We're in the closet when the show opens. Insert gratuitous Jessie joke here, if you're so inclined. Lily opens the door and pulls down a box labeled "Grace's Baby Clothes - One Year." She takes it to the kitchen to begin sorting its contents on the table. The telephone rings, pulling her attention away from a tiny jumper. She heads toward the phone as Zoe races into the room, saying she'll get it. Except she can't, because the receiver isn't in its cradle. A frantic, fruitless search ensues, and they miss the call. And don't bother checking the machine for a message, which is a little odd. Anyway, after a bit of grumbling, they turn their attention to breakfast. Zoe sees the box on the table and, holding up a wee dress exclaims, "Too cute!" "What's this?" she asks, pointing out a spot. "Puke," Lily answers, matter-of-factly, sucking a dollop of cream cheese off her thumb. Zoe drops the dress like it's on fire. She pulls an old porcelain doll out of the box and breathes, "I remember her!" Lily glances up from the bagels she's preparing and exposits that the doll, called Martha, was Zoe's grandmother's. Zoe asks if she can have it, and Lily says they'll have to ask. She warns Zoe that she won't be able to play "dress-up" with Martha, though. Lily plucks the doll from Zoe's hands and returns her to the box. She asks if Zoe made up her mind about her birthday party, and mutters something about "being so busy with [Barbara's] visit." Zoe quickly says that she just wants to do "something simple...with just us." Lily's touched, but thinks it a little odd that Zoe doesn't want to have a party with her friends. "I don't really feel like it this year. I mean, what's the big deal?" Zoe asks. Wait 'til you're turning thirty, kid. Those words will take on a whole new, desperate meaning.
Judy comes in the back door, calling out cheerfully. Zoe greets her with a hug and gushes, "Hi, Ju-Ju." Wha--? A horn honks outside, and Zoe says that it's Jake, and that she's late. She heads out, and Judy calls, "Nice to see you, Gummy Bear." Seriously, where did these names come from, and why do my teeth suddenly ache? Judy spots the baby clothes and asks if Lily's giving them away. Lily explains that she's got a "Maddie pile" and a "can't-bear-to- part-with-it pile." She assures Judy that she's saving Judy plenty of stuff, too. "Yeah, if they don't rot by then," Judy mutters. Why Judy, where's all the Sam love? Judy changes the subject, asking what time Barbara's plane gets in. Guiltily, Judy adds that she should be coming with Lily to pick her up. Lily assures her that it's okay. She says that she and Barbara will pick up Judy, then Zoe, and then they can all go see Maddie. "Your ex-husband's baby," Judy says, for effect. Lily mutters that it's the one thing Babs said she wanted to do while she's there. "She probably thinks she's her grandmother," Judy grumbles. "Judy," Lily warns. Judy picks at a bagel and says that Babs has been acting kind of odd on the phone lately. "She calls you?" Lily asks, her jealousy rising. "Only to criticize me," Judy says. "Last week she told me I act too capable around men." Clearly, Babs has never seen Judy around Sam Blue. Or any man, for that matter. "She never calls me," Lily gripes. Judy starts laying the foundation of dread, wondering if Babs will bring them the rye crackers she steals from the plane and then complain about every bit of food they served her. "Why are you being so mean?" Lily chides. Because life is just more fun that way? Judy counters, "Why are you in such denial?" Lily says it's "nicer" that way. She checks her watch and declares that she has to get to work. "Can we please fight later?" she adds, mildly. Judy retorts, "I'd love to, but I'll probably be too busy fighting with Mom." Lily heaves her eyes in a mighty roll.
Cut to Lily's truck pulling into the driveway. Grace rushes out the door, smoothing her brown corduroy jacket. Guess where she's taking her fashion cues these days. At least it looks ironed. Babs exclaims at how grown-up Grace has become. If she only knew the half of it. Jessie and Katie emerge from the house, and Grace informs Lily that she's giving the two of them a ride to Karen's. "Oh, hello. Do you live nearby?" Babs asks Jessie. Lily shoots her a strange look and reminds her that Jessie is Rick's daughter. Babs plays it off like she just didn't recognize Jessie because she's "all grown-up, too." Again, if she only knew the half of it. Jessie introduces Katie, and Babs smiles, "Oh, so many big girls," as they shake hands. The big girls pile into the truck, and Lily ushers Babs into the house.
In the foyer, Babs shudders and grumbles that it's so chilly. She complains that she never knows what the weather is going to be like, and that she always packs the wrong things. Lily says Babs can borrow any sweaters or scarves that she needs, and offers to turn up the heat. Babs wraps her arms around herself and pitifully says, "Oh, please!" While Lily adjusts the heat, Barbara wanders into the living room and stares at a worn, brown leather chair. She asks where Lily got it, and Lily answers that it belongs to Rick. She explains that he loves it; it's where he does all his thinking. "Oh, well, you can always have it reupholstered," Babs muses. Yeah, and she could always get remarried, too. Lily turns away from the thermostat with a pained expression. She looks toward the front door with relief as the cavalry, in the form of Judy, arrives. Judy and Babs hug while Babs complains about the airport, and all the "soldiers with guns." She gripes that she hates guns. Judy agrees that she does, too. She holds up a small blue gift bag and says she has "a little something" for Barbara. Meanwhile, Lily loads herself down like a pack mule with Babs's suitcases and starts schlepping them toward the stairs. Babs calls over her shoulder for Lily to get her a glass of water. Lily drops the suitcases and, with the resolve of a martyr, heads for the kitchen. Judy shepherds Babs in the same direction, feigning interest while the old lady rattles off a list of complaints about the airline food. You know, if you want to make it as a complainer in this world, you've got to come up with more original material than that.
