ALL MY CHILDREN

JUNE 23, 1999



Becca: I won a trip for four to Jungleland.
Scott: Well, my documentary can't compete with "Cap 'n Bob," but your story really gave it focus. I'd like you to tell it on video.
Becca: I can't.
Scott: Why not?
Becca: To me, that's kind of embarrassing, you know? And it happened a whole lifetime ago.
Scott: Last summer?
Becca: I was sweet 16 and never been kissed. Well, not exactly. I mean, when I was 5, I got married to Clem Wigger, but that's a whole other story.
Scott: Why don't you want to do this video?
Becca: I'd rather just forget about the whole thing. I mean, I fell for my teacher, and he was married.
Scott: He did you dirty, and you exposed him on video. And you threw a punch for women.
Becca: I didn't do it for a cause, though. I did it to stand up for myself.
Scott: You're n a worthy cause?
Becca: Ok. So let's say that I do this video and your uncle funds the whole thing and it goes public access. What does that make me look like? Naive? Nasty? I mean, I don't want to scare away every guy who'd even think about going out with me.
Scott: You wouldn't. I'd go out with you in a heartbeat.

Jake: No, whoa, Dixie. Just take it easy. Take it easy.
Dixie: I'm fine. I'm fine.
Jake: I just want you to give your head a minute to clear.
Dixie: Look, it's just my -- it's probably my blood sugar, ok? I -- I skipped breakfast. I just need a cookie or something.
Jake: I'll give you a lollipop after we run a blood test.

Trevor: Hey, the Pine Valley chapter of the loyal order of friendly raccoons, come to order, please.
Tad: All hail the grand high exalted ruler.
Trevor: I love you, too.
Jack: Hey, Ralph, you mind if I smoke?
Tad: I don't care if you burn.
Jack: Very good.
Trevor: Ok, guys, what's on the docket?
Jack: Why don't you bring Trevor here up to speed.
Adrian: Well, Opal just scored big against Palmer in court today. She now has full custody of Petey.
Trevor: Who says there's no justice in the world.
Tad: Well, there's definitely something. You missed the two of them duking it out in here a minute ago.
Jack: Yeah, it looked very much to me like Opal had the old boy on the ropes.
Adrian: Now it's our job to finish him off.
Trevor: Floor's taking suggestions.
Tad: Well, the fact is Palmer's already been wiped out on the home front.
Adrian: But our bid to retire him from Cortlandt Electronics is not over.
Tad: Which is where you come in.
Trevor: Hmm?
Tad: Yeah. We've been sitting around adding up how many votes it was going to take to oust the old goat from the C.E.O.'S position. We know Dixie will back us with her shares.
Adrian: But now we need Erica's block to score a coup.
Trevor: Erica's in Brazil.
Tad: Yep. And you've got her proxy. How do you spell victory?
Trevor: Ooh.
Jack: Fellow raccoons, if I can play the devil's advocate for just a second here now. Palmer's lost his estate, half his assets, and his son. I mean, would it be the end of the world if he was allowed to keep his company?
Adrian and Tad: Yes.
Jack: Well, that answers that question.
Adrian: Look, we know Palmer will take whatever little power he has left to destroy Opal and my little brother. And as long as I'm alive, that's not going to happen.

Opal: From now on, it is my world, and Palmer Cortlandt just lives in it.
Brooke: So, what is the surprise?
Janet: Don't start without us.
Opal: Hi! Where's Phoebs?
Brooke: She's in Cairo again with Langley. Where else?
Opal: Cairo. Hey, that reminds me. Did any of you know that Cleopatra was the first to wear permanent eyeliner?
Myrtle: Go on.
Brooke: I knew that.
Belinda: No, I can't say that I did.
Opal: No, no. The history of makeup is a real page-turner. I mean, like, kiss-proof lipstick. There was this evil Empress Livia who lived in ancient Rome, and she invented this lip color that was pure poison.
Janet: My kind of woman.
Brooke: Really?
Opal: Literally, yes. Kiss of death. It just swept the empire like the plague.
Janet: And I'll bet with every purchase, you get a tote embroidered with a skull and crossbones.
Belinda: This is all great, but wait a minute. What is this mini makeup lecture leading up to?
Opal: Well, it's my core belief, you know, that each one of us is born with a destiny, just like Cleopatra or the evil Empress Livia. And, well, I'm just proud to take my place in history alongside women who've made their mark in the beauty biz. And so I am going to show you my destiny, face-lifted for the millennium, today. You know, some renovations, restorations, a few coats of paint, and a little touchup. I mean, heck, we all need touchups once in a while, right? So without further ado, I am pleased as punch to introduce you to the new Glamorama! Come in and have a look.
Brooke: Oh, my goodness.

