Episode Report Card Niki: A | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Two Makes a Home
By Niki | Season 3 | Episode 16 | Aired on 03.24.2002
On the stairs, Rick swallows the lump in his throat. He finds Lily in the bedroom, checks outside for Mr. Miller, and observes that he's still there. He settles on the bed near Lily and suggests that they talk to Miriam. Lily's a million miles away. Rick tries to draw her out, saying that the first time he met Aaron was at Phil's funeral, when the two of them ended up alone in the kitchen. "He was so nice," Rick says. Lily finally joins him in conversation, agreeing that Aaron is "incredibly nice." Rick says he remembers thinking, "This is the loneliest person I have ever seen." Lily hangs her head. He continues, "I could have been that lonely, but I got lucky." Lily tries to make Rick understand: "Rick, he's never going to be lucky. Don't you see? Everyone in this house -- you, Judy, Grace -- you're lost in your own romantic fantasy. This woman can't love him because she can't see him. And that's not her fault; I understand that. But it's just the way it is." Rick rests his chin on her shoulder and sighs, "I don't know, Lil. Sometimes I think romantic fantasy is all we have." She looks off and shakes her head slightly. Rubbing her eyes, she resolutely says that she "has to get this going" and heads out of the room.
Soliloquy Lily says that after she and her father left Aaron at the hospital, they went out for dinner. Over deep-dish pizza, Phil laid it out: when he was gone, it would fall to Lily to take care of Aaron. Lily laughed at the notion that he'd ever be gone.
Cut to Lily heading downstairs in dim light. She peers over the railing and sees Aaron and Miriam cradled together on the couch. She creeps down the stairs, and Aaron stirs. He hops off the couch and, staring at the floor, shuffles past her, saying he forgot his suitcase. "It's okay, Aaron," she says. "I know," he answers defensively, refusing to look at her. Alone with Miriam, Lily settles on the back of the couch. Miriam softly says that she's ready to go; she doesn't want to keep her father waiting. Any longer than the two hours he's already waited, I guess. Lily tries to explain her position: she can't go against what Miriam's father wants. Miriam says she knows. She says that Lily's life makes her nervous because there's so many people in the house: "Too many people to worry about." She smiles shyly and admits, "I worry too much about one person." Lily asks if she means herself. Miriam clarifies that she means Aaron. Lily surveys her sadly and says that she worries about Aaron, too: "That he won't get the things he wants." Miriam clues in that Lily's referring to the list, and matter-of-factly says, "Oh, he's never going to get those things. Not most of them, anyway." She looks up at Lily and explains, "Aaron looks at things, and they say, 'You'll never have me.' They turn away. But I don't turn away. In my eyes he sees...'maybe.' And that's what I am: his maybe. His maybe." "Maybe," Lily repeats, trying it out. Miriam says that Aaron should go to his apartment on his own, not back to the home. She asks Lily to tell him that, because she tried to convince him, but Lily is the only one he listens to. Lily looks at her with fresh eyes, and fondly says, "You really love him, don't you?" Miriam closes her eyes, overwhelmed by the emotion, and breathes, "He's my list of dreams..." She opens her eyes and looks up at Lily earnestly.