In the kitchen, Babs pulls a small package out of her purse and says, "I know you love these, Judy." Judy tries to muster some enthusiasm as she exclaims, "Oh, rye crackers!" Lily brings over Babs's water, and Judy shoots her a look over Barbara's shoulder. "I told you," she mouths, her lips barely moving as she brandishes the crackers. "I know," Lily mouths back, smiling at their private joke. Babs is still rattling on about the food. Jesus, could you imagine the state of poor schmo who had to sit to her for the entire flight? Judy distracts her by asking if she's going to open the present she brought her. Barbara reaches into the bag and says, "A book! How nice!" Judy leans over her shoulder and says, "Anne Lindbergh. You know, she spent a year by the sea after her husband died." Babs uh-huhs and unceremoniously drops the book on the counter, muttering, "That poor little Lindbergh baby." Lily catches Judy's disappointment, and they exchange a look, Lily silently willing her to hang in. Babs turns brisk, asking, "Now, when am I going to get to see my new grandbaby?" Judy gently tries to explain that the baby isn't technically Babs's grandchild, but Lily loudly says they'll pick up Zoe and head to Booklovers to "smooch the baby," and that way Babs can also see what Judy did with Phil's. "It's too bad she's not here," Babs says. "Who, Zoe?" Lily asks. Barbara answers, "No, the baby. Shouldn't she be here?" Judy gapes. "Mom," Lily says, sounding a little exasperated. Babs quickly asks if Lily can lend her a sweater. Lily tries to smile and sound normal as she says sure. Judy's busy trying not to freak out.
After commercials, Lily's truck cruises up outside Zoe's school, which is cleverly named Bedford Middle School. Zoe's sitting by herself at a picnic table, looking more than a little glum. "That can't be her!" Babs exclaims. Lily says it is. "Oh, my god! She looks sixteen!" Babs grins. Zoe runs over to the truck and leans in the passenger window to kiss Babs hello, but Babs warns her off, saying she thinks she caught a bug on the plane. Zoe climbs into the back seat with Judy, or should I say, Ju-Ju. Lily asks Zoe how her day was. "Exquisite," Zoe says. Lily beams at the million-dollar word. "Grandma, are you going to be here for my birthday?" Zoe asks. Babs says she "wouldn't miss it for the world," then chides, "And I thought we decided on 'Bea.'" She grouses that "Grandma" makes her sound so old. Zoe looks like it's the first she's heard of this "Bea" business. Judy tries to give Zoe a supportive smile, but it comes out more like a smirk. She then makes eye contact with Lily in the rearview mirror, and tags off the sneer to her. Bea is blissfully unaware of the runaway smirk.
Cut to Booklovers, where Tiffany is jiggling Maddie on a couch as Bea and Zoe coo their admiration. Jake saunters in with, "Hey, Bea." He's clearly heard of her preference for the nickname. They embrace warmly, and Bea remarks that the baby is beautiful. Jake agrees that he's "surrounded by beauties, now." Because he wasn't before. He kisses Zoe, "Beauty #2," on the forehead, and asks how was school. "Scintillating," she drawls. Oh, Zoe is so precocious. Bea tells Tiffany that she looks tired, and Tiffany laughs that she is. She says that Maddie sleeps with her in the bed, and "it's like baby Valium." Bea is alarmed. "Aren't you afraid you're going to suffocate her?" she asks. With easy grace, Tiffany laughs that Maddie's fine. Lily blows in, carrying a shopping bag of baby clothes, which she must have left in the truck. She holds it out for Tiffany. Tiffany and Jake both thank her. Jake pulls Lily off-screen to ask her something. Maddie starts squalling, so Tiffany pulls her close to breastfeed her. Bea nearly pops a vessel. Watching Tiffany, she observes that things "sure are different now. You kids just have to do things your own way."
Soliloquy Bea drops by to tell us what things were like when she was raising a baby: "When I was pregnant, they didn't have all those books like they have today, describing everything so you know what to expect." And you had to walk fifteen miles uphill in the snow just to deliver the kid, right? Bea concludes, "But we got by, with a hope and a prayer, and a lick and a promise." And a thousand and one clichés. My own grandmother happens to know them all, god love her.
"You didn't breastfeed?" Tiffany asks, looking down at her own breast in full operation. Bea says that no one did. Intrigued, she leans forward and asks Tiffany if it hurts. Tiffany considers the question for a second and answers that it's a good hurt. Bea smiles warmly and says, "Babies change everything, don't they?" Tiffany agrees, adding that "nothing in [her] life made sense before [she] had Maddie." Bea watches Tiffany wistfully and says that she's going to make a good mother. Lily reappears in the doorway and leans against the frame, watching the scene as Tiffany gurgles and jokes with Maddie.
"Would you look at those gams?" Phil says, over Lily's shoulder. She spins around. "Hi, Daddy," she says, not at all startled by the sudden appearance of her dead father. Phil enthuses that Bea is still "one gorgeous broad." He exclaims over the changes to the restaurant and then tells Lily he likes the way she's wearing her hair. Me, too. Phil turns his attention back to Bea, murmuring that she doesn't change; he "look[s] at her and see[s] the girl [he] married." Lily's touched. He asks how Lily and her mother are getting along. Lily hedges. As the cords pop on her neck, he remarks that she seems tense. He says she needs to lighten up: "Everybody down here needs to lighten up." Lily whispers, "But Daddy, don't you think Mom seems a little bit out of it?" Before Phil can answer, Bea calls her name. Maybe she's wondering why in the hell Lily's standing in the doorway talking to the air. Lily turns at the sound, and when she turns back, Phil is gone. Bea says she thinks they should go: Maddie needs a nap, and so does she. Lily murmurs okay and turns again, checking the empty space around her.