[All talking at once]

Brooke: Don't have to go far. This is beautiful.
Opal: Well, this is going to be the sitting area. Yeah, you can all chat, you know, in between your treatments and stuff. It's not the Golden Door yet. You got to use your imaginations. We got to redo the couch and a few things like that. But I just wanted you all to have a little preview of the things to come, you know? Oh, darn it, I wish Erica could be here. She'd give us a few beauty tips, wouldn't she?
Myrtle: Oh, boy.

Nurse: Ms. Kane, we've completed your lab work and preliminary exam. All we need now is your signature on these forms.
Erica: So many?
Nurse: The top one is the consent for surgery.
Erica: Notification for next of kin?
Nurse: Someone we can contact in case of complications.
Erica: Does Dr. Fascinella expect complications?
Nurse: No, it's merely a precaution. Are you married?
Erica: No, I'm actually between husbands at the moment.
Nurse: I see. What about your parents?
Erica: Oh, no. My father is unreachable. My mother -- my mother has passed away.
Nurse: Oh. Children, then?
Erica: Well, I have a little girl, Bianca, but she's only 12. I certainly don't want to frighten her with this.
Nurse: We need a name, Ms. Kane.
Erica: Yes. Myrtle. Myrtle Fargate. What's this?
Nurse: You understand that Dr. Fascinella can't guarantee the results. This procedure is considered experimental. Your signature releases the hospital from any liability if the surgery is not successful.

Jake: All right, now you can talk.
Dixie: Thank you. I don't need a blood test.
Jake: Not everyone passes out my arms in the ER
Dixie: I told you -- I just skipped breakfast. That's all.
Jake: Dixie, you came to the hospital to see a doctor. I'm a doctor. Now let me check you over.
Dixie: Jake, you're my brother-in-law.
Jake: Exactly. If something's wrong with you and you walk out of here, Tad will kill me.
Dixie: Well, let's just leave Tad out of it, ok? Don't go telling tales out of school. Patient's entitled to some privacy.
Jake: Uh-huh. You are a patient. We are making some progress. Dixie, what are you scared of?
Dixie: I'm sca-- I'm scared that I have my kidney trouble again. I'm scared that my heart is having problems. I'm scared of losing my life.
Jake: Let me call Tad.
Dixie: No.

Tad: Oy. You look like a male stripper.
Jack: What does the copy say?
Trevor: "Adrian Dawson, a.k.a. Adrian sword, former government operative, discharged from service due to family scandal. This one-time chauffeur" -- I didn't know you could drive -- "has initiated a hostile takeover of Cortlandt Electronics. This is the same renegade who held current C.E.O. Palmer Cortlandt hostage and left him to die in a mountain cabin. Although no longer licensed to kill, consider Mr. Sword extremely dangerous."
Tad: Well, the good news is they spelled your name right. The bad news is that earring is definitely not your friend.
Adrian: Give me that. I'm going to sue his butt.
Trevor: You can't sue if it's true.
Adrian: I should have popped him when I had a chance.
Tad: Well, there's something we can all agree on.
Jack: You know, it seems to me that Palmer fired the first salvo in this battle. All you have to do now is return fire.
Tad: It's brilliant. It's a good idea. Start your own negative P.R.
Jack: Exactly.
Adrian: Yeah, Palmer has enough skeletons in his closet to fill a graveyard.
Trevor: Oh, wait a sec. If you want to place an ad in a major tome like this, it's going to cost you a lot of bucks.
Tad: How much money you got in your war chest?
Adrian: Can't say much.
Tad: No problem. I got a feeling Opal would be all too willing to dig deep. After all, Palmer's demise is such a worthy cause.

