1 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:30,000 VIVIAN (V.O): The view is the same. After all that's happened with me and Aster. I can look out this window and know the view won't let me down. And I'm thankful for that. 2 00:00:35,500 --> 00:00:37,500 ASTER: Too cold out there? 3 00:00:37,549 --> 00:00:39,049 VIVIAN: It's just warmer in here. 4 00:00:45,200 --> 00:00:52,200 ASTER: You're thinking too hard, I can feel it. What's going on? 5 00:00:55,000 --> 00:01:04,000 VIVIAN: Nothing's going on, nothing's wrong. Which feels amazing but at the same time makes me nervous. 6 00:01:05,799 --> 00:01:08,399 ASTER: Let's back up to you feeling amazing. I like the sound of that. 7 00:01:21,500 --> 00:01:23,000 VIVIAN: Lets just stay like this. 8 00:01:45,500 --> 00:01:46,700 GABE: Why now? 9 00:01:46,799 --> 00:01:52,000 JODIE: You're looking for a reason? Do you really think my sister needs one? Did she have one when she left? 10 00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:57,099 GABE: Her handwriting still gets to me. 11 00:01:58,200 --> 00:02:01,200 Are we really going to give this to Viv? I mean, what are we supposed to do with this? 12 00:02:01,849 --> 00:02:03,349 I'd like to tear it up with my teeth! 13 00:02:04,900 --> 00:02:05,900 What? 14 00:02:06,200 --> 00:02:09,000 GABE: Nothing. I like you all stirred up. 15 00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:16,000 JODIE: Viv's finally adjusted. She's doing beautifully. This is just... so not fair to her! 16 00:02:16,750 --> 00:02:18,250 GABE: No return address. Of course. 17 00:02:18,900 --> 00:02:23,099 JODIE: Does it matter? What would you do if you knew where she was? 18 00:02:28,500 --> 00:02:37,500 GABE: Nothing. Not anymore. I mean, we're okay. We're good here. I'm not going to let my ex wife muck things up. 19 00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:41,100 JODIE: She's still Viv's mother. 20 00:02:41,500 --> 00:02:45,000 GABE: You are more of a mother to her. 21 00:02:46,900 --> 00:02:56,099 JODIE: Maybe I just understand now what it takes to be one. And the person who shows me every day how to be Viv's mother is her father. 22 00:03:01,800 --> 00:03:04,300 GABE: Well, if she wants back in, she's gonna have to get past me. 23 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:12,000 JODIE: Gabe, whatever she wants, maybe it'll turn out to be something Vivian wants, too. Which could be a good thing. 24 00:03:14,800 --> 00:03:20,800 VIVIAN: Okay, before you ask if I'm all OK because I seem excited, and slightly fluish, I have an announcement to make. 25 00:03:22,783 --> 00:03:29,030 You know how I've been a tad miserable pretty much most of the time causing you to worry and be bored as hell by me? 26 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:41,000 Well, I'm here to tell you by way of apology for putting up with some of my darker moods that I am a changed woman now. And... I'm happy. You're looking looking at joy and happiness. 27 00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:48,000 What? 28 00:03:50,900 --> 00:03:53,000 Adults being quiet scare me. 29 00:03:55,849 --> 00:03:57,049 Seriously. What? 30 00:04:00,006 --> 00:04:01,210 GABE: There's a letter for you. 31 00:04:03,900 --> 00:04:07,250 VIVIAN: OK, well, it can't be a rejection for my novel because I haven't written it yet. 32 00:04:07,501 --> 00:04:17,600 And it's too early for college applications, so theoretically Stanford and Yale can't turn me down and break my heart until I've actually applied to them. So, why do you look how you look right now? 33 00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:20,000 GABE: It's from your Mom. 34 00:04:23,899 --> 00:04:28,500 VIVIAN: My mom? The missing one? I don't think so. 35 00:04:29,600 --> 00:04:32,200 How do you know it's even her? What, did you read it? 36 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:34,199 GABE: No, of course not. We wouldn't do that. 37 00:04:35,315 --> 00:04:43,719 VIVIAN: Well, she doesn't know me. She doesn't even know the person she's writing the letter to. She doesn't know what books I like or who my friends are. 38 00:04:44,500 --> 00:04:49,000 She has no clue about anything that's happened to me. Or anything that matters. She has no say. 39 00:04:44,500 --> 00:04:49,000 She has no clue about anything that's happened to me. Or anything that matters. She has no say. 40 00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:54,399 JODIE: I don't blame you for not trusting her. And you don't have to read the letter. But, she is reaching out. 41 00:04:54,899 --> 00:05:00,000 VIVIAN: You reached out. We're living in your house. And, you know Aster! 42 00:04:54,899 --> 00:05:00,000 VIVIAN: You reached out. We're living in your house. And, you know Aster! 43 00:05:02,300 --> 00:05:03,500 My mother doesn't know Aster. 44 00:05:06,149 --> 00:05:07,649 She doesn't get to weigh in now. 45 00:05:19,800 --> 00:05:21,800 SOPHIE: We could just leave it there and walk out of here as if we never saw it. 46 00:05:22,100 --> 00:05:27,300 VIVIAN: Totally. It's obvious it fell to the floor to free me from the decision to open it. 47 00:05:27,586 --> 00:05:28,589 SOPHIE: Exactly. 48 00:05:34,899 --> 00:05:39,000 It is a nice envelope though. It could have been one of those weird check envelopes from the office supply store. 49 00:05:39,899 --> 00:05:52,899 VIVIAN: No, she was all about the stationary store. It was one of her things. She'd buy all this pretty paper with matching envelopes. She never used it though. It just sat in the drawer like she was saving it for something really important. 50 00:05:59,850 --> 00:06:00,850 ELISABETH: Hey Viv, you dropped something. 51 00:06:05,899 --> 00:06:08,899 Guess who finally got the keys to the car? 52 00:06:16,500 --> 00:06:19,500 Okay, so what did I miss? 53 00:06:20,649 --> 00:06:24,449 VIVIAN: Not as much as my mother who is now trying to ruin my life, again. 54 00:06:25,800 --> 00:06:30,199 ELISABETH: This is from your mom? And you haven't opened it? 55 00:06:33,500 --> 00:06:36,699 Maybe she's writing to explain. If this were my mom, I'd want to know. 56 00:06:37,199 --> 00:06:39,750 VIVIAN: Yeah, but it's not your mom, because your mom is awesome. 57 00:06:41,399 --> 00:06:42,399 And so is yours. 58 00:06:43,000 --> 00:06:44,000 SOPHIE: Awesome may be a stretch. 59 00:06:44,350 --> 00:06:47,350 VIVIAN: Do you not have the monthly mother and daughter night out? 60 00:06:48,449 --> 00:06:49,649 SOPHIE: Regrettably yes. 61 00:06:50,000 --> 00:06:51,600 VIVIAN: Right. Awesome. 62 00:06:52,399 --> 00:06:55,000 ELISABETH: What if something happened to your mom and she couldn't reach out to you until now. 63 00:06:55,500 --> 00:07:07,000 VIVIAN: What like she was an undercover spy being held captive and now upon her escape she decides to write me a letter to explain why it's not her fault she missed most of my life? 64 00:07:07,500 --> 00:07:10,100 Because that may be the only reason I can think of not to hate her. 65 00:07:10,800 --> 00:07:13,800 ELISABETH: There could be another reason and maybe it's in the letter. 66 00:07:17,000 --> 00:07:18,699 VIVIAN: Man, I'm gonna need another muffin for this. 67 00:07:20,500 --> 00:07:21,500 ELISABETH: I'm on it. 68 00:07:27,199 --> 00:07:28,699 VIVIAN: She seems good now, right? 69 00:07:27,199 --> 00:07:28,699 VIVIAN: She seems good now, right? 70 00:07:27,199 --> 00:07:28,699 VIVIAN: She seems good now, right? 