[crickets chirping]
[car door slams]
[engine starts]
[clanking]
[engine starts]
[John] All right, y'all.
-[Jesse] Let me out, let me out!
-[John] Hold your horses.
[Ashley] Jess, watch for cars.
-Where are you going?
-[Jesse] Shopping cart!
We don't need
a shopping cart for two items.
We got, like,
30 minutes before
the hardware store closes.
Why don't you wait
in the truck,
Mr. Engine Driver?
It's driver engineer, and
I don't trust you two slowpokes.
Uh-huh.
There's a chainsaw
with my name on it.
Yeah? You know what else
got your name on it for tonight?
Ooh, ooh!
I'm gonna start getting promoted
twice a week from now on.
And, NASA,
we're cleared for liftoff!
[John imitating rocket]
Fine, maybe I'll just
wait in the truck.
[John] That door
gets slower every time.
[Jesse] Can you maybe slow down
a little bit before the door?
-All right, y'all.
-[John] Bummer.
-[John] Go, go, go.
-Hey, Jess.
Food coloring,
baking soda, what else?
[Jesse] Um,
vinegar.
Oh, can I look at
some magazines?
[Ashley] No, you can't make
a volcano out of magazines.
[Jesse] I can
if it's paper-mache.
[John] We don't have time
to dilly-dally or shilly-sally.
[Ashley] Honey,
this is your school project.
All right?
Go get the baking soda.
[Ashley] Me and Engine Driver
gonna get the rest.
[John] Driver engineer.
[Ashley scoffing]
First one back to the register
gets a snow cone!
-What?
-[Ashley] He's running!
[John] Well, I --
[Ashley] You always
gotta be the nice guy.
Can't help it, vinegar.
It's in my nature.
[Ashley] Mm-hmm?
Why don't you make your nature
cutting down that tree?
Oh, honey, what do you think
the chainsaw is for?
[Ashley chuckling]
[John] Don't talk sass to me.
-[Ashley] Stop.
-30 seconds!
[Ashley] Walk, Jess!
[John] Your mom still
coming this weekend?
[Ashley] Oh, I don't know.
You know her.
Well, I can't run
on a prayer here.
If she's coming,
I need to get some meat,
'cause she's gonna
want me to grill.
We got meat already.
-I got some frozen.
-Nah.
I took that
to the firehouse, sorry.
But lookee here!
Pick five.
Mama likes it
when I make that gumbo.
-[Ashley] Mm.
-I could use some of these--
[customer screaming]
[g*nshots]
[customer 2] Get down!
Oh, my god, John, that's a g*n.
-John, Jess.
-Come on, come on, come on.
- Go! Go!
-[Ashley] Get Jesse!
[people screaming]
Go! Find a way out back.
-[Ashley] We need Jesse!
-Go! Now! Let's go!
[g*nshots]
[people screaming]
[frightening orchestral
music playing]
[g*nshots]
[breathing raggedly]
[g*nsh*t]
[solemn orchestral
music playing]
-Thank you.
-Thank you. I appreciate it.
I think John
would appreciate it.
Thank you so much.
[firefighter] I'm so sorry.
Hang in there, Jesse.
Your dad's a hero.
-[Jesse] Thank you.
-[firefighter] It's true.
[Jesse] I know.
[firefighter] Come on.
Thank you.
[solemn orchestral
music playing]
[firefighter
speaking indistinctly]
[guest] I'm so sorry.
-Wait, let me do this for you.
-I got it.
Won't you let me
do this for you?
No, I'm good, I'm good.
Okay, well, you gotta
let me help somehow.
Leave everything and just...
I'll do it all tomorrow.
Hey, Mom? I got it.
Thank you.
It was a beautiful service.
Sweetie...
we...
Well, John's brother
didn't show up.
I guess that's not a surprise.
Said he was stopping by.
Oh, you spoke with him?
I know how it is with him.
[gentle orchestral
music playing]
[imitates g*n cocking]
[imitating g*n]
[vehicle stops]
Looks like your old man
was a popular dude.
You doing okay?
[Jesse] Yeah.
Just miss Dad.
Yeah.
Yeah, me too, bud.
[guests chatting indistinctly]
-[Jesse] Mom, come on.
-[Ashley] Hold on, Jess.
[Jesse] Mom, you can
finish it later, hurry up.
[Ashley] Okay, yeah.
[TV playing indistinctly]
Did you give
your Uncle Billy a hug?
-Yeah, Mom, I did. Mom!
-Give him another hug.
Sorry.
