Angel of Mine

PROJECT SUBMISSION PACK

FILM: Angel of Mine

DATE: January 2018

1. Submission Form p2-3

2. Information Pack p4-13

3. Sales Estimates p14-15

4. Script Report p16-18

5. Script p19-130

F I L M S U B M I S S I O N F O R M

PROJECT TITLE: ANGEL OF MINE DATE: 1st January 2018 SHORT SYNOPSIS / LOGLINE Log Line: Two Woman, Two Worlds, One Truth Short Synopsis: Divorced mother, LIZZIE, an emotionally imbalanced woman battling for custody of her son, has her life turned upside down when she crosses paths with LOLA, a young girl who she believes to be the daughter she lost seven years ago in a hospital fire. Unable to let her suspicions go, Lizzie first stalks and then befriends Lola's mother, CLAIRE, inching her way into Lola's life, to the bewilderment of her own family. Claire grows suspicious on discovering that this strange woman has begun to systematically follow her little girl, appearing everywhere. As Lizzie's obsession heightens and her behaviour becomes increasingly disturbing, Claire confronts her, which brings deeply buried secrets to the surface and the shockingly devastating truth is revealed.

APPLICANT DETAILS NAME: Su Armstrong TEL: +61 418 850206 COMPANY SixtyFourSixty Pty; Ltd. EMAIL: [email protected] CONNECTION 5/97 Drumalbyn Road, Bellevue Hill, Producer ADDRESS: TO FILM NSW 2023, Australia

PROJECT DETAILS Su Armstrong, EP – Good Will Hunting, Casanova, PRODUCER/S: Brian Etting CREDITS /AWARDS RKO 281 – Golden Globe Josh Etting LINE PRODUCER: CREDITS /AWARDS Academy Award nominee and BAFTA Winner 2017 for best WRITER: Luke Davies CREDITS /AWARDS adapted screenplay LION; CANDY – winner AFI award for best adapted screenplay Psychological Thriller GENRE: PRODUCTION CO'S SixtyFourSixty Pty. Ltd. - Australian & NATIONALITY: BUDGET A$6,556,206

NAME: CREDITS /AWARDS Proposed Approached Confirmed LOI STRANGERLAND – Grand Jury DIRECTOR: Kim Farrant Prize Nominee; in competition x x Sydney Film Festival GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO – Nominated BAFTA Best CAST 1: Noomi Rapace x Leading Actress; ALIEN COVENANT; BRIGHT THE GREAT GATSBY Nominated ACCTA, AFCA, FCCA Best CAST 2: Isla Fisher supporting actress; NOCTURNAL x x ANIMALS; CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC CAST 3: CAST 4:

SHOOTING SCHEDULE – Prep, Principal, Post, delivery Prep – 6 weeks March 19-April 27, 2018; Shoot – 6 weeks April 30-June 8, 2018; Post – 18 weeks June 11-October 12, 2018; Delivery – 4 weeks October 15-November 9, 2018

FINANCE DETAILS FINANCIER NATURE OF INVESTMENT AMOUNT A$ BUDGET % Proposed Approached Confirmed LOI A$900,000 less Dev. Investment Screen Australia Equity 13.73% X X of A$26,500 in budget already paid F I L M S U B M I S S I O N F O R M

Film Victoria Equity A$375000 5.72% X X Producer Offset Equity A$1728396 26.36% X Sovereign Fund Equity A$327810 5% X X Becker Film Group ANZ DG A$100000 1.53% X X Fortitude International ROW DG A$3125000 47.66% X X SALES INFORMATION SALES AGENT: Fortitude International SALES ESTIMATES: CONTACT: Nadine de Barros/Robert Ogden Barnum LOW: US$3,250,000 (A$4,062,500 @ U$.8 = A$1) TEL: +1 424 284 1330 MEDIUM: $ EMAIL: [email protected] HIGH: US$6,465.000 (A$ 8,081,250 @ U$.8 = A$1) PRESALES TERRITORY: DISTRIBUTOR: MG: RIGHTS: Australia/NZ Becker Film Group A$100,000 All Media

EXCLUDED / WITHHELD TERRITORIES: DETAILS:

PRODUCTION INFORMATION COUNTRY: % SPEND: DETAILS: Australia 100% Full production and post production all in Australia

REMAKE OF THE FRENCH FILM “L’EMPREINTE de L’ANGE"

DIRECTOR, KIM FARRANT

WRITER, LUKE DAVIES & DAVID REGAL

PRODUCERS, BRIAN ETTING, JOSH ETTING, SU ARMSTRONG

ANGEL OF MINE OVERVIEW.

A gripping psychological thriller about obsession and loss. In the vein of BLACK SWAN and THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE.

Inspired by real events, suspense thriller ANGEL OF MINE follows divorced mother LIZZIE MANNING, an emotionally imbalanced woman who is battling for custody of her son and juggling her job as a sales rep for a cosmetic line. Her life is turned upside down when she crosses paths with LOLA, a young girl whom she believes to be the daughter she lost seven years ago in a hospital ﬁre.

Unable to let her thoughts go, Lizzie ﬁrst stalks and then shrewdly befriends Lola’s mom CLAIRE BRADLEY, inching her way into Lola’s life, at the expense of her own son and to the bewilderment of her parents. Claire grows suspicious by the discovery that this strange woman has begun systematically following her little girl, locked within the grip of obsession.

