Chasing Life

Previously on Chasing Life

- Will you marry me? - Yes.

I think you're still in love with April.

- She's getting married. - You should have said "No,

- I'm not in love with her." - That's not what I meant.

The chemo didn't do what we needed it to do.

April, you're not in remission.

What if a clinical trial doesn't work?

You heard Hamburg, I can't get a bone marrow transplant until I'm in remission.

"This is the story of how I lived my life,

and planned my death."

I read these obits, and you know what I realized?

For most of us, what we do for a living is gonna be, like, one line in it.

I don't wanna die, and I don't wanna stop living my life.

I just need to start living it differently.

We gotta get to the courthouse or we're gonna be waiting in line for hours!

You couldn't have had breakfast before you came over?

Woman, I will eat my cereal when I want to!

Sorry, I'm just practicing my husband voice.

Hm. Well, keep practicing it, and you're not gonna need one.

Bossy. Mm. Just like a Hendrie woman.

Ah, Carver woman. That's not changing.

- April Carver Hendrie? - April Lauren Carver.

-Okay, okay. -You have your birth certificate?

The one that you texted me about six times?

-Just practicing my wife voice. - Touche.

- And 50 bucks? - I have a credit card.

- Well, do they take cards? - Checking.

Okay, well, walk and search. Let's go

- Oh, wait. April. - Come on. Tell me in the cab.

- No, no, no... did you see this? - Let's go, let's go.

It says we have to get married within 60 days.

Oh, well... whatever. That's fine.

But what about your clinical trial? Do you know which one you're doing?

No, not yet. I'm seeing Hamburg today.

Well, what if you have to go back to the hospital?

That would kinda get in the way of a wedding.

Then let's just go to city hall after we get our license.

Well, hey, that's fine with me, but you're the one

who said you wanted to have the whole wedding experience.

I guess I should just wait and see which one I get into.

-Okay. -So much for living in the moment.

April, you really need to start your clinical trial now.

I know. I started looking online and there are a million options.

And for each one there are people saying it's a miracle

and then there are these horror stories.

Look, I hear you. But the longer you wait...

I know, but I just need a couple of days before I jump back into treatment.

Will a couple of days matter that much?

As long as it's really gonna be a couple of days.

But you need to pick a clinical trial

so we can get you on the list.

I recommend the Selkin trial.

It's a later-phase trial, so it's been tested a decent amount.

Not a lot of side effects. Outpatient.

Okay. I'm in.

I had a feeling you might be.

So I started the process of filing your application.

Can I tell them you'll start Monday?

Okay.

- Hi, mom. - What's wrong?

- I just said, "Hi, mom." - I know, but you only play that...

that hippie, flower child crap when you're trying to calm down about something.

Not true. I'm fine. How are you?

Did you and Sam have fun at the movies?

- Yeah, we saw a foreign film. - Oh, the one from Iran

about the little girl who couldn't find her dad

and they had to sell the family goat...

That was boring as hell. We watched Guardians of the Galaxy.

And that's a foreign film?

Well, it doesn't take place here.

Well, are you gonna tell me what's wrong?

It's just... money.

With April not working, and all these medical expenses,

and Charton just raised their tuition again.

It already costs as much as a private college.

We just can't keep bleeding money like this.

If you were smart, you'd just push me down the stairs.

I have a killer life insurance policy. Literally.

Mom, seriously.

Something's gotta go, or we'll end up with nothing.

And I'm thinking it's gonna be Charton.

I mean, the whole reason I sent Brenna to that school in the first place

was to keep her out of trouble and get her on the path towards college.

And she's doing fine and she doesn't even want to go to college.

Even though we've set aside that whole college fund,

which is another potential waste of money.

And that toilet upstairs is making weird noises.

Which is probably gonna cost a ton of money to repair.

I know, it's hard. That's why I'm so glad that dad always handled our money.

Well, it's not like I cost that much.

This from the girl who begged her parents to bankroll a trip to Spain

so that she could drive around in a mini-bus with her boyfriend.

-Simpler times. -No. They weren't that much simpler.

You just don't remember because you were too stoned.

I did not think you were serious the other night about ending things.

