Michael wakes up on the couch with a jolt. He looks around
the room and rubs his eyes. There's the box on the coffee
table with the lid closed. He opens it and the indicator
inside the box displays "9".
Michael kneels beside a fresh grave. It's raining, and a
mixture of water and tears stream down his face as he pounds
the ground with his fists.
Michael leans on the counter, drinking a bottle of water as
he looks into the living room at the box on the coffee table.
Michael looks the box over for a moment, opens it and holds
up the key. Inserts the key into the hole and turns it.
FLASHBACK TO:
Michael drives on an old county highway, passing cars as fast
as he can. He finally catches up with the car he was chasing
and flashes his headlights at it.
Alison is in her car when Michael's car comes speeding up
behind her, flashing his lights. She is clearly distraught.
She pulls to the shoulder. Michael follows.
Michael jumps out of his car and runs up to her's. He flings
opens her door and squats down next to her.
MICHAEL
Come with me.
ALISON
To Tuscon?
MICHAEL
Yes, to Tuscon.
ALISON
No, I have the job at the museum.
MICHAEL
I can't live my life without you. I
did it during the war, and I said
I'd never do it again.
She touches his arm reassuring him.
ALISON
It'll be fine. We weren’t meant to
be.
MICHAEL
No! We ARE meant to be.
(beat)
Marry me.
ALISON
What just like that? One minute
you're telling me you’re moving to
Tuscon. We’re over. Now it’s marry
me?
MICHAEL
I love you, I do.
ALISON
I love you too, but I can’t.
MICHAEL
(interrupting)
I don’t care. I don’t care about
any of it, if it's not with you.
ALISON
I don’t,
MICHAEL
(interrupting)
I’ll give up everything, because
nothing else matters.
ALISON
Michael.
MICHAEL
I love you.
(beat)
Marry me.
Alison gets out of the car and they embrace and kiss.
BACK TO PRESENT
Michael slowly wakes up on the couch. He opens the box
sitting on the coffee table. The display says "8". He grabs
the key and looks at it.
FADE OUT:
Michael sits on the edge of the bed, it's quiet, and he's
alone. He opens the box, the display reads "6".
MICHAEL
All these plans we had for our
life, things we were going to do.
(beat)
We were going to grow old together.
Now I'm just growing old alone.
(beat)
And this bed is empty without you.
He grabs the key, puts it in the key hole and turns it.
FLASHBACK TO:
Michael is asleep. Alison slides her hand over his shoulder
and onto his chest as she pulls herself close to him, he
snuggles into her, still not fully awake. Alison pulls
herself up and kisses him on his cheek.
ALISON
I love you.
Michael opens his eyes, she nuzzles under his arm and lays
her head on his chest. He wraps his arm around her and takes
a deep breath, just taking it all in.
MICHAEL
God, I loved this.
ALISON
Yeah? Me too.
(beat)
Lock this one away safe in the
memory bank?
MICHAEL
(chuckles)
The memory bank, yeah.
ALISON
And when we are old, senial and
can't remember anything one of us
will tell the other these stories.
They kiss.
MICHAEL
These are definitely the ones I
want to keep.
(beat)
These are the ones I can't forget.
Michael looks at her, wondering if he should say this.
MICHAEL (CONT’D)
This, and when the baby is born.
Alison sits up quickly, surprised.
ALISON
How did you know? I was going to
tell you tonight.
Michael smiles at her.
MICHAEL
And she'll be a beautiful girl,
just like her mommy.
ALISON
Whatever that name is, that's what
we'll name her.
MICHAEL
Caroline.
ALISON
Really? You know that right off the
top of your head. I'll have to
check you on that.
MICHAEL
Check it.
ALISON
Anyway it doesn't matter because we
agreed a boy first.
MICHAEL
Hey, it's out of my hands.
Alison grabs her pillow and hits him with it.
MICHAEL (CONT’D)
Beautiful and stubborn, just like
her mamma.
He grabs his pillow and hits her back, all out pillow fight.
BACK TO PRESENT
Michael opens the door and enters the house, thirteen years
have passed since Alison's funeral and Michael shows his age,
his hair has turned grey and his eyes look tired.
MICHAEL
(yells)
Caroline?
CAROLINE (O.S.)
I'm coming dad.
Caroline steps out into the hallway, she's eighteen now and
beautiful. She slings a backpack over her shoulder as she
walks down the hallway.
MICHAEL
Hey sweetheart. I've got the car
packed. You got everything?
CAROLINE
Yeah.
Caroline kisses her dad on the cheek.
CAROLINE (CONT’D)
Thanks dad.
Michael opens the door.
MICHAEL
I'll walk you out.
Michael and Caroline stand at the car. They embrace, then he
reaches into his pocket and pulls out a necklace with a key
charm on it and holds it up.
MICHAEL
This was your moms. She would say,
the best memories are locked away
in the heart, and love is the key
that unlocks them.
(beat)
She wanted it passed to you, when
the time was right, and I can't
think of a more right time.
He puts the necklace on her neck, she grabs the charm and
looks at it.
CAROLINE
It's beautiful.
They embrace again and then Michael grabs her face and kisses
her on the forehead. He opens the door to the car, as
Caroline gets inside and starts it.
MICHAEL
I'm proud of you sweetheart.
CAROLINE
I love you dad.
MICHAEL
— ②
INT. LIVING ROOM - MORNING (LATER) -
Michael wakes up on the couch with a jolt. He looks around
the room and rubs his eyes. There's the box on the coffee
table with the lid closed. He opens it and the indicator
inside the box displays "9".
