"Wait up." "We're only, like, 20 feet away, mom." "You ready?" "Ready as I'll ever be." "I don't get why you want to be in a play." "Plays are so fake." "It's theater." "You're supposed to suspend belief." "So, if you get this part," "I'm supposed to believe you're Peter Pan?" "No way, Jose." "You're ignorance is showing, Isabel." "Amanda." "My name is Meredith redmond and my life is a scary place." "I'm hoping to change that today." "This is my story." "Do you feel like you know all your lines?" " Yeah." " Good." "Alright." " Alright." " Love you." "Bye." " Bye." " Mwah!" "Bye, honey." "Alright, have fun, and break a leg." "That's so mean!" "Isabel, it means "good luck" in the theater." "Yeah." "Sweet." " Bye, mom." " Bye." " Meredith?" " Yeah." "Kevin barker." "Hi, Kevin." "Thanks for seeing me so quickly." "There's no time to waste." "Thank you." "Can I get you something?" " Coffee?" "Water?" " No." "I'm good, thank you." "I've reviewed your file." "Have you seen this man?" "I don't know." "Who is he?" "His name's lon Philips." "Your ex hired him." "He's a professional hitman." "What?" "From these photos, it looks like your husband came pretty close to killing you himself." "Having failed, he's hired someone else to do the job for him." "Robert has obviously found you." "All that done in the name of "love."" "I've never met Robert, but I know him." "Guys like him are all the same." "Cowards." "They don't have the cojones to confront their own weaknesses." "The only way Robert can feel like a man is to exert his power over you." "He uses you as his punching bag because he knows you won't hit back." "And what happened when you went through the Canadian legal system?" "Robert has connections in very high places, including judges." "After he had abused my oldest girl, they still gave him joint custody, so I left the country to protect my girls." "I presume you have an outstanding arrest warrant in Canada?" "Yes." "I violated a court order, but I was willing to accept the consequences to get him as far away from my kids as possible." "What about getting a restraining order here in the U.S.?" "A restraining order doesn't work." "I've tried it many times." "All it will do is result in my being sent back to Canada and losing custody to Robert." "Well, as I said..." "Robert has found you and, this time, he has help." "He is sending you a message that he won't rest until he gets rid of you, so he can have the kids." "That's why I'm here." "The system turns its back on women because it's domestic." "And then once the boyfriend or the husband finally kills her, there's a moment of hand-wringing, and then back to business as usual." "Tell me what I don't know." "I assumed, you know, from these public-awareness campaigns, that domestic violence had declined over the years." "Yeah, but you found it hasn't significantly changed in decades." "No." "So tell me what I can do to free myself of Robert, and I will do it." "Honestly?" "Very little." "Guys who have some respect for the law, or who fear of it, will obey a restraining order." "We will get rid of lon Philips..." "But your husband will hire another lon Philips, and another." "If need be, he'll kill you himself." "Are you saying there's nothing you can do for me?" "I wish I could." "But the unfortunate truth is..." "You're running out of options." "So that's it?" "Unless you vanish." "There is an underground, of sorts." "You mean go into witness protection?" "Similar, but without the protection of the government." "I can't raise my girls like fugitives." "They've had it hard enough." "There is another option." "In a court of law," "I would deny ever having said this." "You can kill the son of a bitch before he kills you." "Not what I expected to hear..." "Turn the girls into fugitives, or kill their father." "My god." "Which choice should I make?" "The broadhurst school between market and carver." "Hi." "It's me." "I'm headed to the office, and I really need to speak to you." "It's important." "Neal." "What's up?" "Not here, not here." "What?" "Hey." "We're journalists, right?" "People like us need to be in the thick of things, not hiding underground like fugitives." "I'm all out of options, Neal." "How else am I gonna protect my kids?" "You could kill the son-of-a-bitch." "I wouldn't be much good to them behind bars." "Look, mer, you can't run and you can't hide." "I mean, Robert's not gonna give up until you're dead." "You said so yourself." "God, I know." "And the leading security expert in the country already warned you that if you don't kill him, he's gonna kill you." "I feel sick." "Mom!" "Mom!" "I got the part!" "I'm Peter Pan!" "Congratulations!" "I'm so happy for you." "They're gonna put up rigging so I can fly over the audience." "Cool!" "Wait." "Wait." "No, no." "Hold on." "That sounds really dangerous." "Mom." "You can't be Peter Pan and not fly." "You could be famous one day, Amanda." "I don't care." "I just want to be unforgettable." "Well, I am so proud of you, honey." "I think this calls for a celebration." "Sure!" "Yeah?" "Okay." "Come on." "You can't disappear and keep a byline in a major newspaper." "I mean, how are you gonna support yourself?" "I have no clue." "I mean, I've never done anything outside of journalism." "It's just, I feel like" "I'm letting you down." "Being a coward." "Not having the guts to kill Robert myself." "That's crazy, Neal." "Gosh." "I'm late for my meeting." "I have to go." "Can you just do me a favor?" "'Kay?" "Promise me you won't do anything until we've carefully thought this thing through." "Listen." "The best way you could help me is just stay out of it, Neal, okay?" "No." "Lookit." "I..." "I'm sorry, but I can't do that." "'Kay?" "Friends don't let friends get murdered." "Why can't we go to Jones?" "Because, Isabel, it's my celebration, and I want to go someplace cool." "Well, I'll call around and see where I can make reservations." "What about a pizza place?" " No." "Don't, okay?" " Daddy!" "Wait!" "My god." "Look at you two." "You're all grown-up!" "Come and give your old man a hug." "Don't!" "You have no idea how much I missed you guys." "Now, just because I don't see you doesn't mean that I'm not thinking about you." "Girls, go to your room, please." "Now." "Go!" "Now!" "Wait, wait, wait." "Wait a second." "You