As Lizzie’s ﬁxation heightens and her behavior becomes increasingly disturbing, Claire confronts Lizzie, bringing deeply buried secrets to the surface and a shockingly devastating truth that connects them both.

This ﬁlm is scheduled to shoot in Melbourne, Australia in April, 2018.

ANGEL OF MINE PROPERTY OF GARLIN PICTURES / SIXTYFOURSIXTY PTY. LTD “Don’t ever mistake my silence for ignorance, my calmness for acceptance, or my kindness for weakness” - Carson Kolhoff

ANGEL OF MINE PROPERTY OF GARLIN PICTURES / SIXTYFOURSIXTY PTY. LTD REVIEWS OF THE ORIGINAL FILM.

Rotten Tomatoes 86% Approval Rating

Empire Magazine “Unsettling thriller with powerful central performances.”

The Guardian (UK) “A moving, assured portrayal of a damaged woman in a ﬁlm following in the coolly measured steps of I’ve Loved You So Long.”

The Times “It’s smart, seductive stuff that taps the primal power of maternal grief.”

ANGEL OF MINE PROPERTY OF GARLIN PICTURES / SIXTYFOURSIXTY PTY. LTD CAST.

ANGEL OF MINE PROPERTY OF GARLIN PICTURES / SIXTYFOURSIXTY PTY. LTD CHARACTERS.

LIZZIE MANNING (Noomi Rapace)

Late 30’s, pretty, divorced mother who lives with an inner turmoil. She believes that her little daughter, thought by all to have died as an infant, is still alive. Her conviction is absolute, which causes those around her to suspect that she has become unbalanced. She is stressed out. Preoccupied. Tense. Depressed. Obsessive. A staunch believer. Convinced. Maternal. Deeply feeling. Intuitive. Vulnerable. Volatile. Has fantasies. Has visions that some believe are delusions. Cunning. Manipulative. Charming. She is at her wits end. Heartbroken. But carries fervent hope and determination. Nothing will stop her.

CLAIRE BRADLEY (Isla Fisher)

Late 30’s, attractive, well put together, assured, seemingly calm and yet ultimately deeply calculated and controlling. To the world, Claire has the perfect life with the perfect husband, but none know the deep secret she holds. She is a master manipulator. A consummate liar. A loving mother and a deceitful wife. This doesn’t mean she doesn’t love her husband. She does. Very much. But she wants what she wants. No matter what the cost. She is intolerant of pain. Most of all her own. She lives in denial. She’s idealistic. She has a rationale for everything. Even things that many would deem unforgivable. She is super high functioning, with money, beautiful kids and a great wealthy husband. And she is actually quite lovely. She just has to keep everyone ultimately at a distance to hold onto that which she loves.

ANGEL OF MINE PROPERTY OF GARLIN PICTURES / SIXTYFOURSIXTY PTY. LTD ANGEL OF MINE PROPERTY OF GARLIN PICTURES / SIXTYFOURSIXTY PTY. LTD TONE. THEMES.

TONE:

Thrilling. Tense. Suspenseful. Manic. Heart Stopping. Raw. Real. Wretched. With intense uncensored performances grounded in reality showing the dark underbelly of the female psyche. A bourgeois catﬁght between lionesses who will kill to protect their cub. Two women on the verge…

THEMES:

A mother’s intuition is always right. Women just know. It’s an innate instinctual connection between mother and child. Lizzie just knows, beyond logic or reason, that Lola is her daughter. What is questioned so beautifully is whether it is intuition or denial and need that fuel her. It’s a question we all wrestle at times – ‘is it my knowing or my will that drives me?’ Both Claire and Lizzie have the primal urge to parent and protect Lola, illustrating that maternal impulses go beyond bloodlines. Whether an adopted child or one’s own, a mother’s love is insurmountable and immeasurable. We see Claire’s genuine care and love for Lola being as strong as Lizzie’s.

ANGEL OF MINE PROPERTY OF GARLIN PICTURES / SIXTYFOURSIXTY PTY. LTD BIOS.

KIM FARRANT, DIRECTOR.

Kim Farrant is a director with a dramatic feature, numerous shorts and episodic network television as well as documentaries to her credit. Kim’s drama debut Strangerland (starring Nicole Kidman, Hugo Weaving and Joseph Fiennes) a psychological thriller that premiered at The Sundance Film Festival, screening in the festival’s World Cinema Dramatic Competition and was nominated for the Grand Jury prize and then at The Sydney Film Festival in Competition.

Kim is currently attached to direct: Angel of Mine, written by Luke Davies (Lion, Candy, Catch 22) and produced by Su Armstrong (Good Will Hunting) and the Etting Brothers US: a UK psychological thriller Hush Money for Michael Winterbottom’s company Revolution Films, Josh Hymas and Afolabi Kuti producing, written by Nico Mensigna and Emily Carr: a feature ﬁlm Random written by Dylan Gary, story by Kim Farrant and Dylan Gary, produced by Kim Zubick (The Zoo Keepers Wife), a psychological thriller The Executor, adapted for the screen by Max Botkin, produced by Alexandra Milchan (The Wolf of Wall Street) and an ongoing half-hour TV series Devoted, written by Andy Parker and co-created by Kim and Andy developed at Anonymous Content with David Parker (The Reverent) producing and a feature drama The Unlikely Secret Agent: written by Julia Ruchman (The Son), produced by John Sacchi (Killers).