Later, in the kitchen of Manning Manor, Lily, Judy, Bea, and the kids are all scrambling around the table as Rick doles out containers of Thai take-out. The phone rings, adding to the chaos. Zoe once again searches fruitlessly for the thing. Eli wanders in and joins the fray. Bea looks up, stone-faced, and asks, "And who are you?" Lily, startled, looks uncertainly from her mother to Eli, who's standing there chuckling nervously, waiting for her let him in on the joke. Finally, he stammers, "I'm...I'm still trying to figure that out, actually." This just delights Bea to no end, who seems to think he's the Shecky Greene and not just some depressed pothead. Judy smiles, but it doesn't quite reach her eyes. She glances over at Lily, who's just sitting there, stricken. Lily plasters a smile on her face when Judy catches her eye.
When we return from the break, Judy and Lily are on the phone. Since they're both in their pajamas, it's clearly the morning. "She's losing it," Judy frets. Lily hisses at her not to say that. Judy asks if she thinks it's Alzheimer's. "No, and neither do you," Lily says. Judy asks her what she wants to call it, then. "A senior moment," Lily says. She adds that she can't even find her own phone, which is why she's calling on her cell. Judy starts to say something about their issues with Bea, but Lily cuts her off with a loud and pointed "Hi, Mom!" as Bea strolls into the kitchen. Judy straightens up and looks guilty, even though Bea has no way of hearing her. "She's up already?" she asks. "Of course we are," Lily answers with extra brightness. "Did she say anything about me working today instead of being there?" Judy asks. "That's fine," Lily sings through clenched teeth. Judy says she's so sorry she won't be there to help Lily with Bea. "Me, too!" Lily enthuses before hanging up. Bea complains to Lily that she couldn't sleep a wink, and asks whether it's the "same mattress [Lily's] always had there." Lily thinks so. Bea says Lily might want to flip it. I think there are a few things Lily'd rather flip first. Lily mildly agrees and asks whether Bea would like coffee. Insulted, Bea nearly chokes on her orange juice. Indignant, she snips, "I don't drink coffee. You know that!" It's obvious that Lily did not. Lily pulls a strainer of tomatoes and cucumbers from the fridge, and sets them on the counter. "So much food!" Bea exclaims, faintly disgusted. Lily reminds her that she has a really big family now. "Well, I'll say!" Bea sniffs. "And I love it!" Lily says. Bea warns her not to forget her own children. "Why would I do that?" Lily asks, an edge settling into her voice. Has Grace been writing her grammy letters? "Resentments can build up, believe me," Bea says knowingly. Lily looks off, focusing every ounce of her will on holding the knife against the cutting board.
"I know. Trust. Me," Soliloquy Lily grits.
Zoe breezes into the kitchen, trailing a ray of sunshine. "Morning, Grandma," she chirps, snatching a bagel off the counter. "Bea will do just fine, dear," Bea answers. Zoe takes a big bite of her bagel and heads for the table. "Aren't you going to toast that?" Bea asks. Zoe says no. "Bagels taste better toasted," Bea informs her, matter-of-factly. Oh my god, she is so my grandmother.
"You ever want to know how you were raised? Just watch your mother with your own children," Soliloquy Lily says, smiling sweetly.
Rick strolls into the kitchen, yawning a good morning. Bea exclaims and says that he startled her. He puts his arm across her shoulder, kisses her forehead, and good-naturedly reminds her that he lives there now. He kisses Lily good morning, and she tells him they're just figuring out what to do today. Bea turns her attention back to Zoe, harping, "Zoe, no juice?" Defensively, Zoe says she'll have some later. Bea suggests that they go shopping, and asks, "Isn't someone around here going to have a birthday?" She asks what kind of party Zoe is having. Zoe fights off an eye-roll and says she doesn't want a party. "You're not having a party?" Bea echoes with disbelief. "Lily, why wouldn't she be having a party?" What is she, the Birthday Nazi? Weakly, Lily stammers, "Well, she..." Rick interjects that he's just going to step out and run like hell...er, "get the paper." Wise man. Lily shoots him the stink-eye for abandoning her. Zoe flatly informs her grandmother that she just doesn't want a party. That's it, that's all. "Lily, this is the age, you know," Bea says. Lily asks what she means. "When they have to be comfortable with themselves. If they're going to be popular --" "I don't want to be popular!" Zoe interrupts. Bea finally addresses the kid directly: "Zoe, you say that now --" "I want to be invisible!" Zoe pleads, bouncing on her chair in frustration. "You will be if you don't start giving parties and entertaining people!" Bea snaps. Lily puts a hand on her mother's shoulder to calm her down and soothingly says that Zoe has friends; she has good friends. Zoe backs her up on it. "Everybody loves a good party!" Bea stubbornly insists. "Except me!" Zoe cries. Lily rubs her temples and suggests having just two of Zoe's good friends over. Bea excitedly suggests having the party at "Jake's café." Zoe's seeing the problems already: inviting her two friends means she has to invite other people, too, because of their complex social weave. Still riding her own wave, Bea says, "They make the most fabulous party favors nowadays." Say, there's a good point. Lily actually addresses Zoe's concern, saying she wouldn't have to invite them if she just had a family party. Bea chimes in that she and Zoe could go shopping for party favors. Sick and tired of the whole stupid thing, Zoe closes her eyes and tries to suppress a scream. She raises her hands in surrender and snips, "Fine." Bea is elated that it's all settled, and that she won, of course. She floats off triumphantly to have her shower. Lily tries to smile. She glances over at Zoe, who's glaring back at her. "Thanks a lot!" Zoe snits. Lily sighs and smiles weakly, pleading, "Honey, your grandmother doesn't come to visit that often. Can't we just --" "Yeah, yeah, yeah," Zoe grumbles, storming out of the kitchen. "Humor her?" Lily says to the bagels.