didn't really think I wouldn't find you?" "I would move heaven and earth to find my children." "How did you get in?" "You're gonna need more than locks to keep me out, Meredith." "You made your point now." "Robert, just go." "Can't we be adults here?" "I mean, really." "I know you love those girls." "We have that in common, at least, don't we?" "We express love very differently, Robert." "Now, I know you may not believe this, but I worry that the person you're hurting the most is yourself." "When those girls grow up, they're gonna hate you for keeping them from their father." "I'm prepared to take that risk." "Why are you so vindictive?" "Get off me!" "You know what, if you don't go now..." "I'm talking to you!" "You're gonna what?" "What?" "What, Meredith?" "What are you gonna do?" "Call the police?" "Like that's gonna matter?" "It's okay." "I'll have them soon enough." "Mom?" "Mom." " Did he hurt you?" " Are you okay?" "Yeah." "No, I'm fine." "See?" "I'm fine." "It's okay." "Why can't he just leave us alone, mom?" "He's our dad, Amanda." "He loves us." "It's okay. 'Kay?" "I'm not gonna say this to make you feel guilty, Meredith." "You're an intelligent woman." "You know how traumatic domestic abuse is for the children." "It's not uncommon for them to experience post-traumatic stress symptoms." "They're more likely to develop social, emotional, psychological, and/or behavioral problems that can plague them all through their lives." "How does changing our identities and disappearing help that?" "Because you can't begin the healing process until they feel safe." "I'll move somewhere else." "He'll find you." "Just like he found you here." "The only way to be safe is to have a professional help you disappear." "That's so extreme!" "You're a sitting duck." "Once you're out of the way, Robert will get your girls." "I don't say this often, or lightly, but I'm saying it to you..." "You have to escape." "I wouldn't know where to begin." "I mean, you've seen how well I've done so far." "You're gonna use a professional this time." "Tyler stone?" "Who is he?" "A nationally-renowned expert on domestic violence." "He's helped lots of women disappear through a kind of underground railroad." "Okay." "Okay." "If this is what it takes to keep my girls safe." "We still have to fact-check the last three names in our fracking story, and once that's done," "I need a list of anybody who backtracks or contradicts themselves in any way." "Also, please spellcheck all the names." "Thanks." "I'm nothing without you, Joey." "Mer." "Yeah?" "What's this?" "A gun for hire." "Who is this guy?" "He's a guy I met working on a story." "Now he's gone straight, so he won't do it himself, but he does know the guy who will." "My hitman vs. Robert's hitman?" "I'm not advocating it." "I just think you need to explore all of your options." "Well, out of curiosity, how is this transaction done?" "Is it cash, or credit card, or PayPal?" "I don't know!" "Ask him." "Please tell me you didn't give him my name or anything." "Of course not." "Mer... i don't know what the solution is for you, but I do know that the clock is ticking down on your life." "So you think I should hire somebody to kill Robert?" "Unless you're gonna do it yourself, then, yeah." "You're gonna have to get someone to do it for you." "Look, I trust this guy." "'Cause he's honorable, for a killer?" "Excuse me, a "reformed" killer." "Listen, let me think about it." "I've got such a tight deadline right now." "Okay?" "Thank you." "They're my wife's idea." "If it was up to me," "I'd have a 100-pound marlin on the wall." "I apologize for being late." "That's okay." "I was putting some of the necessary pieces into place." "We need to disappear you quickly." "Mr. stone..." "Tyler." "And Tammy's already provided me with all your information." "This is all just happening so fast." "I haven't had any time to even think about all the implications." "Robert's fueled by his need to destroy you." "That's what he's about." "The more you fight back, the more dangerous he becomes." "So where are we going?" "It's best for you to receive information on a need-to-know basis." "It's for your own protection." "You'll find out when you get there." "You can't be serious." "You don't appear to grasp the gravity of this." "And the only way this is gonna work, for you to become completely untraceable, is for you to do precisely as I say, to the letter." "No second-guessing, no questions." "I make my living asking questions." "You're not a reporter anymore." "You're a survivor." "Okay, so what do I tell my kids?" "That we're going to an unknown place, they have to change their identity, and they will never see their friends again?" "They take their cues from you." "The more secure you are, the more secure they'll feel." "This is Sylvia." "She's your point person." "She's terrific." "She'll help transition you from here to your new home." "Now, who knows that you're meeting with me?" "Just my good friend, Neal Robbins." "He's..." "I trust him completely." "Cut off all contact immediately." "Do you have children, Tyler?" "I have a daughter about your age." "This is just gonna sound so ridiculous, but..." "My oldest daughter just got the lead as Peter Pan." "And as terrified as she is of her father..." "All she'll feel is that I've robbed her of something she desperately wanted." "Doesn't sound the least bit ridiculous." "But I don't want to go to a funeral of another woman who stayed just one day too long." "Oliver?" " I'm..." " I know who you are." "What about you?" "Should I show you my i.D.?" "So, as you know," "I'm doing a story on soldiers of fortune..." "Right." "Let's start at the top." "How would somebody go about hiring you?" "Somebody?" "But not you?" "I told you on the phone, I'm..." "I'm a journalist." "Then don't you need a pen?" "What?" "To write down what I'm saying." "Yeah." "Right." "Ready?" "If somebody, not you, wanted to hire me, she'd need a photo, a name and address of the intended target." "That's it?" "Clean and simple." "What about the money?" "Payment's half up front, half when the job is finished." "How much?" "50 grand." "What if something goes wrong?" "I mean, what if you get caught?" "I don't get caught." "I'm a professional." "You met him in college." "Back then, he knocked