Sophie's Rules (2023) Movie Script
1
Hey, Kitty.
I'm here when you need me. Call me.
Love you.
Hi, hon. Call me when you get this message.
Love you.
Hey, hon. It's me. Call me.
Hey, hon. I'm in between meetings.
I just, I wanted to say hi.
I love you.
Kathy. Call me, text me,
send me a smoke signal.
Let me know you're all right.
I wanna make sure I don't lose you too.
Kathy, thank God.
I was getting worried. Is everything okay?
I am okay.
There's no easy way to say this, Kathy.
My meetings are running longer,
and I won't be back for a few more days.
I'm sorry I can't be there with you.
That's okay.
I'm keeping busy.
Are you seeing Dr. Myers?
He's a grief counselor. I'm not grieving.
You need to deal with
Derek's loss, not keep denying it.
He can help. He helped me.
Helped you what?
Accept that he's gone?
He's not!
The insurance company
cleared his passing.
We received the death gratuity.
They're wrong!
I am not touching that
check, because he's not gone!
Derek is out there lost,
maybe on the streets.
Do you know how many vets are homeless?
It's unlikely, Kitty.
You have no faith.
He's out there, and you can't accept that.
I'll be home soon. We'll
get through this together.
I love you.
I have to go. My bath is ready.
And it takes me back home
And it takes me back home
And it takes me back home
Hey.
Hello.
Lady, hey. Lady.
Wake up, would you? Well, wake up.
Oh, lady. What's?
Hey, what? I can help.
I used to be a medic in Nam.
You okay?
Are you okay?
Are you okay?
I don't know.
There's vacancy, but
you have to wait to speak with Ms Sophie.
You seem lost.
I don't know where I am.
What happened to your head?
I, I, I tripped and fell.
Look, I can sneak you in,
and get you cleaned up,
and maybe something to eat.
But we have to be quick, 'cause technically
you can't be here until
Ms Sophie says you can.
It's one of her rules.
What is this place?
Officially it's the
Cottonwood Rescue Shelter.
This is a safe haven for us.
What do you mean us?
The lost, the plundered, the forgotten.
The streets aren't safe.
Just a few days ago, a homeless
man was beaten to death.
Can you believe that?
Do you live here?
Nobody really lives
here, except Ms Sophie.
It's her place and her
son, Bobby, and Blue.
He's our security man. But he wanders off.
She lets strangers stay here?
Like that famous quote says,
there are no strangers here,
just friends you haven't met yet.
Hi, I'm Amber. What's your name?
You look like an Alice. I
used to have an Aunt Alice.
Amber!
She shouldn't be here.
Come on. You know the rules.
Hi. Pleasure.
Sophie's gonna be here any second now.
This is not the way they should meet.
I'm sorry. What's your name?
Her name's Alice.
Pleasure. I'm Maude.
This isn't the way, how
Sophie should meet Alice, okay?
She's bleeding, and she needs help.
I doubt Ms Sophie would
turn her away like this.
What happened? Did
somebody do this to you?
Is somebody maybe after you?
Are we in danger?
Relax. She fell. Just go
keep an eye out for Ms Sophie.
I'm not gonna be a part of
one of your other schemes here.
Just let me know when
Ms Sophie gets here.
Okay, fine. You talked me into it.
Looks superficial, no stitches needed.
Than...
Someday, I'm gonna be a
nurse, just like Ms Sophie.
She's taught me everything I know.
You could say I'm kind of
like her medical assistant.
Purple! My scrubs will be purple.
- What's your favorite color?
- Hum...
How long have you been out on the streets?
I only ask 'cause you
don't have a lot of stuff,
and that's a good thing.
Not that it's a good
thing not to have things.
Sophie's here.
Maude,
go into Andrew's hocus
pocus bag and grab his flask.
I'll just go. I don't want
to get anyone in trouble.
Weren't you listening,
the streets aren't safe.
One thing we do here is,
we look after each other.
Amber,
Amber!
I wasn't here.
I want you to smell like booze.
Remember, we don't
want to think you're trouble,
or she'll send you straight
to the police station.
They do terrible things to you there.
It's okay. Just let me do all the talking.
Amber!
Stay right here. Okay?
You know the rules.
Everyone with two able hands helps.
I was helping.
Yes, Ms Sophie. Good evening to you too.
Are you... hiding someone...
in the bathroom?
Hiding?
No. No, no, no. Fixing, yeah.
That's more like it. I was fixing.
I would never bring someone
into your house, your bathroom,
especially when they're
bleeding all over the floor.
You are a horrible liar.
Lying is bad.
Maude already told me.
I'm sorry. But you know how it is.
When Sophie looks at you,
How could you snitch on
me? You're my best friend.
I am your best friend,
but you asked me to lie.
I didn't have time to clean up.
That's enough.
Who's in the room?
This woman was drunk, and she fell.
And I met her outside,
when I was reading my nursing textbook.
You know, the one about
ligaments and muscles.
People have those, right?
The muscles, and eyelashes, and elbows.
She needs help.
Are you all right?
What happened to you?
She fell down, somewhere.
I fell.
How many fingers do you see?
Two.
No immediate signs of concussion.
For a more in depth diagnostic,
you'll have to go to the county
hospital around the corner.
Have you been drinking?
Yes Ma'am.
What were you drinking?
Wine. Lots of it.
Please don't send me to the police.
What's your name?
Alice.
Well, Alice, I'm Sophie
Hagan. This is my place.
Our place.
We help everyone who needs it.
But there are rules to follow,
and you will have to come back tomorrow.
Please, Sophie.
She has know where to go.
Is that right?
Please.
I vouch for her.
Well, it looks like someone
has taken a liking to you.
I remind her of her Aunt.
Well, I'm not gonna break total protocol.
Amber, take Alice to the shower.
Bring her a towel, something to wear.
Put her clothes in the wash.
Then bring her to my study,
so we can have our interview.
Yes, Ms Sophie. Right away, Ms Sophie.
Bobby?
Yeah?
You're in charge of
putting everything away.
When you're done, get
back to that essay, please.
Yes, Mom.
Thank you.
Try and keep that dry. I'll
see you in a few minutes.
Okay, come with me.
Don't you just love this
beautiful how, how...
Hey, Bobby.
Hi, Amber.
Do you need help?
Amber focus. Get Alice ready.
Next time.
Is he your boyfriend?
Oh, I wouldn't stand a chance.
I'm not really his type.
What type is that?
The non junkie kind.
Hey.
I'm mad at you.
Don't be.
Okay.
Hey, Alice,
Now you have to remember
to be completely honest.
If you don't want to say something,
don't worry, Sophie won't mind.
But just make sure you don't lie to her.
Another one of her rules.
Have a seat.
Have a little drink, for your nerves.
That's what I thought.
What brought you here?
Amber let me in.
What are the events
that led you to end up here?
I fell, and haven't
been able to get back up.
Everyone here has fallen.
Some of us get up and keep going.
Others keep tripping and
falling right back down again.
I turned this home into a
shelter to help everyone stand.
Do you need help?
Can you talk about it?
Do you want to talk about it?
Are you willing to accept
the help that is here for you?
Because if not,
then there is no point to
this, and there is the door.
This is not a house of lingering,
but a house of getting better.
Everyone here has accepted
they need help and are trying.
Are you willing to try?
I don't abide by regulations.
But I do have rules
that have to be followed.
Do you understand?
Yes.
We don't have deep pockets funding us.
I raise money.
Good people and local
shops donate to keep us going.
Before I let you stay, I need to know...
Yes!
Are you in danger of hurting yourself?
Are you in danger of hurting others?
No.
Is someone looking to hurt you?
No.
Are you wanted by the authorities?
No.
Alice is not your real name, is it?
What's your real name?
I like Alice.
Okay, I understand.
You can be Alice here.
And that's as formal as it's going to get.
Is there anything to fill out?
No, this is a place to find peace,
and help you find yourself.
Is that what you seek?
More than anything.
No one here is to be judged.
But we have to be honest
with ourselves in order to heal.
She can stay.
See, I knew she'd let her stay.
Sophie's an angel.
Maude, I want you to
take Alice to the kitchen.
Can you ask Andrew to
give Alice something to eat?
And then you can all give
her the rundown of the rules.
- There's more rules?
- I will do as you ask.
Andrew, we've talked about you doing-
your magic in my study! I know.
But I wanted to give the
grand entrance to the new lady.
I am the Amazing Andrew.
It's a pleasure to meet you, Alice.
Come. Let's eat.
Don't mind them. They're just curious.
How many people live here?
At a time? No
more than a dozen, max.
But it varies.
Here you go. Eat
up while it's still warm.
Can I get a spoon, please?
Of course. Spoons are my specialty.
They really are.
Thank you.
You're welcome. Okay.
Here's the deal, Alice.
Sophie's house is modeled
after the temporary shelters.
Over there, you get a maximum
of 72 hours before you have to leave.
Here, we get 82 hours.
As of today, we got two days left.
What happens then?
Well, we have to leave
the premises for 48 hours.
No exception. It's a hard rule.
If we don't, we're considered residents,
and we lose this safe haven.
Where do you go?
Wherever the day takes us.
Can you come back?
Well, of course, after two days,
during which time Sophie cleans the place,
and looks for paraphernalia
and other things that shouldn't be here.
Like your flask.
You little snitch.
Shhhh.
It's such a drag, but we have to do this
'cause the city already dinged her once
for having too many people in here.
Is giving
shelter to people illegal?
No, it's not.
They act like it's the end of the world.
All the storage bins are taken.
You'll have to bring
all your stuff with you.
I don't have anything.
That's good, the less
attachments you have,
the easier it is to survive.
As long as you don't fight,
or you don't do drugs on the premises,
the doors will remain open.
Here's the rest of the rules.
How long have you been coming back?
A year and a half.
14 Months.
A year and a half.
Why do you keep coming back?
It's hard out there.
I left nine months ago, and
next thing I know I'm using,
and my boyfriend's pimping me out again.
She has a soft spot for that loser.
You'll meet him. He's always coming around.
He knows you're here?
He used to come with me.
We both got clean at one point.
I'm staying clean as long as I'm here.
Don't you have parents
you can go home to?
They kicked me out.
I can't blame them.
I was stealing from them, and
always promising to clean up,
only to come home high the next day.
I'm gonna go for a smoke break.
I told you, I'm not interested.
It's not about
being interested or not.
You need to take the deal.
Do you know how many
people depend on this house?
What you do is commendable, but the bank
isn't interested in your
humanitarian endeavors.
They just want their money.
You are months behind in your payments.
You don't have many options left.
I know, I know.
I know everything you've
done for us, Georgina.
And it's very much appreciated, but
there's got to be something more.
We're barely charging
you interest as it is.
Donations are slow to come in this time.
If you were to register the Cottonwood
as a proper shelter, you
would get government help.
I can't do that. You know that.
I don't agree with
some of their regulations.
Humm,
We can do a reverse mortgage.
Don't I have to be dead for that?