Opal: Well, you know, when I was a little girl, me and my mommy used to watch this TV show -- "Queen for a Day." Do you remember it? You know, they'd bring on all these women. They'd tell their hard-luck stories, and then the one that had the most heartbreaking tale of woe, she'd win something like a combo washer-dryer or something, and they'd let her parade around the stage wearing this cheesy gold crown. You know, believe it or not, there was a time when I was married to Palmer that he made me feel like a queen, even though I was up to my elbows in chicken fat and my crown was a paper hat that said "cluck and say howdy" on it. Well, obviously, that time has passed, and it just got me thinking, you know, why do we always have to wait for somebody to come into our lives to make us feel like royalty?
Belinda: Yeah.
Opal: And that's why the Glamorama will be reopening for business. The new and improved Glamorama, where every woman feels like a queen. So bring on your clogged pores, your puffy eyelids, your broken fingernails, and your broken souls. And ye shall be revived!
Brooke: Hallelujah! Sounds great to me. What are the services?
Opal: Oh, we got a whole line of new services, everything from acupuncture to Zen meditation. And there's going to be, like, this all-day spa special where you can get a manicure, pedicure, massage, facial, and luncheon. I'm going to call it the Glamoramathon.
Myrtle: Oh, boy, oh, boy.
Opal: And we got some great -- I found some great folks that are going to be on staff here. Everything they can fix -- your P.M.S., Your insomnia, your irregularity, whatever it is, we got somebody for all of it. There's this Mr. Chang. He does Chinese -- he's a Chinese herbalist. And this empress -- no, countess -- oh, I said wrong -- Countess Swana -- she does past-life regression, so look out for her. And then there's Sven. Myrtle: Oh. Opal: And Sven will do just about anything you ask him to. Myrtle: Anything?
Brooke: Is he booked?
Opal: As long as it's legal. Yeah, he's not booked.
Brooke: Well, there must be a grand opening. There has to be an opening to this, so --
Opal: Oh, yeah, yeah. Well, the grand opening is still a little ways off, but I just wanted to offer you ladies, you know, an afternoon of beauty and pampering on the house as kind of a dry run dress rehearsal.
Janet: So we're your guinea pigs?
Myrtle: Yeah.
Opal: Yeah.
Myrtle: Well, where's the hired help?
Opal: Oh, they're in the back, breaking out the champagne and the chocolate truffles.
Myrtle: Oh. Wow.
Brooke: I haven't had a facial in -- I can't tell you how long.V Belinda: Yeah, and we don't need to talk about my nails.
Brooke: Oh, look at her nails.
Belinda: Don't look at them.
Janet: And I want to hear more about Sven.
Opal: Sven, huh?
Brooke: That Sven guy.
Opal: Well, have any of you ever had a Swedish massage? Because I'll tell you, when Sven has his magic fingers work their wonders, you will thank your maker for the northern exposure. No, no, don't take my word for it. Erica swears by this man.

[Erica sits at her desk in Rio writing]

Erica's voice: "Darling Bianca, Rio is absolutely breathtaking. Someday, I want to bring you here, and we'll see all the sights. Maybe we'll visit during carnival time. My surgery is scheduled for this afternoon. I am brimming with anticipation."
David: You don't have to drop me a line.
Erica: Why are you here?

Dixie: You know, off and on, every once in a while. Look, I didn't tell Tad yet because I didn't know anything, all right, and I can't tell him until I know what exactly is happening to me, ok?
Jake: Ok. All right. I can respect that, but I also respect my brother, your husband. You know, the part in the vows about "in sickness and in health"?
Dixie: I know that, but we've only been married a few weeks. It's too soon. We haven't had enough time, Jake. You know, he's so happy. You saw him this morning. I don't want to bring him down unless I absolutely have to, ok, until I know exactly what's happening to me.
Jake: Maybe it's nothing. Maybe it's some kind of low-grade virus that you just can't shake.
Dixie: Yeah, right, and maybe it's something more serious.
Jake: All the more reason I think Tad should know so he can be here to support you.
Dixie: No. Look, I'm already going out of my mind about this. I don't need to put your brother through that agony.
Jake: I don't think he should be kept in the dark.
Dixie: I was just sure that this would pass.
Jake: Just like it did in New York.
Dixie: Jake, I know that you love Tad. He is your brother. But Tad is my whole life. Junior and Jamie and Tad -- they are my whole world, and I don't want to worry my boys unless I know that there is something really wrong with me.

