myself." "The heart was a little..." "It's perfect." "I haven't gotten a homemade Valentine since Joe cook made me one in the second grade." "He ran up to me on the playground, shoved it in my hand, and punched me in the shoulder." "Well, then this must have been something of a letdown." "No." "Not at all." "I just wish..." "Why didn't you just say" ""hey, Shane, did you get my invitation?"" "Well, um, a gentlemen never makes assumptions about a lady's affairs." "But I didn't have any..." "Affair." "I got a massage, a pizza, and I took a very long jog that happened to take me past a..." "Gentleman's window, as he sat by candlelight reading a book with music and a glass of wine." "Hmm." "I know." "I know it was a childish thing to do." "Or perhaps we're just finally old enough to know that sometimes matters of the heart can hurt more than..." "Than a punch in the shoulder." "Precisely." "I'm sorry, Oliver." "I'm sorry, too." "Shane." "So, is this the stimulating conversation that you were hoping for?" "Of course, mm-hmm." "What were those four aspects of love as defined by the greeks?" "There's philos, or "brotherly love."" "Storge, of course, which is sort of family..." "Well, a postable kind of love, and then there's..." "Let's just cut to the chase." "Which one can we dance to?" "So, about that soprano," "Dale?" "Oh, yes..." "What about her?" "How long have you known her?" "Uh... 15, maybe 16 years." "Hmm." "What does she do?" "Oh, she's, uh..." "She's a police officer." ""The water is wide" ""I cannot cross o'er" ""and neither have I the wings to fly" ""give us a boat" ""that can carry two" ""and both shall row to yonder side..."" ""And so, my love," ""may these words explain all that has been in my heart" ""and bring to you, if not joy, then light to your present darkness..."" ""And remember, tears may come at night," ""but there is always joy in the morning," ""and always the promise of a new day" ""if we will but believe in it." ""Think of me sometimes" ""as you venture out from this safe little village," ""putting on all the love and all the heartbreaks" ""of our past" ""as gentle armor," ""and stepping out with faith into a troubled world" ""that needs you." ""Guard your heart, dear Abe," ""as I am and will always be, your Ann.""