YOU'VE GOT MAIL

 Kathleen enters the bedroom and we see the entire room has
 been rearranged.

 She gets into bed and turns on the television set.

 EXT. SHOP AROUND THE CORNER - DUSK

 The bookshelves are empty.

        KATHLEEN (V.O., cont'd)
  Six months ago, when you and I first met,
  I knew everything about myself -- what I
  would be doing for the rest of my life
  and even the person I would be doing it
  with.  Now I know nothing.

 On the door is a small sign.  "After 42 years, we are closing
 our doors.  We have loved being part of your lives."

 Kathleen turns out the light in the store and opens the door.

 The little bell over the door jingles.

 Kathleen reaches up on her tiptoes for the bell and detaches
 it.

 Then she comes out of the store, carrying the bell.

 Kathleen locks the door and reaches down to operate the grate
 for the last time.

 The grate starts to lower.

 Kathleen looks at her store, one last time.  Then she walks
 off, carrying the bell.  We hear it jingle in the night.

 And hold on The Shop Around the Corner, and it slowly turns
 into a computer-enhanced version of itself.

 And then, suddenly, it vanishes with a poof, leaving an empty
 screen.

 EXT. A BLUE SKY WITH A BIG COMPUTER SUN SHINING IN IT, AND PAN
 DOWN TO:

 A COMPUTER VERSION OF COLUMBUS AVENUE

 The trees sprout leaves and birdies start to tweet.  And the
 scene turns into a real version of:

 EXT. COLUMBUS AVE. - FOXBOOKS - MORNING

 INT. FOXBOOKS SUPERSTORE - DAY

 George is now the head of the children department at the
 store and he is sitting in the children's section on an itty-
 bitty chair.  His staff is sitting on little itty-bitty
 chairs too.

        GEORGE
  Then, in the 19th century, Caldecott
  revolutionized the publishing of
  children's books by the introduction of
  color illustrations --

 We see:

 THE STAFF

 Several are dozing.

 EXT. RIVERSIDE DRIVE & 72ND - DAY

 Joe walks past the Eleanor Roosevelt statue.  He's with
 Annabel and Matt:

        JOE
  What about going to the Children's Zoo?

        ANNABEL
  I don't want to go to the Children's Zoo.

        JOE
  Okay.  The Staten Island Ferry.

        ANNABEL
  I want to go to the Storybook Lady.

        MATT
  I want to go to the Storybook Lady.

        JOE
  Well we can't go to the Storybook Lady.

 INT. JAPANESE NOODLE RESTAURANT - DAY

 Annabel is sitting in her chair, staring glumly at a bowl of
 Japanese soup and noodles.

        JOE
  I'll read you a story.

        ANNABEL
  Where did she go?

        JOE
  She had to close her store.

        ANNABEL
  Why?

        JOE
  She didn't have enough business.

        ANNABEL
  Why?

        JOE
  Well.  Her store was very close to our
  store, and you know our store sells books
  at a slightly lower cost --

        ANNABEL
  Why?

        JOE
  Why do we sell at a lower cost?  So more
  people can buy books.

        ANNABEL
  Why couldn't she sell that way too?

        JOE
  Because she's small and we're big.  How
  about we go get some candy?

        ANNABEL
  So now she's gone and it's all your
  fault.

        JOE
  It's business, Annabel.  It's not
  personal.  How about we go get so much
  candy you'll be bouncing off the walls
  for days?

        MATT
  What's personal?

        ANNABEL
  Personal means that she's gone forever,
  and now we'll never get another book from
  her as long as we ever live.

 She burst into tears.  Matt bursts into tears too.

        JOE
  Remember the man who worked with her?

        ANNABEL
   (a wail)
  No.

        JOE
  Well I hired him.

        ANNABEL
  You killed the Storybook Lady.

 Matt throws himself on the ground, crying.

 Annabel sobs hysterically.

 INT. FOXBOOKS SUPERSTORE - DAY

 George is wearing the same pointed hat Kathleen wore as the
 Storybook Lady.  There's a sign that says: Storybook Person.