you off your feet with charm and promises." "But as soon as the deal was sealed, he showed his darker side." "He was jealous of your job, your friends, even your kids." "You took it when he was knocking you around, but when he went after your kid, the gloves came off." "I was just thinking..." "If there was an emergency, and I could only take one thing with me, what would it be?" "Like a Tsunami or something?" "Seattle can't have tsunamis." "It totally could!" "I would take your baby shoes." "What?" "Your bronzed baby shoes." "Those are, like, for dolls." "Those were your first ones." "What would you take, Amanda?" "My locket." "That doesn't count." "You wear it all the time." "I'd take lollie." "She was my first friend." "Ew." "You used to pee on her when you were little." "Did not!" "Lollie's been washed, like, a million times." "Hello?" "Maybe it's a guy." "I doubt it." "Do you think she still loves dad?" "She hates him." "So do i." "You're not supposed to say that, Amanda." "Mom says we're supposed to tell the truth." "That's the truth, okay, Isabel?" "Girls..." "I want you both to know how proud I am of the two of you, and how you've handled all the changes in our lives, from the new schools, to the moves..." "To saying goodbye to your friends..." "We're the three musketeers!" "And sometimes," "I need to keep secrets from you..." "And when I do, it's for your safety." "You get that, don't you?" "To keep us safe from dad." "He's the only one who wants to hurt us." "Well, he's not going to hurt us anymore." "I promise." "Honey, you ready?" "Here." "Put this jacket on." "I don't want to be lugging it around." "Isabel, don't argue with me." "But it's gonna be too hot!" "You can bring lollie to school today." "Really?" "Yep." "Put her in your backpack, okay?" "Mom, I forgot my homework." "Never mind." "But Mr. cummings will mark me down." "It doesn't matter." "Yes, it does!" "Hey, you guys, we have time." "I can go run back." "I said no." "Mom, why are you stressing so much?" "Just leave it alone, okay?" "Don't ask so many questions." " Okay." "Bye." " Bye." "Bye." "Love you." "Bye." "Amanda." "Yes, Ms. swenson?" "I need you and your sister to come with me right away." "Is everything okay?" "Everything's fine." "Just do as I say." "Okay." " Iz?" " Yeah?" "The principal wants us to go with her." " Why?" " I don't know." "Just do it." " Come on." " Okay." "Okay, girls." "Follow me." "Let's go." " Where are we going?" " Please, just hurry." "What are we doing?" "Come on." "Just, iz, let it be." " Where are we going?" " Iz, stop asking questions." "You sound like mom." "Okay, girls, get in." "Quickly." "Please." "You're freaking me out." "It's okay?" "Thank you so much." "We're going to miss them." "Good luck." " Okay." " Mom!" "Where are we going?" " What's going on?" " Where are you taking us?" "Don't you say anything, okay?" "Alright." "Get in." "Amanda, taxi." "Isabel." "You too." "Come on." "You're hurting me!" "It's alright." "Get in." "Come on." "Sorry, honey." "I know." "Mom, what's going on?" "Alright, girls." "Get in the car." "Backseat." "This is Sylvia." "Yeah, we spoke yesterday." "I followed your instructions to a "t."" "Sylvia's gonna see to it that everything goes smoothly." "Trust us." "Everything will be fine." "Stay safe." " Thanks." " Goodbye." "Mom, where are we going?" "It's okay." "Your new papers and social security numbers." "We'll do photo i.D.S after you change your looks." "Karen Bancroft?" "Yeah, that's your name from now on." "The girls are "Carol" and "Louise."" "I forget which one is which." "It's all in there." "I think Carol is younger." "Where are we going?" "And where are they taking us?" "Someplace we'll be safe." "Girls!" "Jane's here." "Isabel, just don't forget your sleeping bag, okay?" "And hurry up!" " Good morning." " Good morning." "Thank you so much." "I really appreciate this." "It's not a problem." "I love your girls." "Okay, have fun camping!" " Okay." "Love you." "Bye, mom." " Love you, honey." "Mwah!" "Bye." " Bye." " Love you, honey." "Mwah!" "Can I call you tonight?" "Yes." "You can call me tonight." "Remember, it's only two days, okay?" "Come on, iz." "It's gonna be okay." "Bye!" "She'll be fine." "We'll see you Sunday." "Thank you." "It's gonna be so much fun." "I know." "I can't wait to have a campfire." "Thanks." "Hey, Joe?" "Can I borrow your phone for a second?" "My cell just died, and I need to make a quick call, it's kind of important." "Sure." "Yeah, no problem, Meredith." "There you go." "Thanks." "Hey..." "Robert." "Look, all this fighting, it's crazy." "You were right." "It's what happens when lawyers get involved." "Last thing I want to do is keep you away from your girls, so I thought maybe we could, sit down, not as adversaries, but as parents, and work something out." "Tomorrow morning would be good." "Hope that works for you." "'Kay." "Bye." "You changed your bodywash." "What are you doing here?" "Well, you invited me, remember?" "For tomorrow." "Well..." "I happened to be in the neighborhood, so..." "Well, I'm glad that worked out." "Just, you know, kind of surprised me." "I've got a lot going on today." "Where are the girls?" "Camping." "Smart." "Why?" "Well, getting them out of the way so that we can be alone." "Remember the old days, mer?" "Man." "We couldn't get enough of each other." "I just had to look at you, and I would be, like..." "Don't." "Don't!" "I would have done anything for you, Meredith." "I love you so much." "Still do." "That ship has sailed, Robert." "We're divorced and you're happily remarried." "I wouldn't have had to do that if you hadn't divorced me." " You're the only woman..." " Keep away from me, Robert." "Love, and I think that you feel the same about me." "What?" "You think I want to hurt you?" "No." "I just want to hold you, Meredith." "I just want to hold you and feel your breath on my skin." "Stop it." "Why do you play this game with me?" "You invite me here when the girls are away, now you play hard-to-get?" "Hey!" "I'm talking to you." "Why do you make me do that?" "You never change!" "You like to taunt me!" "Don't you?" "Don't you?" "You like it!" "To taunt me?" "Don't you?" "Where do you think you're going?" "No." "You invite me here, then you treat me like this?" "No!" "Send an ambulance to 64 