71 00:07:29,000 --> 00:07:31,000 SOPHIE: She's going out for the school play again. 72 00:07:33,800 --> 00:07:35,500 No one else stands a chance. 73 00:07:39,850 --> 00:07:43,250 VIVIAN: Now there's something I never thought I'd see. Don't turn around- 74 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:50,399 Looks like the Sophie era has ended for Jonathan. 75 00:07:51,500 --> 00:07:55,500 SOPHIE: Yep. Looks like everyone's over me. 76 00:07:57,800 --> 00:08:01,199 VIVIAN: Sometimes it takes a lot of years to get over the superstar that is you. 77 00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:16,000 SOPHIE: Hey do you remember when we were kids and we were at the playground way past dark and your mom came by to get us? 78 00:08:17,800 --> 00:08:23,800 She sat across the park on the top of the slide just waiting for us to come off the swings for what seemed like forever. 79 00:08:24,500 --> 00:08:32,000 VIVIAN: She liked us spending time together. She told me how special it was that we were connected and that's a rare gift to find in someone. 80 00:08:34,700 --> 00:08:38,900 I had no idea what it meant other than it let me stay out way later than the other kids. 81 00:08:41,799 --> 00:08:43,799 SOPHIE: See she had a little bit of awesome. 82 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:53,500 VIVIAN: No, I haven't read it. Can we talk about something else? 83 00:08:54,200 --> 00:08:56,000 ASTER: This is kind of important Viv. 84 00:08:56,000 --> 00:09:02,899 VIVIAN: Yes, I know. I just really want to talk to my girlfriend who loves me despite me avoiding the issue. 85 00:09:04,600 --> 00:09:06,899 ASTER: If your girlfriend was there she'd have her arms around you. 86 00:09:07,799 --> 00:09:08,799 VIVIAN: Why isn't she here? 87 00:09:09,200 --> 00:09:12,400 ASTER: Because it's a school night, remember school? 88 00:09:13,000 --> 00:09:19,000 VIVIAN: That's funny. Just as funny as Aunt Jodie clearing the dinning room table for Friday's sit down dinner. 89 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:23,100 ASTER: Wait, when did this upgrade from Chinese takeout on the couch? 90 00:09:23,399 --> 00:09:29,399 VIVIAN: Don't worry, it's just a distraction from the mom letter. Hell, you might even get to spend the night. 91 00:09:29,799 --> 00:09:31,799 ASTER: Score one for the mom letter. 92 00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:40,000 VIVIAN: Yep. Score one for mom. Um, we'll talk later? 93 00:09:41,500 --> 00:09:42,500 ASTER: Always. 94 00:09:57,299 --> 00:09:58,299 VIVIAN: God damn it. 95 00:10:02,200 --> 00:10:03,200 I don't need you now. 96 00:10:21,200 --> 00:10:24,800 ASTER: I like this. I like playing house with you. 97 00:10:26,100 --> 00:10:29,300 VIVIAN: I'd rather do it in a different room, but -- yeah. 98 00:10:30,799 --> 00:10:36,199 ASTER: I can see us in every room. I can see us doing this. 99 00:10:38,000 --> 00:10:39,000 VIVIAN: Can you? 100 00:10:41,500 --> 00:10:56,100 ASTER: Baby, look. Whatever I did with someone else -- whatever feelings you had for someone else, it's part of us. It's part of our story. 101 00:10:57,799 --> 00:10:59,000 VIVIAN: Not my favorite chapter. 102 00:11:00,000 --> 00:11:03,299 ASTER: I'm not saying what happened didn't mean anything. It did. 103 00:11:05,200 --> 00:11:06,600 It got me back to you. 104 00:11:16,500 --> 00:11:17,500 VIVIAN: Don't do that with anyone else. 105 00:11:18,500 --> 00:11:19,500 ASTER: Don't you. 106 00:11:21,100 --> 00:11:25,100 VIVIAN: I believe I'm actually incapable of doing that with anyone else. 107 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:34,100 ASTER: There's always going to be stuff. 