Becca: Well, ok. So let's say that we do this video, and, well, guys like you will think it's me sort of come-on or a challenge. I'll have to shave my head, change my phone number, and start walking funny.
Scott: Would you deny a scorsese-in-training?
Becca: Hey, hey, you talking to me?
Scott: See, there you go. You're a natural. And with your background -- in filmmaking, you could really help me. You could give me some pointers.
Becca: Haven't you ever heard of the Auteur theory?
Scott: No.
Becca: One filmmaker, one vision.
Scott: All right, you're pushing me to the wire here. You know, the first film I made for my sophomore credit was on cats.
Becca: You're joking, right?
Scott: No. Sleeping cats. Jumping cats. Stretching and yawning cats. Cats falling off of a window sill. It was like "nuttiest videos," but without the laughs. I got a c-minus, but a real firm offer from the pet channel.
Becca: Well, I never could resist a shaggy cat story.
Scott: You know, when Orson Welles was making "Citizen Kane," he had no budget. All he had were some very talented actors and a real vision. All I got is half a thought and you. But who knows how far this could go?
Becca: Ok, ok. Where's your camera? Hurry up before I chicken out.
Becca: This is a story with a happy ending.

Erica: I didn't know that Dr. Fascinella had called you to come here.
David: He didn't.
Erica: Well, I don't believe you. He performed an E.K.G. on me yesterday, so something must be wrong my heart or he wouldn't have called you.
David: No. I spoke with Eduardo, but there's no cause for alarm. Your heart is doing fine. And he's very confident that the procedure will go well.
Erica: Well, if my heart is fine, then why are you here?
David: I've never been to Rio. The chance to see it and you at the same time proved irresistible.
Erica: Excuse me?
David: You're about to have major surgery, Erica. I didn't think you should be alone.
Erica: You feel sorry for me.
David: Why would I feel sorry for you? You're beautiful, you're courageous, you're the only woman I've ever met who didn't bore me to tears within the first five minutes. You make my life interesting, Erica. I wanted to be here for you.
Erica: You put your entire practice on hold so you could just come down here and hold my hand?
David: Undergoing surgery can be traumatic -- wondering, when you come out from the anesthetic, if your life has changed. It's scary.
Erica: Well, m not frightened. I'm not frightened at all. I've been looking forward to this operation for months.
David: But you also have a lot riding on the outcome. It is only natural to be afraid.
Erica: Sorry to disappoint you.
David: Is it so difficult for you to admit that you're only human, that you're vulnerable, just like the rest of us mere mortals?
Erica: Oh, now, I never thought that you considered yourself a mere mortal.
David: Here you are about to undergo a reconstructive surgery, but you can't resist the urge to stick it to me.
Erica: Would you prefer that I was a quivering mess?
David: On the contrary. I think your ability to hold it all together, keep your sense of humor intact is admirable.
Erica: Well, I'm not afraid of Fascinella. I mean, I trust Fascinella. And I'm not afraid of the anesthetic, and I'm not afraid of getting off the operating table.
David: But you are afraid of what you'll see once the bandages come off.
Erica: Well, I've waited for a long time. And I prayed for a miracle. And I did somewhere in my heart keep my hope alive that I would come out of the surgery the same person I was before the accident. But now that that miracle is within reach, I am frightened. I am frightened out of my mind.
David: When we crashed into that truck, it was like going through a looking glass. You can come out the other side, Erica. And you might not be the person that you left behind, but that might not be a tragedy.
Erica: Well, you're right about one thing. I mean, even if my face is fully restored, I will never be the same person again.
David: Neither of us will ever be.
Erica: And, you know, I could stand that if I could just look in a mirror recognize myself, just see myself again. You know, the worst thing when my mother died was that I knew that I would never, ever see her face smiling back at me again. And I don't want that for Bianca. I don't want Bianca to lose me. I want her to able to see me. I want her to be able to see my face, my smile, the way she always has. And I'd like to be familiar-looking to my friends and my family. I'd like to have my old smile back. I'd like to have my old cheekbones. I'd like to just know who I really am.
David: You don't need a mirror to tell you who you are. Look at me. Look into my eyes. Tell me what you see.
Erica: No, I can't.
David: Then I'll tell you what I see. I see a strong, brave, vulnerable woman who had the courage to stand up to my demons and not flinch. I'm here to return the favor, Erica. Whatever you're afraid of, whatever demons you're facing, I'll stand up to them with you.
Erica: And if the surgery is not a success?
David: Don't even think about that.
Erica: Well, that's all I can think about. I mean, the nurse asked me to sign a release just a little while ago in case the operation is a failure. My face is the face of Enchantment. My face is the face that launched a hundred campaigns and product lines. I mean, my life as I know it could be over.
David: You're right. It might happen exactly as you just said. But you are wrong about one thing.

