YOU'VE GOT MAIL

        KATHLEEN (V.O., cont'd)
  I love our relationship.  There's a lot
  going on in the day-to-dayness of my life
  and there's something magical...

 INT. SHOP AROUND THE CORNER - DUSK

 We see Kathleen and George at the end of the day, counting
 the receipts.  Birdie is using a calculator to total them.
 Christina is shelving books.  There are Thanksgiving
 decorations -- cardboard turkeys and pilgrims, books on
 colonists like Myles Standish.

        KATHLEEN (V.O., cont'd)
  ... and thrilling about this island in
  cyberspace I have with you.  SO PLEASE
  DON'T ASK ME AGAIN.

        BIRDIE
  About $1200 less than the same week last
  year.

        KATHLEEN
  That could be a fluke, right?

 They look at each other.

        BIRDIE
  Or not.

        KATHLEEN
  Their store is new.  It's a novelty.  But
  it will all shake out.  Do you think I
  should put up more twinkle lights?

        BIRDIE
  That's a lovely idea.

        CHRISTINA
  What if we have to fold?  I'll never find
  another part time job and I won't be able
  to pay the rent and I'll have to move to
  Brooklyn.

        GEORGE
  The joy of rent control.  Six room for
  $450 a month.

        CHRISTINA
  We know.  You've told us a million times.
  I can't believe you're bringing it up at
  a time like this.  It's like bragging
  because you're tall.  Birdie never brags
  about her rent and she pays even less
  than you.

        BIRDIE
  Ten rooms.  I just rattle around from one
  to the other.

        KATHLEEN
  Hey, guys.  We are not going to fold.

 The door opens, and Meredith Carter, the woman George had
 swooned over in front of his building, walks in.

 George stares, frozen in place, as she walks up to him.

        MEREDITH
  George Pappas?

        GEORGE
   (I have died and gone to
    heaven)
  Yes.

        MEREDITH
   (flashing her badge)
  Detective Carter, 23rd precinct.  I'd
  like to ask you a few questions.

 Kathleen suddenly sees George, following Meredith out of the
 store.  He's in a complete daze.

        KATHLEEN
  George?  Where are you going?

 He goes out the door.

 LAURA MARGULIES, a well-known children's book author, enters
 as George leaves.

        LAURA
  Kathleen, are you surviving?

        KATHLEEN
  Laura!  We're so excited about your new
  book.  When should we schedule your
  signing?

        LAURA
  Oh, it's being published in January.
  Are you going to be in business in
  January?  I'm so worried.

        KATHLEEN
  We're doing great, aren't we?

        CHRISTINA
  Great.

        BIRDIE
  No difference whatsoever.

        LAURA
  Thank God.  Well, you know you can count
  on me.  For anything, support, rallies.
  Picket lines.  We can get the Times to
  write something.  Or that nut in the
  Independent --

        KATHLEEN
  What nut in the Independent?

        LAURA
  Frank Navasky.  This is just the sort of
  thing that would outrage him.

 She smiles brightly.

 INT. COFFEE SHOP - DAY

 George and Meredith are sitting in a booth.

        MEREDITH
  Mr. Pappas, I'm investigating the murder
  of the woman found on the roof of your
  building.  Do you live alone there?

        GEORGE
  Do I live alone?  Yes I do.  Do you live
  alone?

        MEREDITH
  Yes.

 George takes her hand in his and looks at it as if it were
 the eighth wonder of the world.  He starts stroking it,
 caressing it...

 Meredith pulls it away.  A beat.  Then she gives it right
 back to him.  He continues stroking.  They stare at each
 other.  He puts her fingers into his mouth.

  MEREDITH
   (overwhelmed)
  What are you doing?

        GEORGE
  I don't know.  I have no idea.

        MEREDITH
  You have to stop.

        GEORGE
  I can't.

 She utters a little moan.

 INT. GEORGE'S APARTMENT - A SHORT WHILE LATER

 They come into the apartment.  She throws herself into his
 arms.

 EXT. RIVERSIDE DRIVE PARK - DAY

 As Christina runs, desperately trying to make eye contact
 with men running in the opposite direction.  No one will look
 at her.

 INT. ZABAR'S CHEESE DEPARTMENT - NIGHT

 The place is mobbed -- the usual crush the night before
 Thanksgiving.