Kim’s other directing work includes the action procedural Rush (Endemol/Ten), short films Between Me and Bombshell, and the television documentaries The Secret Side of Me (SBS) and Out of the Saddle. Her first feature documentary, the critically acclaimed Naked on the Inside, is based on the premise “who are we beyond clothes and skin?”. The film was a finalist at the Sydney Film Festival and was nominated for the Film Critics Circle of Australia award for Best Documentary and sold to networks worldwide.

ANGEL OF MINE PROPERTY OF GARLIN PICTURES / SIXTYFOURSIXTY PTY. LTD BIOS.

LUKE DAVIES, WRITER.

Luke Davies in an internationally renowned, award-winning screenwriter, novelist, playwright and poet. His most recent screenplay LION, based on the book A Long Way Home by Saroo Brierley, directed by Garth Davis (Top of the Lake), stars Dev Patel, Nicole Kidman and Rooney Mara, and was produced by See Saw Films (the Oscar-winning producers of The King’s Speech). The ﬁlm has garnered multiple award nominations including an Academy Award nomination for Best Screenplay and Best Film.

Davies’ screenplay LIFE, about the friendship between James Dean and Life magazine photographer Dennis Stock, was directed by Anton Corbijn and stars Robert Pattinson, Dane DeHaan, Joel Edgerton and Sir Ben Kingsley. It premiered at the Berlin Film Festival in 2015. Prior to this, Davies rewrote the thriller RECLAIM which was released by Lionsgate in 2014 and starred John Cusack, Ryan Phillippe and two-time Oscar nominee Jacki Weaver.

He adapted his novel CANDY for the screen for director, Neil Armﬁeld. The ﬁlm starred Heath Ledger, Abby Cornish and Geoffrey Rush and premiered in competition in the Berlin Film Festival.

Davies has been working with Brad Pitt’s company Plan B on the adaptation of the memoir BEAUTIFUL BOY for Brad Pitt’s Plan B and New Regency Films. It is to be directed by Oscar-nominated Felix von Groeningen. Davies is also currently writing a television mini- series adaptation of the Joseph Heller novel CATCH-22 with director David Michôd, to be produced by Anonymous Content and Paramount Television.

Davies is also the long-term ﬁlm critic for the Australian magazine The Monthly, as well as an occasional book reviewer and essayist. He has featured, as a storyteller, on the award-winning NPR programs THIS AMERICAN LIFE and UNFICTIONAL.

ANGEL OF MINE PROPERTY OF GARLIN PICTURES / SIXTYFOURSIXTY PTY. LTD FORTITUDE INTERNATIONAL

ANGEL OF MINE 6/27/2017 Territory Ask Take Company Sale Selling Budget: DOMESTIC USA 1,500,000 750,000 Financing Budget: Canada 200,000 100,000 Sub-Total $1,700,000 $850,000 $0 US Release: TBD ENGLISH SPEAKING Airlines 300,000 150,000 Director: Kim Farrant Australia/New Zealand 500,000 250,000 South Africa 60,000 30,000 Writer: Luke Davies United Kingdom 500,000 250,000 Producer: Brian Etting, Josh Etting, Sub-Total $1,360,000 $680,000 $0 Su Armstrong EUROPE Benelux 100,000 50,000 Cast: France 350,000 175,000 Germany/Austria/Switzerland 650,000 325,000 Switzerland 75,000 30,000 Greece/Cyprus 25,000 10,000 Iceland 10,000 5,000 Italy 100,000 50,000 Portugal 50,000 25,000 Start Date: Scandinavia 150,000 75,000 Spain 150,000 75,000 Sub-Total $1,660,000 $820,000 $0 Rating: LATIN AMERICA Pan Latin PTV Argentina/Par/Uru NOTES: Brazil 1. Take prices are contingent on the Central America attachment of Isla Fisher and Diane Kruger Colombia Mexico Peru/ Ecuador/ Bolivia Venezuela Sub-Total $300,000 $150,000 $0 ASIA Pan Asian Pay TV 35,000 15,000 China 50,000 25,000 Hong Kong / Macao 45,000 20,000 India 20,000 10,000 Indonesia 50,000 25,000 Japan 125,000 50,000 Malaysia 20,000 10,000 Philippines 15,000 5,000 Singapore 20,000 10,000 South Korea 90,000 40,000 Taiwan 30,000 15,000 Thailand 30,000 15,000 Vietnam 10,000 5,000 Sub-Total $540,000 $245,000 $0 ASIA MINOR Israel 45,000 25,000 Middle East 200,000 125,000 Turkey 60,000 30,000 Sub-Total $305,000 $180,000 $0 EASTERN EUROPE Bulgaria Czech & Slovak Rep. Hungary Poland Serbia/ Croatia/ Slovenia Romania Sub-Total $300,000 $150,000 $0 CIS/RUSSIA/BALTICS $300,000 $175,000

TOTAL INTERNATIONAL $4,965,000 $2,500,000 $0 TOTAL WORLDWIDE $6,465,000 $3,250,000 FORTITUDE INTERNATIONAL

TOTAL INTERNATIONAL $4,965,000 $2,500,000 $0 TOTAL WORLDWIDE $6,465,000 $3,250,000

PROJECT COVERAGE FORM

TITLE: ANGEL OF MINE AUTHORS: Luke Davies SUB TO: Premiere Picture SUB BY: Su Armstrong FORM: Screenplay LENGTH: 111 pages BASED ON: L'Empreinte de l’Ange by Safy Nebbou LANGUAGE/S: English BUDGET: $6,556,206 GENRE: Drama / Psychological Thriller LOCATION: Australia PERIOD: Contemporary READER: Simona Marchegiani DATE: 14.01.18