[Jesse] Uncle Billy,
I gotta show you something.
Come on!
[Ashley sighing heavily]
[breathing heavily]
[Jesse] Uncle Billy, watch this!
-[Billy] Nice!
-[Jesse] Yeah.
Yeah.
[Billy] Oh.
[Jesse] Hi-ya!
[Billy] Incoming.
[Billy imitates expl*si*n]
[imitating explosions]
[Billy] You got
a lighter on you?
[Jesse] Nah!
[knocking on door]
[Margaret] Ash?
Honey.
Can I get you anything?
No.
I'm just gonna...
lay down for a bit.
[Margaret] Okay.
Thank you.
[Margaret] I guess I'll just
start giving everyone the hint.
[door closing]
["Prisms"
by Damien Jurado playing]
As the light
upon your window
I can clearly
See the dawn
And it stops
the conversations
That go on
Until the morn
Did I lose you in a daydream
Or the prism in your eye?
Are you keeping
all my memories
And recordings
Of our life?
There's only one way in
Then it's through
[groaning from television]
[host] So sorry,
that was incorrect.
Correct answer was...
[crowd cheering]
[host] On the line.
Now, there is so much to say.
See you all next week,
same night, same stage.
Thank you, and have
a great night! Good night.
[dog barking]
[Ashley sighing]
[sniffs]
[item thumps in fridge]
[students shouting]
[kids] Fight!
Fight! Fight! Fight!
[student] Go for the head!
[kids cheering, shouting]
Hey!
Jesse! No! Jesse! Jesse.
[phone vibrating]
[cheering from television]
[host] Dexter Nelson,
how much will you bid?
[Dexter] I'll bid...
500!
[host] Okay, spin the wheel!
[Ashley] Hey.
Jesse!
What's going on with him?
School called me.
[Ashley] What, what?
Why did they call you?
I don't know.
They said they tried
to reach you all day long,
and I guess I'm just
the emergency contact.
What's the emergency?
Well, he got in a little fight.
He got in a, a fight?
-Yeah, no, it's--
-Jesse!
Ashley, it's just
not a big deal, just...
-No, g*dd*mn it.
-It's just boys being boys.
[Ashley] No, well,
he knows better.
[Margaret]
No, Ashley, just, just, just--
[Jesse] Go away!
[Margaret] Just lay,
let him have a little, oh.
Jesse,
open the door right now.
Jesse, open this door right now!
I swear to God, I'm not gonna
ask you again, open the door.
[banging on door]
[Jesse] Please, just go away!
[Ashley] Open the door.
Jesse, I am trying.
Please, open the door.
[door rattling]
You know what? Fine.
Whatever, do what you wanna do.
Honey, let me do that for you.
All good, Mom.
Got it, thank you.
See? All done.
You know, um,
it's okay to need help.
Oh, honey.
[Ashley] I'm, I'm good.
Yeah.
Oh.
Now, remember I used to do this
when you were little?
[Ashley] Mmm.
And then do this until
you fell asleep.
You know, um...
a friend of mine...
lost her husband last year.
Cancer.
And, uh...
she went to a support group.
[Ashley] Really?
A support group?
[Margaret] Maybe
something like that.
Um, oh.
[sighs] I don't think
a support group's really...
really what I,
what I need right now.
[Margaret] Why don't,
why don't I, um,
go take Jesse,
pick up a few things for supper?
Make y'all a home-cooked meal.
And then, um,
in the meantime, maybe you could
try to, um...
get out for a bit.
Hmm? Maybe that might help.
["No Glory in Regret"
by John Moreland playing]
Did you hear
the devil laughing
From the ambulance passing?
Or was that
just my troubled mind?
Don't you want to shake
the ground
Tear heaven down
Where do you want the PA,
big man?
[bartender] Right over there.
Right on, good deal.
Well, I've been pouring
whiskey in the wind
Hey, uh,
they got a PA here, but,
I only hit the right notes
when I use mine.
[man humming]
I'm sure those
are the right notes.
[man] Yeah, yeah,
I'm pretty sure.
[man humming]
[chuckles]
I know you, don't I?
-Is that a pickup line?
-[man] Maybe. Is it working?
No.
You use it often?
Eh, sometimes,
with the right people.
You come here often?
No, I don't.
You play here often?
I do. I do sometimes.
[man] You go to Jackson High?
Well, you look
familiar yourself.
I know
I know you from somewhere.
Hold up, wait a sec.
That...
that was, uh...
yeah, last month on TV,
was that, was that you?
