Us and Ourselves

It was a dark and stormy new--

You all packed up?

F. Scott Fitzgerald. Are you all packed up?

Trying to crack this, just a minute.

You'll have the whole weekend to crack it,

but if you haven't packed, you have about 10 minutes.

10 minutes?

Contrary to what you might think,

the rest of the world doesn't stop while you're writing.

I know that.

I think.

-Ready to go. -You have the car keys?

Perfect. Ready?

Maybe there'll be an engagement ring

on the table when we get back?

Maybe if a book deal magically appears first.

Do you remember where you parked it?

It was a numbered Street.

Hang on, is that it? Over there?

Bingo!

Did you remember to check the sign before parking?

I did.

It said no parking on Tuesday or Thursday.

Do you remember that the holiday shifts everything?

Uh...

It's fine. I'll just-- I'll pay it.

It can't be that much.

There's no fu--

...king, way back when.

And in other news, we have the much-anticipated

Patriots-Buccaneers showdown this weekend.

-Tom Brady returns to the West. -

-I'll be back in a minute. - All right.

-What's up? -This keeps eating my quarters.

Um...

I can grab some stuff inside.

-What do you want? -Just a couple of things.

So, Alex and Kylie, huh?

What about them?

Nothing, really.

It just seems crazy to me that they're engaged.

-Who else is going? -I don't know.

I think it's a spur-of-the-moment

-get-together. -My favorite kind.

There will be some familiar faces.

-Summer? -Definitely.

So wait a minute. They probably invited--

Elliot.

Jinx, you owe me a soda.

-You owe me rent. -You can keep the soda.

Kylie is really excited for us to meet her friend.

Um, what was it?

R-- Rhonda?

No. Rachel? No.

Anybody we'd know?

Doesn't sound like we know her.

To be fair, you can't remember her name.

True.

Well, I can't wait.

Weekend of old faces and drinking until

new ones become familiar.

Do you need anything from inside?

I think I'm set on snacks for about a year.

Okay, suit yourself.

Be back in a minute.

Red plastic coating her arms...

No, how about...

...red wool coating her arms?

Delilah was already out the door.

Things between Randall and Delilah had grown tense

in the last few months.

He worked the day shift at NYU, teaching

indifferent students the ins and outs of astrophysics.

...How could he hold her back?

From saving lives at the ER...

...having to eat dinner,

Delilah's patience had begun to grow...

Laughing to an invisible...

...with so many unfulfilled promises

about moving to the countryside...

1960s American life that was advertised to us, that...

"Randall, it's time to go our separate ways."

She turned and left, the door beginning to close

behind her, but just as it began to shut, a hand.

Stephen King, can you unlock the door, please?

Did you write anything good?

Good is subjective.

So, no?

So, no.

Next stop, lake house.

["Greatest Song About Amherst" by Matt Farley]

All right, so bon vie is here.

Oh, my God, congrats, my boy, he's all grown up.

Uh, close, but not all, you'll be next.

Yeah, I'm working on it.

Is Kylie inside?

Uh, yeah, she's probably out back by the lake.

Seb, buddy, haven't seen you since graduation.

-What, it's been four years? -Almost five.

Wow, that long, huh?

Yeah, it's been a while.

Congratulations on the engagement, by the way.

Oh, thank you, thank you so much.

So, let's get this party started.

-You guys want to see the place? -Yeah.

This is it.

Don't mind it's so cramped in here,

this is the best we could do in the last minute.

-It's perfect. -Dude, this is incredible.

Oh, this? You should have seen

the other place we were looking at.

Honestly makes this place look like shit.

Well, call me a pig because I could roll

in this piece of shit all day.

Sorry, uh, writer's block.

That's the best I could come up with.

Buddy, silence is golden.

And gold is very rare these days, especially after COVID.

I don't... What?

So, ready for the tour?

Yes, please.

Uh, actually, do you have any coffee?

Babe, you were just on the road.

Yeah, but you said you didn't want any coffee.

That's not what I said.

Oh, look, Dunks.

I have a feeling we're not in New York anymore.

Hey, Zoe, you want to get some coffee?

You want to get some freaking Dunkin' Donuts?

Zoe, better hurry up.

-Zoe, Zoe. -Please stop.

All righty, then.

Well, yeah, there's a... There's actually

a really cute coffee shop in town.

It's like a 10-minute walk, but...

you're gonna miss the tour.

That's okay. I'll catch the next one.

No, no, this is a one-time deal.

Limited engagement.

Tickets are going fast.

That's fine. I'll pass.

All right, but, uh, don't take too long.

We're gonna do a toast in about 30 minutes.

Isn't it a little late for breakfast?

Seb, the engagement toast?

Oh, sorry.

Head fuzzy, uh...

It's all good.

The bag.

Oh, I'm... sorry.

All right, thank you.

Anyone want anything?

Uh, yes, actually, a pumpkin muffin if they have one.

They do. They're great.

All right, pumpkin muffin. Alex?

Oh, I'm good, man. Thank you.

All right, I will be back in 30.

No, you won't.

Knowing you, you'll probably sit down and write somewhere.

I'd say you don't know me very well at all, then.

That was way cooler in my head.

Where's everyone else?

They're probably out back by the lake,

maybe playing football.

But have you met, uh, Rory?

Oh, that's what it was.

No, I won't.

Hey, happy homecoming weekend. How can I help?

Homecoming?

I wondered why there were so many maroon sweatshirts.

Been hearing that a lot today. Can I get you anything?

Um, yeah, can I get a medium hot coffee and, uh...

Anything else?

Uh, no, sorry. Um...

That'll be three dollars.

-Do you take cash? -Of course.

Thank you.