campton street right away." "Alright..." "How do you think your ex-husband got in?" "The same way he always got in." "He let himself in." "No matter how many times I changed the locks, he'd always get in." "You're, facing an outstanding court order in Canada, is that right?" "Yes." "I ran because he got joint custody." "In 14 years of marriage," "I've had two broken arms, a broken nose, and jaw, and a damaged spleen." "And then he abused my oldest daughter." "Is that why you got the gun?" "Robert hired a hitman." "Why didn't you go to the police?" "Well, had I done that," "I'd be lying in the morgue instead of Robert." " Excuse me?" " I went to the police." "Again and again, I did." "All they said is "get a restraining order."" "And we know how effective those are!" "I could wallpaper the space needle with all that paper." "I purchased a gun to protect my children, and I hoped I'd never have to use it, but I had no choice." "Okay..." "Just relax for now." "But I am gonna have to ask you some more questions." "I brought a bunch of wigs, so you can pick out the one that feels most comfortable." "Yeah, I'm not wearing any of those." "You either have to wear a wig or cut and color your hair." "No way!" "The disguise is especially important." "As you girls grow up, your appearance will change naturally." "So I can pick any one I want?" "And while you try on wigs," "I'll go pick up some food." "Any requests?" "No." "I'm not hungry." "Thanks, though." "Me neither." "You guys haven't eaten anything all day." "You must be starving." "I'm not hungry." "Tell you what." "I've got some errands to run, and on my way back," "I'll pick up the kind of food you want on the worst day of your life." "Burgers, fries, shakes, the works?" "That sounds good." "That sounds perfect." "And don't forget chocolate." "We love chocolate." "I wouldn't dream of it." "Thank you." "I couldn't tell you girls the truth." "I'm sorry." "I didn't want to keep it a secret, but I had to, for your own safety." "Where are we even going?" "I don't know." "You don't know?" "They don't tell me anything either." "That's part of the plan." "It's all dad's fault." "My life is ruined because he's crazy!" "Don't call him that." "I don't want to be Carol or Louise." "I don't want someone picking some stupid name for me." "I know, sweetheart." "Can't I at least pick my own name?" "No, you can't pick your own name." "That's the rules." "When do Isabel and I get a say in our lives?" "I mean, don't you ever stop and think about us?" "That's all I think about." "I'm doing this so we don't have to be afraid of daddy anymore." "You said that last time." "Yeah, wait." "You say that every time!" "Grab a wig." "Aw..." "Isabel, take that off." "You look like Justin bieber." "Ew." "Let's see this one." "Mom." "No." "What do you think?" "I like it!" "That's because you have no taste, Isabel." "Mommy looks pretty in anything." "Well, thank you, honey, except this wig..." "Mine's too small, I think." "Mine's too big." ""Rapunzel gone wrong," know what I'm saying?" "Ho." "Remember, it's not about being glamorous." "Okay?" "We don't want to draw attention to ourselves." "No worries." "I'm the definition of a pathetic loser." "Come on, Carol." "That's a little harsh." "At least nobody will recognize me." "I don't even recognize me." "Well, it's about blending in." "You're always telling us to be ourselves and now you're telling us to be exactly like everybody else." "Iz, everything has changed now." "When are you gonna get that through your pea-brain?" "Stop it." "Don't pick on her." "How do you like it?" "Cute!" "That looks good on you." "Hey." "Good job." "Now, let's..." "Get photos of all of you for the new i.D.S." "Sure." "What's that?" "What?" "My Nana's locket." "I'm sorry, it has to go." "Mom." "It was my mother's, her grandmother..." "Who died." "She never takes it off." "That's the point." "It's something that can be used to identify her." "You know what?" "Fine." "You've taken everything else." "Why don't you just take this also?" "Here." "I'm going to hold it for you, okay?" "I love you." "Stop service to Milwaukee now boarding on platform 1." "That's us." "Come on, girls." "Wouldn't a plane be easier and faster?" "It's also a lot easier to trace." "You still haven't told me our final destination." "Your complete itinerary is in that envelope." "You change buses once." "When you reach the destination, you will pick up a rental car." "There'll be a map in the glove compartment." "You'll drive the remainder of the way." "What?" "No camels?" "I'm sorry, Sylvia." "If I don't laugh, I'm going to cry." "You're coping the best way you know how, just like the rest of us." "I've been there." "I don't judge anybody." "I can't decide if this is the beginning or the end." "You're gonna be fine." "I wish I could believe that." "Just look straight ahead." "Always face what's in front of you, not what's behind." "Thank you." "For everything." "I have a sudden urge to grab you and hold on for dear life." "Whatever you do, don't take any chances, no matter how small." "It's the mistakes that always do you in." "Okay." "Thanks." " Bye, Sylvia!" " Bye, girls." "I want to sit next to the window, Amanda." "It's "Louise."" "You have to always remember to call her "Louise." 'Kay?" "No goof-ups." "Even to each other." "Yes, even to each other." "We have to become these new people." "It's kind of like a play and you're creating a new character, right, Louise?" "Sure." "Whatever." "So whenever we meet new people, we can't tell them anything about our past." "It would be cool to make stuff up." "We could tell them we're related to someone famous or something." "We already have family history that they made up for us." "We have to stick to that." "Does it say that we're freaks?" "And that we're always going to be freaks?" "We have no past and now we have no future." "I know." "I know that's how you feel right now, sweetheart, but we'll get through this, because we're together." "If anyone's interested," "I'm changing my name from Louise when I'm older." "Well, you can change your name to whatever you want, when you're older, as long it's not your birth name." "No worries." "I don't want anything that reminds me of dad." "Can you take lollie out of my backpack for me, please?" "Yes." "Last