Episode Report Card Niki: A+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Aaron's Gettin' Better
By Niki | Season 2 | Episode 16 | Aired on 03.20.2001
Jake steps up next to Grace, asking if they're sure they don't want anything. He doesn't seem to notice that Spencer's taken a powder. Grace just stares at the door until Jake prods, "Grace?" She looks at him blankly and says, "Nothing."
Cut to a close-up of a window hung with sheer cream curtains. Bare branches are starkly silhouetted behind it, and we can hear them creaking in the wind. Aaron suspiciously approaches the window and peers through the curtains. Then he turns toward the dining-room table and starts trying to set the table. He keeps pricking up his ears and cocking his head, apprehensively looking all around him for the source of the sudden heavy footsteps and metallic clinking, which sounds like a ring of jailer's keys.
Soliloquy Aaron just sits, paranoid, glancing from side to side.
In the dining room, Aaron glances in fear toward the front door, hearing that someone is about to open it. He's trying so hard to maintain, but it's too much. He puts down the placemats and covers his ears briefly to try to shut out the sound, trying to keep it away...
Soliloquy Aaron flinches, disturbed by a crashing thud and looks up in terror.
In the dining room, Aaron sees that Grace has just come through the front door. She waves hello and tosses her things on the bench, while he glances from her to the table, looking as if she caught him red-handed. "Uncle Aaron?" she asks. "She's at the market," he blurts, trying hard to speak normally. "Rick's coming," he adds nervously, glancing sidelong for a split second to see if she's onto him. Grace says she knows, and asks when Lily left. Aaron swipes a hand across his forehead and continues spreading out the placemats, answering, "Just a short time ago, with Zoe." Grace walks toward the dining room, saying that it's nice they have some time alone. She adds, "I hope you can come more often." He looks over at her, arms clutched tightly around himself, and declares, "I'm doing so much better." She agrees, and he looks relieved.
Grace moves through the dining room to the kitchen, saying, "I just saw that boy I told you about." Aaron asks whether she's in love. Grace stops like he just pulled her leash taut, and turns to ask him how she's supposed to know that, chuckling a little defensively. Aaron just smiles a little and continues folding napkins. Grace turns her attention to the cookie jar, looking inside as she says, "Maybe I'm not." She puts down the lid and grabs an orange from the fruit basket next to it and says, "Or, I don't know. I might be." She stands awkwardly, clutching the orange and a notebook over her chest. "Might makes right," Aaron says, without looking up. Grace recognizes the quote, and Aaron rubs furiously at his eye, like a little boy, saying he had a book about the Kitty Hawk, but he doesn't know where it is now.