No, it's not like that.
I can promise you that we at the World Bank
have your best interest at heart.
Let me show you.
We're gonna have to take
an assessment of the property.
And once we assess the property,
then we can see how much
is this property actually worth.
Blue is not at his post?
He must be doing his rounds.
Sophie knows
what she's talking about.
She's a been there,
done that type of person.
She has a scary look
to her, but she's all heart.
Rumors say she was quite
the beauty when she was my age.
Whenever she walked out of the house,
it was like someone dropped
ice cream on the sidewalk.
All the neighborhood boys
would swarm around her like ants.
Sophie?
She could have had her
pick up any boy she wanted.
Unfortunately she was into bad boys.
Sounds familiar.
Johnny Hagan was his name.
He went to jail for shooting a guy.
And then he was stabbed
to death two weeks in,
leaving her pregnant with Bobby.
Amber, you should go inside.
- Speak of the devil himself.
- What's wrong?
Amber's ex. L'il shawty!
What do you want?
Nothing with you Grand-Maude,
so mind your business.
Hey, watch yourself.
You should all mind your business.
I'm here to talk to my baby girl.
Ex, ex baby girl.
Come on. You're my bae.
You promised to be my forevah.
My princess... get in da car.
You're scoopable as they getz.
Like before, just yous and me, baby girl.
Leave her alone.
Baby. It's me. You know I wont hurt you.
I still got mad love for you.
Do you still love me?
I love you.
Tell me you love me too.
I d...
That's enough, Clarence.
That's not my name, bitch.
But it was before you dropped
your snotty face out of school.
This is between me and Amber.
This is my home.
Whatever business you
bring goes through me.
If it isn't Ms Badass Sophie.
You need to get going.
Is that right?
Blue!
Ms Soph' says you
gotta go, Mr. Yo. So go.
When you get bored at
playing house, come find me.
You better watch yourself, old hag.
Or you're gonna get yourself
in a shit load of trouble.
Creep!
Okay, everyone. Let's get back in.
Yes.
I do.
I've wanted you since I was 14.
Da da da
Da da da da
I got the cake.
We're gonna be together forever and ever.
And I got the flowers.
And ever.
I do, Mr. Yo.
I do.
But wait. What about Bobby?
Is Amber okay?
He's her kryptonite.
She's not as strong as she used to be.
She's been trying to stay clean,
but she's been failing at it.
Last time she went with him
was on an eight day binger.
Are you okay?
Maybe we should get Sophie.
No, it's okay. She
just needs to process it.
What's going on?
That's Huevo. He's
one of our broken vets.
Why do you call him 'egg'?
Well, he does anything for eggs.
Scrambled, fried, poached, boiled.
I've even seen him eat raw eggs.
Now sometimes he
yells out of the blue, mostly at night.
Lucky us.
Great.
She isn't always
gonna be there to cradle him.
Sophie has a
way of talking with him,
getting to him.
What's going on in
that brain of yours, child?
I have to leave.
To go where? With Mr. Yo?
Why do you care so much for him?
He was there for me
when I was at my lowest.
He was the reason
you were at your lowest.
And he'll drag you right back down again.
I can help him.
Isn't that a rule? Help those in need?
You can only help those
who want to be helped.
He needs me.
Yes, to make him money.
It's not love. It's a business arrangement.
It's so hard.
They say you are what you are.
Maybe, maybe I'm just a junkie.
You are so much more than that.
You're young. You're bright.
You have a great future ahead of you,
as long as you set your mind to it.
What happened with finishing high school?
Your dreams of being a nurse?
I don't belong in school.
You don't belong
here. School is a way out.
Why don't I ask Bobby to
bring the application again?
Will you fill it out this time?
Don't let it become one
big problem. Keep it small.
It's a 'mini prob'.
'Mini prob.'
Come here.
Miss Sophie,
can I please come in?
Yes, of course.
I'm not having a very good day today.
It's okay, hon, It's okay.
Thank you.
You're a really good gardener.
Of all the chores,
gardening is my favorite.
This is a really big place.
Used to belong to a lady
by the name of Cottonwood.
Sophie was her nurse for 20 years.
She inherited the place when she died.
She could have made a
bundle of cash if she sold it.
And she turned it into a shelter?
It's more of a Transition place.
It's a temporary shelter
for people to get a leg up.
No one likes their own situation.
Getting out as soon as
possible is most ideal.
See that guy, Tom?
He's a grad with a BA.
His drinking got him in here.
Now he goes to AA meetings
regularly, and job interviews.
He's gonna get out.
Some of us are a little complacent.
Hey, Tom. Are you going for an interview?
Yeah. Today's life insurance.
Yeah!
It's door to door, but I'll take it.
You need help with that tie?
I do. I totally do.
That's good.
Thank you. I'm looking forward to it.
I think it's gonna go well.
Okay, good luck.
- Good luck.
- Good luck, Tom.
- Thanks guys.
- Good luck, Tom.
Oops, sorry.
Vroom vroom.
Vroom vroom.
Hey guys, Sophie's
having issues with payments.
It takes a lot of moolah
to run a place like this.
She had to take a loan out on the house.
Can't she file as a shelter?
No. This is a home, not a business.
Which the other shelters are.
Businesses have the right
to refuse services to anyone they want.
Some places claim to help the homeless,
but they're more concerned
with their quotas and agendas.
Well, I had a friend...
Maude.
Lucia was her name.
Her life was in a rut,
and she decided to go
to Chicago to start over.
As a Cali girl, she
didn't even have a coat.
So I bought her one with
the little money that I had.
Nothing worked for her.
She ended up becoming
depressed, developed a habit.
Didn't have any money,
started living on the streets.
One shelter one night refused
her entry because she was gay.
What did she do?
It was in the news,
they found her dead
one night on a cold night.
If only she had a real coat.
It wasn't your fault.
No, I know. It's just, Sophie
would never let that happen.
This place is special.
She's made it a home.
And no one can tell her
what she can or cannot do.
Keep it.
Isn't there something we can do?
I've said let's rob a bank before,
but everyone looks at me like that.
Yeah, we're not doing that.
I will figure everything out. Now, come on.
Let's go. We're going
inside. Let's get creative.
We have a full day ahead of us.
First we have art therapy,
and then we have group talk.
And then we have therapy
therapy. Come on, Maude.
No. I'm just gonna be
here for a few minutes.
Tell Sophie I'll be in soon.
I'll stay with you.
No. I wanna be alone. I'm fine.
You know the rules, Maude.
I can't leave you alone right now.
Okay, fine.
I'll wander, okay.
You let me know when you're ready to go.
Okay.
Who's that?
My son.
Is he waving hello or goodbye?
Who is this?
Her son.
Tell me about him.
His name is Derek, and he's 27.
But he'll always be my baby boy.
Why is he waving?
I'll never forget the first time
Harold and I took a trip without him.
He was with his grandparents.
And this is him waving to
us as we left for the airport.
I was all smiles.
But I was crying inside.
Where is he now?
On a mission.
Is he a spy?
He's a Marine.
He was deployed two years ago.
And he's still there?
Maybe we can talk about him later?
What do we have here?
The 'emptiness of life'.
Oh, and the 'human condition'.
Here you can see my purple scrubs.
And you can see my name
tag. It says Nurse Amber.
You see? You see it, right? Yeah.
And then I have three
of these little tear drops,
because this guy didn't make it.
In jail they say that every
tear drop you have is somebody...
You know what I'm saying?
Okay. We'll talk.
Hey, Blue.
Have you met Alice? She's brand new here.
Oh yeah, the other day. I'm security.
Yeah, Blue keeps us safe,
'cause he is the toughest
mean machine man out here, right Blue?
Hells yeah.
I'm gonna go on my rounds.
Okay, thank you.
His real name is Sam.
He used to be an all pro
tackle for the Springfield Colts.
Wears that blue jersey everywhere.
Name Blue just kind of stuck.
He took a pretty serious blow to the head.
It left him a little
Blue actually lives here.
Sophie's his full time caregiver.
Sophie wants to know
if you are going to attend
the fourth night party.
I can move some of my meetings around.
Yeah, I can probably make it.
What's that about?
It's a sweet way to send us off.
It's our last night together,
before we'll have to leave the house.
House rul...
Isn't this a pretty picture?
Is that new blood I see?
Leave us alone. We're calling the police.
Here I am,
trying to welcome this little
bitch into the neighborhood.
You're acting like you don't know me?
That's cold blooded Grand-Maud.
Screw o...
You're gonna talk back
like that to your employer?
I don't work for you anymore.
You're wrong, little girl.
You still haven't paid off your debt.
Why don't you two butt heads
get the hell outta here and
leave these fine people alone?
Why don't you come on up?
I have a little something here for you.
Hey! Teddy!
Don't you call me that, you old hag.
You know that's not my name.
You're right, it isn't. It's
Theodore, Theodore Bullock.
T-bullshit is more like it.
Why don't you boys leave? Go home.
Your mothers are probably worried sick.
I'm looking at my Mamacita right now.
I'm here for Amber.
Are they here for you, Amber?
I don't know what they're doing here.
Oh, come on. That just
simply hurts my feelings.
You're not the emotional type.
Just leave. There's nothing here for you.
Amber, go inside.
I'm not afraid... Amber, get inside now.
Yeah, you'll listen to that old hag.
She'll keep you safe,
along with Mr. Big Security Man over here.
Get on your way, now!
You can't keep her forever.
We'll come back for you.
And you're a little older than we take,
but come and find me.
We'll find something for you to do.
Let's go, dirt bags. Let's go.
Don't let the door hit you
where the good Lord splits you, bitches.
What's their deal?
They belong to a gang.
They called themselves the Five X's.
I noticed the X burns
on parts of their bodies.
Every time one of them does something
they consider remarkable,
they get branded with an X.
You don't become a full member of the gang
until you have five X's.
What do they want with Amber?
Oh, they go way back with Amber.
They recruited her in high school.
Yo and her were sweethearts.
They used to keep her high,
and forced her to work the streets.
Pieces of crap even filmed her.
- Hey, Georgina.
- Hey.
- How are things going?
- Good, good.
Oh. Georgina, you better be
bringing me some good news.
Well, I have done all the paperwork.
So I hope, you know, we
can make something work.
I have the assess...
Hm, can we go inside
where is a bit more private?
Yes, of course.
Please step into my
office. I'll see you a little bit.
Bobby, can you please tell
Andrew to bring us some tea?
And when you see Steph,
tell her to start with Alice.
- Okay.
- Thank you, hun.
How bad is it?
It's very bad. Missed more
than a couple payments.
How much is owed?
20,000.
We applied for a grant.
We should hear back any day now.
That'll bring us up to
date and keep us afloat.
In the meantime, we'll continue
to reach out to our regular benefactors.
Hey, where's Amber? I
brought her GED application.
She just needs a few minutes alone.
She'll join us shortly.
What are you studying?
I'm finishing my Gen Ed.
Thinking about getting into pre-law,
'cause it's the best
way to help around here.