call for bus 212 to Milwaukee." "Here you go." " Last call." " What are you doing?" "I just realized that I never said goodbye to Daisy." " She'll go mental." " What did I just say?" "Give it to me!" "What did I just say?" "You can't call or write or text anybody from our past." "Any time, ever." "Do you understand?" "It's not enough that you ruined my life, now you think you're actually gonna take away all human communication from me?" "Give it." "You've got to be kidding me." "I wish he were dead." "Alright." "See you ladies later." "Okay." "Remember, I have rehearsal after school." "Okay?" "Okay." "Bye." "Love you." "Au revoir, maman." "Au revoir." "Bye." "French is a very musical language." "I can help you work on your ear." "What's wrong with my ear?" "I hardly recognize you." "What?" "Have I gained weight?" "Well, now that you mention it." "I'm kidding!" "Let's grab a seat." "No, it's just you're always smiling." "I love it." "Aw." "Well, you should see the girls." "They walked to school all by themselves today." "Who would've thought something so normal would be such a ground-breaking event?" "I still feel this wave of guilt suddenly wash over me." "How very like you." "No." "Thank you." "Thanks." "No." "It's not what you think." "I feel guilty for not feeling guilty." "The father of my kids is six feet under, and I feel absolutely no remorse." "Maybe I'm the sociopath." "Well, that's highly plausible." "I just always thought I'd be looking over my shoulder." "And now I'm free." "I am so happy for you." "I did kill my ex-husband." "It's not exactly cause for celebration." "You know what?" "You should write a first-person account of your experience." "Nope." "Why not?" "That's what writers do!" "Thank you." " It's what we do." " No." "We write and we share our knowledge." "I mean, think of all the women you could help." "It's enough I had to live through it." "I'm not gonna be the poster girl for self-defense in spousal-abuse cases." "Well, you know what?" "Sometimes, one person has to be the voice for many." "Cheers." "And I agree with you, but if I do what you're suggesting," "I'd risk drawing scrutiny to my case and undermining my innocence." "Everyone knows you're a reporter." "Yeah, but so what if the guy who sold me the gun decides he'd wants to be part of the story and talks about me buying it." "Easily explained." "And what if somebody heard me calling Robert and inviting him over?" "No!" "I just want to put as much distance between me and Robert as possible." "You did what you had to do, right?" "You did it for your girls." "Can we vow to never talk about this again?" "Fine." "I just want to focus on the future." "Ready?" "Set." "Go." "What'll you have?" "Whatever you're having." "Mom, I'm so tired." "Me too, honey." "You can sleep in the backseat when we get the rental car." "Can I go to the bathroom?" "Yes." "There's one." "Hey, can I have some money for a juice?" "There's a vending machine right over there." "Sure." "Will you get one for me and your sister, too?" "Sure." "How are you holding up, Louise?" "I don't know." "I'm kind of thinking that this is all just a dream." "Yeah?" "Go grab your sister, and I'll meet you in the parking lot." "What's wrong?" "It's your uncle Tim and aunt Stephanie my god." "She's going into the bathroom." "Go get her!" "Carol!" "Carol." "Come here." "Come here." "Carol." "Come on!" "What're you doing?" "Thank you." "Miss?" "Excuse me?" "Excuse me, miss." "You forgot this." "Thank you." "You have no idea how badly I feel about the play." "You're such a talented girl." "I know you're gonna have more opportunities." "No." "I won't." "I understand it seems that way now." "You haven't had a chance to read Sylvia's hand-outs." "Here we are." "Okay." "So, "no group pictures"," ""no public gatherings where photographers are present," ""no taking part in public performances or other high-profile activities."" "You know, I guess I'll just think about becoming a vet or zookeeper or something." "This breaks my heart, how it affects you." "You know, sometimes," "I'll just think about something that he did that was remotely nice for me, and then, for a split second, I'll stop hating him." "I hate myself instead." "He's your dad, Amanda." "It's as simple and as complicated as that." "Can I ask you something?" "Yeah." "Anything." "Why'd you marry him?" "I..." "Loved him." "He was different back then." "Or at least I thought he was." "I was different, too." "How?" "Well, we were 19." "My mom had just died and I was alone, and lonely, for the first time." "And he was this possessive and intense guy." "I liked it." "It made me feel like he loved me." "I thought it was romantic." "Why didn't you leave?" "I mean, the very first time?" "Wow." "That looks great." "Aw, thanks." "I think it'll be fun tonight." "Did you, did you stop and get the clam sauce?" "Dammit." "I knew I forgot something." ""Something"?" "It's the one thing." "I'll go get it." "No." "Forget it." "I'll improvise." "I haven't let you down, have I?" "Yeah." "Maybe a little." "Where're you going?" "I am gonna put some music on." "We were just having a conversation here." "Yeah, well, it was a little boring, so I thought I'd dance instead." "Come on!" "Why..." "What are you doing?" "I am sick of you second-guessing me!" "You do it all the time." "It's because you think I don't know anything, right?" "Don't be ridiculous!" "Right. "Ridiculous Robert."" "He doesn't have a ph.D. From some fancy university." " Stop it!" " "Ridiculous Robert"... doesn't have an exciting job as a journalist, right?" "Don't do this, Robert!" "You know I love you." ""Ridiculous Robert" can't do anything right." "He forgets things, doesn't pick the right music, doesn't make enough money!" "That is not true, and you know it." "Who is good enough for you?" "Who is good enough for you, Meredith?" " Who is good enough for you?" " You are!" "Because certainly it's not me!" "You will never change!" "I'm so sorry, baby." "I..." "I don't know what came over me." "I didn't mean it, baby." "I'm so sorry." "I'd rather cut my hands off than hurt you." "Please forgive me, babe." "I didn't mean to hurt you, baby!" "I don't know what happened." "I'm so sorry." "I thought it was my fault." "I thought that if I was nicer, more patient, more everything, he'd