So, this week Once and Again gets back to what it does best, and I, for one, could not be happier. Except that this episode made me cry like a baby. I mean, Patrick Dempsey and Leonard Cohen? Dude, I never had a chance. I should probably warn you, there may be intermittent breaks in the recap because I doubt I can get through this thing without spilling a few more drops of saline. Okay, deep breaths, deep breaths...
Soliloquy Lily opens the episode, fondly saying, "It's not like we never fought. We fought all the time. Over everything. Who had to sit to Grandma at Passover, the best ways to torture Judy. It was great!"
Cut to Lily in Grace's room, making the bed and nervously chatting to Rick, who's standing in the doorway, still in his jacket, holding the pillows. Lily's anxiously going over the sleeping arrangements and then excitedly says, "I just can't believe he's coming!" She adds that she can, because he did so well at Judy's, and Rick mentions something about medication. Lily says, "There's no miracles. They always say that. But it works!" Rick exposits, "Like it's done for Aaron." Lily looks at him tenderly and thanks him "so much for stopping by so early." He quips, "Wait 'til we're married -- I'll frequently be stopping by early." Lily goes to grab his lips for a smush, but the phone interrupts her. They search for it, trying to follow its muffled rings through the sheets and blankets, surprised that it's buried in the bed. They finally dig it out, and it's Jake on the line, actually giving them some warning that he'll be there in two minutes for the girls. Lily heads to the top of the staircase and bellows the information. Grace emerges from a door behind her and informs Lily that she doesn't have to scream.
Grace slips into her room, slightly surprised to find Rick there, clutching her pillows (go ahead and giggle; I did. But then, I'm three) but even more surprised to find that Lily is making her bed. Lily wants to know why the phone was tucked in it. Zoe slides open the door to the bathroom that adjoins their rooms, and tattles that Grace was "talking to that Spencer guy until midnight." Grace counters that it wasn't midnight. Zoe shoves her toothbrush in her mouth and insists that she "got up to pee; [she] saw a clock," before Grace slides the door closed on her. Grace tells Lily it was 11:32. Lily says that it's still too late, but Grace reminds her that she and Spencer "went through this crucible together. [They] can't just say everything [they] have to say to each other in a day." Grace returns to her initial question, and asks why Lily is making her bed. Rick finally drops the pillows and says he's going downstairs to get them some coffee. Lily tells Grace that Aaron's coming. "Tomorrow. You said tomorrow," Grace says, adding that she wanted to be there when Aaron arrived. Lily says that she should be home around four o'clock, then. Grace says that something might come up with Spencer -- he might need her -- but that she'll get home as soon as she can. Jake honks from the street, and Grace leaves. But not before smirking, "Feel free to make my bed any day." Lily follows her, wanting to say something, but Zoe pops out and stops her with a question: "Was Uncle Aaron always the way he is?" Lily answers, "No, he was wonderful once." She catches herself and, after a beat, adds, "Not that he isn't now."
Lily hops on the Soliloquy Stool and reminisces about the time Aaron found a mouse and the two of them rummaged through a box of Judy's little troll dolls, stole the outfit off one and...She doesn't finish the story, but clasps her hands together and coyly smiles, "Oh, we were terrible!" How the hell did they not get bitten? She stares off for a couple of seconds, and her look grows wistful. She sighs and says, a little sadly, "Daddy always said they had Aaron for me." I don't know why, but I find that a little disturbing. Aaron's not a puppy, for crying out loud.
Rick returns with the coffee just as Zoe's scooting away. Lily accepts the mug, asking, "Do I scream?" Do people really make it this easy? "Only when I'm good," Rick "brags." Ba-dum-dum. Lily smiles and strokes his face, saying that she can't wait for Aaron to get to know him; Rick's "family now."
Cut to Grace at school, popping up to Spencer at his locker. With a big smile, she says that it was "so cool talking with [him] last night." Spencer smiles and agrees. Grace adds that she "got in trouble, of course, but it was so worth it." Spencer's smile fades a little, and he evades, "Well, I've gotta go," and explains that he agreed to edit poetry for the lit magazine, and some girl just submitted a forty-page poem called I, Darkling. He laughs, "What is a 'darkling,' please?" Grace smiles and steps closer, flirting, "Someone who darkles...I guess?" Spencer hmms a half chuckle and shuffles away from the locker, casting a furtive, sidelong glance at Grace. He nervously scratches at his face before admitting, "I've been having trouble sleeping. You?" Grace hasn't. Spencer rolls his eyes and makes a circle in the air with his fingers, saying his mom thinks he needs "closure to what [they] went through." Grace snickers, "Oh, yeah like that'll happen any time soon." She then grabs his arm and stops him -- which he doesn't look too happy about -- and eagerly says, "I had this idea this morning. Like, what happened to us? That was real, and like, most people never get a real thing or moment -- and I don't just mean in high school -- but we did." "So?" Spencer asks. Grace explains that they could interview each other: "You know, as survivors." Grace asks what he thinks. Spencer thinks he'd rather ask the quarterback on a date, but he just says he'll think about it and then makes to leave. Grace follows. Spencer is so crazy to get away from her that he hits the stairs backwards, still making excuses, and trips, sitting heavily on one of the steps. It doesn't even faze him. He's up and dashing desperately to the top, like Grace suddenly donned a goalie mask and revved up her chainsaw. Grace, oblivious to the fact that she just grew a second head, shouts after him to find her later.
Cut to an exterior of Manning Manor as the front door opens. Lily and Zoe emerge as a small car pulls up to the curb. "Well, we made it!" the driver calls cheerfully, scooting around the trunk toward the passenger door. It's Aaron's support worker, Shelly. She opens the door for Aaron, who emerges self-consciously, clutching a battered cardboard suitcase to his chest. He's wearing one of those fur-lined hats with earflaps, and it's s lightly askew on his head. Basically, you just want to hug him. Except that he probably wouldn't like that very much. Lily and Zoe offer up big smiles, and Aaron takes a cautious step toward them, softly saying, "Lily..." Zoe peers up at him from behind Lily's sleeve. He continues,"Thank you for having me, Lily." She immediately thanks him for coming. He looks down for a second, and then says, "I think I should state, to be perfectly honest [Lily braces herself], this is not my own, actual suitcase." Lily is at a loss and throws a slightly puzzled look at Shelly, who doesn't miss a beat, saying, "I think Lily's probably fine with that, Aaron." Lily takes the cue and agrees that, of course, she is. She adds that Judy's on her way, and Aaron smiles a relieved little smile. Lily adds that Judy mentioned how much he liked the bookstore, so she thought the two of them would go tomorrow. Aaron rushes out, "That sounds like a plan. I'd like to see where I'm going to sleep." Zoe pipes up that he'll be staying in Grace's room, and that Grace "freaks if you move her stuff an inch, but don't worry, [Zoe knows] where everything goes." She extends her hand and offers to show him the way. Shelly gives Aaron an encouraging smile; he timidly accepts Zoe's hand, and they head up the walk together.