Don't be scared, Jefferson.
I'm right here.
Let's go.
I can't believe it's been...
How many years since I was last out there for a visit?
Nineteen and a half.
How far away from the city is this place?
Well, freeway will get you in fast enough,
...but the dirt road it's a bit of a haul.
So where is the nearest life-form?
Wolf pack moved in a couple of months ago,
and there's a gas station about 12 miles down to the road.
Uh, "wolf pack"? Like- Like real wolves?
Yeah. Can't get rid of 'em. I've tried everything.
I even sang 'em an aria, but I don't think they're music lovers,
'cause they're still there.
Place hasn't changed.
Lenore, give it a break.
I love this place. It's where I met your father.
- It's a cool junkyard. - It's an auto recycling unit.
It's a dump.
No, no, no. Please, don't- It's- Don't touch that. It's brand-new.
I've got some other stuff over there you-
That you can knock around with.
Well, maybe your Uncle Darryl can find some space...
for your own studio in one of these sheds.
Cool.
Sorry. Animal has to stay outside.
He's two weeks old. He'll die of heat exhaustion.
Jefferson's a barnyard animal. He'll do fine, Lenore.
This is your mom and dad's. Yep. Spent their wedding night here,
and didn't leave for 50 years.
I changed the sheets.
Oh!
You've been so brave.
I'm sorry.
So how long, Mom? It's-
It's temporary. The settlement should come in any day now.
The accident was not your father's fault.
I'm sorry.
Mom?
Mom, here's your coffee.
Morning. Morning.
Breakfast is on the table.
Thanks.
I'm not hungry.
There's nothin' wrong with it.
Hello.
Helen?
Helen, wake up. There's a man on the phone. Says he needs to talk to you.
Uh, I'll be right there.
Oh, I'm sorry to keep you waiting.
It's okay.
Uh, thank you for coming in. It was important that we - we talk in person.
Um, do you remember a girl named Sarah Parsons?
Yeah, your-your husband- He-He came to me to, uh-
um, to seek legal guardianship for the girl.
I remember. Right before he died.
Yes. Uh, I'm- I'm sorry for your loss.
This girl is in a- a bad situation.
Her mother was killed in a car crash,
and her father is, um, also deceased,
leaving Sarah with no family.
And as trustee to her estate, I was forced to place her in a group home.
Th-This is her- her case worker's report.
www.frendz4m.com
And you want me to take her in?
Well, you've been a foster parent in the past.
I thought-
Since Robert died,
my circumstances-
- Well, they've changed. - Uh, of course. Um-
Sarah does have a monthly stipend.
It's not much, but it-it could help you financially, Mrs. Coltrane.
Well, would you do me one favor?
I'm just gonna be over here.
Okay. I'll meet her and that's all.
No promises. Of course. That's understood.
- Quit it! - Let her down. Now!
Stop it.
You know, I lived in group homes for five years myself.
One time there was this group of girls.
They peed all over my stuff. They thought it was really funny.
So I went and I told my supervisor, and she made them wash it all up.
Then later that night, after the lights were out,
I woke up, and there was this terrible smell.
They had set my hair on fire.
Here. You can look.
Did you make them pay for what they had done?
I didn't say a word. My hair just grew back.
So Robert was your husband?
My husband's name was Robert, yes.
He told me about you. Really?
He did?
He said your smile was bigger than the sky and brighter than the sun.
That sounds like him.
Do you like it?
Blue is my favorite color. Reminds me of sea foam.
I was thinking of the ocean when I made it.
I've never been to the ocean. Neither have I.
How'd you make it?
Um, it's- Here. Help me.
It's really not that complicated.
You pick a stone, and you put it in the tumbler to be polished.
Kate - I've been trying to get in touch with you for, like, a week.
Yeah. I have no service here.
Still at my uncle's ranch.
I know. Seems like it's been forever.
No, I've been getting things done. I've been working on my campaign slogan.
For what? For student council president.
It's July. Yes, I know it's July. I just - I don't know.
I want to be ahead of the game.
No, I- I'm totally relaxing.