108 00:11:35,799 --> 00:11:37,799 VIVIAN: I hate that there's always going to be stuff. 109 00:11:38,828 --> 00:11:40,329 ASTER: We can handle it. 110 00:11:47,009 --> 00:11:50,009 VIVIAN: Just -- when there's stuff, don't disappear. 111 00:11:54,600 --> 00:11:56,100 ASTER: Don't doubt us. 112 00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:01,000 VIVIAN: Are we good? 113 00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:01,000 VIVIAN: Are we good? 114 00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:06,700 ASTER: We are so good. 115 00:12:15,200 --> 00:12:23,400 VIVIAN V.O.: Look at us. Sitting here like this. Everyone I love. I guess this is what a family is. 116 00:12:23,548 --> 00:12:32,549 The people you sit down with to talk about your day. And it's mine now. It's everything I want. Like nothing's missing. 117 00:12:34,799 --> 00:12:37,799 Except when I remember the letter I'm carrying everywhere I go. 118 00:12:38,799 --> 00:12:45,599 ASTER: I hate when people yell at their kids for spilling the milk. I mean, that's what kids do. Right? They spill things. 119 00:12:45,750 --> 00:12:46,750 GABE: That happen a lot at your house? 120 00:12:48,799 --> 00:12:57,799 ASTER: Actually, the one thing I dig about my parents is that they always let me make a mess. My mom -- sometimes she'd spill her drink, too. Just so I didn't feel bad. 121 00:12:58,000 --> 00:12:59,000 VIVIAN: Cool. 122 00:12:59,799 --> 00:13:01,199 JODIE: I love a raucous table. 123 00:13:02,500 --> 00:13:04,200 GABE: The things I'm learning about you. 124 00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:11,700 JODIE: Opinions bandied back and forth. Stimulating conversation. Rituals. I never had a good mealtime ritual. 125 00:13:12,200 --> 00:13:19,500 ASTER: Well, you can have ours. The one where my parents won't let anyone up from the table until we've been thoroughly quizzed on the New York Times news of the week. 126 00:13:20,200 --> 00:13:21,700 VIVIAN: Why am I jealous of that? 127 00:13:23,200 --> 00:13:31,450 GABE: We used to do this thing when Viv was little. No food would touch our lips until there was a head count. Sort of like a prayer. You. Me. Us. 128 00:13:34,200 --> 00:13:35,700 VIVIAN: When we were still an us. 129 00:13:38,200 --> 00:13:40,400 If I remember, Mom invented the head count. 130 00:13:42,591 --> 00:13:48,289 Don't you think it's kinda funny? Seriously. Making sure everyone's accounted for and then -- poof! Gone. 131 00:13:53,200 --> 00:13:57,500 JODIE: So, Aster what about college? I mean, where will you apply? 132 00:13:58,250 --> 00:14:06,250 VIVIAN: What she means is did Vivian read the letter. And no, I haven't read the letter yet. If anyone's wondering. 133 00:14:06,437 --> 00:14:08,440 GABE: That woman is something. I mean, she's really something. 134 00:14:08,500 --> 00:14:15,299 VIVIAN: It's okay, Dad. You can use the M word. I won't die. M-o-t-h-e-r. Everybody now! 135 00:14:15,700 --> 00:14:17,200 ASTER: Hey...baby...come on. 136 00:14:18,100 --> 00:14:31,399 VIVIAN: It's like I have a secret map or a key. If I open the letter then I open a door to a magic place. Or a terrible one I can't escape. 137 00:14:36,000 --> 00:14:37,000 I'm sorry. 138 00:14:37,799 --> 00:14:38,899 JODIE: It's okay, sweetie. 139 00:14:40,799 --> 00:14:42,799 GABE: There's only one apology owed here. 140 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:46,899 VIVIAN: Please, don't get upset, Dad. I don't want you to be all mad. 141 00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:51,000 GABE: I'll be good and mad if your mother's done anything to hurt you more than she already has. 142 00:14:55,799 --> 00:15:00,299 JODIE: Viv, can I borrow Aster for awhile? We really need to catch up. 143 00:15:02,677 --> 00:15:04,180 There's so much I don't know about you. 144 00:15:05,500 --> 00:15:14,750 Politics! How do you feel about what's going on in the world right now? Because your generation, you're the ones. See, these are the things... 