"My own daughter, and what do I do? I completely sell her out," Lily gripes to Rick. They're in the bathroom. She's applying mascara, while he's in the midst of a steamy, steamy shower. Rick asks why she did it. "Because I knew it would make my mother happy! Ugh, why do I always end up in the happy business?" she complains. And speaking of happy business, Rick turns off the shower and peeks his glistening head out of it. "It's called being a good daughter," he says. She says she feels like she's seven again, every time her mother gives her "that look." She psychoanalyzes that she doesn't have a relationship with Bea, so she's forcing Zoe to have one. She squirts a few shots of breath spray in her mouth, shrugs her shoulders, and muses that at least it's good that Zoe and Bea are doing something together by shopping for party favors. She turns away from the mirror and wipes her hands on a towel, musing, "Who remembers their twelfth birthday, anyway?" Rick steps out of the shower and absently rubs a towel over his chest, recalling, "Gina Bradley. She let me feel her up on my twelfth birthday." Lily snorts and chucks her towel at him, saying she really needed to know that. The camera jumps back and rewards us with a view of Rick's posterior. A strategically placed candle covers his pertinent bits as he turns to the side. And let me just say that it's a rather substantial pillar candle, and not some wimpy taper, if you know what I'm saying. He calls out, "It was her present to me!" And herself, I'd say.
Meanwhile, Zoe and Bea are trawling through one of those trashy accessories stores at the mall, where everything is mounted on cheap white plastic cards and hanging from pegboard. Bea pulls something off its hook for Zoe's inspection. "My friends don't wear makeup," Zoe says. Bea returns it to the wall and shuffles a few feet down, rubbing her hands and murmuring, "There's just so many choices." "And they're all made in China," Zoe says, adding, "Which invaded Tibet and killed thousands of monks." Bea turns, affronted, and says that she's just trying to help with Zoe's party. You know, the one she's forcing Zoe to have in the first place. Zoe makes a valiant effort to suppress an eye-roll. Bea finds another gewgaw to distract her. Zoe glances around, and then says she'll be over in another corner of the store. Bea sternly warns her not to wander off, because she promised Lily they'd be home by five. She tells Zoe to meet her at the counter in three minutes.
Soliloquy Bea tells us about her girlhood plans to be in the fashion industry.
From her corner, Zoe glances at her grandmother, then starts checking out the goods. Bea handles some white satin purses before something off-camera catches her eye. She wanders off after it.
Cut to the store's entrance, where Bea emerges, blinking heavily and looking like something out of The Serpent and the Rainbow. She drifts out into the mall. Soliloquy Bea voices over that she was going to go to Paris and work for Coco Chanel or maybe move to New York and become a buyer, while Bea examines some scarves hanging outside another store. Zoe meanwhile, wraps a turquoise boa around her neck and glances around the store for Bea, to show her. The camera quickly swings left and right, with no Bea in sight. Bea wanders to another display, as her Soliloquy Self continues voicing over that her father lost his business and had nothing left, so it didn't matter anymore what she wanted. Panic rising, Zoe searches the store. She runs to the entrance, and I'm expecting the buzzer to sound, since she's still sporting the boa, but it doesn't. She stands in the doorway with a frantic look on her face.
"But then I met Phil, and he became my life," Soliloquy Bea tells us. She looks down, seeming to regret the things that never were.
Cut to the escalator. Bea gets on and heads down, while Zoe surveys the crowd passing in front of the store. She keeps it together remarkably well. She turns on her heel and heads for the sales counter, asking if she can use their phone to call her mother. She relays to Lily that she's lost sight of Bea.
Fade to the up escalator. Lily appears at the top it and bounds towards the accessories store, where Zoe is waiting. Lily asks where Bea is. Zoe says, "I have no idea." Lily squeals, "What do you mean? How could you lose her?" Zoe indignantly informs her that Bea lost her. Lily anxiously asks if Zoe thinks Bea left the mall. In one smooth motion, Lily plucks the boa off Zoe, hands it off to the sales clerk who's standing there eavesdropping and gaping, and pulls Zoe out of the store by the hand. They walk along the storefronts, scanning faces and looking tense, while the chick in the background music huffs and wails. She's really distracting. Zoe glances over the railing, down at the first level, and spots Bea sitting on a bench, unconcerned, and eating what appear to be gummy lips.
Lily and Zoe appear in front of Bea with an accusatory "Mom! Where were you?" "Well, I'm right here," Bea says, glibly. "But you said I should stay up there!" Zoe counters. Bea looks her in the eye and says, "Well, honey, you wandered off. I didn't know where to look for you." Full of righteous indignation, Zoe clamors, "No, I didn't!" She looks to Lily to see who she believes. It's not looking good for Zoe. Bea stands up and adjusts her purse, saying that she was very worried about Zoe. That seals it. Lily puts her hands on her hips and looks stern, telling Zoe that she was supposed to stay with Bea. Zoe protests that she stayed exactly where Bea said she should. Barbara smiles that they don't have to make a big fuss about it, since everyone is fine. How big of her. Lily and Bea head out, but Zoe needs a minute to shake her little head at the unjustness of it all.