Jake: How frequent are your dizzy spells?
Dixie: Hmm, they sort of come and go. You know me, Jake. I'm not the swooning type. I was watching a videotape of my own open-heart surgery and eating popcorn. Tad was the one that was under the sofa.
Jake: Have you had any heart palpitations?
Dixie: No.
Jake: What about your urine? Is there anything unusual about it? Is it cloudy or dark?
Dixie: No.
Jake: All right. Well, Dixie, I don't think anything's wrong with your kidney or your heart. You might have some kind of virus that's causing an inner ear infection. That would account for your dizziness, your vertigo, your nausea.
Dixie: How can we make sure?
Jake: Well, I want to run a blood test. And I want to check out your ears and do an E.K.G.
Dixie: Can you get the results of the test today?
Jake: I'll run them through as quickly as I can. We need to find out what this thing is. And when we do, we're going to call Tad.

Scott: Cut. Print. That's a wrap.
Becca: That was tough.
Scott: You were great. I found my Queen Amidala.
Becca: Well, thank you, Mr. Lucas, but hopefully, I don't have to change my hair.
Scott: Seriously. The camera loves you.
Becca: So I've got good bone structure. I mean, that and $5 will buy me a plate of barbecue.
Scott: I want you to produce this with me.
Becca: You're stark-raving nuts.
Scott: And you are fresh as -- what's fresh?
Becca: You mean, you want me to help you?
Scott: It's not a come-on. I mean, I'm no Mr. Mac -- Mac --
Becca: Christopher Macilhane.
Scott: Yeah, whatever. Look, I had a girl. But we were never really actually together, so breaking up wasn't even a choice.
Becca: So you want to avail yourself of my heartache for your art?
Scott: Does it still ache?
Becca: No, I guess not.
Scott: So, what's the problem?
Becca: That, Scott Chandler, it's a very loaded question.

Myrtle: Oh, boy, this is good. This is good.
Opal: Well, let me freshen your champagne.
Myrtle: Honey, I am half in the bag already.
Opal: Well, I always say never do anything halfway.
Myrtle: You're right. You're right.
Opal: Now, let's see. Where was I? Oh, Petey, Petey, honey, could you not play with those foils, honey? We need them for the highlights.
Janet: You know, we should get Vanessa Bennett in here.
Opal: Vanessa Bennett? What would I want with that shrew in my place of business?
Brooke: Well, you know what you could do? You could give her a permanent and leave the rollers in just little too long.
Belinda: Or you could give her a bikini wax and just accidentally turn up the heat on the wax.
Opal: Good one.V Brooke: Janet, you should have seen Vanessa strutting her stuff at the Valley Inn today. Really.
Belinda: Do you think she's had a face-lift?
Opal: Oh, please. One more tuck and she wouldn't be able to blink.
Belinda: Oh, Opal, you are so bad.
Myrtle: Well, if you can't say something good about someone, you just come to my table, honey.
Opal: Oh, Petey, Petey, honey, please take it easy on the sweets, will you?
Brooke: I tell you, I thought Opal was going to scratch Vanessa's eyes out.
Opal: What, and ruin my manicure? The dame isn't worth it. You know, but what I want to know is, why was Hayley in theValley Inn lobby with her suitcase?
Belinda: Yeah, and without Mateo?
Brooke: Well, I don't know. Maybe she was going out on a little romantic rendezvous with Mateo without Raquel and Max.
Belinda: Hmm.
Janet: Does anybody know if Vanessa Bennett's still living at the Valley Inn?
Brooke: Uh-uh.
Opal: I say we call Luigi's and have them deliver a dozen pizzas to her room.
Myrtle: With double anchovies.
Opal: Oh, Petey, Petey, come on, put the lipstick down. These things are not for you.