ELEMENTS: DIRECTOR: Kim Farrant; PRODUCERS: Su Armstrong, Brian Etting, Josh Etting; CAST CONFIRMED: Noomi Rapace, Isla Fisher

PRODUCERS: Su Armstrong, Brian Etting, Josh Etting

DIRECTOR: Kim Farrant CAST: Noomi Rapace, Isla Fisher

LOGLINE: A divorced woman, battling for custody of her son, still struggles with the loss of her daughter many years after her death. She becomes convinced that her daughter is still alive after seeing a young girl. She starts following this girl and becomes close to the family, obsessing over the child. She struggles with her life and her own family, who soon become worried she is having a relapse. Ultimately, a painful and shocking truth comes to the surface.

COMMENT SUMMARY: The script offers a fast and easy read, offering overall an engaging story. However, in some ways it is very difficult to engage with the protagonist and feel real empathy for her, despite her problems. This is probably due to the way she is introduced and presented. She also never comes across as threatening, which takes away some of the suspense. In addition, because of the way the plot is constructed, the story moves away from the intended genre. It comes across often more as a drama rather than a psychological thriller, even if elements of this genre are included. Development that would reinforce the story in terms of genre would help to strengthen plot while also targeting a more specific audience. The final revelation does not come up as a total surprise, probably because Lizzie does not appear a real threat, even though she is meant to be an unreliable protagonist.

Excellent (4) Good (3) Fair (2) Poor (1) PREMISE X STORYLINE X CHARACTERISATION X DIALOGUE X STRUCTURE X PACE X ORIGINALITY X AUDIENCE APPEAL X TOTAL 6 12

OVERALL SCORE: 18/32 = 56%

CHARACTERS:

LIZZIE MANNING (late 30s) – pretty, a mother and divorcee, she still struggles with the loss of her daughter which happened some years earlier, and takes medication for anxiety. She becomes convinced that her daughter, who she thought died in a fire, is still alive and now living with a different family

THOMAS (11) – Lizzie’s son, he prefers living with his father and distrusts Lizzie

MIKE – Lizzie’s ex-husband, fit, well-off, drives a BMW and works at a high-end car dealership. He is worried about his son and wants full custody of Thomas since he thinks Lizzie is unfit

LOLA (7) – young, sweet girl, introduced as Claire’s daughter and Jeremy’s sister, she is in reality Lizzie’s daughter who they thought had died years earlier

CLAIRE BRADLEY (late 30s) – fit, confident, organised, and friendly, she is married to BERNARD. She took Lola as her child when her daughter died in the fire

JEREMY (11) – Thomas’s friend, Claire’s son

DONNA (60) – Lizzie’s mother, warm and understanding

CARL (63) – Lizzie’s father, protective

Other characters are included

Actors: Noomi Rapace, Isla Fisher

PREMISE: A woman becomes obsessed that her daughter is still alive, years after her funeral

SYNOPSIS: LIZZIE (late 30s) takes anxiety pills at work and tells her supervisor COURTNEY (24) that she has to leave early for her child, her co-worker ALICE steps in to help. Lizzie arrives late outside her house where her ex husband MIKE and her son THOMAS (11) are waiting. Thomas does not seem particularly thrilled to be there and Mike gives her some papers asking for full custody of Thomas. She is upset. At a children’s party, Lizzie is very uncomfortable. When she sees LOLA (7), a little girl dressed in a princess costume, Lizzie remains frozen and can’t take her eyes off her. She spills wine and CLAIRE (late 30s) helps her. Later she asks Thomas about the girl and discovers she is JEREMY’S sister, one of Thomas’ friends. Back home she tries to control a panic attack. Lizzie waits outside Jeremy’s school. She sees Jeremy and Lola getting into Claire’s car and follows them until they are outside their house, which is on sale. Outside the school Lizzie takes a photo of Lola. After picking up Thomas, she drives to Claire’s house. When she arrives with her children, Lizzie makes it appear that it is a coincidental meeting. Claire invites them inside. Lizzie mentions that she and her husband are looking for a new home and that they would be interested in her house. Lizzie goes on a date with BRIAN and though the conversation is stilted, later they have passionate sex. She has an orgasm but after sobs and hurriedly leaves.

Claire shows Lizzie her house, which is on sale since they are moving to Perth. Lizzie, using the excuse that she needs to go to the toilet, goes to Lola’s room and speaks to her. But when the AU PAIR arrives, it is clear that Lizzie is on her own. Back to her parents, they ask about her date but Thomas tells them about the house they viewed. When he realises that his mother is not serious about buying it, he gets angry and storms out. He tells her that he wants to live with his father full time. The parents are worried about Lizzie. She buys a children’s book for a girl and wraps it with a birthday card ‘7’. When she opens the locked closet, there are other wrapped presents for ages 1 to 6. Lizzie tells her supervisor she needs to leave early because Thomas is sick. Instead she goes skating with Claire and her children, making it appear a coincidence. While Claire is on the phone, Lizzie goes skating with Lola, going too fast, Claire sees it. Lola crashes. Claire becomes uneasy when Thomas says he will be with his dad for the weekend. At her psychiatrist DR ARMAND (62), Lizzie lies about her relationships, thinking about her daughter, the doctor is not convinced. Lizzie tries to talk to Mike but they argue instead.