change." "Did you tell anyone?" "No." "I was too ashamed." "I mean, how can, you know, an intelligent woman and an award-winning journalist be in an abusive relationship?" "But the worst part is that I've set the exact opposite kind of example" "I wanted to set for you and your sister." "I just hope that I have the chance to change that." "I hope I can be somebody you're proud of." "You know..." "I'm really sorry I've been such a hard-ass." "I do know you're doing this for Isabel and me." "Don't apologize." "Isabel's asleep." "You can tell me the truth." "This isn't actually forever, is it?" "I mean, once daddy thinks we're gone, he'll just give up, and we can continue our life in Seattle, right?" "I'm Annabelle redmond." "I'm the wife of the late Robert redmond." "Hi." "I know who you are." "I'm sergeant kendrich." "You investigated the death of my husband, Robert redmond?" "Yes, I did." "And you ruled it self-defense?" "Yes, after an investigation, that's correct." "Well, I am here to tell you that you got it wrong." "I haven't had a night's sleep since rob left." "How can I?" "My child will never know his father, but his murderer is free, walking around." "Yes, well, if you have any evidence that you could provide..." "With all due respect, sergeant, isn't that your job?" "I assure you, Mrs. redmond, every questionable death is thoroughly investigated." "Thoroughly." "I'll tell you what's going on." "Nobody wants to challenge a so-called "battered wife"" "because it's not politically correct." "She just has to flash some few black-and-blue marks that she got bumping into something, and the entire judicial process crumbles." "I was married to rob, too, you know, and he never once laid a hand on me that wasn't kind and gentle and loving." "She tried to keep him from seeing his own kids..." "Not just the ones she had with him, mine as well." "Yes." "But I..." "I mean, the fact still remains, your ex-husband was in her apartment." "She lured him." "She always had excuses with the kids or whatever." "He wanted nothing to do with her!" "But he loved those little girls." "She called him that morning." "That's not what her phone records indicate." "She didn't call from her own phone." "How do you know?" "I hired a private detective." "He traced the call." "It was came from a coffee shop on parkwood." "My detective took a photo of Meredith, and showed it to the owner, who identified her." "This place rocks." "We can have the coolest parties here." "I have to show Daisy." "I'm glad you like it!" "A ladder!" "Awesome!" "Are the policeman gonna find us if we move here?" "We're not in hiding, honey." "We're just moving across town." "Yeah, 'cause our old place had bad energy." "Do the policemen know that daddy used to hurt you?" "Yes." "They understand I was acting in self-defense." "Are we still going to get a dog like you promised?" "Do you still want a dog?" "Yeah." "Okay, then we can still get a dog." "Yes!" "Hey, iz." "Come push me." "But when?" "Soon as we get situated." " But when, though?" " Come on, iz." "Back off." "Once this place starts to feel like our home." "Come on, iz." "All the way!" "Come on." "Alright, I'm gonna grab a few things." " I'll be right back." " Okay." "It's so quiet here." ""Dead" is more like it." "I can't even get a good station." "Do you think there's any Internet?" "How should I know?" "It's not like I've been here before." "Wherever "here" is." "I'm sorry about the play." "You would've made a really good Peter Pan." "Thanks, iz." "I got some good things." "Alright." "The guy in the store said we're close." "To what?" "Louise, really?" "I don't blame you for being angry, but come on, this is hard on all of us." "I'm done with your attitude." "It's my fault?" "I might as well be dead." "Don't say that." "It's true!" "We don't know anybody and nobody knows us." "Don't say that." "You can borrow lollie if you'd like." "How come she didn't have to leave lollie behind?" "Just stop it!" "Okay?" "Is this it?" "Yeah." "Ew." "It's pathetic." "We'll fix it up." "It'll be fun." "Where's the beach?" "I think it's just down the hill." "Wow..." "Well, this looks like it's gonna be a barrel of fun, right, iz?" "We have to go back." "It's only gonna make daddy mad when he finds us." "We can't go back, Isabel." "Why not?" "We didn't do anything." "We don't have anything to hide." "Honey, it's gonna be okay." "Mom..." "I'm sorry." "It's just I've been really unhappy lately." "Come here." "Ladies, it's not gonna be that bad." "Okay?" "Let's look around." " Okay." " Okay?" "Come on, iz." "Let's go." "As long as it doesn't shed, that's my only criteria." "It has to be a rescue." "A chihuahua!" "No!" "That's not even a real dog!" "You just make stuff up." "She is an actress." "I am." "What about that one?" "That one's cute." "Yeah." "I'll get it." "I think it's Daisy." " What do you think, iz?" " It's cute." " Yeah." " Let me see after." "Hi." "Hi." "Is your mom home?" "Yeah." "Mom?" "Someone's at the door for you." "Sergeant kendrich." "I'm here to take you into custody." "What?" "I have a warrant for your arrest in the murder of Robert redmond." "What are you talking about?" " Mom!" " Mom..." "What are you doing?" "You have the right to remain silent." "Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law." "You have the right to consult an attorney before talking to the police, and to have an attorney present during questioning." " Mom!" " Do you understand these rights?" "Baby, just don't cry." "It's okay." "Have them call Neal." "He'll come get you." "Okay?" " No!" " Mom!" "No!" "Mom!" "Where are you going?" "How you doing?" "Gosh..." "Okay." "How are the girls?" "The girls are fine." " They're with my sister, Carly." " That's good." "Look, I-i got you an excellent lawyer." "We're gonna get you bail and get you outta here." "Thank you so much." "You're such a life-saver, Neal." "Well, let's see how things go, first." "Who's the lawyer?" "Her name's Betty Carmichael." "She's a the leading expert in "battered wife" defense." "It still startles me to hear that." "Me, a battered wife." "I just can't wrap my head around it." "How did it happen?" "He surprised me." "He showed up a day early." "The gun was in my bag." "He came after me, he attacked me." "We wrestled for it, it went off, and