 Several children are listening.

 We see:

 ANNABEL

 She's glowering.

 INT. KATHLEEN'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

 Kathleen is in bed with a huge box of Kleenex.  She has a
 terrible cold.  Her nose is red, her eyes are watery.  On the
 bedside table are a huge assortment of atomizers, pills, etc.

 We hear the sound of computer keys clicking.

         JOE (V.O.)
  Why haven't you written?

             KATHLEEN (V.O.)
  I have a cold.

 INT. JOE'S OFFICE - DAY

 We see Joe on his computer.

             JOE (V.O.)
  How's your cold?

             KATHLEEN (V.O.)
  My ears are blocked, my nose is clogged.

 INT. KATHLEEN'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

 She's drinking cranberry juice.  Joni Mitchell on the stereo.

 The sound of computer keys clicking again.

             JOE (V.O.)
  Are you feeling any better?

             KATHLEEN (V.O.)
  I'm lying in bed listening to Joni
  Mitchell and drinking cranberry juice
  which I am sorry to say is the exact same
  color as my nose.  I keep thinking about
  my future.  What future?  What am I
  going to do?

 EXT. 79TH STREET BOAT BASIN - LATE AFTERNOON

 As Joe is walking Brinkley back to the boat.  A limousine has
 pulled up near the pier and the driver is unloading bags.
 Joe stops to see the passenger: his father, Nelson Fox.

        JOE
  What are you doing here?

 EXT. 79TH STREET BOAT BASIN - DUSK

 Next to Joe's boat is a larger yacht.

 INT. YACHT - NIGHT

 In the main cabin Joe and Nelson are having drinks.  Nelson
 lifts his glass in a toast.

        NELSON
  To us.

        JOE
  Father and son, together at last.  That
  happened with Gillian?

 Nelson ignores the question.

        NELSON
  I've stayed here after, let's see, your
  mother, Laurette that ballet dancer --

        JOE
  -- the nanny --

        NELSON
  Was she the nanny?  I forgot that.  How
  ironic.  Then there was the ice skater --

        JOE
  -- also the nanny --

        NELSON
  Really.  How amazingly ironic.  Sybil the
  astrologer.

        JOE
  Whose moon turned out to be in somebody
  else's house, as I recall.

        NELSON
  Just like Gillian.

        JOE
  Gillian ran off with someone?

        NELSON
  The nanny.

        JOE
  Nanny Maureen?  Gillian ran off with
  Nanny Maureen?  That's incredibly
  ironic.

        NELSON
  True true.

        JOE
  There's no other word for it.

        NELSON
  Who did you break up with?

        JOE
  Patricia.  You met her.

        NELSON
  Would I like her?
   (cracks himself up)
  Just kidding.  Isn't this great?  Have
  some peanuts.  Of course I have to live
  out of a suitcase for a least three
  weeks, and then there's the inevitable
  legal hassle, more of your inheritance
  down the drain.

        JOE
  Don't worry about it.

        NELSON
  I won't.  But then I get to meet someone
  new.  That's the easy part.

        JOE
  Oh, right, a snap to find the one single
  person in the world who fills your heart
  with joy.

        NELSON
  Don't be ridiculous.  Have I ever been
  with anyone who fits that description?
  Have you?

        JOE
  On to the next.

        NELSON
  Isn't it a beautiful night?

 Hold on Joe.

 EXT. KATHLEEN'S STREET - DAY

 Joe, on his way to Kathleen's apartment building, carrying a
 bunch of daisies, wrapped in cellophane.

 Joe goes up the stoop to her building and looks at buzzer.
 Sees Kelly, 3A.  He presses.  Nothing.  Presses again.

        KATHLEEN
   (voice clogged, through
    intercom)
  Who is it?

        JOE
  Joe Fox.

 INT. KATHLEEN'S APARTMENT - SAME TIME

 Kathleen, in her pajamas, at the intercom, horrified.

        KATHLEEN
  What are you doing here?

        JOE
  May I please come up?

        KATHLEEN
  It's really not a good idea.