["Stop in the name of love" plays]

Belinda: Opal. Opal, honey, crank up the volume. I feel a Diana Ross moment coming on.

[Music plays louder]

Belinda: Excuse me.
Singers: Baby, baby I'm aware of where you go

Opal: She is Diana.
Belinda: Come on, now.

Singers: Each time you leave my door I watch you walk down the street

Belinda: And now side to side.

Singers: Knowing your other love you'll meet

Belinda: Yes, take it down. Take it down.
Opal: Whoo!

Singers: This time before you run to her

Opal: Here we the wave.
Belinda: Ok, the wave.

Singers: Leaving me alone and hurt think it over I've been good to you

Tad: What the hell is this?
Trevor: No wonder Opal didn't answer the door.
Jack: Oh, boys. Looks like we're missing a party.

Singers: Stop! In the name of love before you break my heart stop! In the name of love

Trevor: Honey, is that you?
Janet: Hi.

Singers: Before you break my heart think it over think it over

Belinda: Oh, I think you've seen all the parts that count.
Adrian: Yeah, now m starting to think you're living some secret life or something.
Belinda: Hey, I just want to keep you on your toes.
Adrian: Oh, is that right?

Opal: So, come on. Spill. What do you think of the new place?
Tad: Well, it's -- it's you, Mama. It's really just exactly you.
Opal: I'm going to take that as high praise. But what are you boys doing here, anyway?
Tad: Brainstorming anti-Palmer strategies, but that can wait till later.
Opal: Oh. You sure?
Tad: Mm-hmm.

Jack: Yeah, actually, I think what these cucumbers need is just a little bit of dip.
Brooke: Hey, Mr. 1960s Man, you always said you wanted to go back to the earth.

Opal: Petey -- no! Would you stop playing with the mud pack? Oh, honestly. Here, honey. This just would be the time that Flossie decides to go visit her sister in Tucson.
Tad: You need a babysitter, Mama? No problem. Hang on just a tick.

[Telephone rings]

Becca: Martin residence.
Tad: Hi, Becca. It's Tad.
Becca: Hey. If you're looking for Dixie, she's not here.
Tad: No, honey. Actually, I'm looking for you. Are you available to baby-sit on no notice?
Becca: Sure, I guess.
Tad: Terrific, because Mama's house is a disaster.
Opal: Oh, come on. Give me the phone.
Tad: No, no, get away from me.
Opal: No, you just get --
Tad: Get away from me. It turns out that Peter's in desperate need of adult supervision. We haven't got any adults with us, so can you come on right over?
Becca: No problem. I'll be right over.
Tad: Terrific. You know where Cortlandt manor is, right?
Opal: No -- Glamorama.
Tad: Yeah, the Glamorama.
Becca: Yeah.
Tad: It's 25 White Oak Drive.
Becca: Yes. I'll be right over.
Tad: Ok. Thank you.

Becca: That was Tad. Opal needs someone to watch her son.
Scott: I'll give you a ride if you promise to work on my documentary.
Becca: Scott, I don't know.
Scott: Look, we'd be a great team. And I'll give you equal billing.
Becca: I don't care about equal billing. I just can't live off of Tad and Dixie forever. I need some way to support myself -- if I stay -- and that is a big if.
Scott: Oh. Will you let me know before you go back to West Virginia?
Becca: Why?
Scott: Well, because I want to be able to call to convince you not to go. I don't want to call tomorrow and find out that you're halfway back to Pigeon Hollow with nothing but a bag of fried chicken and a huge upside-down map to comfort you.
Becca: Ok, Scott Chandler. You drive a hard bargain. But I promise I'll let you know before I go back to Pigeon Hollow.