 Kathleen, pushing a shopping cart, is trying to wedge her way
 through the crowd in the cheese department.  As she reaches
 across three people to grab some Brie, she sees Joe walk into
 the store.  Quickly, she turns her back so he can't see her.
 She stands there frozen.  A beat...

 Peeks around, doesn't see him anywhere.  Cranes her neck this
 way and that.  No Joe.

 INT. ZABAR'S CASHIER AREA - CONTINUOUS

 Kathleen, now wearing dark glasses but looking not at all
 disguised, looks around and spots a short line and makes a
 beeline for it.

 At that moment, Joe comes from the Appetizing Department and
 gets on the line she was heading for.

 Panicked, Kathleen retreats onto another line and stands with
 her back to him.

 INT. SAME SCENE - MOMENTS LATER

 The CASHIER totals up Kathleen's purchases and Kathleen hands
 over her credit card.

        CASHIER
  This is a Cash Only line.

        KATHLEEN
  What?

        CASHIER
  Cash Only.

        KATHLEEN
  Omigod, I only have a credit card.  Is
  that okay?

        PERSON BEHIND HER IN LINE
  Of course it's not okay, there's a sign.

        CASHIER
  There's a sign.

        PERSON IN LINE
   (to the person behind her)
  She doesn't have cash.

 "She doesn't have cash" is repeated all the way down the
 line.

 Joe turns to see what's going on.

        ANOTHER PERSON
  Get on another line, lady.

        JOE
  Oh, hello.

        KATHLEEN
  Hello.

        JOE
  Do you need some money?

        KATHLEEN
  No, I don't need any money.  Thank you
  very much.

        CASHIER
  Get on another line.

        JOE
  Hi.
   (off her nametag, big smile)
  Rose. Great name.  Rose, this is
  Kathleen, I'm Joe, and this is a credit
  card machine.  Happy Thanksgiving.

 Rose just stares at him.

        JOE (cont'd)
  Now it's your turn to say happy
  Thanksgiving back.

        ROSE
  Happy Thanksgiving back.

 Joe looks at her, winks.

        JOE
  Mississippi is a hard word to spell.  How
  do you spell it?  I-T.
   (big smile)
  Now take this credit card and put it
  through the machine, zip zip.

 The cashier, completely charmed, takes Kathleen's credit
 card.

 Kathleen is appalled.

 Everyone on the line signs irritably and audibly.

        JOE
  So you're fine.

        KATHLEEN
  Fine.

        JOE
  Happy Thanksgiving.

 As Kathleen signs the charge slip and the cashier exasperatedly
 starts to put her groceries into a bag.

 INT. JOE'S FATHER'S APARTMENT - THANKSGIVING DAY

 An elegant East Side apartment.  Schuyler, his youngish
 French wife, YVETTE, Nelson, Gillian and their child Matt,
 and Joe are sitting and listening as Annabel sings Tomorrow.

        ANNABEL
  The sun'll come up tomorrow, bet your
  bottom dollar that tomorrow, there'll be
  sun --

 Joe is on a loveseat with Matt.  Gillian lifts Matt up, sits
 down in his place next to Joe and plunks Matt into her lap.
 Nelson is already seated in a chair in front of the loveseat
 and can't see her without turning around.

 As she continues singing, Gillian moves her hand next to
 Joe's leg.  Joe edges away.  He looks around the room, sees
 Nanny Maureen standing behind the couch.  He stands, offers
 her his seat.  She sits.

 INT. KATHLEEN'S LIVING ROOM - DAY

 A much more informal Thanksgiving dinner. We see the
 leftovers on a sideboard near a round table in Kathleen's
 living room.

 Kathleen, Frank, Birdie, Christina, George and George's new
 girlfriend, Meredith and TWO OTHER FRIENDS are standing
 around the upright piano.  Birdie is playing a Christmas
 song, and everyone is singing.

 As the singing continues, over, we cut to:

 EXT. FOXBOOKS SUPERSTORE - DECEMBER DAY

 As the Christmas decorations and twinkle lights go into the
 window.

 Birdie walks by the store.  She stops to look at the
 customers inside, and then notices a sign in the window:

 "Book Signing January 10 - Best Selling Children's Author
 Laura Margulies."  There's a picture of Laura Margulies.