When they meet at the supermarket, Claire remains cold, suspicious, and doubtful this is another coincidence. Lizzie tells her that they won’t be able to afford her house. Lizzie goes to the auditorium, where Lola is performing and watches her performance whilst hiding. When Claire sees her she panics. They have a very cold encounter. Claire goes to speak to Lizzie at her work and tells her that she does not believe their meetings are a coincidence. Lizzie tells her about the death of her daughter, seven years earlier, during a fire at a hospital but she is now convinced that Lola is her daughter. She asks Claire questions. Claire is angry and leaves, telling her to stay away from her family. She tells her that she has never been in that hospital. Lizzie gets also fired. She goes to the hospital and asks for information. Claire and Bernard discuss Lizzie and the fact that she was committed for almost a year. Claire is worried and they go to the police but DETECTIVE STUART (58) tells them that there is not much he can do. Lizzie goes for a picnic and takes Lola into a boat. When Claire finds out she rushes there. Back home her parents, Thomas, Mike and Dr Armand wait for Lizzie concerned for her. They know she needs help. When she arrives she tells them about Lola and her theory, they are stunned and argue with her.

Lizzie goes to a football pitch and meets Lola again. Lizzie and Brian go to Claire’s home for their leaving party. Claire asks her to leave. They do so but then Lizzie goes back in and hides in Lola’s room, waiting for the party to end. During the night, Claire and Bernard have sex in the room next door. Lizzie falls asleep in the closet. In the morning she takes Lola’s brush when Claire sees her. They fight and tumble down the staircase. Claire could easily kill her, but she stops herself, Lizzie wants to die. Claire confesses that she lost her daughter in the fire and saved Lola, then lied. Lola is Lizzie’s daughter. She is unaware that Bernard and the children are listening.

All family is together, Thomas, Lola, Mike, Lizzie, Carl and Donna. Then Lizzie and Lola go to visit Bernard and Jeremy. Lola is very happy. Lizzie takes Lola to prison to visit Claire.

COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS: Undoubtedly acting and strong direction will help to add tension and the right atmosphere to the film, however, in terms of plot, more development would be recommended regarding characters, in particular the protagonist. Achieving the right balance for this type of film could be challenging, but to make this character more empathetic would help in terms of the plot becoming more engaging and convincing.

Furthermore, this story comes across often more as a drama rather than a psychological thriller. There are elements of the genre included but the threat does not come across as real. Further development to reinforce the genre will also help to strengthen the story and target a more specific audience.

This story is based on a French film, which should provide a good indication of the type of marketing/audience potential that this script could offer.

Because of its potential and cast, crew included – Consider

ANGEL OF MINE

screenplay by Luke Davies & David Regal (LD rewrite September 19 2017) based on the French film L'EMPREINTE DE L'ANGE by Safy Nebbou

Developed with the assistance of Screen Australia

Contact:

GARLIN PICTURES - Brian Etting [email protected] (310) 488-9092 - Josh Etting [email protected] (310) 991-7754 SIXTYFOURSIXTY - Su Armstrong [email protected] +61 418 850 206 BLACK SCREEN. CARDS FADING UP: According to legend, when a baby is in its mother’s womb, it knows all of the mysteries of creation. But just before it is born, an angel raises his finger and places it on the baby’s mouth: “Hush!” And the child forgets everything. It comes into the world innocent of all knowledge. That is why we all have a small hollow above the upper lip: it is the sign of the Mark of the Angel. INT. A WORKPLACE BATHROOM - DAY TIGHT ON HANDS pouring a pill from a pill bottle. We cannot see the label. The pill is brought to an unseen mouth. The faucet is turned on and cupped hands wash down the pill. LIZZIE MANNING (late 30s, pretty) looks at herself, red-eyed, in the mirror. She carries with her a sense of a life that didn’t go the way she’d planned. She hurriedly applies makeup. There is a sudden KNOCK. LIZZIE Be right out! INT. MALL - CONTINUOUS Lizzie steps out of the employee bathroom, avoiding eye contact with the worker waiting her turn. She walks to ... INT. ARLIN NATURALS KIOSK - CONTINUOUS “ARLIN NATURALS” is a line of fragrances and beauty creams - the kind of company whose sales reps come and go, and work more on commission than wage. COURTNEY, 24, her officious supervisor, glances at her watch. Lizzie approaches Courtney, framing an appeal. LIZZIE Courtney - no, wait. My boy’s being dropped off early today - if I could just get a start on the traffic - But Courtney nods toward a shopper who is ambling along the showcases. 2

COURTNEY Looks like we have one more customer. LIZZIE I really can’t be late. COURTNEY Then you should probably deal with our customer right away. ALICE (stepping over) I’ve got it. LIZZIE Thanks, Alice. (to Courtney) I'll make up for it! Courtney gives a disapproving look, and harumphs off. Lizzie winces guiltily at Alice as she gathers her things ... ALICE So, did you call Brian yet? LIZZIE This weekend, I promise. ALICE Enough with the excuses. You need to start dating again. And by that I mean “start having sex” again. LIZZIE (laughs) What was that thing you said? You believe in sex on the first date - ALICE - because otherwise how do you know you’re going to want a second one? Exactly. LIZZIE I’ll call him. I really will. ALICE I’m just looking out for you. 3