Comes at the price
of your youth
It was, wasn't it?
Shit.
I'm so sorry.
-I didn't realize I--
-All good.
Feel like a prick now.
I-I didn't mean any harm.
It's all good.
I can't imagine what it is
you must be going through.
Shit, what that
must have been like.
Your husband
was that firefighter
that saved
all them folks, right?
You really wanna talk
about my husband?
I'm sorry.
Play country music?
Ah, yeah, yeah, sometimes.
Is he any good?
[bartender] He's no Charlie
Daniels, but he's all right.
[man] What you like to hear?
You know any Hall & Oates?
[man] Yeah, I could play
some Hall & Oates.
I bet you can.
Can you grab us
a couple more, please?
[bartender] You want one, ma'am?
Sure, thank you.
This one's on me.
[solemn orchestral
music playing]
[Ashley] No.
No. Mmm, mmm.
Oh! No, no, no, no, no, no, no.
Mmm. Stop. Stop. Stop.
-Come on. Don't do that.
-Stop. No, no, no, no, no, no.
Please. Hey. Stop. f*ck.
I need to hold my kid.
Oh, f*cking whatever.
[door opens, slams shut]
f*cking what...
[solemn orchestral
music playing]
I thought he was a teddy bear,
but he was,
was grumpy to other people.
He treated me,
though, it was like...
Hi.
Are you here for the session?
-Yeah, um, no, I--
-We're almost at the end,
but you're welcome
to come in and join us.
Uh, grab a seat,
right over there,
and you come on in
into the circle.
Hey, could you guys
move over a little bit?
Right there, mm-hmm.
So sorry.
-Sorry.
-Welcome.
[Ashley] Mmm.
All right, Pam,
would you like to continue?
Like I was saying,
we were together for so long.
I mean, nearly my whole life.
The kids are grown,
and they have their own lives.
He was barely 60 years old.
It just, it happened so sudden.
It was just so soon.
Just way too soon.
I miss him so much.
[Pam weeping]
[Sandra] What you,
and surely you guys remember
it was something off
they were talking....
Hey, wait.
Hey!
Oh, hey.
Sorry, I didn't mean
to drop in there or anything.
-You don't need to apologize.
-No, no, I came in way too late.
I, I'm sorry.
I didn't look at the time,
and I didn't know what I--
I'm sorry.
I recognize you.
Yeah, I guess
I'm kind of famous now. [scoffs]
It must be pretty tough.
Do you have anywhere
to be right now?
Oh, man.
Thank you.
Oh.
You must have been hungry,
you scarfed that down.
[Ashley] Mm-hmm.
You know,
I work with another group.
Last Thursday of the month.
Younger crowd.
Yeah, I don't know
if the whole...
support group thing
is gonna be for me.
All right,
well, it's not for everyone.
But for some, it does help.
Yeah, I just feel like it's...
it's like a pointless
pity party, and...
I don't know.
Sorry,
I don't mean to be a bitch.
I didn't mean to say that.
[sighs] I just need to focus on
trying to raise my son.
You have a son?
He's ten.
[Sandra] Ten's a beautiful age.
I don't know about that.
It's been tough.
You know, he's been...
he's been acting like...
I don't know.
I don't know.
Do you have kids?
Had.
Wow.
My husband was driving home
from a movie with our two girls.
And they got into a head-on
collision with another car.
He and my oldest daughter
died at impact.
My youngest daughter
was sitting in the back seat.
She died
a few days later in ICU.
Sorry.
Man, look at you.
You got it together.
You have something I don't have.
There's something inside of you.
I don't have it in me.
How, how do you do it?
It's a long road.
A long road.
But all I can do...
in my truth.
So I'm sitting here, having--
-Excuse me.
-Are you all right?
[Ashley vomiting]
[vomiting]
[breathing heavily]
["Places You Call Home,"
by Joel Brown
and Dave Maswick playing]
I will love
till the end of time
Sorry about that.
That's all right.
It happens.
Here, have some water.
[sighs]
I don't know what I'm doing.
I don't know,
I don't know what to do.
I don't know
what to do without him.
I just feel like...
he's gone.
And I'm left with...
all of these things
that I have to do.
I have
so many responsibilities
and bills and...
and f*cking pickle jars
that need opening.
Well, take that butter knife
and slide it around the edge
of the top of that pickle jar.
-Oh.
-[Sandra chuckles]
[sighs]
I am tired of feeling
sorry for myself.
And you won't have to.
Just know that things
will never be as they were.
Ever.
And that's gonna take some time
getting used to.
