Blame It on Rio

What happened happened.

You just never know.

One time, the company I work for

transferred me to an island in the Pacific.

Fantastic place.

I invited my girl to visit me.

I sent her a postcard every day

with a single word on each card.

I wrote...

"found a virgin paradise..."

"it's yours... Matthew."

Naturally, they were delivered in the wrong order.

The message she got was...

"found a virgin."

"It's paradise. Yours, Matthew."

I never heard from her again.

Vacations are full of surprises,

to say nothing of virgins,

which brings me to last year.

It had been a really mixed-up time.

Just when I got to wear a smaller retainer,

my parents filed for divorce.

Kinda took the fun out of smiling.

I'd been working in brazil out of Sao Paulo,

the New York of Brazil.

Sao Paulo is where all the work gets done.

Where all the fun gets done is in Rio,

which is where my wife Karen and I

decided to spend our last vacation.

Somehow I'd never made it there...

by all accounts,

the most exciting, the most sensuous city in the world.

I didn't know if this was actually true,

but after 20 years of marriage,

any fantasy helps.

Victor was coming along, of course.

That's my friend Victor Lyons.

He was going through a bad patch at the time.

This divorce is gonna kill me.

Phone calls, letters.

Look at this. From her lawyers.

Every day something.

If I don't get a letter, I get a telegram.

We're in more contact apart than we ever were together.

Who knows, maybe the divorce will save the marriage.

Bite your tongue.

Just one day in Rio,

you'll forget all about it.

I promise you.

Tell you the truth,

if it wasn't for Jennifer, I wouldn't even go.

I don't have to leave town to be miserable.

It's much cheaper doing it at home.

When does she get in?

She's on a 3:00 flight.

Imagine what all this is doing to the kid.

She'll be all right. Kids are survivors.

Pays to survive, huh?

Half. That's all she wants.

Wish I had herpes.

Jennifer!

Hi.

Let me look at you.

- You-you're gorgeous. - So are you.

Yeah.

Well, what happened? You're almost a woman.

I'm strong, too, daddy. I won't break.

Oh, yeah. Right. Sure.

Look, let me take your things.

Did they feed you?

You must be beat.

Here. Give me your purse

this is some radio

you can get a hernia from rock and roll.

Poor daddy.

I wanted to tell him he didn't have to feel so guilty,

but I just couldn't take that happiness away from him.

My folks were married almost 50 years.

Never said a harsh word.

Never said a kind word.

They just didn't speak is what is was.

And I swore it would be different for Karen and me.

But something was happening to our marriage.

Nothing earth-shattering.

Just small signs that a husband can detect.

Karen...

Karen, what's wrong?

Nothing is wrong.

Read your book.

But you're crying.

I'll try to do it softly.

Is it something I did?

It's nothing you did.

You would have to do something

for it to be something you did.

Hold it, hold it.

Do you have room for these, mom?

Put them in dad's.

Wait a minute.

You've got more room than I.

Don't be such a baby.

Nicole is my daughter.

She also acts as a sort of branch wife.

This bag's a mess.

Thank you, darling.

Would you like me to teach you how?

Jennifer!

Can I put these in one of yours?

Better not

no problem. They're perfectly flat.

Then put them in yours.

I can't. Nicky's gear is in there.

Matthew, if you want to use them,

don't put them in here

you mean, if I put these in your bag,

you won't let me use them in Rio?

No, Matthew.

I mean, you won't get to use them,

because you and I are not going to Rio.

What do you mean?

Exactly what I said.

But we're packing for Rio.

You're packing for Rio.

I'm packing for Bahia.

What?

How we doing?

Jennifer.

Aunt Karen.

Aw, you look marvelous.

How's school?

How's Connecticut?

Nice. Tiny.

Hi, Uncle Matthew.

Hi.

You want some help? I got 2 taxis downstairs.

Well, I'll be right with you

Everything ok?

Yeah. Just give us a few minutes.

Help Nicky take her bags downstairs.

What do you mean, Bahia?

Club Med. For a month.

When did you decide all this?

Weeks ago.

And you didn't tell me?

I didn't want to upset you.

Oh, not until just the right moment, eh?

When you're gonna upset someone,

you're gonna do a proper job of it, right?

This is exactly what I was afraid of.

What do you expect?

We're supposed to be going on vacation.

We are going on vacation. Just 2 different ones.

But why?

You haven't a clue?

Why, am I boring when we're together?

Close.

I'm boring when we're together.

Who said? You.

Never.

Haven't you said there were times

you'd rather be without me?

Ah, that's only when I'm with you.

Most of the time, we're too together.

Sometimes we're so us,

I forget what it's like just to be me.

But when we're apart, I miss you terribly.

Karen...

the truth.

Is there someone in your life?

There's no one in my life.

No one.

Well, I thought I was.

Barely, Matthew.

Just a little bit more than I'm in yours.

Look, I'm sorry.

I-I know I was wrong.

About what

about whatever you think I was wrong about.