I/E. LIZZIE’S CAR / STREETS - SOON AFTER Lizzie races, stressed, through traffic. She hits speed dial on her cell. We hear the gruff voice of her ex-husband, MIKE. MIKE (OVER PHONE) Where are you? LIZZIE Almost home. EXT. LIZZIE’S APARTMENT BUILDING - SAME TIME Mike, a fit but tense man, stands next to THOMAS (11) in front of a large, drab apartment building. Thomas is looking at the ground, sullenly. MIKE I told you I had a dinner meeting. LIZZIE (OVER PHONE) I know. MIKE So this is intentional - is that what you’re saying? LIZZIE (OVER PHONE) No, Mike. But if that’s what you want to believe - MIKE I’m just stating facts. I’m here - you’re not - I/E. LIZZIE’S CAR / STREET, A BLOCK AWAY - CONTINUOUS Lizzie tries to bottle her fury - LIZZIE - I’m around the fucking corner! MIKE (OVER PHONE) And you’re on speaker. LIZZIE I’m turning onto the street. See me? EXT. LIZZIE’S APARTMENT BUILDING - CONTINUOUS Mike looks up the street - 4

- to where Lizzie’s car comes hurtling around the corner. MIKE Jesus, slow down. You’re here, okay - don’t have an accident. Lizzie brings the old Volvo to a stop behind Mike’s BMW. LIZZIE (getting out) You can always just leave him in the apartment. He’s a big boy. (to Thomas) Right, hon? MIKE Leave him in the apartment? That’s how you want to spend your week together? Lizzie, he doesn’t have a key. LIZZIE Of course he does. Thomas, where’s your key? THOMAS (shrugs) Lost it. Pretty sure I told you. Thomas gives Mike a look that lets us know he isn’t adverse to painting his mother in a bad light in front of his father. LIZZIE Right ... right. And I’m going to get you another, like I said. Come on ... As Lizzie heads in with Thomas ... MIKE Lizzie, one sec. He reaches into his car and removes a thick envelope. MIKE (CONT’D) This is for you. She opens the envelope. A quick look inside and Lizzie knows what it’s about. She pushes a key into Thomas’ hand. LIZZIE Go upstairs, honey. 5

THOMAS I wanna know what’s - LIZZIE Thomas, please. Upstairs. Lizzie kisses Thomas’ head and gives him a gentle push. MIKE See you later, pal. Thomas nods and goes inside. LIZZIE Full custody, Mike? Seriously? MIKE With visitation. I’m not taking him out of your life. You know this has been coming. LIZZIE You have no grounds. MIKE I want what’s best for my son. Our son. Don’t we both want that? LIZZIE (on the papers) And how is this best for him? We do alternate weeks. We agreed. MIKE We’ve been through this. In high school he’s gonna need a solid base. LIZZIE Half the kids in that school have divorced parents. (beat) Mike, half the kids in the world. MIKE Yeah, but ... you haven’t been doing so great. LIZZIE Wow. (beat) I’ve been doing great. You think a few pairs of Nikes and an X-box are going to make him a happier kid? 6

Mike deliberates the notion. Then: MIKE He feels your anxiety. LIZZIE My anxiety? MIKE And I know you want him in as stable a situation as possible. Lizzie looks away, exasperated. MIKE (CONT’D) It’s not about Nikes, Lizzie. It’s just that I have more resources - LIZZIE - oh! Resources ... The whole fucking custody system is weighted towards the one with more money. I’m a good mother. Beat. MIKE You’re a good mother. I’m a good father. No one’s disputing that. This isn’t you versus me. This is us, for him. Lizzie stands there, dumbfounded, numb. Forlorn. And Mike stands there - just uncomfortable. Yearning for that instant when he can jump into his car. INT. LIVING ROOM, LIZZIE’S APARTMENT - LATER The rooms are clean and well cared for, although there is nothing ostentatious about this flat. Thomas sits with Lizzie at a table, working on a birthday card. In colored pens, it reads: “Happy Birthday Sam”. He gets up and opens a nearby drawer. LIZZIE I need to work a half day tomorrow. THOMAS Again? 7

LIZZIE Grandma will drive you to Sam’s party. I’ll pick you up after. Thomas shrugs. Lizzie begins wrapping a present - a book. LIZZIE (CONT’D) Here. THOMAS Can I do it? LIZZIE Sure, honey. Take the price off. Thomas removes the price label from the book and begins to wrap it. Lizzie observes him with deep affection. LIZZIE (CONT’D) (rising) I’ll get dinner ready. EXT. BACKYARD, ANNE’S AFFLUENT SUBURBAN HOME - DAY A high-end children’s party is in full swing. Kids play in the lush green yard, jump inside a rented moon bounce, have their faces made up by a clown, etc. Hired help scurries about with trays of food for the scattered adults. INT. ANNE’S HOME - CONTINUOUS More grown-ups here. Dressed casual, but expensive casual. Lizzie makes her way through the group, offering tight smiles to people she obviously doesn’t know well. She seems out of her element, doing her best to fit in. A server walks past with a tray of wine - she takes a glass. Lizzie watches as children dressed in costume play hide-and- seek. We see kids hidden behind curtains and under tables. Thomas rushes past with birthday boy SAM and a brash eleven- year-old named JEREMY. Lizzie, amused, watches them run around. As she surveys the room, her attention is suddenly captured by a little girl, LOLA, in a princess costume, counting in the corner. Lizzie is frozen in place, held in quiet shock as the little girl turns around. LOLA Ready or Not ... here I come! 8