-Okay?
-Mmm.
[Sandra] Mm-hmm.
My mom's probably
wondering where I am.
[chuckles] When was the last
time you said that?
[both chuckling]
-The stairs.
-I've come up the stairs.
Oh.
-I just walked through glass.
-I cover over here.
Okay, now walk up, come on.
Hey.
Ash!
Jesse, you feeling better?
Yeah. Dude, you're trash.
Oscar the Grouch would
make you the king of trash.
I was in the, uh-- I was in
the area, I figured I'd say
what's up to little man here.
[Ashley] That's great.
When you're, hmm,
sh**ting girls
from the [indistinct],
springing up on her, mowww!
Boom, boom, boom, boom!
Got 'em good! Mmm.
[Margaret] So,
what I was saying...
Beads, buddy, beads.
Start saving your beads now.
[Margaret] A little bit
inappropriate now.
[Jesse] Yo, it's Uncle Billy,
you said so.
[Billy] Mmm, I remember
what I was gonna tell you.
On our eighth birthday,
our old man shows up,
decides to put us
on a dang treasure hunt.
Had me and Johnny
running off through the woods.
And find a note that say,
"Go to the tree
with the birdhouse,"
and we run.
Found another note,
sent us back a hundred yards
the other direction.
We were chasing them
clues for hours.
We didn't think it'd ever end.
Mmm.
Probably didn't want to.
And finally,
we ended up back at the house
next to this pile of,
uh, old bricks
that had been there
all our life.
Wouldn't cover a skinny box,
and we knew right then
and there what it was.
Daisy Red Rider.
Mm-hmm.
A cowboy style,
lever-action BB g*n.
We'd been asking the old man
for one for a long time.
Finally came through.
Yep.
That sounds fun.
[Jesse] Mom,
I wanna go on a treasure hunt!
Not right now, Jesse,
we're not doing that.
-Mom, come on, Mom.
-Talk about it later.
Well?
I'm gonna start cleaning up.
Yeah, I better,
better get going.
Oh! Before I forget, uh...
heading down to Clark's
for this weekend with a buddy.
See if we can nab us a buck.
Jesse, wanna come with us? Yep.
If that's all right
with you, Ash.
-Uh, we'll talk about it.
-Mom, can I go, please?
We'll talk
about it later, Jesse.
-[Jesse] Please?
-No, later.
[Jesse] Fine.
Hey, no, go up--
Clear it there, honey.
You know that.
Thanks for dinner.
Hey, Mom,
Billy says thanks for dinner.
Course.
Can't remember the last time
I ate that good, Margie.
Well, I'd be happy
to feed you anytime.
I love to cook, you know?
Okay, well.
Okay, well.
[Billy] See y'all.
[door opens, closes]
[crickets chirping]
[gentle orchestral
music playing]
[John] So I've been thinking.
Uh-oh.
I think I like the name Jesse.
[Ashley] No!
What do you mean, no?
No.
Not like Uncle Jesse,
reminds me of John Stamos.
-Oh, have mercy.
-I...
Get out of town.
I mean Jesse like Jesse James.
[Ashley] No,
you get out of town,
-we're not naming our kid Jesse.
-Come on.
My granddaddy used
to tell me stories
about robbing trains
with Jesse James.
When I was in school,
I was bragging about it,
show and tell, the teacher
got on me for telling stories.
[Ashley chuckles] Oh.
Jesse Rhodes,
you know you like that.
Jesse Rhodes.
Sounds like
a failed country singer to me.
Well...
I'm gonna wear you down.
I'll ask you again
after you eat,
'cause I know
you're more susceptible.
[giggles] You gonna make me
fried green tomatoes again?
Oh, God, not again, please.
Oh.
Babe.
[sighs]
[groaning]
[gentle orchestral
music playing]
[Miss Smith] "A certain
country man had a son
no bigger than a thumb
when he was born,
and even in after years,
he grew not a bit.
One morning, when the man
was going forth to plow,
the little fella said,
'Father, I will go with you.'
'Will you, though?' he replied.
'You had better stop
where you are,
or you would only get lost
along with me.'
Then Thumbly began to cry,
and would not stop
till his father at last put him
in his pocket
and took him with him."
[principal]
Miss, uh, Smith, can you please
have Jesse Rhodes
come to the office?
[kids] Ooh...
[Miss Smith] No,
that's enough of that.
[principal] Well, his mom's here
to pick him up early.
[gentle orchestral
music playing]
[Ashley] So,
I was thinking maybe we could
do something really fun?