Yeah, I'm by the pool right now, getting a tan.
My uncle has, like, two Porches, and a convertible.
Yeah, it's kinda like a desert hideaway.
You're still gonna pick me up next week, right?
For what? For the S.A.T. class.
Hey. Careful where you put that thing.
You could hurt somebody. Hey.
What's up, mountain man?
So, Did- Did you find it okay?
This place is... charming.
You've really landed. It's just temporary.
We'll be out of here in a few months.
There's one thing I do like about it - It has privacy.
I didn't see your mother when I came in.
And I dressed up. Well, don't worry about her.
She's - She's been having trouble getting out of bed.
So what's it going to be?
What does it look like?
Uh-
A shoe?
It's an octopus. Ew.
Aren't they all gross and slimy?
No. They-They're beautiful and resilient.
I- If you cut off a tentacle, it can grow back.
And they have three hearts.
More to break.
Take it easy, cowboy. I just got here.
Let's give you the junkyard tour. All right.
Okay.
Now, on your left you'll see a giant metal whale.
On your right you'll see where Uncle Darryl hides the bodies.
"Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow. "
Darryl, this is Sarah.
Sarah Parsons.
Go ahead. Put your suitcases in the back of the truck.
You sure you're okay with this?
Yeah. One more won't make any difference.
Who was that? Some local girl.
Looks like the lost kingdom of cars.
I'll be in the workshop.
Hey, I want you to meet Sarah. She's gonna be staying with us for a while.
Right, Sarah?
There's some more groceries in the back of the truck.
Could you please get them, Lenore?
Where should I put my stuff?
My room's a closet. She'd have to sleep on the floor.
She can have my room. I'll sleep on the couch.
Thank you, Conrad.
Um, where's the bathroom?
Oh, it's to the right, and down the hall.
Your father met Sarah when he was working on a house in Scottsdale.
He said the mother was unstable.
She was abusing the girl.
I don't know the details.
But he wanted to get her out of there and thought our family could help.
Well, there's no other relatives? What about the rest of her family?
There's no one. She has nowhere else to go.
You know, every time you get depressed, some abused orphan shows up on our doorstep.
That's not true.
Mm-hmm. And then you drape her in all my favorite jewelry.
She needs our help, Lenore.
Our help, or your help?
Your father asked me to do this,
and I'm honoring his wishes.
I'm sorry, honey.
Lenore doesn't deal very well with change, but she'll come around.
You remember Robert, don't you?
You look happy.
We were.
Go put your stuff away. Connie will help you.
I need to make dinner.
You always give in. Remember that last kid, Bobby - When he wrecked your gamer?
Mom gave you major shit for it. You never said anything.
Just... shut up, Lenore.
Don't tell me to shut up. You know I'm right.
You're always right.
Hi, Uncle Darryl.
So, you gonna finish that overhaul today?
- What's he doin'? - He gave Sarah his room.
- He offered to sleep on the couch.
No, no, no. Not there. It blocks my view of the TV.
You know what? I'll do it. I just-
Oh, my God.
Ugh! Lenore!
I knew this was gonna happen.
Jefferson.
Ohh, that's disgusting.
Shh.
It's gonna be okay.
- Hey, hey, hey, hey. - The door was open.
Do you want to go back to that group home we got you out of?
Then please, respect other people's privacy.
You and Helen grew up here?
Please.
She was a foster child, like you.
Came here when she was 14.
So Robert was her foster brother and her Prince Charming?
My brother was no prince.
That's mean.
Brothers always fight. That's what my dad said.
Did you hate Robert?
You're a cagey piece of work, aren't you?
What's this for? Hey, careful!
You're into everything. Please.
It's brand-new.
I am gonna make movies of my classic cars and sell them on the Internet.
Where is your computer?
One thing at a time. I'm gettin' that next.
Okay.
Why do you have a pet duck?
I found him one day by the pond.
He was all alone. Starving.
It was like his family just left him there and forgot all about him.
Can I hold him?
Here. Just cup him.
Any time you pick him up or put him down, hold him like that.