you know the rest." "Yeah." "Happy ending, if you ask me." "Gotta convince the jury of that." "You know, not all terrorists carry bombs or have political agendas." "Ask the kids." "They've been terrorized by their father all their lives." "If they ask me if I'm glad he's dead," "I'm gonna say yes." "What if they don't understand?" "And what if I have to spend the rest of my life in here?" "How'd you find me?" "I saw your ad in the paper." "Well, you know there's not much work in town." "Right." "Can't afford to live here if you work here, you know what I mean?" "You know, if you're looking for big-city wages," "I'm afraid you've come to the wrong place." "No." "I understand." "I-I'm fine with it." "You done housekeeping before?" "Yeah." "A lot." "Really?" "Well, okay." "Fill 'er out." "Great." "You're the lawyer here, but from the jury's perspective, there's no sign of forced entry or struggle, so why are they gonna believe me?" "You suffered... 15 years of heinous abuse at the hands of Robert redmond." "But why did it take me so long to leave?" "I mean, I could've left sooner." "I had a good job, a good education, a roof over my head." "I mean, from the jury's perspective, are they gonna sympathize with a woman like me?" "Meredith, whose side are you on here?" "Look, I've spent my entire professional life putting myself in other people's shoes." "Every person on that jury is gonna be judging me for all these little things!" "Perhaps, but it is my job to make them understand the battered wife syndrome." "Well, then please, make me understand it, because I'm a battered wife, and it still baffles the hell out of me." "Yeah, well, that's kind of the whole point, isn't it, Meredith?" "Look, I am not going to sit here and pretend that it's gonna be easy, 'cause it's not." "But I do believe we have a very strong case for self-defense." "I hope so, because I've looked at the statistics." "The jury does not sympathize with women who kill their husbands." "Meredith, I just wish you would take a more positive attitude toward your case." "Alright, I'm just a realist, and if our case is weak in someplace," "I want to fix it." "Well, we can't fix the fact that you are a woman who has killed her ex-husband." "Now, come on!" "That's the reality in which we find ourselves." "But, Meredith, you've got a credible defense." "You did it because you feared for your safety and for the safety of your children." "Did you see the look on juror number six?" "That damned phone call." "It just..." "It does sound like I enticed him, which undermines my whole defense." "The jurors aren't blind, mer." "Well, they can't ignore those pictures." "They can't... they can't deny the hell that you lived through all those years." "What about Annabelle?" "Does she think I'm making all this up?" "Well, if it was my guess," "I think that's exactly what she thinks." "Who's gonna take care of the kids?" "If the verdict comes back "guilty,"" "who's going to watch them?" "Isabel's barely 11." "Me." "That's practical." "I'm serious, mer." "I've been giving this a lot of thought." "You have no idea what you'd be getting yourself into, Neal." "Okay, first of all, no woman is gonna want to be involved with a man who has much baggage." "Let me worry about that." "I love you for offering, I do..." "This is a..." "listen!" "This is a moot point anyway." "You're going to be acquitted." "Listen." "The most important thing is that, worst-case scenario, you know that your girls are taken care of." "That you can be certain of." "Thank you." "The jury's reached a verdict." "Stay strong." "All rise." "You may be seated." "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, have you arrived at a verdict?" "We have, your honor." "The defendant will rise and face the jury." "In case number 6644324, the state of Washington versus Meredith kraner, how say you?" "We find the defendant guilty of murder in the first degree." "I am so sorry." "Bailiff will take the defendant into custody." "It'll be okay." "You're stupid!" "Why am I stupid?" "'Cause look at you." "Why did you choose that color?" " It's a color!" " Looks like a stupid ogre." "No, it does not." "Okay, if it looked like an ogre, it would look like you, but does it look like you?" "No, it does not, so this is not an ogre." "Put it where the sun don't shine!" "What's going on?" "Nothing." "Nothing." "I thought I asked you to straighten up?" "Yeah." "I'll do it later." "Well, I was hoping to come home to a clean house." "We all have hopes." "Excuse me?" "Nothing." "Yeah." "Where did you get this, Carol?" "I'm not Carol!" "Answer my question!" "I found it in your closet." " Did you use it?" " No." "Do you understand how much danger you could've put us in?" "You know the rules about not contacting anyone from our past." "This was the first time!" "And I didn't even send it." "I was about to, but then you came in." "You could've easily just destroyed everything that we have been through the last few months." "Leave her alone." "This wouldn't be happening if you would have paid attention to her." "What, me?" "Yes, you!" "Did you send any text messages or make any phone calls I should know about?" "No!" "Never." "Let's put it all out there, so I can deal with it now." "But I didn't even get to say goodbye to my friends." "Now I have nobody." "No friends, nobody to talk to, nobody to invite to my sleepovers." "Our whole lives are ruined." "It's not the same for you." "You're a grown-up." "You can just get in your car and go to a job, and hang out and do whatever you want." "She's right, mom." "We didn't ask for any of this." "I know." "I know." "You didn't." "You know..." "Sometimes, when things are going badly," "I like to imagine myself in different circumstances." "Ones that make me happy, so I'll close my eyes and I'll think of myself and focus until I can see myself clearly." "And then, soon, that becomes my reality." "But we don't know how to do that." "No, you just haven't had much practice at it." "You need some help?" " Yeah." " Sure." "Okay." "So, close your eyes." "Picture yourself in a brand-new school..." "Meeting new people and making lots of new friends..." "Laughing with them, playing with them, and you really like your new friends." "Can you picture that?" " Yeah." " Yeah." "And the most important