We return from commercials in the middle of the night. Lily's in the throes of a bad dream, tossing and murmuring restlessly. Rick is awakened by it, and nudges her on the shoulder. When she finally gets oriented, Lily appears relieved to be awake. She mutters that she was "back at the old house," and she "wanted to see [Bea] so badly." Rick pulls her against him, and she snuggles into his chest, saying that she "had to tell [her mother] something important, but she wasn't there, and [Lily] knocked on every door and looked in every room, but she wasn't there." You don't exactly need a shrink to figure that one out, do you?
Cut to Lily doing some more middle-of-the-night emotional eating. She twists apart an Oreo and, defying all known science, looks absolutely distraught even after putting it in her mouth. "You used to eat the other half first," Phil says, actually managing to startle her for once. She denies it. She gets up off the floor, where she'd been huddled, and moves to a stool at the counter, saying, "I'm so glad you're here, even though you're not really." "Oh, I am if you need me," he assures her. Lily glumly says there's a lot going on. He agrees that there is, saying he never knew before just how much is going on. "I never really knew before how everything connected. Do you know we are all made out of star dust?" Lily gets misty and says that she thinks something is wrong with Barbara. She says she wishes he were still there, because he'd know what to do. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, sweetheart, but I might not. I might be so in love with her that I'd try not to see it right away." Lily asks how she can talk to Bea, and get her to admit that she needs help. Phil points out that no one likes to admit that. "And you know your mother," he adds, "she likes to do everything herself." Lily rolls her eyes playfully and teases, "Daddy, you can't be dead and in denial." He chuckles and says, "You'll see, Lilibet. You'll see." He moves to the cupboards as Lily asks him to explain what he means. He says she'll know what to do. She asks how. But he can't tell her that because he's dead, and saying it straight just isn't in the job description. Phil opens a cupboard and tells her they did a good job with her kitchen. The camera cuts back to Lily to give Phil time to skeedaddle. "Daddy?" she says softly. When the camera returns to the cupboards, Phil is, of course, gone.
Fade to a hoity-toity dining room, later that day. Judy, Lily, and Bea are seated around a table, having high tea. Uncomfortably, Judy remarks on how great it is that green tea is becoming so universal. They chatter about it for a few seconds before Lily jumps in and says there's something she and Judy need to talk about. Bea sets the deflector shields to high and waits for the onslaught. With a lot of flinching and apologetic squinting, Lily says they were wondering if Bea has been forgetting things lately, little things like appointments and, oh say, members of her family. "Absolutely not," Bea says stolidly. She asks why they're asking. Judy tries to make light of it, saying that it happens to everyone. She use herself as an example, saying, "I've forgotten...to get married." Heh. Except not. The spinster humor's getting old, Judy. Lily looks at her like she can't be freaking serious. Bea asks if they're trying to tell her that she's incompetent. No, they're worried about her. "Worry about yourselves," Bea snips. Lily asks if she's had a check-up lately. Bea defensively answers that she has her check-ups. Lily asks when she had the last one. Bea squeals that she doesn't know and asks why they're "ganging up" on her. She says she "does very well" for herself, and tells them to see how well they do at her age. Lily leans forward and softly says they know Bea can take care of herself; Lily starts to say something more when the waitress arrives with their tray of tiny sandwiches and pastries. "Is everything all right?" she asks. They choose to ignore the loaded question and smile their thanks. As soon as she leaves, Lily whispers, "You wandered off. It was very frightening." "Is that what this is about?" Bea asks, all pish-posh. Lily stares at her plate and Judy shreds a sandwich while Bea sternly proceeds to inform them that she has lived alone ever since Phil died. "And yes, it's been very hard, but I have managed very well without you," she says. Lily doesn't back down, saying that she has a very good doctor, and she thinks Bea would love her. "What did Zoe tell you?" Bea asks, getting paranoid. Lily tries to say something, but Bea cuts her off to say, "You're making too much of this. You always have. When you were a child, I used to call you 'my little drama queen.'" Lily busies herself with forcing a smile to keep herself from strangling Bea. She glances around uncomfortably and bites her tongue as Bea changes the subject to Judy's "café."
Cut to the kitchen of Manning Manor, where Lily is engaged in something at the counter. Bea is there with her. Zoe hovers in the doorway and asks if she can have some ice cream. Lily says sure. "She should have had her supper," Bea tsks to Lily. Lily says it's okay. "She eats too much junk food," Bea nags. Lily snaps, "Why do you keep talking about her like she's not even here?" Bea denies it. Zoe says Bea does. "Don't you dare take that tone with me, young lady," Bea warns Zoe. "What tone?" Zoe snarks. "That tone," Bea says. Zoe sasses that she'll use whatever tone she wants whenever she wants. "Zoe, that's enough," Lily says wearily. Judy comes in the back door just in time to hear Zoe grit, "I don't even know why you came here when all you do is criticize everyone." I was wondering that, too. Lily almost thinks about using something approaching a yell and tells Zoe to go to her room. Zoe leaves the ice cream on the counter and chokes out, "Gladly." She turns to Bea for one parting shot: "I don't even want to go to your stupid birthday party." Bea shoots Lily an accusatory look and complains, "I don't know what's come over that girl. She used to be so sweet." Gee, I wonder. Lily just stands there, mute, and shoots a look to Judy, who's lurking in the corner out of harm's way.