145 00:15:22,700 --> 00:15:32,700 GABE: Viv, for a real long time it's been you and me. And now it's you, me and your Aunt Jodie. There doesn't have to be anyone else if you don't want there to be. 146 00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:36,200 VIVIAN: But can I really do that? Just not read it? 147 00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:42,799 GABE: There's no right or wrong here. You do what you need to do. 148 00:15:43,750 --> 00:15:48,250 VIVIAN: Right now maybe you can go against tradition and tell me what to do. 149 00:15:51,000 --> 00:15:52,000 GABE: Don't read it. 150 00:15:55,750 --> 00:16:03,750 But part of you wants to. And I know that. That's why this is your decision to make and not mine. 151 00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:24,700 But listen Viv, however you feel about your mom I'm good with it. No matter what she's done wrong, she did one big thing right and that's you. And you've been one helluva gift. 152 00:16:29,000 --> 00:16:30,600 VIVIAN: Thanks, Dad. 153 00:16:33,000 --> 00:16:36,200 GABE: Come on, let's go rescue your girlfriend. 154 00:17:11,000 --> 00:17:12,500 ASTER: We haven't been down here in awhile. 155 00:17:15,000 --> 00:17:16,599 You're not moving again are you? 156 00:17:17,701 --> 00:17:18,700 VIVIAN: No. 157 00:17:24,200 --> 00:17:26,400 It just seemed like the right place to take in bad news. 158 00:17:27,599 --> 00:17:30,000 ASTER: Viv, you don't know if it's going to be bad news. 159 00:17:30,099 --> 00:17:33,799 VIVIAN: It already is, just by its very existence. 160 00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:40,400 ASTER: You have a mom. Good or bad she's still out there. This letter doesn't have to mean any more than that. 161 00:17:41,479 --> 00:17:42,700 VIVIAN: Maybe I don't have to read it. 162 00:17:44,000 --> 00:17:45,500 ASTER: What are you afraid it will say? 163 00:17:46,000 --> 00:17:59,500 VIVIAN: It's not even about that anymore. I don't know how I'm going to feel about her after I read it. And that scares me. 164 00:18:01,000 --> 00:18:10,500 She's my mom. But she left me. How could I let her back into my life? 165 00:18:11,617 --> 00:18:15,299 ASTER: Maybe it's just an apology. No expectations. 166 00:18:15,599 --> 00:18:27,000 VIVIAN: I don't want anything to change, Aster. I like the way things are. And it was really hard to get things to be the way they are now. 167 00:18:29,500 --> 00:18:37,799 ASTER: You can't stop anything from changing. Things happen. You and I know this more than anyone. 168 00:18:40,200 --> 00:18:50,200 But after the 5 minutes that it takes you to read that letter, no matter what it says, I'll still be here. That won't change. 169 00:18:59,799 --> 00:19:00,799 ASTER: Are you sure? 170 00:19:03,700 --> 00:19:07,700 VIVIAN: No. But do it anyway. 171 00:19:32,500 --> 00:19:39,700 ASTER: "My sweet girl. My daughter. Or maybe dear Vivian is all I have the right to say." 172 00:19:32,500 --> 00:19:41,099 ASTER: "My sweet girl. My daughter. Or maybe dear Vivian is all I have the right to say." 173 00:19:41,599 --> 00:19:49,599 "I've stumbled for days on the best way to open this letter to you. A letter that needs to tell you everything but of course makes up for nothing." 174 00:19:55,599 --> 00:20:03,599 ASTER: We can get through this. In this moment, just believe in that. 175 00:20:16,700 --> 00:20:17,700 Ready? 176 00:20:20,000 --> 00:20:21,500 VIVIAN: For whatever comes.