Parallel

My, my mom used to say, uh, dead birds meant

the closing of one chapter and the beginning of a new one.

It tastes like cement.

Come on, man. Even with the blackberries?

I hand-picked them.

I don't but, man. It tastes like fruity cement.

What about you, Vanessa?

Vanessa?

Everything okay?

I'm fine.

You still wanna go?

Go where?

She wants to go hiking.

Did you all hear that loud noise last night?

Sounded like something exploded.

Sound? No, I didn't hear anything. You?

Probably just some thunder. It rained last night.

They shut the facility down out there.

They shut it down?

Yeah. People were saying

there were some weird experiments going on.

People or Pop?

All we know is that some people went missing,

and one day the facility was just shut down.

The forest was reclaimed as a preservation.

Man loved his conspiracy theories.

All right, there's nothing more to it.

We don't need to talk about them anymore.

Why not? You never wanna talk about him.

Why should I be compelled to talk about a man

who just disappeared on his family? Why?

-I'm telling you. -Right.

He was searching for something.

Searching for what?

I don't know.

Hey, all of it's in his journal.

Screw that journal.

Have you even read it?

Uh, no.

He said he lost it in the forest one day.

He went crazy, that's it.

He lost his mind.

Or maybe he was just lost.

(INDISTINCT LYRICS IN BACKGROUND)

Still know how to use this thing?

-Better than you. -All right, smartass.

Look, you know there's bears out there.

Mountain lions have been seen out there too, so eyes up.

Hey, I, uh, I really think that I should go with you.

I'll be fine. Just need a little time alone.

Y'all still thinking about moving out here,

selling the house?

Yeah, yeah, we talked about it.

And we're not selling our home.

We haven't decided yet.

I have, and we're not selling.

Well, you guys know

you can always take your lake house off my hands.

Obe would have loved to live out here.

There's no reception out there, so...

I'm sorry.

Vanessa?

Vanessa?

Vanessa? Come on, Van-- Vanessa.

I told Martel to never mention his name.

He, de didn't mean to, you know that.

-He was just trying to help. -Help how?

By selling away what little memories

-we have left of him? -By helping us move on.

Forward, forward. Just helping us move forward.

You wish it was me?

What?

Hmm?

Do you wish it was me who died that day?

How could you say that?

I forgave you a long time ago.

I just, I don't want to lose you too.

I'll be back in an hour.

Should she be on her own out there?

No. I know when she needs space.

Oh, fuck.

It's been going two hours.

Hey, Vanessa, you okay?

Vanessa.

Sweetie, can you hear me?

Vanessa?

Babe?

Vanessa, can you hear me?

Ca--

Hey, babe, what happened?

I saw a bear.

You saw a bear?

Hey, can we talk?

Hey.

What, what, what was,

what happened out there?

I saw a bear.

It wasn't a bear, Vanessa.

You looked terrified.

It was the same look you had when Obe died.

Okay, no, Alex, no.

Look, I, I, I love you.

I promise that no matter what, I will always be by your side.

But why do you insist on blocking me out?

I'm not blocking you out.

You act like life can just go on,

like we can have a normal life, and we can't.

It was, it was an accident.

Sweetie, it was an accident.

You didn't see the other car coming.

How many times do we have to go through this?

Can you please leave?

Why don't you see yourself and me?

Can you just, I can't talk about this right now.

Can you please leave?

Leave.

(PILLS

Oh.

Yeah, you keep swinging like that, she'll throw your back out.

You wish your swing was this pretty.

Hmm.

When's the last time you picked up a club?

When's the last time we went golfing?

It's been about three years.

That's the last time I picked up a club.

Hey, you, you want to swing?

Nah, nah. Just came out for some air.

Y'all good?

Talk to me.

What's going on inside that head of yours?

I... I lost a son.

And now I'm losing my wife.

It's only been a year.

It's gonna take some time.

We barely speak.

Separate dinners most nights.

I spend more time on my couch than in our bed.

I can't even remember the last time I seen her smile.

I, I, I thought I had the answers.

If we just kept it together and went through therapy,

we could just, we could push through.

You're going through a lot right now.

You gotta be patient with her.

You gotta be patient with yourself.

I'm trying.

I miss him.

Every second of every day.

-He was my world. -Hey, hey, come here.

I miss him too.

What would Obe say if he was here right now?

Come on, man, say it.

I'm tough.

And I'm bright.

I got muscles.

I got might.

And even when I'm afraid...

everything will be all right.

It will be all right.

Get down. Let's go honey. Be patient. Watch the ball.

Yeah! Good job, Obe. Go, go, go.

You got this.

That was a good day.