INT. SLOW BEND CAFE - PRESENT DAY - EVENING
The same saloon/restaurant of twenty-five years ago has beenturned into a modern cafe yet the original charm is stillthere.
Carolyn and Michael sit in a booth, with half-eaten dinnersbefore them. Carolyn has been reading the book to Michaelwhen she looks across from her to find -- Michael looking likea little boy who is fighting not to cry.
CAROLYNWhat's the matter
Michael shakes his head. He can't or won't explain. He's tooupset. His eyes tear up. Carolyn feels badly for him.
MICHAELI'm going to get some air.
He exits. Carolyn smiles sympathetically. Somehow this lastpassage of their mothers doesn't affect her in the same way.
She returns to the book but first asks a passing waitress,with great urgency.
CAROLYNCan I smoke here
The waitress nods. Carolyn needs a cigarette for the rest ofthis. She opens her bag to get her pack. Inside her bag shenotices a BUSINESS CARD. She picks it up to read IRA NEWMAN,attorney. Divorce. Pre-Nuptials. Marital Litigation. Shepauses for a moment. Then, tossing the card back inside, shelights her cigarette and takes a drag. We follow the curls ofsmoke up as we
DISSOLVE TO
INT. JOHNSON LIVING ROOMCamera moves down curls of smoke, to reveal
Robert and Francesca in each others arms, under a blanket onthe living room floor on a bed of couch pillows, smoking acigarette after lovemaking. Francesca seems miles away --feelings of regret and guilt creeping in.
ROBERTAre you comfortable
she nods)Do you... want to move to thebedroom
FRANCESCANo. I can't. Not yet.
She can't bring herself to go into her husband bed.
ROBERTYou want to eat something
FRANCESCAAre you hungry
ROBERTNo.
Silence. Robert shifts his body to face her.
ROBERT (cont'd)Honey. Are you all right
She looks at him and starts to cry, shaking her head. The roomis filled with memories of her family. She nestles in his arms.
He folds her. She closes her eyes.
FRANCESCATake me somewhere.
ROBERTWhat
FRANCESCARight now. Tell me someplace you'vebeen -- someplace on the other sideof the world. Anywhere but here.
ROBERT(thinks, then:)How about Italy
FRANCESCAYes.
ROBERTHow about Bari
FRANCESCAYes. Tell me about the day you gotoff the train.
ROBERTHave you ever been to that station
FRANCESCAYes.
ROBERTYou know that little place nearbywith the striped awning that sellssandwiches and little pizzas...
The two transport themselves together to another place, wherethere is no familiar memories surrounding them to interfere.
CUT TO
EXT. JOHNSON PORCH - NIGHTThe two sit in bathrobes on the porch looking out over thepasture. They have plates of dinner on their laps. They eatvoraciously.
ROBERTDo you have anymore of the stew
Chewing, Francesca nods and leans over, picks a pot off theporch and ladles some more onto his plate. Too much falls outand it spills onto the robe.
FRANCESCAOh, I'm sorry.
ROBERTIt's okay. It's not that hot anymore.
Thanks God.
Francesca hands him a dish rag. Robert wipes off the foodrevealing his bare leg. She reaches over and touches it. Helooks at her and smiles. She leans over and kisses himpassionately until, suddenly, she pulls away. She looksupset. She rises and moves away to look out to the pasture.
Robert can sense what is wrong.
ROBERT (cont'd)You think too much, you know that
FRANCESCAI just feel like I'm getting a little... out of control that's all. It'skind of frightening.
ROBERTWhy
FRANCESCAWhy!? Because, I'm having thoughts Ihardly know what to do with. I...
can't seem to... stop them.
ROBERTNobody's asking you to.
FRANCESCA(excited)And arraccinos and zeppolis. Yes! Iknow it
ROBERTI sat outside and had coffee.
FRANCESCAWhere? Near the doorway or the near thefront of the church
ROBERTNear the church.
FRANCESCA(closes her eyes)I sat there once. It was hot. Liketoday. I'd been shopping. I had allthese bags around my feet I kepthaving to move every time the waitercame by...
DISSOLVE TO
EXT. SANDWICH CAFE - BARI - DAYFrancesca sits at the outdoor cafe in Bari with shopping bagsaround her feet. She re-arranges them as the waiter passesby, mumbling something vulgar under his breath. When shelooks up -- Robert is standing there. She smiles. He offersher hand. She takes it and rises. They leave the cafe.
MONTAGE
Francesca and Robert together against the breathtakingbackdrop of the Italian countryside.
EXT. BARI COUNTRYSIDE - DAYOn a lakefront, Robert and Francesca make love.
WE INTERCUT WITH
INT. JOHNSON LIVING ROOM - EVENINGFRANCESCA AND ROBERT MAKING LOVE ONCE AGAIN.
Francesca looks at him and understands he is giving her fullpermission to explore whatever she wants. Hesitantly, shecrosses to him and takes his plate away. She stands beforehim, leaning him back into his chair. She slowly,tentatively, opens her robe. She strokes his hair, thencaresses his head and gently guides it between her legs.
INT. SLOW BEND RESTAURANT - NIGHTC.U. on an ashtray filled with cigarette butts as Carolynanxiously lights another. These last entries have overstimulated her. She calls to the waitress abruptly.
CAROLYNCan I get another cup of coffee,please
When she looks up, she sees Michael has returned. He sits.
CAROLYN (cont'd)Where did you go
MICHAELBar across the street.
CAROLYNHave you called Betty
she shakes his head)Maybe you should.
MICHAELI found out who Lucy Delaney is.
she looks interested)Remember the Delaneys from HillcrestRoad
CAROLYNYeah. But I thought she died.
MICHAELHe remarried. Apparently they werehaving an affair for years.
Apparently the first Mrs. Delaney wasa bit of a stiff.
CAROLYNYou mean -- she didn't like sex
MICHAEL(nods, then simply:)I bet mom could've helped her.
CAROLYNBoy. All these years I've resentednot living the wild life in someplace like Paris and all the time Icould've moved back to Iowa... Areyou drunk
MICHAELNot yet. You want to go