Anything you want.
Carnival's in town.
Wanna go?
Um...
I was hoping I could go
with Uncle Billy this weekend.
Jess, I said
we'd talk about that.
I know, but...
Come on, Mom.
-Do you really wanna go?
-Mm-hmm.
-Over going to the carnival?
-It'll be fine!
Uncle Billy
will take care of me.
[Ashley grunts, scoffs]
[train horn blowing]
[Jesse] Ya, ya!
Ya! Ya!
All right, Jesse, it's ready.
[Jesse] Ya!
Ya!
French toast!
-[Ashley] Yup.
-Mom.
-What?
-You put bananas on it.
[Ashley]
Go and get your stuff ready.
-[horn honking]
-He's here!
Hey, Jess, no,
you didn't eat anything!
-I ate a bunch! Mom...
-[Ashley] No, go eat.
You have to eat,
you have to eat.
-[horn honking]
-Jesse!
[Jesse] Mom! Hurry up,
I gotta go.
No, go eat your food, Jesus!
-I ate a bunch, look!
-Jesus, we get it.
[horn honking]
Can I please go now, Mom?
-Thanks, Mom!
-Hold on, please.
[quietly] God.
[Ashley] Jess, hold up.
[Billy] Hey, bud.
Hey, Uncle Billy.
-Hey.
-[Billy] Hi.
Jess.
-Keep him safe.
-Course.
Jess, you be safe?
I will, Mom.
[Ashley] Don't do
anything silly.
Listen to your uncle, hey.
[Jesse] I know.
You understand me?
Jess, tell me you understand me.
I understand you, Mom.
[Ashley] 'Kay.
Hey.
All right, let's get after it.
[engine starts]
["Whiskey Bottle"
by David Luning playing]
[Jesse and Billy
howling like wolves]
Yeah!
Saturdays are for the boys!
Hand me my lighter in
the glovebox there, would you?
Well, all the girls
I've known before...
Thank you, son.
Mmm.
Where's your camo at, boy?
Daddy never take you on a hunt?
You wanna look the part,
don't you?
[Jesse] Mm-hmm.
So won't you marry me,
whiskey bottle
[Billy] Close your eyes.
Boom!
What do you think of that?
Yeah!
Now put that on.
Hell, yeah, there he is!
He's ready now!
Got you off that teat
for the day, right?
Your mama's been pretty rough
on you, you know?
[Jesse] Yeah.
[Jesse giggling]
[Billy] You know I knew her
before your daddy did?
No.
Them's the facts,
I'm just reporting.
Give me a kiss, and let me
take a sip of your love
[Billy] Ah!
Look at this dumbass.
Kelly said
she didn't like my band
And Lucy fell in love
with my old man
[Billy] Woo! Yeah!
[Rat Tail]
About time, m*therf*cker!
[Billy] Yeah, there she is!
You see.
-[Rat Tail] What's up?
-[Billy] Good to see you!
Huh, you brought
the poontang-mobile, huh?
[Rat Tail] You know it.
Surprised you were able to get
that piece of shit started.
Jesse James, come out here.
This is--
this is an old buddy of mine.
[Rat Tail] 'Sup, buddy?
You know they used to call me
the third twin,
back when me and your uncle
and your, uh...
back when we was growing up?
[Billy] No.
Nobody used to call him that.
-Shit, I just did.
-[Billy] Oh, shit. Come on, now.
Let's get going,
we got a late start.
[Rat Tail] All right, boys.
Come on.
[Billy]
There's a tree in these woods.
Well, probably a stump now.
There's this oak tree.
And the legend goes that...
Cherokee tribes
used to meet up there.
They would gash the tree
with their hatchets.
And the gashes
were said to be tallies
of all the scalps
they'd claimed.
Then one day...
this young Cherokee boy...
girdled the tree.
k*lled it.
So it would no longer be
a monument to death.
-[twig snaps]
-Shh.
60 yards out.
[Billy] You can take the shot.
Here, sit like this.
-Sit up straight.
-[Jesse] Okay.
[Billy] Are you
gonna hold it up?
Okay.
f*ck!
-[Jesse] I'm sorry.
-Fine, fine.
f*ck!
[Billy]
Let's go to the truck.
[gentle music]
[attendee 1] Well, you know,
the, uh...
pressure.
I think it's time.
[attendee 2]
Want to come find a seat?
Just anywhere.
So, um...
I think many of y'all
may already know,
but maybe some of you don't.
I'm gonna be filling in
for Sandra.
Um,
just until she feels better.