-I mean, you were pretty drunk. -I was drunk.

But I meant what I said. That's kind of how drinking works.

- I thought we liked each other. - Yeah. As what, though?

Are you telling me you think there's a real future?

Right. That's kind of my problem.

I was just taking it day by day.

Me too. But that's not enough for me anymore.

Taking things day by day made me realize that

I want someone who wants more than day by day.

With me.

It's... it's complicated.

Mm. Not for me.

Okay.

I saw you flirting with him.

I . We've been married ten years.

Let me guess. Real Housewives again?

-What else? -There's something about watching that show alone

that makes you realize just how boring it is.

She's not alone.

Oh, hey, Vanessa.

I didn't know you guys knew each other.

Oh, yeah. Meg's my drinking buddy.

Hm...

So did you start your clinical trial?

No, I just got into the Selkin trial. So I start in a couple days.

- What made you choose that one? - I didn't. Hamburg did.

Oh. So you're just letting Hamburg take the driver's seat here?

Yeah, isn't that kind of her job?

I used to think that, and then I got into a couple of bad clinical trials

that my doctor recommended and I realized, this is my life.

-Not theirs. -Yeah. Hamburg's not the one who's gonna die

if she's wrong about this.

I'm just saying,

it's up to you how you wanna steer this.

Okay, so I do all of this research, and then what?

Trust your gut.

I'm not so good at that.

My brain's usually buzzing too loud for me to hear it.

I usually make my best decisions when I turn my brain off for a few days.

Do your research and then just distract yourself.

Go on a bender or whatever.

Check out.

Silence the mind to hear the heart.

That was very zen, Meg.

- I have a Japanese stepmother. - Oh.

So we want to make a short film that's like a sexy, comedic take...

Redundant. Sex is always comedic.

It's a parody of a classic French farce

set in an American high school.

It deals with the theme of how fluid modern sexuality is.

So Ford would play a girl who is trying to decide between two guys,

meanwhile they're hiding their love for each other.

- Art imitates life. - In your dreams.

- Dude, homophobic much? - Dude, you know I have two moms.

This sounds like a really cool idea, you guys.

Let me know how I can help. I love a good farce.

I already watched all the ones you recommended.

And didn't need the subtitles

'cause I speak fluent French.

When you guys are finished, I think you should

definitely submit to the new England

- private school film festival. - Dude, no.

I don't need kids from other schools watching us make out.

Dude, yes. And then you can put LGBTQ activism on your college application.

- Brown would love that. - So would Amherst. We're down.

Good negotiating, Brenna.

You'll have no trouble in Hollywood.

Are you serious? Uh, what's the offer?

Okay, and the back end?

Amazing. Close it.

Okay, thanks.

- I just sold my next book. - Oh, yeah?

- Yeah. - Wow! That's great.

Sorry, was that insensitive? I know you're working on a book too.

It's cool. I don't feel competitive with you or anything.

Plus I don't really consider a book that comes with a free CD literature.

Yeah, it's good that you're not competitive.

Seriously, man, congrats. You, uh, doing anything to celebrate?

I should, right? I mean, I just made more money than I've ever had in my life.

-You know what's way cooler than whatever you just made? -What?

Twice whatever you just made. I'm serious, man.

We should, like, go to the casino or something.

- You ever been to Spirit Lake? - In Connecticut? No.

Well, not to brag, but I have mad gambling skills.

I paid for my first car through online poker, at 16.

- Isn't that illegal? - Totally. But this isn't.

And hey, what better way to get over your breakup than to be around a bunch of girls

who just want to have fun, right?

As long as you don't use the phrase "girls just wanna have fun"

-in front of any actual girls. -Whatever, bro. It's worked before.

Oh, my god! What's wrong?

You never just show up without calling,

and then calling a second time to confirm,

and then updating your calendar if you're running late.

I know, I'm just... I'm researching all of these trials

and trying not to overthink anything right now.

So I just wanted to be somewhere where I could just clear my head.

April, did you just kill someone?

No, but funny you should say that.

I'm trying not to kill myself.

I have to pick a clinical trial.

And I just... I need to take a couple of days and not think about it.

I just need to turn off my computer, my brain.

Stop obsessing.