Lola runs out of the room, chasing after the other children. Lizzie does not take her eyes off Lola. ANNE (O.S.) Enjoying yourself, Lizzie? Lizzie turns to see ANNE (40, upbeat), the party’s host. Lizzie immediately slips into her social mode. LIZZIE Anne, you throw an amazing party. ANNE I think you mean “ridiculous,” but I can’t say no to that kid. LIZZIE I totally understand. Lizzie glances around the room. ANNE Looking for Thomas? LIZZIE Yeah, have you seen him? ANNE Try the family room - it’s where the video games are. Lizzie smiles as Anne leaves. The moment she’s alone, Lizzie is on a mission. Looking for the little princess. Suddenly a little boy dressed as Spiderman leaps in front of her, shouting. Lizzie jumps, and the wine spills on her blouse. She looks down at herself, despondent. FEMALE VOICE (O.S.) Don’t panic! CLAIRE BRADLEY - late 30s, well put-together, assured, high functioning ... but with a controlled tightness about her - holds a napkin and water out to Lizzie. CLAIRE We can’t sit back and watch an innocent top die! LIZZIE Thanks! CLAIRE I’m Claire. 9

Claire smiles as Lizzie takes the napkin and dabs the stain. LIZZIE Lizzie. I appreciate this. EXT. ANNE’S HOME - LATER Adults, kids in tow, SUVs, sports cars ... Lizzie and Thomas walk away from the house, to the sidewalk. THOMAS We parked so far away ... LIZZIE I just don’t like waiting around when I want to leave. THOMAS Can I have a party like this one someday? LIZZIE (sunny) Of course! Maybe even in a house like this. They walk side by side, as the party recedes. Contemplative. She smiles down at him, takes his hand. I/E. LIZZIE’S CAR / STREETS - SOON AFTER Lizzie drives. Thomas in the back seat. Lizzie slightly preoccupied. LIZZIE I had a good time. Everyone seemed nice. (then) Who was the little girl I saw? THOMAS Which one? LIZZIE Very pretty, big brown eyes. In a princess dress. THOMAS That’s Jeremy’s sister. 10

LIZZIE Is Jeremy in your class? THOMAS No. He plays soccer with Sam and me. A beat. LIZZIE Do you know her name? THOMAS Who? LIZZIE Jeremy’s little sister. THOMAS Nope. LIZZIE Of course not. Why would you? Some kind of obscure emotion crosses Lizzie’s face. INT. LIVING ROOM, LIZZIE’S APARTMENT - SOON AFTER Lizzie and Thomas ENTER. Something is clearly bothering her. LIZZIE It’s later than I thought. Why don’t you check your homework and brush your teeth? THOMAS Okay. The moment Thomas leaves, Lizzie lets her facade drop - she bends over like she’s having a panic attack. Her breath quickens. Using all her powers of resolve, she calms herself. INT. THOMAS’ BEDROOM, LIZZIE’S APARTMENT - LATER THAT EVENING Lizzie sits beside Thomas, who sleeps. She gently moves his hair out of his eyes, then leans over and kisses his head. LIZZIE (a whisper) I love you. 11

INT. LIVING ROOM, LIZZIE’S APARTMENT - SOON AFTER Lizzie sits on the sofa nursing a drink, trying to watch TV, the fingers of one hand repeatedly tapping the arm of the couch, as if on automatic. She downs the rest of the drink. It doesn’t settle her. She reaches into her handbag beside her - takes out the same pill bottle from the opening scene. She taps out two pills, looks at them on the palm of her hand, hesitates. She places the pills back into the bottle. INT. LIZZIE’S BEDROOM - LATER Lizzie lies in bed, staring straight up at the ceiling. She won’t be getting a lot of sleep tonight. INT. MALL - DAY Lizzie rides the escalator while talking on her phone. We do not hear the other side of the conversation. LIZZIE Thomas had a great time. How’d you hold up? [ ... ] I can imagine. Thanks for having us. [ ... ] Listen, he met a boy he wants to see again. Jeremy. Yeah. Plays soccer with Sam, I think. [ ... ] Oh, right. The Denton School. Posh! [ ... ] Oh, whenever. No rush. (her spirits brighten) Okay. I will. Thanks, Anne! Lizzie hangs up, thoughtful. I/E. LIZZIE’S CAR / DENTON SCHOOL - LATER Students, all in uniform, leave a school that exudes money. Big sign out front: THE DENTON SCHOOL. Lizzie sits observing as the children leave the building. In the confusion of children, parents, cars and buses, we recognize Lola (and her brother Jeremy) exiting the gate. A Land Rover pulls up - driven by Claire, who helped Lizzie with the stain. Lola and Jeremy climb in. Lizzie makes the connection - a-ha. The car pulls into traffic and DRIVES OFF. 12

Lizzie pulls out into the traffic and follows. I/E. LIZZIE’S CAR / STREETS - SOON AFTER Lizzie waits in her car, engine idling, leaning forward - observing Claire stopping into a bakery with Lola and Jeremy. Claire returns with her kids, bundles in her arms. Lizzie lets the Land Rover pass before cautiously FOLLOWING. Lizzie shadows the Land Rover through the city. I/E. LIZZIE’S CAR / POSH STREETS - LATER The Land Rover pulls into a driveway, passing through an automatic gate. A “FOR SALE” sign in front of the house. Lizzie slows to a stop in the street. We see the house in its entirety - large and white. Lizzie studies the house. A car behind her honks. Lizzie STARTLES and drives away. INT. DINING ROOM, LIZZIE’S PARENTS’ HOME - LATER Lizzie bursts into the dining room where her mother DONNA (60, warm, understanding) and father CARL (63, wry, protective) are eating dinner with Thomas. LIZZIE Hi guys! You didn’t wait for me, right? CARL (teasing) When the roast comes out of the oven, we eat. LIZZIE Good! Lizzie kisses Carl, then Donna, then Thomas. She sits. LIZZIE (CONT’D) (to Thomas) You going easy on Grandma and Grandpa? THOMAS Yeah. 13