Maybe business.
That sounds boooring,
Bobby, I see you as an artist.
What we need is to be more money savvy,
not have another painting on the wall.
Those are good degrees,
Derek. They'll get your work.
You know you just called me Derek.
I did?
I'm sorry.
It's okay. Do you want to talk about him?
He was my son.
He studied philosophy.
He ended up in the military.
Is he no longer with us?
What do you mean? Why would you say that?
I'm sorry for assuming.
It's just that you said
was, in the past tense.
Well, you're wrong. He's not.
Ladies and gentleman!
Steph is here.
Thanks, Andrew.
Thanks.
Steph is our therapist.
Sophie wanted you to
be the first to see her.
Do I have to?
It's a Sophie rule.
I have no say?
You don't have to say anything.
What if I don't feel like it?
Nobody does.
But we all do.
We all do.
We all do.
We have a mandatory 45 minutes.
We could talk,
or continue to stare at each other
and let the clock run out.
What am I supposed to say?
Anything you want.
What's the point of
talking about anything?
Well, it's something,
if it's important to you.
Talking helps.
Be it with a stranger,
a pet, even a puppet.
It doesn't help me understand you better.
It helps you understand yourself.
I know exactly how
I'm feeling all the time.
And what is that?
Scared, anxious, apprehensive.
About what?
Those emotions
are triggered by fear.
What scares you? Is it
being here in the shelter?
Are you afraid of someone?
Of a loss that you won't accept?
Whom have you lost?
I saw a grief counselor,
but it was pointless.
Because my son is still alive.
How did therapy go?
Bobby tells me you got upset at him
over a comment he made about your son.
I know you're not a drunk.
And I know you haven't
been on the streets long.
Your teeth are very white.
What are you hiding from?
What are you so afraid of that you'd rather
take your chances out
on the street than facing it?
I just need...
to be away,
from everything,
from everyone I know.
You want a clean slate.
What? I mean a vacay to
reorganize your thoughts.
One hell of a way you chose to do it.
Going on a cruise is more my thing.
But, you are here now.
And I'm responsible for you.
Are you coming back after the reset?
Where else would I go?
The truth? Not here, and not out there.
I mean our society is broken.
We're overworked, overstressed,
living paycheck to paycheck,
with little savings, and hugely in debt.
We're over medicated, fatigued,
dying of heart disease and cancer.
We've confused keeping
up with the Jones' with living,
and are dying with regret
of all the things we wish we had done.
Why would anyone want to go back to that?
The truth, the truth is in here.
You have to be brave
to face what's in here.
Find yourself, find your
balance in this world of ours,
and live the best life you can.
This here is limbo.
Don't get comfortable.
Or you'll get trapped, like
many of these other lost souls.
At the end of every reset,
I hope I never see anyone come back.
And I continue to be disappointed.
I've had too many losses.
I need a win.
Running through life
searching for what's right
There you are. We've
been looking all over for you.
Are you ready for a big adventure?
It may just be you and I
The way I see the light within your eyes
And sound is turned off inside my mind
Amber. Bobby brought the GED application.
You wanna fill it out
tomorrow before you leave?
Yeah!
I hear it's somebody's special day.
Blue, Blue, Blue, Blue.
Is it Blue's birthday?
No, this is the cake we
started as a last night tradition.
We take turns with the names.
The clock is ticking down
and we're living it up right now
I am the Amazing Andrew.
Look after the place, Blue.
Bye, guys.
Be safe.
She's coming.
Hey, guys. Where Amber?
She's in the garden waiting for you.
We'll get her later,
when we go to the store.
Okay, I'll remind her. Stay of trouble.
There you are.
You had me worried for a bit.
I'm sorry.
I just didn't want the
others to see me off.
Why?
I was afraid that if I left with them,
I don't know if I would've come back.
I wanna try this nurse thing, Ms Sophie.
I look good in purple.
Well, they'll be picking you
up on the way to the store.
Hey, Soph'. The freaking
bank's on the phone.
I'm on my way.
Hey, Amber. I got your GED application.
Are you gonna help me fill it out?
You bet.
Come on up. Let's work on it.
Sure.
It's just two pages.
So we can get this done really quick.
Okay, yeah. Easy.
She hasn't come out yet.
Let's get outta here.
We'll come back later.
Hey, Andy. Where you
going? The park's this way.
Y'all go on ahead. I'll
catch up with you, okay?
Don't you worry. I won't
miss my curtain call.
You just go out, and already
thinking about the bottle?
Don't judge me, Egg Man.
He'll be back. Let's just go.
We're going to the park first,
to see Huevo's brother, Bubba.
And then later on tonight,
we're going to crash at his store.
It's a convenience store.
He let's us stay on the roof.
I sleep in the car. I don't do heights.
Hey, I have a joke.
What came first, the chicken or the huevo?
It's funny.
Bubba!
Hermano.
Hey, Jen.
Hi, Maude. Hi, Huevo.
Hey, Jen.
Will the roof be available tonight?
Of course. Just head
on up whenever you want.
I'm here until three.
You're an angel, Bubba. This is Alice.
I can make some dogs and
fresh juice if you all want some.
You're a real peach.
I'll be back shortly, Bubba.
I wanna do some restock
for a bit, earn a bit of money.
Espera, I got something for you.
Buy, Huevo.
Bye.
Anyone have
a small white balloon that
I can use? You, young lady
with the fuzzy head. Come here.
For my first trick, I'm gonna
turn this balloon into an...
An egg!
Oh! That was good, right?
Thank you, young lady.
For you, some flowers.
Thank you very much.
Off you go. There you go.
Now, for my next trick.
The children are
really enjoying his tricks.
You're allowed to clap.
He's actually quite
incredible with an audience.
You'd never know it, but he
used to have a show in Vegas.
That's big, what happened?
Ready on the count of 3
His wife was his assistant
and something happened between them.
1,2,3, blow.
After that, he was
drinking and missing performances.
Very good. A
little wet, but that's okay!
He ended up bottoming out here,
in this very park one night four years ago.
If he can find a
way to beat the alcohol,
maybe he can start over again.
Well, not unless he can get an agent
that will get him a new
liver as part of his contract.
Is it that bad?
He only drinks at Sophie's, he doesn't
even eat any food anymore.
I am going to need a volunteer.
Oh, that's my cue.
Yes, young lady with
the... new one, yes aaah,
here we go. Another volunteer.
Thank you very much.
What's your name?
Maude.
Maude, and we've never met before, have we?
Okay, let's sta...
What is that? What?
- Oh my God!
- What?
- Oh my God!
- What?
Did you see that?
You ready for this?
Now we're gonna put this
egg in your forehead. Tada!
Alice.
Gracias. This looks wonderful.
Try it.
Did you make this?
Yeah.
Yum.
Has Huevo gotten help for his PTSD?
He had an episode the other night.
Si. Military shrink gave him some pills,
and told him to shake it off.
At home, he never wants
to talk about what happened.
We were okay with that because he said he,
he did some horrible things out there.
Latinos don't easily accept mental illness.
And that's why most of the family
stays away, scared of him.
So we help Senorita
Sophie with whatever we can.
No other shelter will take him.
He seems so harmless.
He's a sweet man, but he
can't hold down a steady job.
He kind of loses it sometimes.
It ranges from verbal
abuse to physical violence.
He spent many nights in a cell.
Huevo.
Did I miss the show?
It's gonna be
amazing. Are you ready?
Abby, I think you're gonna
like this one. You ready?
Haa!
A tie dyed wind sock. Thank you very much.
Thank you. Thank you, thank you. Okay.
This is what we're gonna do. Are you ready?
Close your eyes. I'm gonna disappear.
And open your eyes.
Where'd he go?
Where did he go?
And I'm back.
Wow!
Did you see that, Abby?
Thank you. Thank you ladies and gentlemen.
If you have it in your
heart to spare a few dollars
or coins or something, I
would really appreciate it.
Thank you very much,
guys. Thank you very much.
Enjoy the rest of your day.
We're getting
together this weekend at Mom's.
You're welcome to come too, Alice.
Huevo's friends are my friends.
Is your mom a good cook?
She makes the best gorditas in the world.
You like chili rellenos?
You are very good.
Maybe you could do private events.
Thank you, my dear.
But sadly, I'm an even more Amazing Drunk.
I can't get a decent booking anywhere.
You goof.
The only booking you're gonna get
is for ripping off liquor stores.
Amazing Andrew uses
his hands for shoplifting.
Anyways. Did you see what he did?
It looked like he actually
put an egg through my head.
What does Andy do with
the eggs after the show?
I have taken a magician's oath.
I assure you no eggs have
been harmed during the prestige.
Actually it's silicone and
it's in his back pocket.
You see?
It's not bad, guys.
I got enough for a nice
Cabernet here. Any takers?
All right, listen.
I'm gonna go get myself
a couple two buck chucks.
You guys go get whatever you want,
and I'll meet you back at the roof.
Why don't you just join us for lunch?
I mean, there's plenty here for everyone.
And there'll still be
enough for wine afterwards.
I made enough for pizza.
And ruin a beautiful
bottle of wine with food?
Why are you doing this to yourself?
Madam, please don't dare judge me
until you have walked
a mile in my wingtips.
You know what?
You are so hell bent
on ending your life as soon as possible.
Are you all right?
Look at the two of us, huh sweetheart?
We both suck them back to dull the pain.
We both drink to forget.
I tell you what, my good friend.
Why don't you wait up for me?
And we can be terminal together too!
Oh, you're Amazing all
right. You're an amazing A-hole.
What is that about?
Last year Maude found out
she got a inoperable tumor in her stomach.
The pain must be terrible.
Sophie gives her medicines, but out here.
Maude, I'm so sorry.
You know what? Just ignore
what that piece of shit said.
I don't need you people
feeling sorry for me.
Hell, if I wanted that, I'd call my kids.
Is there something I can do?
Yeah, you know what you can do?
You can do something for me.
You can put some food in Andy's body,
so he doesn't starve himself to death.
Humm!
Don't act like you love me
Don't act like you care
Do you have any family?
Three kids.
My husband is deceased.
Do they know?
Of course they know.
You have family. What
are you doing out here?
Cause I don't want
to be a burden to them.
Didn't they care?
Of course they
care, from a distance.
They all want to look after me,
as long as I'm not with them.
Johnny's offered me
a live-in nurse at his expense.
Julie said she'll pay my hospital
bills when the time comes.
And Nora, she said
she'll fly out for a few weeks.
What do you want?
No one's ever asked me that.
You know what I don't want?
I don't wanna be in a nursing
home, or even a hospital
with tubes stuck in me just waiting to die.
I wanna be with people I enjoy,
people who are alone, but not lonely.
At Cottonwood,
I'm a part of something there.
I'm doing something. I'm not just dying.
I'm part of a cause.
I know it's not much.
My social security check
helps with the groceries.
And Sophie, she's helped me find a program
that gets my medicine at a lower cost.
You contribute to the shelter?
Then you don't need to be out here.