She's got the flu, you know,
I-- it's, um...
it's that time of year.
Um... anyway.
[meeting continues indistinctly]
How'd he do today?
You want sugar? Milk?
Uh, black's all right.
Uh...
Thank you. Ah, he--
I mean, he did all right.
Yeah.
Takes a little while
to figure it out.
You sure that doesn't
keep you up at night?
What, black coffee?
I think I'll be all right.
[both chuckle]
Take care of that tree
for you out back.
It's kinda late.
Well,
I don't mean right now.
I mean, one of these days.
You been drinking?
I need to go, don't I?
Hey, it's--
This isn't what you want.
Come on.
Is it not what you want?
You gotta quit thinking of me
like I'm his f*cking ghost.
[Ashley sighs]
Uh, sorry about that.
I didn't mean anything by that.
That wouldn't be fair to you.
I can't imagine
what it was like for you
growing up in John's shadow.
-I better get going.
-Yeah.
How was that for you?
That make you wanna hit me
or something?
I bet that's what
you'd like to f*cking do.
[mumbles] You think
that's what I'm saying?
Yeah.
You wanna f*cking hit me?
-You wanna talk big?
-Do it.
You done?
What are you gonna do?
I'll show you
what I'll f*cking do.
You think you'll talk
some more shit?
-Hmm?
-[both grunting]
-Come on. Come on.
-[zipper unzipping]
Come on.
[both moaning]
[indistinct]
[belt buckling]
You're not the only one
hurting.
[door opens, slams shut]
[groaning]
[tools clanking]
[solemn music]
[grunting]
[shouts]
[sobs]
[sighs]
[Ashley] Hey.
[Jesse]
It's gonna be okay.
[Ashley] We're gonna be okay.
Yeah.
[gentle rock music]
[Jesse] Hey, Mom?
Mm-hmm?
So, I'm, like, the
second-fastest kid in our grade.
I mean, at least third.
So, I was wondering,
maybe I could put that talent
to some good use.
Mmm, like how?
Like, football?
I know you and Dad said
I had to wait,
but, Mom,
I'm ready for the gridiron.
I think
we can figure something out.
[turn signal ticking]
W-- where are we going?
[Ashley] It'll be fine.
I promise.
No. Mom, no!
I don't wanna go in there.
Look, I don't wanna
go in there either.
["The People You Love"
by Robbie Mangiardi]
I say hello
to the clouds in the sky
Start to wonder
as they pass me by
After all
is said and done
What have I done?
Did I love everyone?
[cash register beeping]
[cashier] That's $17.82.
[card reader beeping]
You know,
your daddy saved my life.
[gentle guitar music]
Glasses on.
Glasses on, gloves on.
I'm ready.
-[Ashley grunting]
-[chainsaw sputters]
-[chainsaw starts]
-[Jesse] Come on!
[Jesse laughs and whoops]
[laughing] Yes!
Come on, Mom,
you can do this.
[both cheering]
That was sick!
Okay. I-formation, flea-flicker,
on three.
What does that mean?
I don't know. Hut!
-Yes, good catch!
-Yes!
-[Ashley] That's right.
-Ooh!
Okay. Go!
-Hike.
-Stop!
[Ashley] Good catch!
-Keep on feeding me.
-[both laugh]
[Ashley] Okay.
Come on, Mom. You tired?
Come on, I need a break.
Huh? Clutch players
don't need breaks!
I know, but Mama's--
Mama's getting old.
You tired?
You can't do this, huh?
Oh, I can do this.
Oh, are you too old?
I can--
oh, I can do this. You go.
[both cheering]
We married
when he was on leave.
And we didn't have any kids
or anything.
And when he died...
I felt bad.
But only because
I didn't feel anything.
And other than taking down
a few pictures off the wall,
my life didn't really change.
And-- truth is...
I think maybe it's good
that I didn't build
this whole life with him.
But I just feel like
I'm still a bad person.
You most assuredly
are not a bad person.
There's no good or bad.
It's only about what you feel.
Everything else is stories
that you're telling yourself.
And what about you?
-Me?
-[Sandra] Mm-hmm.
No, I'm good.
[Sandra] Are you?
Yeah, I think so.
I mean...
I think I'm doing better.
I don't know.
It's been about...
four months, next week.
Yeah.
Time has been weird for me.
In a way, it feels like...
it's been forever.
And in a way,
it feels like it was yesterday.
And that really sucks.
Honestly,
I try not to think about it.
Not to think about...
all the little things
that happened.
Just the way they did
for me to be here right now.