Cut to Lily's bedroom, where she and Judy are in front of her computer, reading up on Alzheimer's. Lily reads that there are "tangles that can form in certain regions of the brain." "Tangles," Judy echoes. Lily reads that "the hippocampus starts to shrink in the early part of the disease, and they need an MRI to see it, but basically they can't diagnose it 100% until they do an autopsy." Mention of an autopsy sends Judy out of her seat toward the keyboard, muttering that there must be some sort of treatment. Lily reads, "Treatment is about controlling the symptoms, which can include cognitive loss, verbal aggression, agitation, wandering, depression...." Judy shakes her head sadly and closes her eyes. She mutters that she can't take it, and throws herself into an armchair in the corner. Lily says that maybe this is "just what getting older is, and now we need some fancy name for it." Judy's not buying it; she doesn't think there's anything normal about what's happening to Bea. Lily reasons that it's people's way of dealing with it, so they can put relatives away without feeling bad about it. Judy wonders what the alternative is, and asks if Lily is going to want to take care of Barbara, because she doesn't. The weight of the situation and of Judy's guilt presses in on Lily, and she tears up.
Cut to a close-up of a small notebook and pen on a bedside table. Barbara's hands lift them off the table, and she whispers, "We have our little secrets, don't we," to her porcelain doll, Martha, who's now perched against the lamp. Bea makes a quick notation then sets the book down again, satisfied. She smiles at the doll before lying back and closing her eyes with a weary sigh. Lily pokes her head in the door and asks Barbara if she's awake. Bea sits up, saying that it's very difficult to sleep when you're not in your own bed. Lily apologizes for Zoe's outburst earlier, and adds that she wants the two of them to get along. Bea assures her they'll be fine. Lily enters the room with a throw blanket, and spreads it over the bed. She moves toward the door, but stops when Bea blurts, "It's so hard, Lily. You have no idea." Lily comes and sits on the bed, gently asking, "You mean, since Daddy died?" Bea doesn't answer, but after a second, points to Martha and says she had a doll just like her when she was a girl. Lily closes her eyes to steady herself and tells Bea that Martha is her doll. Barbara looks confused and asks why it's there, then. Lily fights to remain patient and reminds Barbara that she gave Martha to Lily a long time ago. Barbara picks up the doll, saying, "Of course I did! I'm just surprised she's in such good condition. You were always so hard on your things." Lily chuckles and changes the subject, saying that sometimes she feels like she and Bea don't even know each other. Barbara smells sentimentality in the air and tries to wave it away: "That's silly." Lily admits that it does sound silly. She's not going to give up that easily, though, and changes tactics, saying that she wishes she knew what Bea was like as a little girl, what her dreams were. "Long ago," Bea says gruffly, turning to arrange her pillows. Lily presses on, saying she wonders what it was like when Bea was pregnant with her and Judy, and how she felt. Yeah, well, it's too bad Bea only likes sharing those things with strangers. Lily waits, smiling expectantly, as Bea turns to face her. "Lily, I can't do whatever it is you want me to do right now. I can't be your best friend. I had your father for that. I'm not like you. I don't want to talk about every little feeling and analyze it to death." Wounded, Lily asks, "Is that what you think I do?" "Yes, I do!" Bea snaps. Lily asks why it's "so damn difficult" for Barbara to talk about her feelings. "Because my life is mine," Bea grits, "and it's not for anyone else to examine and to judge." Lily sighs and tilts her head back to hold off the tears. "Okay," she says. "I think you must be tired. You should go to bed," Bea says, oh-so-subtly. This is one clue Lily doesn't miss. As she reaches the door, Bea asks what time the party is the night. Lily says seven. Bea says they should leave by 6:45, then. Deflated, Lily says "all right," and slowly closes the door behind her.
It's the morning when we return from commercials. Rick is in the driveway with his head under the hood of Lily's truck. Bea wanders out, coffee mug in hand, to see what he's doing. He informs her that he's "switching out a fan belt." Bea asks if they couldn't just do that for him at the dealership. Her mechanic must wet himself when he sees her roll in. Rick answers that they could, if he wanted to pay three times what it's worth. "Jake's good with cars, too," Bea says, wielding her tact like a two-by-four. Rick looks up, a bit of grease artfully smeared across his cheek, and bites back his first reaction. Instead, he says, "That's great." He almost keeps the sarcasm out of his voice. He returns to the engine, silently willing her to go far, far away. "Lily tells me that you two get along," Bea says. Rick grunts with the strain of tightening something and says that Jake is a "good guy." Bea says, "You know, in my day, exes didn't mingle. It just seems so strange." Rick stops wrenching the engine and says, "What is? People getting along?" Clearly, for Bea, that is a foreign concept. She laughs and says, "Well, it's just...odd!" She asks if he's coming in for breakfast. He says he's not quite done yet. "Well, I hate to think of you out here all alone," she says. "I kind of like it, actually," he says. She misses the point and chuckles, "You men!" So, men always want to be alone when Bea comes around. Shocking. She heads back to the house, passing Lily on the stoop. "Morning," Lily says stonily, not even looking in Bea's direction. Bea pauses to tell her, "He won't come in. I tried." Lily just bites her tongue and steams in Rick's direction.
"Every time she comes out here, I think it's going to be different. I really do!" Lily mutters to Rick. "But she is just...so...like...." Words can't express it, apparently, so Lily lets her body do the talking, jerking and agitating all over the place. It's actually pretty funny. Rick doesn't even blink. He just lifts a hand and tries to soothe her by reminding her that Bea will be gone in two more days. Lily says she doesn't know what she's so upset about. "It's just...I need to make love to you," she says abruptly. He can't believe what he's hearing. This is better than porn. "Now?" he asks. "Yes, now," she says, all business. "You sure that now is a --" Lily shuts him up by ramming her tongue halfway to his intestines. It's effective. She grabs him and urgently runs her hands through his hair. After a few seconds, she breaks away, grabbing his hand and pulling him to the side of the truck. She throws open the back door and shoves him inside, despite his weak protests that she's insane. She piles in on top of him, wrenching down the zipper on her hoodie and devilishly agreeing with him. As they disappear from view behind the seats, we see Judy's car pull in the driveway behind them. "What's that?" Lily hisses. Rick's head pops above the seat. He reports that it's Judy. Lily's hand yanks him back down. Her head appears in his place. She disappears behind the seat as Judy emerges from her car, cake box in hand.