He's so cute. Mm-hmm.
Hi.
So I warned him not to, but he decided...
he wanted to pick up a custom three-quarter race cam,
and put it in himself to save a couple hundred bucks.
But he lined up the timing gear wrong.
It's just insulin, honey.
I'm a diabetic, and Lenore hates needles,
even though I make her carry a kit around.
Mom, I don't hate needles.
It's just, if I were given a choice, I would prefer to get my fingernails ripped out.
So, when he turned over the engine, of course he smashed the valves,
bent some rods and cracked his new cam.
And now he's lookin' at a $4,000 rebuild.
Could I be excused? I need to study for my S.A.T.'s.
Can you please take out the garbage?
I'll do it in the morning. I'll do it.
- Thank you, Sarah. - Where do I dump it?
Um, I'll show you.
I'd have done it for him for a hundred bucks.
What's that?
Pack of wolves.
Moved in here a couple months ago.
They sound so close.
Uncle Darryl can't seem to get rid of 'em.
Maybe for them, we're the intruders,
and they've been here for a thousand years.
I never thought of it that way. Few do.
Hi. I brought you this.
I thought you might like it,
being in a new place.
What's the matter? I'm cold.
Oh.
Oh, my God. What happened?
We were camping, and I stumbled and fell into the campfire.
It didn't heal very well.
- You fell? - You can touch it. It doesn't hurt anymore.
I know that your mother had problems,
and it's okay to talk about it.
I just want you to know you'll be safe with me.
Here. Let's tuck you in.
- Did you just throw this? - No.
They brought a facilitator who worked with him an entire week...
on the correct way to address-
At the end of the week-
one postal worker, who was the head of the union-
This guy- He raised his hand and said-
Uncle Darryl?
I think I need to go to sleep now.
Um-
Do you mind if I go to sleep now?
Conrad.
You are in my house, and you're on my schedule,
so don't do that again.
I thought you put a lock on the cage.
I did.
Maybe you forgot to lock it.
Maybe he slipped through a crack.
Oh, he hated that duck.
Hey, what happened?
Lenore found her duck with its neck broken.
What?
I'm sure it was an accident.
Doesn't look like one to me.
I didn't kill the damn duck.
The key's missing. He stole it to open the lock.
You're gonna have to let this go, Len.
We can't prove he killed the duck.
This is nuts. My duck is dead, and no one cares.
I'm sorry about Jefferson.
The money'll be here any day now, okay?
So let's just both keep our cool till then.
No word to Mom about the missing key.
She's hanging on by a thread as it is.
I don't care. She's gotta get her act together.
Well, let's just both keep an eye out, okay?
Jesus!
www.frendz4m.com
Darryl, what are you doing?
Please. You're scaring everybody. Just, it's, uh-
It's how I work off tension, that's all.
Well, if you could find another outlet, I'd appreciate it.
Can I have that?
Good night, Uncle Darryl.
Lenore?
Yeah. Yeah, you got his eyes.
Oh. Ow.
The glass was loose.
I dropped the torch.
The whole area could have gone up in flames, and me with it.
We need to tell Mom. She won't believe us.
He could get rid of us out here, and no one would ever know.
Do you think we were ever a regular,
run-of-the-mill family?
What do you mean?
You know, like, a dad who can't make it to your soccer games...
'cause there's construction on the other side of town.
A new foster child every now and then.
A mom who doesn't know how to balance a checkbook.
Sometimes I feel like everything that happened before Dad died...
was all an illusion.
And this - This is what life is actually like.
Everything here reminds me of him.
Not just that he grew up here.
Every single car wreck.
What are you looking at?
Just wanted to see what you were doing.
This thing's way too beautiful to drive.
Might scratch it or something. You got that right.
Looks like a piece of art- Like Helen's jewelry.
She, uh, still doin' that?
She did the craft fair circuit years ago.
Robert must have made her quit.
He'd pull stuff like that- especially with her.
Bet you she'd like to start again.
Uh, don't- uh, touch the car, please.
I'm real careful with it.
There are whole-grain pancakes on the stove. Help yourself.