Um...
our son, Jesse...
he's doing okay, I think.
I don't know, I mean, he...
he's young, so I don't know
if he understands
the weight of it.
And this is just, like,
his reality.
Or something. I don't know.
It's not normal, though.
You know...
accepting our new reality,
accepting what is...
is painful.
It's difficult.
But they're necessary steps
we have to take.
-[Jesse] Mom!
-Yeah.
-TV's not working.
-It's gonna have to wait.
But, Mom, I'm trying to
watch a doggone football game!
-Mom, what are you doing?
-Jess! Hold on a second.
Did you reset it?
Duh, I'm not that stupid.
[Ashley sighs]
[Ashley] Where's the remote?
Nice.
It says to contact
our provider.
-Oh, shit.
-What?
Uh, the bill.
It was going off Dad's old card.
What does that mean?
It means I gotta call
the cable company, that's all.
-I'll do it later.
-But, Mom, the game!
No, Jess,
just give me a minute!
It's gonna take them forever
to-- to turn it on anyways.
Wh-- wh-- what, Mom!
What, Jesse?
-I'm hungry.
-You just ate!
Um, I know,
but I'm working on my games.
I don't even know
what that means,
but what do you want?
Eggs? You want eggs?
Lots of protein in eggs.
French toast?
This is not cr*cker Barrel.
Well, what else do we got?
Pizza?
-Mm-hmm.
-For your games?
Yup.
[Jesse] Hmm.
Did you do your homework?
Yeah. It was so easy.
Okay, go do some chores.
Chores? What chores?
Pull weeds or something.
I don't know,
don't watch TV all day.
But, Mom--
Jess, I can't do
everything around here.
You gotta step it up.
[Ashley sighing]
[gentle guitar music]
[machine beeping]
[Margaret] You're what?
[sighs] Pregnant.
[Ashley sighing]
How did this happen?
God, Mom, come on.
Don't ask me that right now.
This wouldn't even have happened
if he didn't leave.
He left. He left.
Everyone thinks
he's a f*cking hero.
He's not a f*cking hero.
That-- because he left us.
-Jesus, Ashley.
-He left me, he left Jesse.
-[Margaret] No, honey.
-He left us, he did! [sobs]
That's what he does, he leaves
because he's f*cking stupid!
He said he was going
to the military...
'cause God called him to.
f*ck that! f*ck that.
Jesse
couldn't even f*cking crawl.
[Margaret] Honey,
that's just not fair.
I'm not doing it again.
Just-- f*cking stop
talking for a second!
I think I know
what's not fair right now.
No one asked me one time
in my life what I want for me.
For my life.
And I don't want this!
I don't want it.
I don't-- I don't regret Jesse,
I don't.
But I'm just a-- [sobbing]
Oh, my God.
I don't know.
I just don't know.
I don't know what to do.
Do you know who the father is?
Uh...
I'm keeping some stuff,
but thought
you might wanna take a look.
This here...
Guess it probably fits, huh?
Hey, I wanna...
talk to you about something.
I wanna...
tell you something.
Oh.
How's it look?
I guess
it's kind of weird, huh?
Well, I don't know.
Well,
these are actually pretty nice.
They look big.
Boy,
you wear two pairs of socks.
Get the f*ck outta here.
Daisy Red Rider.
Broken.
Yeah, I tried to
get rid of that thing,
a million times.
John wouldn't let me.
Wow.
That is something.
Take it.
You don't think
Jesse would want it?
No. He didn't want
that broken old thing.
Seems like
it was always John's turn.
Hmm. People say twins got
this thing
where they read
each other's minds
and think the same thoughts
at the same time.
Wasn't the case with us.
Mom, bless her soul,
used to tell me a story how--
I was born with his
umbilical cord around my neck.
"You came out two pounds lighter
than he, um..."
Spent months in an incubator
while he got all the love.
Hmm.
All of my life, I wanted...
revenge.
Now he's gone, and I can't look
in a f*cking mirror
without seeing him
look back at me.
The man I could have been
never was.
What were you saying?
Um, about the g*n,
you can-- you can have it.
No, you said
you had something to tell me.
No, uh...
actually,
Jesse's starting football,
so I thought maybe you'd wanna
come watch him play sometime.
Right.
I mean,
he'd like it if you would.
Yeah, well...
I'm gonna be taking off
for now.
Little bit.
Where are you going?
Alaska.
It's nothing glamorous,
it's...
got a job in a fish cannery,
pays pretty good.
-That's good.
-Yeah.