Blissfully unaware of the Explorer's action, Judy strolls up to the house and enters, calling out. Zoe appears at the top of the stairs in her robe. "Hey, happy birthday, button!" Judy exclaims. "What's so happy about it?" Zoe grumbles, shuffling down the stairs. Zoe rumbles right past Judy without so much as a glance. Judy stands there, taken aback.
Out in the truck, Lily and Rick are snuggling. She murmurs that she loves him, and he jokes that her mother should visit more often. Lily laughs and then immediately starts sobbing, her shoulders heaving. Rick asks what's wrong, and Lily catches her breath long enough to choke out that she doesn't know how she can do this: "I try to talk to her, and she just shuts me down. How can someone give birth to you and change your diapers and be your mother and have it all be about her?" Hmm, I bet Grace could tell you. She adds, "She doesn't even see me." Rick whispers that it's not too late; Bea is right there. "No, she's not. I never had a mother. Not really. Not the one I wanted. And now I'm losing her," Lily sighs. Rick whispers that he wishes he could help. She touches his face. "Oh, Rick, you do. You have no idea how much." That's right. Never underestimate the power of a boy-toy.
Meanwhile, Judy's been slicing coffee cake in the kitchen. Lily breezes in, zipping up her hoodie. "Oh, Judy. I didn't know you were here!" she lies. She exclaims over the cake and takes a seat at the counter. Judy asks why she has grease on her face. "Oh, hi Judy. I didn't know you were here," Rick says, much less convincingly. He kisses her forehead. "Why do you have grease on your face?" Judy asks. "I was working on Lily's...car," he says lamely. Judy grins as she clues in. Rick gives Lily a kiss and the two of them start giggling. It spreads to Judy. She asks if he's hungry. He laughs, "No thanks," but grabs a piece anyway, and says he's going to get more tools. Lily and Judy keep laughing. The whole thing seems like it was a genuine case of the giggles, and it just happened to fit the scene, so they kept it. I'm not complaining. It's quite charming. "In the car! I'm telling Mom!" Judy teases. Zoe breezes in and asks if she can have a popsicle. "For breakfast?" Lily asks. Then she remembers that she just got laid, and grandly says sure. Zoe exclaims in surprise as she rummages in the freezer, and pulls out the cordless phone along with her popsicles. "Oh, god, I hope we can defrost it!" Lily says, and she and Judy burst into giggles again as Zoe backs slowly out of the room. Lily puts her head on her hand and chuckles that she's losing it. Judy tells her to join the club, adding, "I had this whole conversation with Dad last night." Lily looks up, pleasantly surprised: "You, too?" Judy can't believe she's serious. "Oh, yeah," Lily assures her. "I do it all the time. I just never told you about it because I thought you'd think I was --" "Nuts?" Judy supplies. "I think it runs in the family." Judy sighs and concedes that Bea is not herself. Lily fills her in on a few of the more recent episodes, and laments that she can't believe they're "already at this point. It's like life is five seconds long."
Bea breezes in, saying, "Judy, I didn't know you were here." Lily asks whether she'd like some breakfast. Bea surveys the counter, and the Mr. Freeze in Judy's hand, and asks, "Coffee cake or popsicles?" She chuckles, and they join in. Judy asks what time the party's at. "What party?" Barbara asks. Judy nearly inhales her Mr. Freeze while simultaneously popping her eyes halfway out of their sockets. Lily, trying to be calm, reminds Bea about Zoe's birthday party. Bea clues in and says she thinks she forgot to buy Zoe a birthday present. No! Bea grabs Judy's hand and pulls her up off the stool, saying she has to help her get a present. Startled, Judy trails her, sucking her Mr. Freeze and muttering, "At your service." Lily just sits there, chin on hand, looking numb.
Dissolve to Booklovers, where everyone is arriving for the party. Everyone's chatty and bubbly as they navigate around the balloons. Then the camera lands on Zoe, who's standing in the doorway with her arms folded and her jaw set.
We dissolve again to Judy, navigating her way along the bar to Zoe, who's sitting at the end by herself, looking miserable. When Judy arrives, Zoe sarcastically blows her noise maker.
We dissolve yet again to the family seated around a table. Zoe blows out her candles, actually smiling for the first time as everyone cheers. Bea stands and asks for their attention, saying that it was always Phil's job to make the toasts, but now it's her turn. She starts with Judy, saying, "Your dad would be so proud of all you've accomplished here." Judy looks startled, then touched when she realizes there's no negative "but" coming. Bea turns to Lily: "With your radio show and your wonderful, enormous family, I really don't know how you do it." Lily smiles warmly at first, but then fades a little, realizing that her mother literally doesn't have any idea how she does it, since she barely knows her. Bea turns to the birthday girl, saying, "But most of all, this is my granddaughter's day." Everyone murmurs warmly, as Zoe folds her arms and braces for the slings and arrows. Bea goes on, "Zoe, I know you didn't want to have this party, and maybe I shouldn't have insisted on it, but I just knew that everybody in this family wanted a chance to celebrate what an extraordinary girl you are." There's a chorus of "hear, hear"s. Bea continues, "You've got a real spark. You're smart, you're funny, you're not afraid of anybody -- not even your bossy old grandma! You remind me just a little bit of me. And so, I'm going to give you something that was once mine." Bea heads over to the gift table and returns with Martha, who's sporting a new dress. The family oohs and ahhs over the doll as Zoe jumps out of her seat, overwhelmed by the sight of it. She cradles it with awe as Bea says, "And I hope that she'll be as good a friend to you as she was to me." Lily tears up at the exchange, and I don't think it's because her mother just re-gifted the doll she'd already given to her years ago. She cocks her head slightly, and the camera pans back to show Judy, to her, do the same. They turn to look over their shoulders, and Phil, seated at the bar behind them, raises his cocktail glass. Judy and Lily smile at one another.
