The Color of Rain

AHEM.

SAM AND DREW...

THERE ARE SO MANY THINGSI WANT TO TEACH YOU,

SO MUCH ADVICETHAT FATHERS PASS DOWN TO SONS,

BUT IF YOU HEARONE THING FROM ME...

HEAR THIS--

YOU ARE LOVED.

MY HUSBAND,

THE FATHER OF MY TWO SONS,

THE LOVE OF MY LIFE,

DIED ON CHRISTMAS DAY.

HE HAD BEEN SICK FOR TWO YEARS.

WHAT ARE YOU GUYSDOING UNDER HERE, HUH?

COME HERE.

COME HERE.I LOVE YOU SO MUCH.

IT'S GONNABE OKAY, OKAY?

THE EARTH KEPT TURNING

AND LIFE WENT ON AROUND US

AS THOUGH NOTHING HAD CHANGED.

BUT, FOR ME...

EVERYTHING HAD CHANGED.

"WHERE DID HE GO?" I KEPT ASKING MYSELF.

I COULDN'T RECONCILE HIS ABSENCE

IN MY BRAIN.

I WANTED TO KNOW-- WHERE DID HE GO?

I FELT LOST AND ALONE IN MY OWN HOME.

THIS IS HARDERTHAN IT LOOKS.

OUCH.

WHAT?

JUST JOKING.

YOU'RE DOINGA GREAT JOB.

YOU RAT.

YOU SCARED ME.

THANK YOU FORTAKING CARE OF ME.

THANK YOU FOR LETTING METAKE CARE OF YOU.

PEACH?

I CAN'T DIEON CHRISTMAS.

YOU'LL GOWHEN YOU'RE CALLED.

BUT I DON'T THINKTHAT'S TODAY.

OKAY?

HAPPY NEW YEAR'S, PATTIE.

ARE YOU GETTING READYFOR YOUR TRIP?

HOW ARE YOU, GINA?

WE WANT TO HAVE YOUAND THE BOYS OVER

FOR DINNER, OKAY?

THANK YOU.

COME ON, GUYS.

GOOD MORNING,KELL FAMILY.

I JUST WISH PEOPLEWOULD STOP DOING THAT.

THEY CARE ABOUT YOU.

THEY JUST DON'T KNOWWHAT ELSE TO DO.

I KNOW, AND IT'S--I'M SO GRATEFUL. I JUST... I--

HAVE YOU-- HAVE YOU FOUNDA REPLACEMENT FOR PATTIE YET?

NO, NOT YET.

WELL, I WAS THINKING ABOUTAPPLYING FOR THE JOB.

IT'D BE GREAT TO BE BUSY,

AND I COULD BE HEREJUST IN CASE MY BOYS NEED ME.

YOU'D BE PERFECT.

FRANKLY, WE'D BE LUCKYTO HAVE YOU.

OKAY, BOYS, LET'S GO.

BYE, GUYS.

OKAY! HURRY UP.GO STRAIGHT TO YOUR ROOM.

HOW CAN I POSSIBLY BE LATE?

I ONLY HITTHE SNOOZE BUTTON TWICE

AND I MADE INSTANT COFFEE,

WHICH, BY THE WAY, TASTESLIKE A BROWN CRAYON.

SORRY.

WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP?

PLEASE JUST GIVE MESOMETHING TO DO

SO THAT I DO NOTFEEL SO USELESS.

OH, YOU'VE ALREADYDONE SO MUCH.

OH, YOU KNOW WHAT?

THERE IS SOMETHINGYOU CAN DO.

I WANT TO STOPTHE MEAL DELIVERY SERVICE.

I CANNOT LOOK AT THAT RED COOLERON MY PORCH ANOTHER DAY.

I CAN WHIP OUT A TEXT,

BLAST A FACEBOOK POSTAND A TWEET,

BEFORE YOU CAN EVEN STOP ME.

THANKS.

I JUST,I WANT TO COOK FOR THE BOYS,

I WANT THINGS TO BEAS NORMAL AS POSSIBLE.

OF COURSE YOU DO.

THEY'VE BEEN SO BRAVE.

PLEASE DON'T CRY.

I AM NOT CRYING.I CAN'T CRY.

I AM TOO DEHYDRATEDFROM A LACK OF CAFFEINE.

LET'S GO GET SOME COFFEE.

YEAH. THAT'D BE GREAT.

SEE YOU LATER,PATTIE!

BYE, YOU GUYS!

BYE-BYE.

LESSON ONE.

ALWAYS TELL THE TRUTH.

BE AN HONEST MAN.

LET YOUR WORDS STAND FOR SOMETHING.

IT ISN'T ALWAYS EASY TO TELL THE TRUTH,

BUT, IN THE LONG RUN,

YOU'LL FIND IT'S THE ONLY WAY

TO LIVE A HAPPY, PEACEFUL LIFE.

NOW, EVERYTHING WORKSAROUND THIS MAIN CALENDAR.