- What you readin'? - Nothing.
Okay. I'll go get some.
Why aren't you using the blue one?
These are fast-acting ones for breakfast.
For nighttime I use the blue ones.
They're slow-acting shots. Mom?
They're time-released.
Mom, I need to talk to you.
In private.
Morning.
I, uh- I have something to show you.
Can it wait?
Got the distinct impression we're not invited.
They're yours. I found them packed away in your boxes in the shed.
And I had these tucked away.
Figured you could use 'em someday.
These aren't stones you tuck away. Where'd you get 'em?
Just around.
Well, then, you must be incredibly lucky.
I've never seen stones like this... just around.
You can start right now if you want.
Yeah, but we're leaving soon, you told me.
When the estate was settled, we'd move out.
So you know, this whole thing, even though it's really nice,
is completely beside the point.
Thank you.
Thank you so much.
This is beautiful.
Mom, this is gonna sound odd, but-
I think you should lock your door at night. My bedroom door?
Yeah. It doesn't lock.
Okay, well, I woke up in the middle of the night, and he was in your room.
Who? Uncle Darryl.
Well, maybe he was looking for something. This is his house.
Mom, he was, like, sitting next to your bed in the dark.
Why does Connie always leave his dishes here? I hate it.
Hello. What are you doing to do about it? What do you want me to do?
Get the hell out of here. With what? Tell me. With what?
The estate. The settlement. There is no estate.
The bank has everything.
Your father left us nothing.
What about the houses that he fixed up?
They're in foreclosure. It says it right here.
So until I can find a job, get used to it around here.
I'm scared.
- Can I sleep in your bed? - You need to sleep in your own room.
You'll be safe there too.
It's okay.
You're gonna be okay.
Come on. We gotta get a move on.
Guess what.
What?
Shane got me a six-pack for a party at Leroy's tonight.
Wanna ditch and go? Who's Leroy?
Some jock at Coronado High. His parents are out of town.
You go. I'll walk to class. Seriously?
Okay, there's, like, two things that can get me out of Armpit, U.S.A.
That's a really fast car and a strong S.A.T. score,
and the car is not a viable option, so-
Get in.
# You gotta let it ride Let it ride #
# Let it ride Let it ride #
I know I don't have that much experience in apartment managing,
but my husband was a contractor,
...and he worked with guys all over town.
So I know all the best. - Excellent.
How soon can you start? - How soon do you need me?
Mmm... - Oh. There's only one bedroom?
Yes. What did you expect?
Well, I need three atleast. I have three children.
Well, technically, two.
You have kids? Yes. Is that a problem?
Well, there are restrictions.
But tell you what. You can have a cat.
Come here. Here.
- Come here, wolf. - Hey. Hey!
Yeah. Come here. You want it? Here.
Come here. Get outta here!
Come here.
Why'd you do that?
We're just playing. He's my friend.
A wolf is not your friend.
And you're throwing away dinner. That's perfectly good steak.
Here. Gimme that. Let's, uh-
Let's get you cleaned up.
Here. It's for, uh-
How do you use these?
I don't know.
Well, uh, sort of.
But can't you just read the instructions on the packet?
Look, Elise will be here any minute now. I'm sure she can help you.
I can handle it.
Conrad?
Hey. Hey.
Good to see you. You goin' to the party like that?
Change of plans. Um, I have to babysit.
Babysit who? Sarah.
Elise, this is Sarah.
Sarah, Elise.
Is she okay? - I'm fine.
Wanna watch a movie? Okay.
Yeah.
Okay, uh, why don't you...
watch this.
We're gonna be right outside.
So if anybody calls, just say I'm in bed or something, okay?
Who's gonna miss you at the party?
Besides, there's something I left out of the grand tour last time.
Okay. All right.
Hey, are you sure you're gonna be okay?
- Fine. - All right.
It's gorgeous. Is this yours?
It's my uncle's.
I love it.
Oh, my God. Check out the backseat.
It's as big as my bed.
These things are legendary. For what?
Well-
My mom claims that she was conceived in the back of a Fairlane.