Fade to Zoe's room, later that night. Lily straightens Martha's dress and sets the doll on a shelf. She blows Zoe a good-night kiss and heads for the door. Zoe calls out to ask if Lily and Barbara were close when Lily was a girl. Softly, Lily says they were. Zoe asks what happened, then. Lily gently closes the door and then sits to Zoe on the bed, saying, "I'm not exactly sure. I guess Grandma loves babies so much, it's hard for her to accept that they grow up into big girls."
Soliloquy Lily, perched on a stool in the Thinker's pose, muses, "What are Zoe and Grace going to say about me when I get older? Are they going to roll their eyes every time I call?" Hon, they do that now.
Zoe asks, "Is it hard for you that I'm growing up?" Lily strokes her cheek and says, "Absolutely." "Even though I can't help it," Zoe says. Lily says change is just hard for parents sometimes. Tentatively, Zoe suggests that maybe Lily shouldn't be so mad at Bea. Lily asks what she means. "Well, she's changing, too. By getting old. And she can't help it either." Lily nods a little, trying not to cry, and agrees.
Cut to Lily's hand knocking on Grace's bedroom door. She opens the door to find Bea packing. Lily reminds her that her flight isn't until the day. Bea says that packing gives her something to do. Lily hints, "You know, you don't have to leave tomorrow." Bea laughs if off, saying that Lily must be anxious to get back to her regular life. Lily doesn't answer, but softly closes the door.
Stepping into the room, she says that Zoe loves the doll, and thanks Bea for giving it to her. Bea looks up from the sweater she's folding, and assures Lily, "Zoe and I are going to be just fine. Grandmothers are different from mothers." Lily gives her head an ironic nod. Bea wanders into the bathroom in search of her brush, and Lily picks up a sweater that needs folding. Barbara's notebook falls out of it, and Lily picks it up for a closer look. Opening it, she finds a list of vital information: Lily's job, Rick's job, the kids' names and ages, Judy's job, and reminders about the party and the sweater she borrowed from Lily. You can practically hear Lily's heart break as she confronts her mother's illness on the page. Hearing Bea returning, Lily quickly closes the book, but she can't keep her eyes from welling with tears. Bea notices the thunder storm outside, and comments that it's a nice sound. Lily absently agrees. Bea studies the forlorn look on Lily's face, and throws out a tidbit, saying that she was just Zoe's age when her mother died: "After that, everything changed." She's distracted by the storm again, remarking that Lily always liked the rain. Lily says she remembers waking up during a storm when she was little, and feeling scared until Bea took her out on the porch so she could get used to it. She puts a hand on her mother's shoulder, asking if she remembers. Bea stiffens, saying shortly, "Of course I do." She brushes Lily's hand away and moves toward her suitcase, softly saying, "Not now, Lily."
Lily's had enough and lays it all out, saying that she's always felt like Bea is angry with her, but she has no idea what she did to make her upset for all these years. Bea whips her head around to look at her, emphatically saying, "Oh, no, Lily! It wasn't you. It was just...it was life. Life did something to me." Lily absorbs this for a second, staring at her mother's hands. Snuffling back her tears, she moves to Barbara and takes her hand. She teases, "What have you been doing? Scrubbing floors?" Bea checks out her hands and chuckles that they are a mess. "Come with me," Lily says, leading her by the hand. She plants Bea at the foot of the bed, pulls up a chair, and says, "Give it up." Bea protests that it's silly. Lily grabs a tube of hand cream and starts rubbing some into her mother's hand. "You don't have to do this!" Bea insists. After a second, she relents, admitting, "It does feel nice." Lily takes a breath then tells Barbara she wants her to think seriously about moving into the Manor. Bea can't believe the nonsense she's hearing. Bea says she always said she didn't want to be a burden, and she meant it. Lily tells her to stop. "No, I won't stop it!" Bea exclaims. She says Lily's "plate is full," and that Lily doesn't need one more thing to worry about. Lily, exasperated, snaps that Bea doesn't get to make this decision. Bea snaps that she does. Lily says, "I'm not always going to do what you want me to do." "You never have," Bea shoots. Lily shakes her hands like they're covered in red ants, and whines, "Mo-o-o-o-om!" Bea is stunned into silence. Lily, holding back tears, says she doesn't know how to make it any clearer: "I want to take care of you. Will you or won't you let me take care of you?" Bea is at a loss. After a second, she confesses, "I forget things. I do know that. We'll drive each other crazy!" Lily's steady, now. "Okay. So maybe it's not perfect." Lily leans in and emphatically whispers, "I'll remember for you, Mom." She adds, "And I think by taking care of you, I'll be taking care of me. And, you'll drive me crazy." Bea, overcome, needs a second before she can say, "Well, god knows you'll drive me crazy if I keep saying no!" They smile at one another, and Lily returns to rubbing her mother's hands. The camera pans back, out the window, and we leave them chatting happily.
The show ends with a PSA for the Alzheimer's Association. If you need information on the disease, the number is 1-800-272-3900, or go to their website.