RED IS FOR NATIONAL HOLIDAYS,

GREENIS FOR RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS,

YELLOW IS FOR HALF-DAYSAND TEACHER CONFERENCES,

AND WHITEIS FOR SCHOOL ASSEMBLIES.

AFTER EACH TEACHERTAKES ATTENDANCE,

THEY WILL SEND YOU THEIR LISTSO YOU KNOW WHO'S ABSENT

AND YOU RECORD IT... HERE.

I ALWAYS LIKE TO WAITA LITTLE WHILE,

IN CASE KIDS STRAGGLE IN LATE.

YOU SEE WHAT I MEAN?

THAT'S MICHAEL SPEHN.

CATHY'S STILLIN THE HOSPITAL.

SHE IS?

SHE WASAT MATT'S FUNERAL.

THEY WEREOLD SCHOOL FRIENDS.

SHE WAS FINE THEN.

WELL, SHE WENT INTOTHE HOSPITAL LAST WEEK

WITH A HEADACHE.

A HEADACHE?

YES! I'M SURESHE'LL BE OUT SOON.

I MEAN, SHE'SYOUNG AND HEALTHY.

WHAT CAN HAPPEN?

I'M SO SORRY.THAT WAS--

IT'S ALRIGHT.

YOU'RE RIGHT.I'M SURE SHE'LL BE FINE.

NOBODY'S HUNGRY?

I MISS DADDY.

ME TOO.

ME TOO.

YOU KNOW WHAT I THINK WOULD MAKETHIS DINNER WAY MORE YUMMY?

SOME GIANT MARSHMALLOWS.

WHY DON'T YOU GUYSSTAY HERE

AND I'M GONNA GO DOWNTO THE BASEMENT

AND SEE IF WE HAVE ANY.

I'LL TAKE THE ELEVATOR.

DING-DONG!

MM-MM-MM-MM...

NOPE, WE'RE ALL OUT OFMARSHMALLOWS,

BUT FOR LITTLE BOYSWHO EAT THEIR DINNER,

THERE WILL BE ICE CREAM.

HELLO?

ARE YOU BUSY?

HEY, COLLEEN.

NO, NO, WE'RE JUST, UH,WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF DINNER.

HAVE YOU HEARD WHAT HAPPENED?

DID I HEAR WHAT?

IT'S CATHY SPEHN.

YOU GUYS EAT UP, OKAY?

I'LL BE RIGHT BACKFOR ICE CREAM.

WHAT HAPPENED?

SHE'S... GONE.

MATT'S OLD AND DEAR FRIEND,

CATHY SPEHN,

AFTER LESS THAN THREE WEEKS SINCE PROGNOSIS,

HAD LEFT BEHIND THREE MOTHERLESS CHILDREN.

YOU OKAY, SON?

NO, DAD,I'M NOT OKAY.

YOU WILL BE.

I JUST FEEL LIKEI'M FORGETTING SOMETHING HERE,

THERE'S SOMETHINGI SHOULD BE DOING.

IT'S ALL DONE.

THERE'S NOTHINGTO WORRY ABOUT.

WE JUST...

WE GOT TO GETYOUR SHOES ON

AND GET YOU AND THE KIDSTO THE CHURCH, OKAY?

I'LL BE DOWNSTAIRS.

AT FIRST, I COULDN'T CRY.

I WAS NUMB...

TIRED, EMPTY.

LIFE HAD BEEN EVERYTHING THAT I HAD EVER HOPED FOR.

THE ENGRAVING

"LIVE, LOVE, LAUGHTER."

AND THAT WAS CATHY.

HOW COULD I GO ON WITHOUT HER?

THE NEWS OF ANOTHER FAMILY SUFFERING

SO CLOSE TO US

SENT ME BACK INTO THE DARKNESS.

I KEPT THINKING OF MICHAEL SPEHN

AND HOW SHOCKED HE MUST'VE BEEN FEELING.

I HAD AT LEAST HAD SOME TIME TO PREPARE.

I FELT COMPELLED TO ATTEND THE FUNERAL,

TO REACH OUT.

IT WAS AS THOUGH DESTINY WAS DRAWING US TOGETHER.

YOU DON'THAVE TO BE HERE.

PEOPLEWILL UNDERSTAND.

GOOD MORNING, MICHAEL.

HOW ARE YOU HOLDING UP?

YEAH. I'M FINE.

WE'RE ALLPRAYING FOR YOU.

HOW DOES THAT WORK, EXACTLY?

WHAT DO YOU MEAN?

I PRAYED REALLY HARDFOR CATHY TO GET BETTER.

SO WHAT HAPPENED?

I MEAN, I DIDN'TPRAY HARD ENOUGH?

IS THAT IT?

MAYBE IF I DIDA BETTER JOB,

I COULD'VECHANGED GOD'S MIND

AND CATHYWOULDN'T HAVE DIED

FROM AN INOPERABLEBRAIN TUMOR?

IS THAT IT?