The Lost Valentine

MAN (over P.A.):This is your final boarding call

for train 20... service toCharlotte, Washington, D.C.

Philadelphia and New York.

Now departing on track 8.

We said we weren'tgoing to cry.

You said that,I didn't.

Yeah.

I hate this.

Leaving you.

Especially now, knowingI won't be here for you.

At least you won't haveto see me get fat.

I was lookingforward to that.

I sure never dreamedthis is how we would spend

our first anniversary.

MAN (over P.A.): First boardingcall for Southern Pacific

train number 37,

service to Los Angeleson track 12.

Southern Pacific train number37, service to Los Angeles.

That's us.

Now, I want youto write me every day.

I want to know everything.

How you feel.What you had for breakfast.

Whether I kept it down.

Yes.

Oh, no, no, no.

Caroline, listen,we'll get through this.

Promise you'll come back.

I'll come back,I'll come back, I promise.

Last call forSouthern Pacific 37.

It's all right.

It's okay.

I'll wait for you.

Neil!

Neil!

Now you have my heart.

Keep it next to yours and bring it safely back to me.

I'll always love you. Caroline.

Caroline!

Happy Valentine's Day.

There you are, Mrs. Thomas.How you doing today?

Oh, Mr. Williams.

Sit... Sit down.

Don't you look wonderful.

Well, if I do, thatmakes two of us.

I was just saying to myself,it's about time for that

pretty Caroline Thomasto show up.

And there you are,right on schedule.

Wouldn't want to be late.

No, I--I don't suppose you would.

25 years I've been working here,and you haven't been late once.

Nor in the 40 years before that.

I don't know ifI ever told you this,

but back whenI was still teaching,

I always took Valentine's Dayoff to come here.

Can I get you anything?

Uh, water?

Anything?No, no, I... thank you.

I'll just sit here.

I have everything I need.

Well, take care.

MAN (over P.A.):This is your final boarding callfor train 20...

And we're out.

I've got some new storiesfor us to discuss.

Great. Did you getthat school janitor

who used his savingsto start a scholarship fund?

Uh, Mr. Figueroa does notwant to be interviewed.

But Senator Irving,on the other hand--

being up for reelectionthis year--

was very eager to sharehis thoughts and memories.

His biography and coverage,

his book, more coverage,articles written by him,

articles written about him

and this is heavy on hisvet rehab initiative.

You know, it's notveryAmerican Diary.

Exactly.

And if you getthe right edge,

you get a shotatWorld Profile.

And I'm going with youas your producing partner.

And we will not bestuck in the land

of soft and sappy anymore.

Maybe you need a drinkof water, Julie.

I'll get right on that.

You feeling stuck, Susan?

Not me. I'm good.

So Julie was justpitching Senator Irving.

She said that he'd loveto be interviewed

and he's up for reelection.Human interest.

Senators are human--sometimes interesting.

We're notWorld Profile.

We'reAmerican Diary.

And this is what worksforAmerican Diary.

It's 1944.

A young bride goesto Union Stationon Valentine's Day--

her anniversary, no less--

to send her young Navy pilothusband off to war.

He swears he'll come back,she swears she'll wait.

He goes missing in action.

But 65 years later,she's still living upto her end of the bargain,

by going down to the stationevery Valentine's Day

including this past February,to wait for his train.

And?

That's it.

Well, what elsehas she done?

I mean, has she starteda support group forNavy wives, what?

She goes downto the station.

She waits.

It's a love story.

You know what itreminds me of?

That Japanese dog story.

The one with the Akita who goeslooking for his master

at the train station

ten years after he dies...Susan.

No, it'll be a real tearjerker.

Dogs and old ladies

who wait at train stations

for their deceasedloved ones? Come on.

Lucas Thomas...Susan Allison.

Hi.

I'm the grandson

of the old ladywho waits at

the train stationfor her deceased loved one.

Oh...

Lucas and my nephew Bobby

are old college buddies.

You know, when Bobby toldmy wife that story,

she was desperate to get meto sit you down, Lucas,

and figure out how toget your grandmotheronAmerican Diary.

I can see why the piece

would work for your show,

but I'm just not sure that mygrandmother's the type of person

to pursue something like this.

Thanks for lunch, Craig.

You're very welcome.

Nice meeting you.

Very smooth, Susan.

I'll get the story.

Hello. I'm Susan Allison,fromAmerican Diaryon GNTV.

Hello. I'm sorry, dear, but I'mnot familiar with your program.

Are you Caroline Thomas?

Yes, I am.

Great. Well, we wouldlove to interview you

for our television show.

Me?

I think you havethe wrong person.

Oh, no. I'm pretty surethat it's you.

Oh, well,that's nice, but...

No, thank you.

And, uh, if you'll excuse me,I have a kettle boiling.

Okay, well...

Hi.

Did I say that I wasfromAmerican Diary?

Yes, you mentioned that.(kettle whistling)

But I have no interestin television,

and as you can hear,I'm a bit busy.

I know Lucas.

You're a friend of Lucas?

Well, why didn't yousay that? Come on in.

Make yourself at home.Would you like some tea?

Thank you.

What did you say yourname was again, dear?

Um, Susan.Allison.

Ah...

LUCAS (over phone):Hello?

Hello, Lucas?It's Grandma.

You didn't tell me you hada friend coming by today.

Are you coming, too?

What friend?

Uh, Susan Allison?

Something about an interview.

She's there at the house?

Yes, we're having tea.

I'll be right over, Grandma.

Okay, dear.We'll see you soon.

Grandma.

Hello, dear.

Hey, Grandma.

Ooh, oh, hey!Lucas, hi!

Hello!How are you?

I'm fine. I'm justa little surprised

to see my "friend" here.

You know, I didn't actuallysay that you were my friend.

I just said that I knew you.Hmm.

Wow. This rosebushis beautiful.

Yeah, that bushis dead.

It is not dead.

And it's very special to me.

My husband and I planted ita long time ago.

And when was that?

Uh, Grandma, could you justexcuse us for a moment?

Uh, well, certainly, dear.

Yeah.I'll, uh, I'll get ussome iced tea.

Oh.Sounds great.

There we are.Thank you.

What are youdoing here?

I thought you had no interestin my grandmother.

You know, I think that

I may have given youthe wrong impression.