No, actually I do.
It all adds up, medicine, rent.
Some of us have jobs, and
we can't even make ends meet.
What about you?
What's your story about?
I wanna be alone, but not lonely.
You have a boy. Does
he play a part in this?
My son went missing in action for months.
And then we got a notice that he was dead.
That can't be, because
I don't feel it, you know?
And a mother would
know if her son was gone.
But the letter.
Letters can be
wrong, sent by accident.
It can't be true.
Married?
Business trip. He's accepted it.
He thinks I'm crazy for wanting to hold on.
You're not.
Sometimes you gotta lie
to yourself to keep going.
Be warned. The truth is going
to come out. Prepare yourself.
Greet it with a smile, and not with fear.
And I bleed
You
And I need...
You
Oh
I bleed you
Hey, Andy. We gotta get Amber.
Get up, you bum!
There's no bum here.
Just people who haven't
found the right way in life yet.
We gotta get going.
Come on!
Hey, guys.
We're all ready here.
Gonna head to the store,
get it all ready for tonight.
See you there?
Bye, Huevo.
We're moving in.
What about the big guy?
I brought an old friend for him.
Okay.
Exactly - Oh yeah, I
think that looks right.
And that's your autograph.
- Oh, yes!
- Yes.
So I'm signing right
here, blah blah blah.
Yeah... okay.
Don't forget this.
Have you been accepted
to the US Military before?
No.
Are you sure?
I might have to double check.
Okay.
- Hm, no I don't see...
- Say No to that.
Oh Yeah! Maybe one here.
And one more autograph there.
Okay nice.
You can't be here.
Hey, big man. I'm here for Amber.
No visitors allowed.
I'm not visiting,
just picking her up.
You can't be here.
Says who?
Ms Sophie, you dumb ass.
I don't see her.
So I guess it doesn't
matter what she thinks.
You're gonna get in b... big trouble.
Is that right?
You're a little slow
there aren't you, biggie?
I'm security.
That was sick.
Let me get this on Snap.
That's it?
There you go!
Oh my gosh, thank you so much Bobby,
I couldn't have done it with you.
All signed, sealed and ready to deliver.
Umm hmm, oh and just in time too
the group should
be here to pick me up.
Yeah.
Hey, well
what are friends for right
Yeah.
Let's send it off
first thing in the morning.
Okay.
She's mine!
Oh!
Shhh.
I told you I'd be back for you.
- Stay put.
- BLUE!
Not so tough without the big guy huh!
What did you do to him?
Same thing we'll do
to you if you get in our way.
Bobby! What did you do to my son?
You can tend to him
as soon as we get Amber.
I'm not going anywhere with you!
I'm not leaving without
my number one earner.
I don't do that anymore.
Cut that out. You owe me.
And with that pretty face,
you'll pay your debt in no time.
You're coming with us, otherwise
the old hag is paying off your debt, okay?
Okay.
I'll go. Just please don't hurt her.
Go Amber, go.
Hey!
Oh!
Blue, stop!
Blue stop it!
Let's go!
Come on. Let's go!
Hey, Amber.
Woo!
Oh no!
No!
Let's go!
Alice, go check on Sophie.
And for my next trick,
I'm gonna spit up a little blood,
and then pass out for a little while.
You're okay here. Help is coming.
Get in the car!
Whoo! Let's go.
Derrick!
How's he doing?
He'll be fine.
He's just resting now.
He's doing fairly well.
What he needs is some good, healthy food.
He's really malnourished.
He'll recover from the beating,
but the damage he's doing
with the alcohol might be irreversible.
Thank you. Nurse Palmer, is it?
You haven't told us anything
we didn't know already.
Can I ask how long he's
been drinking like this?
He's been drinking
night and day ever since we've known him.
A year and a half?
As someone who's been there,
if he wants some help,
I'd be more than happy
to take him to a meeting.
Thanks.
We'll try.
It's a real long shot.
I'll bring him out too shortly.
Okay.
This is the second time
in my life I've felt powerless.
It really humbles you.
He'll pull through.
This is what happens when
you get caught up in this life.
I lost my husband and
my oldest son to addiction.
I'll be damned if I lose my baby boy
because of some junkies.
Who is waiting for you, Alice?
Go back to them before you lose them too.
My name is Kathy.
It's a pleasure to meet you, Kathy.
My son
was killed in a mission in the Middle East.
My denial hurt my marriage and my career.
I lost many friends.
I didn't cash the death gratuity,
because taking the money meant
accepting that he was truly gone.
And I didn't wanna exist
in a world without him in it.
Had it not been for Bobby,
I'd be where you are right now.
I had to save him from that life.
Instead, he saved me.
When I saw him bloodied
on the floor like that,
I snapped.
In a way, he saved me too.
Does it ever get easier?
The pain
Comes in waves.
Not easier.
But the waves are less frequent.
Have you seen Kathy.
Heard from her?
Go home. Your husband needs you.
Thank you.
Thank you for giving me a win.
You know, Andrew,
you really should come see us sometime.
It's not that bad, I promise.
They got an open bar?
Thank you.
She cares.
Hey Andrew, you look like a mess.
Next time you should wear a helmet.
How you doing, Sophie?
I've seen better days.
Where's Alice? I
thought she was with you.
She was called away.
Good for her.
I'm sorry about Blue.
I hate myself for not being there.
There's nothing you could have done.
No! If I see them again, I kill them.
Excuse me.
I got it. I got it. I got it.
Look at me. Let the
authorities deal with it.
There will be no more killing.
Let's hold hands and
let's give a minute to Blue.
And they're doing a CT scan
and we should hear the results soon.
Ms Sophie?
Leslie!
- It's good to see you.
- You look terrific.
You guys know each other?
Oh, we go way back.
Your boy, Andrew here is very talented.
Ooh. What did he do?
There were a couple
of kids waiting for X-rays.
And even as banged up
as he is, he managed to do
some very impressive magic
tricks to keep their mind off it.
It was kind wonderful.
She means Amazing.
If you're up for an encore performance,
there's a little girl who came in.
She had a seizure. I
think she's a bit frightened.
A couple magic tricks
might help take her
mind off things for a while.
Go, do it.
Be Amazing for that little girl.
Apres toi, mademoiselle.
Merci, monsieur.
Who wants some coffee?
Oh, I do.
I'll buy, if you go get it.
That's a fair trade.
Come with me, Huevo.
We're just gonna take a little bit longer.
We wanna catch the show
of the Amazing Andrew.
Hi.
Drop it. Drop it.
Hehehe.
Come on.
Hehehe.
Kathy!
You're back!
Somebody, quickly.
We got a live one here. We need a medic.
Nurse!
Female, 20's, lacerations on her face.
I know.
Derek is dead.
He's here.
He'll always be here.
I'm sorry for all the pain I've caused you.
I know you miss him as much as I do.
Can you ever forgive me?
There's nothing to forgive.
We have each other again,
That's all that matters.
Can we do this? Can we move on?
Moving on doesn't mean forgetting.
It means opening your heart
to accept with love the
memories we've made.
Together, we can do it.
I love you.
Hey, you're awake.
I'm lucky I have a thick skull.
- Don't mind if I do.
- Thank you.
Nurse Palmer let us see Andy
with the kids in the children's ward.
The kids were so excited,
they forgot about everything.
And this little boy,
he didn't have any hair
and he couldn't even sit up.
His eyes lit up when Andy
pulled a coin out of his ear.
And the nurse said
that it was the first time
he smiled since his last chemo treatment.
I am so proud of you, Andrew.
And I think nurse Palmer
kinda of likes Andy too.
Don't kid yourself.
She's just trying to get
me to an AA meeting.
Miss Leslie Palmer was as
big a mess as you are right now.
And she turned her life
around. You should listen to her.
She got herself out?
It takes
somebody to care a little bit.
It's enough to just get
you back on the right track.
Ms Sophie. Can I see you a minute?
Yeah, yes of course. I'll be right back.
What is it Leslie?
We had a young girl come
in, and she gave you her name
and Cottonwood as her contact information.
Is it Amber? Is she here?
That is the name she gave us, yeah.
How is she? Can I see her?
She's still being assessed.
She's stable for now.
We gave her a sedative.
What is it, Leslie?
Her wounds were self inflicted.
What did she do to herself?
She gouged the skin off
her face with her fingernails.
How? Why? Has she said anything?
She hasn't spoken to anybody.
We're running a tox screen.
We think drugs were involved.
Thank you.
Hi.
I'm so happy you're alive.
The cops went to the X's hang out,
and when they didn't find you there
we were expecting the worst.
I did it, Ms Sophie.
I didn't hesitate, Ms Sophie.
I did it. I wouldn't be pretty no more.
They couldn't sell me no more.
I made up my mind.
I was gonna go to school and
get me a GED.
I was no good to them.
They told me that
I was useless now, and
that I'm worthless.
And then
they threw me out of the car,
because I'm garbage.
I'm so sorry.
It's okay. It's okay.
You're going to be okay. I got you now.
Mini Prob.
Hoo.
This is such a cute check.
I can't wait to see
Georgina's face when I give it to her.
We wanted to
put the money to good use.
It was an appropriate way
to honor Derek's memory.
Thank you.
A toast.
Cottonwood welcomes
the motley crew of society.
We're safe. It's our home.
May her doors never close.
- Salud!
- Salud.
Hum, hm!
It's time.
Work hard, okay?
- I will. You too.
- You got this.
Argh! Come here!
I'm proud of you, kid.
Thanks so much. I'm proud of you too.
Never thought I'd be
sad leaving this place.
You're not gonna miss anything!
You're gonna be very busy
studying them law books.
Yes mom.
Oh, I'm so proud of you.
I'm going to miss you so much.
I'm going to miss you too.
Hopefully you're gonna be so busy
running this place to even miss me.
Your help is immensely appreciated.
Good luck.
I'm gonna make you guys proud.
Drive safe.
Let's do it.
New rule!
Call your mom often.
Yes, Mom.
Bye.
You won't even know I was gone.
Okay.
Bye, guys!
- Bye, honey.
- Bye.
Bye.
Bye, honey.
Love you.
Okay.
Let's go.
All done!
Now tell me about
Virginia. I've never been to
Arlington cemetery.
Flowers bloom, and life still goes on
Memories haunt me cause you're gone
Sitting on the couch
wrapped up in your arms
Driving down the
highway, back seat of your car
Just doin nothing but sippin on you
I don't care what we do
I wake myself up from this daydream
Wake myself up from this daydream
I'm sittin here alone
Sittin here alone
The taste of you reminds me
The taste of you reminds me
And it takes me back
home It takes me back home
Sittin on the couch
wrapped up in your arms
Drivin down the highway,
back seat of your car
Just doin nothin but sippin on you
I don't care what we do
I wake myself up from this daydream
Wake myself up from this daydream
I'm sittin here alone
Sittin here alone
The taste of you reminds
me Taste of you reminds me
And it takes me back home
And it takes me back home
And it takes me back home
And it takes me back...