 EXT. SHOP AROUND THE CORNER - DECEMBER DUSK

 Kathleen is in the window decorating a little tree with
 lovely decorations from a box.  Two people are carrying a
 tree home, there's the sound of church bells.

 Kathleen looks up as a couple of people walk past the store,
 carrying Foxbooks shopping bags.

 Then she unwraps a pair of ruby slipper ornaments, and as she
 starts to hang them on the tree we hear the sound of the
 computer.

        KATHLEEN (V.O.)
  This is such an odd Christmas.  I find
  myself missing my mother, who's been dead
  for ten years.  New York at Christmas is
  so loaded with all the things we used to
  do --

 INT. NEW YORK STATE THEATER - 1972 - DAY

 As Young Kathleen, dressed in a little velvet dress, sits in
 the audience next to her mother watching the ballet.

        KATHLEEN (V.O. cont'd)
  -- going to the Nutcracker --

 EXT. ROCKEFELLER CENTER SKATING RINK - 1972 - DAY

        KATHLEEN (V.O. cont'd)
  -- ice skating at Rockefeller Center,
  where I was knocked into a 6-year-old
  maniac --

 A SIX-YEAR-OLD BOY knocks into her.

        YOUNG KATHLEEN
  Hey, watch out --

        SIX-YEAR-OLD BOY
  Me watch out, why don't you watch out?
  I'm not sliding around like a baby.  You
  think I come here to skate with babies?

 Young Kathleen's jaw drops and she stands there tongue-tied.

        KATHLEEN (V.O.)
  My first experience as a speechless
  person.

 Her mother skates up and takes her hand.  The boy skates off.

        KATHLEEN (V.O.)
  I always miss my mother at Christmas, but
  somehow it's worse this year since I need
  some advice from her.

 And we hear the sound of another computer.

 INT. JOE'S DEN

 As he replies to Kathleen.

        JOE (V.O.)
  My mother took me ice skating too --

 EXT. ROCKEFELLER CENTER SKATING RINK - DAY

 We see a little boy, YOUNG JOE, 8, skate past holding someone's
 hand --

        JOE (V.O., cont'd)
  -- although my mother did not skate.  The
  nanny skated --

 And we now see JOE'S NANNY, a young Sonja Henie, who suddenly
 peels off into a series of triple lutzes, as JOE'S MOTHER
 absently reads a copy of Vogue in the spectators' section.

 INT. LINCOLN CENTER THEATER - 1972 - DAY

        JOE (V.O.)
  And I was in the Nutcracker.

 We see the stage now.  There's Young Joe, among the children
 at the Christmas party.

        JOE (V.O., cont'd)
  So was my nanny.

 As JOE'S NANNY #2 pirouettes past.

        JOE (V.O., cont'd)
  Different nanny.  By the way, I'm
  surprised you aren't a writer.  Although
  you probably are a writer and don't
  know it.  Are you a writer and I don't
  know it?

 INT. JOE'S APARTMENT - 1972 - NIGHT

 Young Joe, at the dinner table with his father.  A wide shot
 of a big room with a huge table and servants.  Joe looks very
 small at the table as he eats his soup.

        JOE (V.O., cont'd)
  My mother died when I was ten.  I was
  staying with my father, who is not famous
  for intimacy, and whose way of breaking
  the news of her death was to tell me she
  would not be coming to pick me up as
  usual.  It was a car accident, and I
  don't know where she was going or who she
  was with, and I assume what I owe her is
  my tendency to cover almost any emotion
  with a joke.  A useful gift, unless you
  want to know what you're feeling.  She
  was very beautiful.  People toss that
  word around a lot, but my mother was.

 The camera moves closer to the dining table.  We see that
 tears are rolling down little Joe's cheeks.

 INT. JOE'S DEN - NIGHT

 Joe stops typing.  He is surprised to find his eyes watering.
 A moment of confusion as he cannot believe he has moved
 himself to tears.  Shakes his head, shakes the emotion off.
 Starts typing again.

        JOE (V.O., cont'd)
  Ancient history.  So what kind of advice
  do you need?  Can I help?

 INT. KATHLEEN'S BEDROOM - DAY

 Kathleen in bed with her laptop reading Joe's letter.