Well.
Should be back
before too long.
Maybe I...
stop by a game
or something then.
Yeah. Sounds like a plan.
[solemn orchestral music]
[Ashley] Jess! Come on.
I don't want you
to miss the bus again.
[Jesse] I'm ready, Mom.
I won't miss the bus.
Wait, wait, wait, keep it open,
keep it open!
And he sh**t. And he scores!
Go, hot hands.
-[Jesse] I wasn't even ready.
-Love you.
Love you too, Mom.
[elevator dings]
[Ashley sighing]
[nurse] What's the name?
Rhodes.
Have a seat
and we'll call your name.
[phone ringing]
[nurse] Hello?
Uh, you wanna change?
What date works for you?
Yes, ma'am. Okay.
All right, have a good one.
Thank you!
Mmm, mmm, mmm.
[doctor]
It's your first pregnancy?
No.
[doctor]
And your husband, uh...
What about him?
[doctor] Will he be involved
in the, uh...
No, he's not around anymore.
[doctor] Ah, very good.
Have you had
more than one sexual partner?
Like, my whole life?
[doctor] At the point
of conception.
No.
Are you planning
to bring the pregnancy to term?
No.
It's early. I read that
I can take a pill for it.
Um...
do you know
what I'm talking about?
I googled it,
it's called mife-- pri-- midone.
Mifepristone, yeah.
I, uh--
I have prescribed it on a--
a few occasions in the past,
if-- circumstances permitting.
What do you mean?
-Mrs. Rhodes--
-Miss Rhodes.
-Just-- [sighs]
-[doctor sighing]
Well, what we need to do is
take a look first,
and, uh, we can see
what options are available.
[ultrasound machine whirring]
[doctor] Uh-huh.
[doctor] Mm-hmm.
Um...
Mm-hmm.
Okay.
Let's get you cleaned up.
[Ashley sighing]
[doctor] Ah.
Well, Miss Rhodes, uh...
unfortunately,
the prescriptive route
is no longer on the table.
Uh, that window's passed.
Now, this means that
if you do not wish
to carry the pregnancy to term,
your only option is, uh,
surgical procedure.
No. I-- no, I read that
you can take a pill...
two months, even two
and a half months afterwards.
Yes, but as right here,
you're measuring...
just over...
14 centimeters.
Uh, and this would put you, um,
just over four months pregnant.
So...
if you decide
to have the surgery,
I can recommend
several places that are,
uh, within
a reasonable driving distance.
Can you tell
if it's a boy or a girl?
If I were a betting man...
I'd say it's a girl.
[haunting piano music]
-[sighing]
-[elevator dings]
[sighs]
[elevator dings]
[sighs]
[sobbing]
[birds chirping]
It's smaller
than I remember.
Looks really nice.
Can you carry this one?
Yeah.
-Got it?
-Yeah.
We'll get some new ones.
Okay.
[Ashley sighs]
I wanna be brave like him.
Yeah.
Me too, buddy.
[Ashley] I have had
some good days,
but today
just wasn't one of those days.
I was tired, and I didn't wanna
get out of bed.
And I just laid there,
and I...
just looked at the ceiling,
and all the cracks
in the ceiling.
Realized all the things
that need to be fixed.
Then I got up.
And the truck didn't start.
Add that to the list.
So that I'm stressed
and running around
like a crazy person,
trying to get somebody
to-- to jump the car.
And two of my neighbors
aren't home,
so I go to--
around the corner.
Luckily,
I get somebody to help me.
They jump my car.
I'm late to Jesse's school,
he's got
parent-teacher conferences.
I'm worried that
they're gonna tell me
Jesse's doing
something that...
I don't know,
is he fighting again?
Is he...
doing something
he's not supposed to be doing?
I don't know.
I'm doing my best.
I'm doing my best.
Being on your own,
it's a little bit harder.
But...
I don't wanna forget
what happened.
I don't wanna get over it.
But I just wanna be
able to look
at what's right in front of me,
and appreciate that.
["Every Moment"
by Clem Snide]
We'll soon make memories
of things to come
And time will pass
Memories of hard times
and of fun
Will our love last?
'Cause every moment
must make way
For one that's new
And just before it does
Remember, I love you
And the years are
like the clouds up in the sky
They come and go
And everything that lives
will someday die
But our love still grows
'Cause every moment
must make way
For one that's new
And just before it does
Remember, I love you
'Cause every moment
must make way
For one that's new
But just before it does
Remember, I love you
Peace in the Valley (2022)
Moderator: Maskath3