Home.
Hey, Kitty.
I'm here when you need me. Call me.
Love you.
Hi, hon. Call me when you get this message.
Love you.
Hey, hon. It's me. Call me.
Hey, hon. I'm in between meetings.
I just, I wanted to say hi.
I love you.
Kathy. Call me, text me,
send me a smoke signal.
Let me know you're all right.
I wanna make sure I don't lose you too.
Kathy, thank God.
I was getting worried. Is everything okay?
I am okay.
There's no easy way to say this, Kathy.
My meetings are running longer,
and I won't be back for a few more days.
I'm sorry I can't be there with you.
That's okay.
I'm keeping busy.
Are you seeing Dr. Myers?
He's a grief counselor. I'm not grieving.
You need to deal with
Derek's loss, not keep denying it.
He can help. He helped me.
Helped you what?
Accept that he's gone?
He's not!
The insurance company
cleared his passing.
We received the death gratuity.
They're wrong!
I am not touching that
check, because he's not gone!
Derek is out there lost,
maybe on the streets.
Do you know how many vets are homeless?
It's unlikely, Kitty.
You have no faith.
He's out there, and you can't accept that.
I'll be home soon. We'll
get through this together.
I love you.
I have to go. My bath is ready.
And it takes me back home
And it takes me back home
And it takes me back home
Hey.
Hello.
Lady, hey. Lady.
Wake up, would you? Well, wake up.
Oh, lady. What's?
Hey, what? I can help.
I used to be a medic in Nam.
You okay?
Are you okay?
Are you okay?
I don't know.
There's vacancy, but
you have to wait to speak with Ms Sophie.
You seem lost.
I don't know where I am.
What happened to your head?
I, I, I tripped and fell.
Look, I can sneak you in,
and get you cleaned up,
and maybe something to eat.
But we have to be quick, 'cause technically
you can't be here until
Ms Sophie says you can.
It's one of her rules.
What is this place?
Officially it's the
Cottonwood Rescue Shelter.
This is a safe haven for us.
What do you mean us?
The lost, the plundered, the forgotten.
The streets aren't safe.
Just a few days ago, a homeless
man was beaten to death.
Can you believe that?
Do you live here?
Nobody really lives
here, except Ms Sophie.
It's her place and her
son, Bobby, and Blue.
He's our security man. But he wanders off.
She lets strangers stay here?
Like that famous quote says,
there are no strangers here,
just friends you haven't met yet.
Hi, I'm Amber. What's your name?
You look like an Alice. I
used to have an Aunt Alice.
Amber!
She shouldn't be here.
Come on. You know the rules.
Hi. Pleasure.
Sophie's gonna be here any second now.
This is not the way they should meet.
I'm sorry. What's your name?
Her name's Alice.
Pleasure. I'm Maude.
This isn't the way, how
Sophie should meet Alice, okay?
She's bleeding, and she needs help.
I doubt Ms Sophie would
turn her away like this.
What happened? Did
somebody do this to you?
Is somebody maybe after you?
Are we in danger?
Relax. She fell. Just go
keep an eye out for Ms Sophie.
I'm not gonna be a part of
one of your other schemes here.
Just let me know when
Ms Sophie gets here.
Okay, fine. You talked me into it.
Looks superficial, no stitches needed.
Than...
Someday, I'm gonna be a
nurse, just like Ms Sophie.
She's taught me everything I know.
You could say I'm kind of
like her medical assistant.
Purple! My scrubs will be purple.
- What's your favorite color?
- Hum...
How long have you been out on the streets?
I only ask 'cause you
don't have a lot of stuff,
and that's a good thing.
Not that it's a good
thing not to have things.
Sophie's here.
Maude,
go into Andrew's hocus
pocus bag and grab his flask.
I'll just go. I don't want
to get anyone in trouble.
Weren't you listening,
the streets aren't safe.
One thing we do here is,
we look after each other.
Amber,
Amber!
I wasn't here.
I want you to smell like booze.
Remember, we don't
want to think you're trouble,
or she'll send you straight
to the police station.
They do terrible things to you there.
It's okay. Just let me do all the talking.
Amber!
Stay right here. Okay?
You know the rules.
Everyone with two able hands helps.
I was helping.
Yes, Ms Sophie. Good evening to you too.
Are you... hiding someone...
in the bathroom?
Hiding?
No. No, no, no. Fixing, yeah.
That's more like it. I was fixing.
I would never bring someone
into your house, your bathroom,
especially when they're
bleeding all over the floor.
You are a horrible liar.
Lying is bad.
Maude already told me.
I'm sorry. But you know how it is.
When Sophie looks at you,
How could you snitch on
me? You're my best friend.
I am your best friend,
but you asked me to lie.
I didn't have time to clean up.
That's enough.
Who's in the room?
This woman was drunk, and she fell.
And I met her outside,
when I was reading my nursing textbook.
You know, the one about
ligaments and muscles.
People have those, right?
The muscles, and eyelashes, and elbows.
She needs help.
Are you all right?
What happened to you?
She fell down, somewhere.
I fell.
How many fingers do you see?
Two.
No immediate signs of concussion.
For a more in depth diagnostic,
you'll have to go to the county
hospital around the corner.
Have you been drinking?
Yes Ma'am.
What were you drinking?
Wine. Lots of it.
Please don't send me to the police.
What's your name?
Alice.
Well, Alice, I'm Sophie
Hagan. This is my place.
Our place.
We help everyone who needs it.
But there are rules to follow,
and you will have to come back tomorrow.
Please, Sophie.
She has know where to go.
Is that right?
Please.
I vouch for her.
Well, it looks like someone
has taken a liking to you.
I remind her of her Aunt.
Well, I'm not gonna break total protocol.
Amber, take Alice to the shower.
Bring her a towel, something to wear.
Put her clothes in the wash.
Then bring her to my study,
so we can have our interview.
Yes, Ms Sophie. Right away, Ms Sophie.
Bobby?
Yeah?
You're in charge of
putting everything away.
When you're done, get
back to that essay, please.
Yes, Mom.
Thank you.
Try and keep that dry. I'll
see you in a few minutes.
Okay, come with me.
Don't you just love this
beautiful how, how...
Hey, Bobby.
Hi, Amber.
Do you need help?
Amber focus. Get Alice ready.
Next time.
Is he your boyfriend?
Oh, I wouldn't stand a chance.
I'm not really his type.
What type is that?
The non junkie kind.
Hey.
I'm mad at you.
Don't be.
Okay.
Hey, Alice,
Now you have to remember
to be completely honest.
If you don't want to say something,
don't worry, Sophie won't mind.
But just make sure you don't lie to her.
Another one of her rules.
Have a seat.
Have a little drink, for your nerves.
That's what I thought.
What brought you here?
Amber let me in.
What are the events
that led you to end up here?
I fell, and haven't
been able to get back up.
Everyone here has fallen.
Some of us get up and keep going.
Others keep tripping and
falling right back down again.
I turned this home into a
shelter to help everyone stand.
Do you need help?
Can you talk about it?
Do you want to talk about it?
Are you willing to accept
the help that is here for you?
Because if not,
then there is no point to
this, and there is the door.
This is not a house of lingering,
but a house of getting better.
Everyone here has accepted
they need help and are trying.
Are you willing to try?
I don't abide by regulations.
But I do have rules
that have to be followed.
Do you understand?
Yes.
We don't have deep pockets funding us.
I raise money.
Good people and local
shops donate to keep us going.
Before I let you stay, I need to know...
Yes!
Are you in danger of hurting yourself?
Are you in danger of hurting others?
No.
Is someone looking to hurt you?
No.
Are you wanted by the authorities?
No.
Alice is not your real name, is it?
What's your real name?
I like Alice.
Okay, I understand.
You can be Alice here.
And that's as formal as it's going to get.
Is there anything to fill out?
No, this is a place to find peace,
and help you find yourself.
Is that what you seek?
More than anything.
No one here is to be judged.
But we have to be honest
with ourselves in order to heal.
She can stay.
See, I knew she'd let her stay.
Sophie's an angel.
Maude, I want you to
take Alice to the kitchen.
Can you ask Andrew to
give Alice something to eat?
And then you can all give
her the rundown of the rules.
- There's more rules?
- I will do as you ask.
Andrew, we've talked about you doing-
your magic in my study! I know.
But I wanted to give the
grand entrance to the new lady.
I am the Amazing Andrew.
It's a pleasure to meet you, Alice.
Come. Let's eat.
Don't mind them. They're just curious.
How many people live here?
At a time? No
more than a dozen, max.
But it varies.
Here you go. Eat
up while it's still warm.
Can I get a spoon, please?
Of course. Spoons are my specialty.
They really are.
Thank you.
You're welcome. Okay.
Here's the deal, Alice.
Sophie's house is modeled
after the temporary shelters.
Over there, you get a maximum
of 72 hours before you have to leave.
Here, we get 82 hours.
As of today, we got two days left.
What happens then?
Well, we have to leave
the premises for 48 hours.
No exception. It's a hard rule.
If we don't, we're considered residents,
and we lose this safe haven.
Where do you go?
Wherever the day takes us.
Can you come back?
Well, of course, after two days,
during which time Sophie cleans the place,
and looks for paraphernalia
and other things that shouldn't be here.
Like your flask.
You little snitch.
Shhhh.
It's such a drag, but we have to do this
'cause the city already dinged her once
for having too many people in here.
Is giving
shelter to people illegal?
No, it's not.
They act like it's the end of the world.
All the storage bins are taken.
You'll have to bring
all your stuff with you.
I don't have anything.
That's good, the less
attachments you have,
the easier it is to survive.
As long as you don't fight,
or you don't do drugs on the premises,
the doors will remain open.
Here's the rest of the rules.
How long have you been coming back?
A year and a half.
14 Months.
A year and a half.
Why do you keep coming back?
It's hard out there.
I left nine months ago, and
next thing I know I'm using,
and my boyfriend's pimping me out again.
She has a soft spot for that loser.
You'll meet him. He's always coming around.
He knows you're here?
He used to come with me.
We both got clean at one point.
I'm staying clean as long as I'm here.
Don't you have parents
you can go home to?
They kicked me out.
I can't blame them.
I was stealing from them, and
always promising to clean up,
only to come home high the next day.
I'm gonna go for a smoke break.
I told you, I'm not interested.
It's not about
being interested or not.
You need to take the deal.
Do you know how many
people depend on this house?
What you do is commendable, but the bank
isn't interested in your
humanitarian endeavors.
They just want their money.
You are months behind in your payments.
You don't have many options left.
I know, I know.
I know everything you've
done for us, Georgina.
And it's very much appreciated, but
there's got to be something more.
We're barely charging
you interest as it is.
Donations are slow to come in this time.
If you were to register the Cottonwood
as a proper shelter, you
would get government help.
I can't do that. You know that.
I don't agree with
some of their regulations.
Humm,
We can do a reverse mortgage.
Don't I have to be dead for that?
No, it's not like that.