EXT. GRAVEYARD - AFTERNOON -
Michael kneels beside a fresh grave. It's raining, and a
mixture of water and tears stream down his face as he pounds
the ground with his fists.
INT. KITCHEN - LATER -
Michael leans on the counter, drinking a bottle of water as
he looks into the living room at the box on the coffee table.
INT. LIVING ROOM -
Michael looks the box over for a moment, opens it and holds
up the key. Inserts the key into the hole and turns it.
FLASHBACK TO:
INT. MICHAEL’S CAR - AFTERNOON -
Michael drives on an old county highway, passing cars as fast
as he can. He finally catches up with the car he was chasing
and flashes his headlights at it.
INT. ALISON’S CAR - CONTINUOUS16
Alison is in her car when Michael's car comes speeding up
behind her, flashing his lights. She is clearly distraught.
She pulls to the shoulder. Michael follows.
EXT. SIDE OF THE ROAD - CONTINUOUS17
Michael jumps out of his car and runs up to her's. He flings
opens her door and squats down next to her.
MICHAEL
Come with me.
ALISON
To Tuscon?
MICHAEL
Yes, to Tuscon.
ALISON
No, I have the job at the museum.
MICHAEL
I can't live my life without you. I
did it during the war, and I said
I'd never do it again.
She touches his arm reassuring him.
ALISON
It'll be fine. We weren’t meant to
be.
MICHAEL
No! We ARE meant to be.
(beat)
Marry me.
ALISON
What just like that? One minute
you're telling me you’re moving to
Tuscon. We’re over. Now it’s marry
me?
MICHAEL
I love you, I do.
ALISON
I love you too, but I can’t.
MICHAEL
(interrupting)
I don’t care. I don’t care about
any of it, if it's not with you.
ALISON
I don’t,
MICHAEL
(interrupting)
I’ll give up everything, because
nothing else matters.
ALISON
Michael.
MICHAEL
I love you.
(beat)
Marry me.
Alison gets out of the car and they embrace and kiss.
BACK TO PRESENT
INT. LIVING ROOM -
Michael slowly wakes up on the couch. He opens the box
sitting on the coffee table. The display says "8". He grabs
the key and looks at it.
FADE OUT:
INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT -
Michael sits on the edge of the bed, it's quiet, and he's
alone. He opens the box, the display reads "6".
MICHAEL
All these plans we had for our
life, things we were going to do.
(beat)
We were going to grow old together.
Now I'm just growing old alone.
(beat)
And this bed is empty without you.
He grabs the key, puts it in the key hole and turns it.
FLASHBACK TO:
INT. BEDROOM - MORNING -
Michael is asleep. Alison slides her hand over his shoulder
and onto his chest as she pulls herself close to him, he
snuggles into her, still not fully awake. Alison pulls
herself up and kisses him on his cheek.
ALISON
I love you.
Michael opens his eyes, she nuzzles under his arm and lays
her head on his chest. He wraps his arm around her and takes
a deep breath, just taking it all in.
MICHAEL
God, I loved this.
ALISON
Yeah? Me too.
(beat)
Lock this one away safe in the
memory bank?
MICHAEL
(chuckles)
The memory bank, yeah.
ALISON
And when we are old, senial and
can't remember anything one of us
will tell the other these stories.
They kiss.
MICHAEL
These are definitely the ones I
want to keep.
(beat)
These are the ones I can't forget.
Michael looks at her, wondering if he should say this.
MICHAEL (CONT’D)
This, and when the baby is born.
Alison sits up quickly, surprised.
ALISON
How did you know? I was going to
tell you tonight.
Michael smiles at her.
MICHAEL
And she'll be a beautiful girl,
just like her mommy.
ALISON
Whatever that name is, that's what
we'll name her.
MICHAEL
Caroline.
ALISON
Really? You know that right off the
top of your head. I'll have to
check you on that.
MICHAEL
Check it.
ALISON
Anyway it doesn't matter because we
agreed a boy first.
MICHAEL
Hey, it's out of my hands.
Alison grabs her pillow and hits him with it.
MICHAEL (CONT’D)
Beautiful and stubborn, just like
her mamma.
He grabs his pillow and hits her back, all out pillow fight.
BACK TO PRESENT
INT. MICHAELS HOUSE - FRONT DOOR - DAY -
Michael opens the door and enters the house, thirteen years
have passed since Alison's funeral and Michael shows his age,
his hair has turned grey and his eyes look tired.
MICHAEL
(yells)
Caroline?
CAROLINE (O.S.)
I'm coming dad.
Caroline steps out into the hallway, she's eighteen now and
beautiful. She slings a backpack over her shoulder as she
walks down the hallway.
MICHAEL
Hey sweetheart. I've got the car
packed. You got everything?
CAROLINE
Yeah.
Caroline kisses her dad on the cheek.
CAROLINE (CONT’D)
Thanks dad.
Michael opens the door.
MICHAEL
I'll walk you out.
EXT. DRIVEWAY - CONTINUOUS -
Michael and Caroline stand at the car. They embrace, then he
reaches into his pocket and pulls out a necklace with a key
charm on it and holds it up.
MICHAEL
This was your moms. She would say,
the best memories are locked away
in the heart, and love is the key
that unlocks them.
(beat)
She wanted it passed to you, when
the time was right, and I can't
think of a more right time.
He puts the necklace on her neck, she grabs the charm and
looks at it.
CAROLINE
It's beautiful.
They embrace again and then Michael grabs her face and kisses
her on the forehead. He opens the door to the car, as
Caroline gets inside and starts it.
MICHAEL
I'm proud of you sweetheart.
CAROLINE
I love you dad.
MICHAEL