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
Aaron stirs on the couch when they come in, and Lily crouches next to him. "I'm trying, Lily," he says feebly. Lily smiles tenderly and says, "No, don't Aaron. Just be here with us. However you are. 'Cause I'm doing better, Aaron. Don't worry about me." He smiles, and she tucks the blanket under his chin. And I'm crying. Again. Some more.
Cut to Lily washing her hands. "Mom?" Lily looks up into the mirror and sees Grace standing in the doorway. Lily admonishes that it's one o'clock. Grace corrects her that it's 12:49. Lily says that Grace has to try to sleep, and that "between all this and the hostage-taking, [she's] amazed [Grace] is in one piece!" Grace finds this funny, and she giggles while Lily sprays lotion over both their hands. As they rub it in, Grace asks if "this stuff" really works. Lily quips that she's actually a hundred and two -- but don't tell Rick. Grace suddenly looks like she's going to cry and blurts, "Mom, I knew! I came home, and I knew he was sick, but he asked me not to tell you." Lily stops Grace from blaming herself, saying, "It was me. I wanted him to be something for me that he can't be." A flash of realization shoots through Grace's eyes. "That can hurt so much," she mutters. Lily looks at her quizzically and asks whether everything is all right with Spencer. "Spencer is insane, Mom," Grace says, then catches herself and adds, "No disrespect to Uncle Aaron." Grace says that they'll talk about it, "in the morning, maybe." She pads off down the hallway, but then stops, turns, and says, "You're a good sister, Mom. I just thought you should know that before you went to sleep." Tears spring to Lily's eyes -- and mine, of course -- but she smiles through them. She bids Grace good night as the strains of Leonard Cohen's "Sisters of Mercy" start up in the background. Oh, good. Forgive any typos, folks, because I can't seem to see the keyboard anymore.
Leonard sings right into the next morning, as the camera pans into Grace's room, where Aaron is sitting on the bed, clutching his suitcase to his chest, and glumly resting his chin on it. He stands and starts to walk out, as we fade to Soliloquy Lily, who just stares at us looking sad, and yet strong. Aaron descends the stairs, where Grace and Zoe are waiting for him on the first landing. Zoe hands him his earflap hat, and Grace reaches up and strokes his cheek. He moves past them down the stairs, hugging the hat to his face. He disappears out of the shot, but Grace and Zoe stand and wave, smiling through their tears.