I can promise you that we at the World Bank
have your best interest at heart.
Let me show you.
We're gonna have to take
an assessment of the property.
And once we assess the property,
then we can see how much
is this property actually worth.
Blue is not at his post?
He must be doing his rounds.
Sophie knows
what she's talking about.
She's a been there,
done that type of person.
She has a scary look
to her, but she's all heart.
Rumors say she was quite
the beauty when she was my age.
Whenever she walked out of the house,
it was like someone dropped
ice cream on the sidewalk.
All the neighborhood boys
would swarm around her like ants.
Sophie?
She could have had her
pick up any boy she wanted.
Unfortunately she was into bad boys.
Sounds familiar.
Johnny Hagan was his name.
He went to jail for shooting a guy.
And then he was stabbed
to death two weeks in,
leaving her pregnant with Bobby.
Amber, you should go inside.
- Speak of the devil himself.
- What's wrong?
Amber's ex. L'il shawty!
What do you want?
Nothing with you Grand-Maude,
so mind your business.
Hey, watch yourself.
You should all mind your business.
I'm here to talk to my baby girl.
Ex, ex baby girl.
Come on. You're my bae.
You promised to be my forevah.
My princess... get in da car.
You're scoopable as they getz.
Like before, just yous and me, baby girl.
Leave her alone.
Baby. It's me. You know I wont hurt you.
I still got mad love for you.
Do you still love me?
I love you.
Tell me you love me too.
I d...
That's enough, Clarence.
That's not my name, bitch.
But it was before you dropped
your snotty face out of school.
This is between me and Amber.
This is my home.
Whatever business you
bring goes through me.
If it isn't Ms Badass Sophie.
You need to get going.
Is that right?
Blue!
Ms Soph' says you
gotta go, Mr. Yo. So go.
When you get bored at
playing house, come find me.
You better watch yourself, old hag.
Or you're gonna get yourself
in a shit load of trouble.
Creep!
Okay, everyone. Let's get back in.
Yes.
I do.
I've wanted you since I was 14.
Da da da
Da da da da
I got the cake.
We're gonna be together forever and ever.
And I got the flowers.
And ever.
I do, Mr. Yo.
I do.
But wait. What about Bobby?
Is Amber okay?
He's her kryptonite.
She's not as strong as she used to be.
She's been trying to stay clean,
but she's been failing at it.
Last time she went with him
was on an eight day binger.
Are you okay?
Maybe we should get Sophie.
No, it's okay. She
just needs to process it.
What's going on?
That's Huevo. He's
one of our broken vets.
Why do you call him 'egg'?
Well, he does anything for eggs.
Scrambled, fried, poached, boiled.
I've even seen him eat raw eggs.
Now sometimes he
yells out of the blue, mostly at night.
Lucky us.
Great.
She isn't always
gonna be there to cradle him.
Sophie has a
way of talking with him,
getting to him.
What's going on in
that brain of yours, child?
I have to leave.
To go where? With Mr. Yo?
Why do you care so much for him?
He was there for me
when I was at my lowest.
He was the reason
you were at your lowest.
And he'll drag you right back down again.
I can help him.
Isn't that a rule? Help those in need?
You can only help those
who want to be helped.
He needs me.
Yes, to make him money.
It's not love. It's a business arrangement.
It's so hard.
They say you are what you are.
Maybe, maybe I'm just a junkie.
You are so much more than that.
You're young. You're bright.
You have a great future ahead of you,
as long as you set your mind to it.
What happened with finishing high school?
Your dreams of being a nurse?
I don't belong in school.
You don't belong
here. School is a way out.
Why don't I ask Bobby to
bring the application again?
Will you fill it out this time?
Don't let it become one
big problem. Keep it small.
It's a 'mini prob'.
'Mini prob.'
Come here.
Miss Sophie,
can I please come in?
Yes, of course.
I'm not having a very good day today.
It's okay, hon, It's okay.
Thank you.
You're a really good gardener.
Of all the chores,
gardening is my favorite.
This is a really big place.
Used to belong to a lady
by the name of Cottonwood.
Sophie was her nurse for 20 years.
She inherited the place when she died.
She could have made a
bundle of cash if she sold it.
And she turned it into a shelter?
It's more of a Transition place.
It's a temporary shelter
for people to get a leg up.
No one likes their own situation.
Getting out as soon as
possible is most ideal.
See that guy, Tom?
He's a grad with a BA.
His drinking got him in here.
Now he goes to AA meetings
regularly, and job interviews.
He's gonna get out.
Some of us are a little complacent.
Hey, Tom. Are you going for an interview?
Yeah. Today's life insurance.
Yeah!
It's door to door, but I'll take it.
You need help with that tie?
I do. I totally do.
That's good.
Thank you. I'm looking forward to it.
I think it's gonna go well.
Okay, good luck.
- Good luck.
- Good luck, Tom.
- Thanks guys.
- Good luck, Tom.
Oops, sorry.
Vroom vroom.
Vroom vroom.
Hey guys, Sophie's
having issues with payments.
It takes a lot of moolah
to run a place like this.
She had to take a loan out on the house.
Can't she file as a shelter?
No. This is a home, not a business.
Which the other shelters are.
Businesses have the right
to refuse services to anyone they want.
Some places claim to help the homeless,
but they're more concerned
with their quotas and agendas.
Well, I had a friend...
Maude.
Lucia was her name.
Her life was in a rut,
and she decided to go
to Chicago to start over.
As a Cali girl, she
didn't even have a coat.
So I bought her one with
the little money that I had.
Nothing worked for her.
She ended up becoming
depressed, developed a habit.
Didn't have any money,
started living on the streets.
One shelter one night refused
her entry because she was gay.
What did she do?
It was in the news,
they found her dead
one night on a cold night.
If only she had a real coat.
It wasn't your fault.
No, I know. It's just, Sophie
would never let that happen.
This place is special.
She's made it a home.
And no one can tell her
what she can or cannot do.
Keep it.
Isn't there something we can do?
I've said let's rob a bank before,
but everyone looks at me like that.
Yeah, we're not doing that.
I will figure everything out. Now, come on.
Let's go. We're going
inside. Let's get creative.
We have a full day ahead of us.
First we have art therapy,
and then we have group talk.
And then we have therapy
therapy. Come on, Maude.
No. I'm just gonna be
here for a few minutes.
Tell Sophie I'll be in soon.
I'll stay with you.
No. I wanna be alone. I'm fine.
You know the rules, Maude.
I can't leave you alone right now.
Okay, fine.
I'll wander, okay.
You let me know when you're ready to go.
Okay.
Who's that?
My son.
Is he waving hello or goodbye?
Who is this?
Her son.
Tell me about him.
His name is Derek, and he's 27.
But he'll always be my baby boy.
Why is he waving?
I'll never forget the first time
Harold and I took a trip without him.
He was with his grandparents.
And this is him waving to
us as we left for the airport.
I was all smiles.
But I was crying inside.
Where is he now?
On a mission.
Is he a spy?
He's a Marine.
He was deployed two years ago.
And he's still there?
Maybe we can talk about him later?
What do we have here?
The 'emptiness of life'.
Oh, and the 'human condition'.
Here you can see my purple scrubs.
And you can see my name
tag. It says Nurse Amber.
You see? You see it, right? Yeah.
And then I have three
of these little tear drops,
because this guy didn't make it.
In jail they say that every
tear drop you have is somebody...
You know what I'm saying?
Okay. We'll talk.
Hey, Blue.
Have you met Alice? She's brand new here.
Oh yeah, the other day. I'm security.
Yeah, Blue keeps us safe,
'cause he is the toughest
mean machine man out here, right Blue?
Hells yeah.
I'm gonna go on my rounds.
Okay, thank you.
His real name is Sam.
He used to be an all pro
tackle for the Springfield Colts.
Wears that blue jersey everywhere.
Name Blue just kind of stuck.
He took a pretty serious blow to the head.
It left him a little
Blue actually lives here.
Sophie's his full time caregiver.
Sophie wants to know
if you are going to attend
the fourth night party.
I can move some of my meetings around.
Yeah, I can probably make it.
What's that about?
It's a sweet way to send us off.
It's our last night together,
before we'll have to leave the house.
House rul...
Isn't this a pretty picture?
Is that new blood I see?
Leave us alone. We're calling the police.
Here I am,
trying to welcome this little
bitch into the neighborhood.
You're acting like you don't know me?
That's cold blooded Grand-Maud.
Screw o...
You're gonna talk back
like that to your employer?
I don't work for you anymore.
You're wrong, little girl.
You still haven't paid off your debt.
Why don't you two butt heads
get the hell outta here and
leave these fine people alone?
Why don't you come on up?
I have a little something here for you.
Hey! Teddy!
Don't you call me that, you old hag.
You know that's not my name.
You're right, it isn't. It's
Theodore, Theodore Bullock.
T-bullshit is more like it.
Why don't you boys leave? Go home.
Your mothers are probably worried sick.
I'm looking at my Mamacita right now.
I'm here for Amber.
Are they here for you, Amber?
I don't know what they're doing here.
Oh, come on. That just
simply hurts my feelings.
You're not the emotional type.
Just leave. There's nothing here for you.
Amber, go inside.
I'm not afraid... Amber, get inside now.
Yeah, you'll listen to that old hag.
She'll keep you safe,
along with Mr. Big Security Man over here.
Get on your way, now!
You can't keep her forever.
We'll come back for you.
And you're a little older than we take,
but come and find me.
We'll find something for you to do.
Let's go, dirt bags. Let's go.
Don't let the door hit you
where the good Lord splits you, bitches.
What's their deal?
They belong to a gang.
They called themselves the Five X's.
I noticed the X burns
on parts of their bodies.
Every time one of them does something
they consider remarkable,
they get branded with an X.
You don't become a full member of the gang
until you have five X's.
What do they want with Amber?
Oh, they go way back with Amber.
They recruited her in high school.
Yo and her were sweethearts.
They used to keep her high,
and forced her to work the streets.
Pieces of crap even filmed her.
- Hey, Georgina.
- Hey.
- How are things going?
- Good, good.
Oh. Georgina, you better be
bringing me some good news.
Well, I have done all the paperwork.
So I hope, you know, we
can make something work.
I have the assess...
Hm, can we go inside
where is a bit more private?
Yes, of course.
Please step into my
office. I'll see you a little bit.
Bobby, can you please tell
Andrew to bring us some tea?
And when you see Steph,
tell her to start with Alice.
- Okay.
- Thank you, hun.
How bad is it?
It's very bad. Missed more
than a couple payments.
How much is owed?
20,000.
We applied for a grant.
We should hear back any day now.
That'll bring us up to
date and keep us afloat.
In the meantime, we'll continue
to reach out to our regular benefactors.
Hey, where's Amber? I
brought her GED application.
She just needs a few minutes alone.
She'll join us shortly.
What are you studying?
I'm finishing my Gen Ed.
Thinking about getting into pre-law,
'cause it's the best
way to help around here.
Maybe business.