David: Erica, no matter what happens to you in surgery, you have to know one thing -- you still have your friends. You still have your family. The people who love you aren't going to love you any less because your face isn't perfect.
Erica: I know I have my friends. I know. And I know that I'll still have Bianca. Look, the thing is Bianca's just at that age, you know, where she's curious about boys and love and -- one of the jobs of a mother is to teach her daughter how to be a woman.
David: And you're going to do a wonderful job.
Erica: How can you be so sure of that? You don't even know my daughter.
David: You're right, I don't, but I know you -- or at least I'm learning to. And your daughter couldn't have a more beautiful, more successful woman to look up to
Erica: David, I'm not talking about makeup tricks and fashion tips. I'm talking about -- about learning how to love and be loved.
David: And she will.
Erica: Well, when she was so sick that she didn't eat anymore, when she was in so much pain that the only thing that she could even think about was her imperfections, I kept thinking to myself, what did I do? And what can I do better now? What can I do to change so that she can feel better about herself, she can feel secure about who she is, so she can just feel safe about who she is?
David: Just like your mother made you feel.
Erica: Yes. That's true. And I didn't always appreciate it. But my mother made me feel like my life really mattered, you know, not just to her, but to the world. And I want that so much for Bianca. I want Bianca to be able to believe that about herself, you know with all her heart.
David: I believe it. I know how much you love your daughter every time you mention her name.
Erica: Well, then you'll understand that I really don't want her to be overshadowed by my problems -- I mean, certainly not now.
David: You do know how to put your daughter first. Vanessa -- she always wanted to be the center of attention. And she still does. But there was always this distance between us because I spent half of my childhood trying to figure out if she really meant what she said. Bianca will never have that problem.
Erica: No but she'll have others.
David: We all do. But knowing what you feel and why you feel it -- that anchors you.
Erica: Me?
David: With anybody. But especially you. You always seem to know what's going on deep inside you and how to let it out -- whether it's through a smile or a small golden hand mirror.
Erica: I'm sorry. I am very impulsive, that's true.
David: No, you are more yourself than anybody I've ever known. And, Erica, it's not just a child who looks for that. A man looks for that in a woman, and it's a lot more important than being physically beautiful, perfect.
Erica: You're just saying that because my life could change in the next few hours. What really happens if, as a woman, I'm just not attractive?

[David kisses Erica]

David: Light will always shine from those eyes, from deep within, warm and inviting, leading men home.

[Footsteps]

Nurse: Ms. Kane, it's time.
David: I'm going to be right here when you wake up.

Opal: Well, I guess Petey is really the only fly in the beauty treatment ointment, huh?
Tad: Well, how long is Flossie going to be gone?
Opal: Oh, heck. How do I know? Her sister's having a Plantar's wart removed from the bottom of her foot, and she could be weeks before she's up and around.
Tad: Well, what about daycare?
Opal: Daycare? I can't trust -- I can't trust in that, you know. Palmer could come by and sop him out of there behind my back.
Tad: Mm-hmm. Hey.
Becca: Hi.
Tad: Come on in.
Opal: Oh, there she is.
Tad: Mama, you can breathe a sigh of relief. Your child-rearing problems are over. This here's Becca.
Becca: Hello. How are you guys doing? Now, where is the little sugar bug?
Tad: I believe the sugar bug went that way.
Opal: Yeah. I think so.
Tad: Here he comes now.
Becca: Hey, Pete-man. My name is Becca. How would you like to look for some buried treasure?
Petey: Buried treasure?
Becca: Uh-huh. You know what? This whole place is famous for all its pirate booty. Oh, that's pirate talk for loot, not your heinie. Hey, do you know who Peg-Leg Pete is? He's one of your ancestors. And you know what? He buried all sorts of gold doubloons and pieces of eight right all over this place. You want to go look? Ok, let's go.

Tad: Bye-bye.
Opal: Well, praise the lord and pass the pirate treasure and we'll all go free. She's the answer to a mother's prayer.

Dixie: Hi there. I was just -- did you get the test results?
Jake: Right here.





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