thing is that we have each other." "We're still the three musketeers, and the three musketeers will endure." "Right?" "That helps." "Thank you." "Hi." "How you doing?" "I'm okay." "I'm holding up." "Have a seat." "How are you?" "God." "Mer, I've got bad news." "I'm going to spend the rest of my life in prison." "What kind of news can you tell me that's worse?" "Look, I'm really sorry, but the courts denied my petition to keep the girls on the grounds that I'm not family." "They'd rather see them live in a foster-care home with strangers?" "They won't be with strangers." "What do you mean?" "No..." "Robert's parents?" "They're gonna live with Robert's parents?" "Mer, they are the closest blood relatives." "Their blood ran through Robert, and you see how well he turned out." "But they live in Florida." "That's 2,500 miles away." "That means I'm never gonna see my kids." "I'm sorry." "I did everything I could." "I pulled every string, I called in every favor." "I know!" "It's not your fault." "When it comes to biological relations, the courts won't listen to reason." "They'll always rule with a family member." "I have no one to blame but myself." "I lie awake in my jail cell, just pinching myself, hoping that I can just wake up from this nightmare." "And I think about my girls, and I think about how much I'm gonna miss, and I'm not gonna be there for them." "They're just gonna grow up and graduate and try to make their way in the world." "Your time is up." "Just one..." "Give me one second, please." "This isn't over." "Okay?" "We will appeal." "Betty said that there are grounds." "Yeah, but it's gonna take years, and they're not gonna know me by then." "Mer, that is not true." "You don't know Robert's family." "They're gonna turn them against me." "Even from the grave, Robert has won." "You have to leave, now, sir." "They brought your girls to say their goodbyes." "Goodbye." "This isn't over, okay?" "Stay strong." " My babies!" " Mom!" "I miss you so much." "I miss you, too, so much." "Do you know where they're sending us?" "We're going with grandma and grandpa redmond." "In Florida." "Why did the judge have to do that?" "Doesn't he care about what we want?" "Everyone keeps talking about" ""the children this," "the children that"..." "It's so unfair!" "Yeah." "You're the mom." "You're the one who's supposed to decide where we live." "I know, and, unfortunately, I can't do that." "I mean, the judge decides, and if there's something I could do, I would it." "Do they know about daddy?" "And what he did to us?" "Yes." "So everything they teach us in school about justice and fairness, that's all fake?" "The judges don't even know us." "Neither do grandma and grandpa." "They're all strangers." "And they're way too old." "Can we at least spend the holidays with you?" "Gosh." "I wish you could." "But we'll do the best we can, and we're not gonna let this defeat us." "And the only way that we can make it is if we can face the truth, and the truth is that I'm going to be here the rest of my life." " No!" " Yes, sweetheart." "I know it's hard." "I know." "That's the truth, and we need to face it, we need to be honest with ourselves." "And we're not gonna be able to see each other very often." "Your grandparents, they live far away, and it'll be really expensive for the four of you to fly up here." "So, when you're just a little bit older, you can start coming on your own." "So we're never going to see you again?" "No, baby." "Of course, you're gonna see me again." "Of course, you're gonna see me again." "But we have to find new ways of being together." "We have to think about all the things that we share." "And maybe we won't necessarily be sharing them at the same time or in the same way..." "But we'll still share the same moon..." "We'll still share each other's thoughts..." "We'll still write and talk on the phone." "I can't handle this!" "Well, we have to handle it." "Because if you and Isabel can't handle it, well, neither can i." "Okay." "Because the thought of not seeing you and touching you and watching you grow up, it's just more than I can handle, but if I know that you guys are thriving and doing well, even in small ways..." "It's gonna help me to hang on, okay?" "I'm going to have to break this up now." "No..." "We're going to make you proud, mom." "You already have made me proud." " Mom!" "Mom!" " I love you, mommy!" "I love you!" "My girls..." "Mom!" "Mom!" "You'll never guess what happened today at school!" "What?" "What?" "I met another Isabel!" "Really?" "But don't worry." "I didn't tell her my real name was Isabel, too." "She lived in France, 'cause her mom was in the military or something, so she speaks French, so we're only going to speak French, to practice." "Isn't that cool?" "Yeah." "Where's your sister?" "She'll be here in a sec." "She was just talking to some kids she met." "At first, I thought it was so weird that there were only 10 kids in my homeroom instead of 30 like Seattle, but I kind of like it now." "That's good." "Are you hungry?" "You want some yogurt?" " Sure." " With fruit?" "Okay, good." "Okay, let's go get some." "Hey, guys." "Well?" "Sweeney Todd." "Wow!" "That's ambitious." "I know!" "I'm so excited about how to design the sets." "Totally stoked." "What?" "Nothing." "Come on." "Let's go get some yogurt." "Iz, how was school?" "Good." "What'd you do?" "Many nights I lie in bed and play out the other scenario, and wonder how I would've lived with myself if I killed Robert." "It's not that I'm a Saint." "If I woke up tomorrow and found out he was dead," "I'd be thrilled." "But I couldn't lower myself to his level and bestow a legacy of violence on my children." "One!" "Two!" "Three!" " I won!" " It was a tie!" "Lately, I feel as though we turned a corner, as if we've begun to build a present that may have a future." "I'm writing again, under a different name, of course, and about completely different subjects." "I've discovered a part of myself I didn't even know existed." "Sometimes, the girls and I marvel how, in re-creating ourselves, we uncovered strengths and talents we were unaware that we even possessed." "I won't say my life is perfect." "Then again, whose is?" "But when I hear my daughters laughing again," "I think it's closer than I dared to dream was possible."