That sounds boooring,
Bobby, I see you as an artist.
What we need is to be more money savvy,
not have another painting on the wall.
Those are good degrees,
Derek. They'll get your work.
You know you just called me Derek.
I did?
I'm sorry.
It's okay. Do you want to talk about him?
He was my son.
He studied philosophy.
He ended up in the military.
Is he no longer with us?
What do you mean? Why would you say that?
I'm sorry for assuming.
It's just that you said
was, in the past tense.
Well, you're wrong. He's not.
Ladies and gentleman!
Steph is here.
Thanks, Andrew.
Thanks.
Steph is our therapist.
Sophie wanted you to
be the first to see her.
Do I have to?
It's a Sophie rule.
I have no say?
You don't have to say anything.
What if I don't feel like it?
Nobody does.
But we all do.
We all do.
We all do.
We have a mandatory 45 minutes.
We could talk,
or continue to stare at each other
and let the clock run out.
What am I supposed to say?
Anything you want.
What's the point of
talking about anything?
Well, it's something,
if it's important to you.
Talking helps.
Be it with a stranger,
a pet, even a puppet.
It doesn't help me understand you better.
It helps you understand yourself.
I know exactly how
I'm feeling all the time.
And what is that?
Scared, anxious, apprehensive.
About what?
Those emotions
are triggered by fear.
What scares you? Is it
being here in the shelter?
Are you afraid of someone?
Of a loss that you won't accept?
Whom have you lost?
I saw a grief counselor,
but it was pointless.
Because my son is still alive.
How did therapy go?
Bobby tells me you got upset at him
over a comment he made about your son.
I know you're not a drunk.
And I know you haven't
been on the streets long.
Your teeth are very white.
What are you hiding from?
What are you so afraid of that you'd rather
take your chances out
on the street than facing it?
I just need...
to be away,
from everything,
from everyone I know.
You want a clean slate.
What? I mean a vacay to
reorganize your thoughts.
One hell of a way you chose to do it.
Going on a cruise is more my thing.
But, you are here now.
And I'm responsible for you.
Are you coming back after the reset?
Where else would I go?
The truth? Not here, and not out there.
I mean our society is broken.
We're overworked, overstressed,
living paycheck to paycheck,
with little savings, and hugely in debt.
We're over medicated, fatigued,
dying of heart disease and cancer.
We've confused keeping
up with the Jones' with living,
and are dying with regret
of all the things we wish we had done.
Why would anyone want to go back to that?
The truth, the truth is in here.
You have to be brave
to face what's in here.
Find yourself, find your
balance in this world of ours,
and live the best life you can.
This here is limbo.
Don't get comfortable.
Or you'll get trapped, like
many of these other lost souls.
At the end of every reset,
I hope I never see anyone come back.
And I continue to be disappointed.
I've had too many losses.
I need a win.
Running through life
searching for what's right
There you are. We've
been looking all over for you.
Are you ready for a big adventure?
It may just be you and I
The way I see the light within your eyes
And sound is turned off inside my mind
Amber. Bobby brought the GED application.
You wanna fill it out
tomorrow before you leave?
Yeah!
I hear it's somebody's special day.
Blue, Blue, Blue, Blue.
Is it Blue's birthday?
No, this is the cake we
started as a last night tradition.
We take turns with the names.
The clock is ticking down
and we're living it up right now
I am the Amazing Andrew.
Look after the place, Blue.
Bye, guys.
Be safe.
She's coming.
Hey, guys. Where Amber?
She's in the garden waiting for you.
We'll get her later,
when we go to the store.
Okay, I'll remind her. Stay of trouble.
There you are.
You had me worried for a bit.
I'm sorry.
I just didn't want the
others to see me off.
Why?
I was afraid that if I left with them,
I don't know if I would've come back.
I wanna try this nurse thing, Ms Sophie.
I look good in purple.
Well, they'll be picking you
up on the way to the store.
Hey, Soph'. The freaking
bank's on the phone.
I'm on my way.
Hey, Amber. I got your GED application.
Are you gonna help me fill it out?
You bet.
Come on up. Let's work on it.
Sure.
It's just two pages.
So we can get this done really quick.
Okay, yeah. Easy.
She hasn't come out yet.
Let's get outta here.
We'll come back later.
Hey, Andy. Where you
going? The park's this way.
Y'all go on ahead. I'll
catch up with you, okay?
Don't you worry. I won't
miss my curtain call.
You just go out, and already
thinking about the bottle?
Don't judge me, Egg Man.
He'll be back. Let's just go.
We're going to the park first,
to see Huevo's brother, Bubba.
And then later on tonight,
we're going to crash at his store.
It's a convenience store.
He let's us stay on the roof.
I sleep in the car. I don't do heights.
Hey, I have a joke.
What came first, the chicken or the huevo?
It's funny.
Bubba!
Hermano.
Hey, Jen.
Hi, Maude. Hi, Huevo.
Hey, Jen.
Will the roof be available tonight?
Of course. Just head
on up whenever you want.
I'm here until three.
You're an angel, Bubba. This is Alice.
I can make some dogs and
fresh juice if you all want some.
You're a real peach.
I'll be back shortly, Bubba.
I wanna do some restock
for a bit, earn a bit of money.
Espera, I got something for you.
Buy, Huevo.
Bye.
Anyone have
a small white balloon that
I can use? You, young lady
with the fuzzy head. Come here.
For my first trick, I'm gonna
turn this balloon into an...
An egg!
Oh! That was good, right?
Thank you, young lady.
For you, some flowers.
Thank you very much.
Off you go. There you go.
Now, for my next trick.
The children are
really enjoying his tricks.
You're allowed to clap.
He's actually quite
incredible with an audience.
You'd never know it, but he
used to have a show in Vegas.
That's big, what happened?
Ready on the count of 3
His wife was his assistant
and something happened between them.
1,2,3, blow.
After that, he was
drinking and missing performances.
Very good. A
little wet, but that's okay!
He ended up bottoming out here,
in this very park one night four years ago.
If he can find a
way to beat the alcohol,
maybe he can start over again.
Well, not unless he can get an agent
that will get him a new
liver as part of his contract.
Is it that bad?
He only drinks at Sophie's, he doesn't
even eat any food anymore.
I am going to need a volunteer.
Oh, that's my cue.
Yes, young lady with
the... new one, yes aaah,
here we go. Another volunteer.
Thank you very much.
What's your name?
Maude.
Maude, and we've never met before, have we?
Okay, let's sta...
What is that? What?
- Oh my God!
- What?
- Oh my God!
- What?
Did you see that?
You ready for this?
Now we're gonna put this
egg in your forehead. Tada!
Alice.
Gracias. This looks wonderful.
Try it.
Did you make this?
Yeah.
Yum.
Has Huevo gotten help for his PTSD?
He had an episode the other night.
Si. Military shrink gave him some pills,
and told him to shake it off.
At home, he never wants
to talk about what happened.
We were okay with that because he said he,
he did some horrible things out there.
Latinos don't easily accept mental illness.
And that's why most of the family
stays away, scared of him.
So we help Senorita
Sophie with whatever we can.
No other shelter will take him.
He seems so harmless.
He's a sweet man, but he
can't hold down a steady job.
He kind of loses it sometimes.
It ranges from verbal
abuse to physical violence.
He spent many nights in a cell.
Huevo.
Did I miss the show?
It's gonna be
amazing. Are you ready?
Abby, I think you're gonna
like this one. You ready?
Haa!
A tie dyed wind sock. Thank you very much.
Thank you. Thank you, thank you. Okay.
This is what we're gonna do. Are you ready?
Close your eyes. I'm gonna disappear.
And open your eyes.
Where'd he go?
Where did he go?
And I'm back.
Wow!
Did you see that, Abby?
Thank you. Thank you ladies and gentlemen.
If you have it in your
heart to spare a few dollars
or coins or something, I
would really appreciate it.
Thank you very much,
guys. Thank you very much.
Enjoy the rest of your day.
We're getting
together this weekend at Mom's.
You're welcome to come too, Alice.
Huevo's friends are my friends.
Is your mom a good cook?
She makes the best gorditas in the world.
You like chili rellenos?
You are very good.
Maybe you could do private events.
Thank you, my dear.
But sadly, I'm an even more Amazing Drunk.
I can't get a decent booking anywhere.
You goof.
The only booking you're gonna get
is for ripping off liquor stores.
Amazing Andrew uses
his hands for shoplifting.
Anyways. Did you see what he did?
It looked like he actually
put an egg through my head.
What does Andy do with
the eggs after the show?
I have taken a magician's oath.
I assure you no eggs have
been harmed during the prestige.
Actually it's silicone and
it's in his back pocket.
You see?
It's not bad, guys.
I got enough for a nice
Cabernet here. Any takers?
All right, listen.
I'm gonna go get myself
a couple two buck chucks.
You guys go get whatever you want,
and I'll meet you back at the roof.
Why don't you just join us for lunch?
I mean, there's plenty here for everyone.
And there'll still be
enough for wine afterwards.
I made enough for pizza.
And ruin a beautiful
bottle of wine with food?
Why are you doing this to yourself?
Madam, please don't dare judge me
until you have walked
a mile in my wingtips.
You know what?
You are so hell bent
on ending your life as soon as possible.
Are you all right?
Look at the two of us, huh sweetheart?
We both suck them back to dull the pain.
We both drink to forget.
I tell you what, my good friend.
Why don't you wait up for me?
And we can be terminal together too!
Oh, you're Amazing all
right. You're an amazing A-hole.
What is that about?
Last year Maude found out
she got a inoperable tumor in her stomach.
The pain must be terrible.
Sophie gives her medicines, but out here.
Maude, I'm so sorry.
You know what? Just ignore
what that piece of shit said.
I don't need you people
feeling sorry for me.
Hell, if I wanted that, I'd call my kids.
Is there something I can do?
Yeah, you know what you can do?
You can do something for me.
You can put some food in Andy's body,
so he doesn't starve himself to death.
Humm!
Don't act like you love me
Don't act like you care
Do you have any family?
Three kids.
My husband is deceased.
Do they know?
Of course they know.
You have family. What
are you doing out here?
Cause I don't want
to be a burden to them.
Didn't they care?
Of course they
care, from a distance.
They all want to look after me,
as long as I'm not with them.
Johnny's offered me
a live-in nurse at his expense.
Julie said she'll pay my hospital
bills when the time comes.
And Nora, she said
she'll fly out for a few weeks.
What do you want?
No one's ever asked me that.
You know what I don't want?
I don't wanna be in a nursing
home, or even a hospital
with tubes stuck in me just waiting to die.
I wanna be with people I enjoy,
people who are alone, but not lonely.
At Cottonwood,
I'm a part of something there.
I'm doing something. I'm not just dying.
I'm part of a cause.
I know it's not much.
My social security check
helps with the groceries.
And Sophie, she's helped me find a program
that gets my medicine at a lower cost.
You contribute to the shelter?
Then you don't need to be out here.
No, actually I do.
It all adds up, medicine, rent.
Some of us have jobs, and
we can't even make ends meet.
What about you?
What's your story about?
I wanna be alone, but not lonely.
You have a boy. Does
he play a part in this?
My son went missing in action for months.
And then we got a notice that he was dead.
That can't be, because
I don't feel it, you know?
And a mother would
know if her son was gone.
But the letter.
Letters can be
wrong, sent by accident.
It can't be true.
Married?
Business trip. He's accepted it.
He thinks I'm crazy for wanting to hold on.
You're not.
Sometimes you gotta lie
to yourself to keep going.
Be warned. The truth is going
to come out. Prepare yourself.
Greet it with a smile, and not with fear.
And I bleed
You
And I need...
You
Oh
I bleed you
Hey, Andy. We gotta get Amber.
Get up, you bum!
There's no bum here.
Just people who haven't
found the right way in life yet.
We gotta get going.
Come on!
Hey, guys.
We're all ready here.
Gonna head to the store,
get it all ready for tonight.
See you there?
Bye, Huevo.
We're moving in.
What about the big guy?
I brought an old friend for him.
Okay.
Exactly - Oh yeah, I
think that looks right.
And that's your autograph.
- Oh, yes!
- Yes.
So I'm signing right
here, blah blah blah.
Yeah... okay.
Don't forget this.
Have you been accepted
to the US Military before?
No.
Are you sure?
I might have to double check.
Okay.
- Hm, no I don't see...
- Say No to that.
Oh Yeah! Maybe one here.
And one more autograph there.
Okay nice.
You can't be here.
Hey, big man. I'm here for Amber.
No visitors allowed.
I'm not visiting,
just picking her up.
You can't be here.
Says who?
Ms Sophie, you dumb ass.
I don't see her.
So I guess it doesn't
matter what she thinks.
You're gonna get in b... big trouble.
Is that right?
You're a little slow
there aren't you, biggie?
I'm security.
That was sick.
Let me get this on Snap.
That's it?
There you go!
Oh my gosh, thank you so much Bobby,
I couldn't have done it with you.
All signed, sealed and ready to deliver.
Umm hmm, oh and just in time too
the group should
be here to pick me up.
Yeah.
Hey, well
what are friends for right
Yeah.
Let's send it off
first thing in the morning.
Okay.
She's mine!
Oh!
Shhh.
I told you I'd be back for you.
- Stay put.
- BLUE!
Not so tough without the big guy huh!
What did you do to him?
Same thing we'll do
to you if you get in our way.
Bobby! What did you do to my son?
You can tend to him
as soon as we get Amber.
I'm not going anywhere with you!
I'm not leaving without
my number one earner.
I don't do that anymore.
Cut that out. You owe me.
And with that pretty face,
you'll pay your debt in no time.
You're coming with us, otherwise
the old hag is paying off your debt, okay?
Okay.
I'll go. Just please don't hurt her.
Go Amber, go.
Hey!
Oh!
Blue, stop!
Blue stop it!
Let's go!
Come on. Let's go!
Hey, Amber.
Woo!
Oh no!
No!
Let's go!
Alice, go check on Sophie.
And for my next trick,
I'm gonna spit up a little blood,
and then pass out for a little while.
You're okay here. Help is coming.
Get in the car!
Whoo! Let's go.
Derrick!
How's he doing?
He'll be fine.
He's just resting now.
He's doing fairly well.
What he needs is some good, healthy food.
He's really malnourished.
He'll recover from the beating,
but the damage he's doing
with the alcohol might be irreversible.
Thank you. Nurse Palmer, is it?
You haven't told us anything
we didn't know already.
Can I ask how long he's
been drinking like this?
He's been drinking
night and day ever since we've known him.
A year and a half?
As someone who's been there,
if he wants some help,
I'd be more than happy
to take him to a meeting.
Thanks.
We'll try.
It's a real long shot.
I'll bring him out too shortly.
Okay.
This is the second time
in my life I've felt powerless.
It really humbles you.
He'll pull through.
This is what happens when
you get caught up in this life.
I lost my husband and
my oldest son to addiction.
I'll be damned if I lose my baby boy
because of some junkies.
Who is waiting for you, Alice?
Go back to them before you lose them too.
My name is Kathy.
It's a pleasure to meet you, Kathy.
My son
was killed in a mission in the Middle East.
My denial hurt my marriage and my career.
I lost many friends.
I didn't cash the death gratuity,
because taking the money meant
accepting that he was truly gone.
And I didn't wanna exist
in a world without him in it.
Had it not been for Bobby,
I'd be where you are right now.
I had to save him from that life.
Instead, he saved me.
When I saw him bloodied
on the floor like that,
I snapped.
In a way, he saved me too.
Does it ever get easier?
The pain
Comes in waves.
Not easier.
But the waves are less frequent.
Have you seen Kathy.
Heard from her?
Go home. Your husband needs you.
Thank you.
Thank you for giving me a win.
You know, Andrew,
you really should come see us sometime.
It's not that bad, I promise.
They got an open bar?
Thank you.
She cares.
Hey Andrew, you look like a mess.
Next time you should wear a helmet.
How you doing, Sophie?
I've seen better days.
Where's Alice? I
thought she was with you.
She was called away.
Good for her.
I'm sorry about Blue.
I hate myself for not being there.
There's nothing you could have done.
No! If I see them again, I kill them.
Excuse me.
I got it. I got it. I got it.
Look at me. Let the
authorities deal with it.
There will be no more killing.
Let's hold hands and
let's give a minute to Blue.
And they're doing a CT scan
and we should hear the results soon.
Ms Sophie?
Leslie!
- It's good to see you.
- You look terrific.
You guys know each other?
Oh, we go way back.
Your boy, Andrew here is very talented.
Ooh. What did he do?
There were a couple
of kids waiting for X-rays.
And even as banged up
as he is, he managed to do
some very impressive magic
tricks to keep their mind off it.
It was kind wonderful.
She means Amazing.
If you're up for an encore performance,
there's a little girl who came in.
She had a seizure. I
think she's a bit frightened.
A couple magic tricks
might help take her
mind off things for a while.
Go, do it.
Be Amazing for that little girl.
Apres toi, mademoiselle.
Merci, monsieur.
Who wants some coffee?
Oh, I do.
I'll buy, if you go get it.
That's a fair trade.
Come with me, Huevo.
We're just gonna take a little bit longer.
We wanna catch the show
of the Amazing Andrew.
Hi.
Drop it. Drop it.
Hehehe.
Come on.
Hehehe.
Kathy!
You're back!
Somebody, quickly.
We got a live one here. We need a medic.
Nurse!
Female, 20's, lacerations on her face.
I know.
Derek is dead.
He's here.
He'll always be here.
I'm sorry for all the pain I've caused you.
I know you miss him as much as I do.
Can you ever forgive me?
There's nothing to forgive.
We have each other again,
That's all that matters.
Can we do this? Can we move on?
Moving on doesn't mean forgetting.
It means opening your heart
to accept with love the
memories we've made.
Together, we can do it.
I love you.
Hey, you're awake.
I'm lucky I have a thick skull.
- Don't mind if I do.
- Thank you.
Nurse Palmer let us see Andy
with the kids in the children's ward.
The kids were so excited,
they forgot about everything.
And this little boy,
he didn't have any hair
and he couldn't even sit up.
His eyes lit up when Andy
pulled a coin out of his ear.
And the nurse said
that it was the first time
he smiled since his last chemo treatment.
I am so proud of you, Andrew.
And I think nurse Palmer
kinda of likes Andy too.
Don't kid yourself.
She's just trying to get
me to an AA meeting.
Miss Leslie Palmer was as
big a mess as you are right now.
And she turned her life
around. You should listen to her.
She got herself out?
It takes
somebody to care a little bit.
It's enough to just get
you back on the right track.
Ms Sophie. Can I see you a minute?
Yeah, yes of course. I'll be right back.
What is it Leslie?
We had a young girl come
in, and she gave you her name
and Cottonwood as her contact information.
Is it Amber? Is she here?
That is the name she gave us, yeah.
How is she? Can I see her?
She's still being assessed.
She's stable for now.
We gave her a sedative.
What is it, Leslie?
Her wounds were self inflicted.
What did she do to herself?
She gouged the skin off
her face with her fingernails.
How? Why? Has she said anything?
She hasn't spoken to anybody.
We're running a tox screen.
We think drugs were involved.
Thank you.
Hi.
I'm so happy you're alive.
The cops went to the X's hang out,
and when they didn't find you there
we were expecting the worst.
I did it, Ms Sophie.
I didn't hesitate, Ms Sophie.
I did it. I wouldn't be pretty no more.
They couldn't sell me no more.
I made up my mind.
I was gonna go to school and
get me a GED.
I was no good to them.
They told me that
I was useless now, and
that I'm worthless.
And then
they threw me out of the car,
because I'm garbage.
I'm so sorry.
It's okay. It's okay.
You're going to be okay. I got you now.
Mini Prob.
Hoo.
This is such a cute check.
I can't wait to see
Georgina's face when I give it to her.
We wanted to
put the money to good use.
It was an appropriate way
to honor Derek's memory.
Thank you.
A toast.
Cottonwood welcomes
the motley crew of society.
We're safe. It's our home.
May her doors never close.
- Salud!
- Salud.
Hum, hm!
It's time.
Work hard, okay?
- I will. You too.
- You got this.
Argh! Come here!
I'm proud of you, kid.
Thanks so much. I'm proud of you too.
Never thought I'd be
sad leaving this place.
You're not gonna miss anything!
You're gonna be very busy
studying them law books.
Yes mom.
Oh, I'm so proud of you.
I'm going to miss you so much.
I'm going to miss you too.
Hopefully you're gonna be so busy
running this place to even miss me.
Your help is immensely appreciated.
Good luck.
I'm gonna make you guys proud.
Drive safe.
Let's do it.
New rule!
Call your mom often.
Yes, Mom.
Bye.
You won't even know I was gone.
Okay.
Bye, guys!
- Bye, honey.
- Bye.
Bye.
Bye, honey.
Love you.
Okay.
Let's go.
All done!
Now tell me about
Virginia. I've never been to
Arlington cemetery.
Flowers bloom, and life still goes on
Memories haunt me cause you're gone
Sitting on the couch
wrapped up in your arms
Driving down the
highway, back seat of your car
Just doin nothing but sippin on you
I don't care what we do
I wake myself up from this daydream
Wake myself up from this daydream
I'm sittin here alone
Sittin here alone
The taste of you reminds me
The taste of you reminds me
And it takes me back
home It takes me back home
Sittin on the couch
wrapped up in your arms
Drivin down the highway,
back seat of your car
Just doin nothin but sippin on you
I don't care what we do
I wake myself up from this daydream
Wake myself up from this daydream
I'm sittin here alone
Sittin here alone
The taste of you reminds
me Taste of you reminds me
And it takes me back home
And it takes me back home
And it takes me back home
And it takes me back...
Home.