LIZZIE Hey listen. Could you have Thomas tomorrow night? DONNA Of course. CARL What have you got on? LIZZIE I know it’s kind of last minute. I have a date - Donna smiles too. Even Thomas raises his eyebrows. DONNA Like to stay tomorrow, Tommy? THOMAS Sure. DONNA Who is he? How did you meet? LIZZIE It’s really not a big deal. CARL Spare the poor girl the third degree. LIZZIE A friend set us up. It’s just a date. DONNA Everything starts with a date. Your father and I started with a date. CARL A date that will live in infamy. (then, sincere) Good for you, Lizzie. I/E. LIZZIE’S CAR / STREET - LATER Lizzie drives, alert, as Thomas sleeps soundly in the back seat. She slows down as she nears Claire’s home. Lights shine in the various rooms of the big house. Lizzie pulls up. Cuts the engine. Thomas doesn’t stir. 14

Lizzie makes a decision. She cracks open the windows a touch. She looks over her shoulder at Thomas, asleep in the back. She gets out of the car. Closes the door quietly. Locks the doors and walks off quickly. EXT. CLAIRE’S HOME - MOMENTS LATER Lizzie approaches the hedges that line the front of the house. Peering through them toward the house. (POV FROM HEDGE): Claire in the kitchen, post-dinner, is tidying up and packing the dishwasher. In the living room, the TV on in the background, Lola practices dance steps. Jeremy watches TV. In the shadows, Lizzie quietly observes. Lola, in her own dreamy world, opens the sliding door and steps outside. Lizzie immediately moves closer, working her way through the hedges, quietly sneaking into ... EXT. BACK YARD, CLAIRE’S HOME - CONTINUOUS The pool gives off a blue glow, which is swallowed by the darkness of the surrounding ring of trees. Lizzie crosses to the trees, and, losing herself in their shadows, observes Lola. Lola innocently performs her ballet moves around the edge of the pool, a fine mist surrounding her. Lizzie glides through the trees, hidden in the darkness, mesmerized as she watches Lola. As Lola walks around the pool, she begins moving closer to where Lizzie is hiding. Lola looks up and sees the silhouette of Lizzie against the branches. Lola gets scared, loses her balance and FALLS into the pool. She PANICS AND STRUGGLES to keep her head above water. LOLA (screaming) Mummy! Lizzie is frozen on the spot. Inside the house, Claire continues tidying the kitchen. She does not see or hear Lola flailing in the pool. 15

Lola is terrified. She continues to struggle to stay above water. If no one reacts quickly, she will drown. LOLA (CONT’D) (between panicked breaths) Mummy! This cry seems to shake Lizzie from her daze. She looks around and realizes no one is coming to save Lola. Lizzie emerges from the bushes and JUMPS IN THE POOL. UNDERWATER it is dark. Lola thrashes and flounders. LOLA (CONT’D) Mum! Lizzie grabs hold of Lola, who STRUGGLES rather than relaxes. It is then that Lizzie realizes Lola is terrified of her. Lola PUSHES Lizzie away, choking on water. LOLA (CONT’D) No! LIZZIE Honey, hold onto me. LOLA Go away! LIZZIE (urgent) I’m helping you! Lola suddenly SCREAMS. Loud enough for Claire to hear - loud enough even for the neighbors to hear. LOLA NOOOOOOOOOO!!! HARD CUT TO: INT. BATHROOM, LIZZIE’S APARTMENT - EVENING Lizzie SNAPS AWAKE in the tub, coughing. We realize that the pool incident was a dream. Lizzie grasps the edge of the tub, reassuring herself of where reality lies. Breathing hard in the fluorescent glare of the bathroom. She stands and reaches for a towel. 16

INT. THOMAS’ BEDROOM, LIZZIE’S APARTMENT - A MINUTE LATER Lizzie - in pajamas, the towel wrapped around her wet hair - leans over Thomas, who’s sleeping peacefully and deeply. She kisses his forehead gently. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. DENTON SCHOOL - THE NEXT AFTERNOON Lizzie, once more parked outside the school. Alert. She raises her phone and scans the departing students through its screen, zooming in ... She catches a glimpse of Lola. Lizzie snaps a shot, but Lola is partially obscured by another child. Another shot ... but Lola’s face is out of focus. She tries a third time ... and gets what she wanted: a sharp image of Lola. She enlarges it and smiles. Suddenly there’s a TAP on the window. Lizzie, STARTLED, rolls down the window. A smiling MOTHER with a stack of fliers. MOTHER Sorry, didn’t mean to - LIZZIE I’ll move the car. MOTHER No, I’m just handing out flyers for the picnic! You’re one of the mothers? LIZZIE (flustered) Oh, of course - the picnic - MOTHER The fundraiser. LIZZIE The fundraiser! Uh ... No, I’m just - deciding on a school for next year. We’re looking at a few, in fact. He’s eleven. Thomas. Sorry! Hi! I’m Lizzie! The mother clocks Lizzie as an odd one, but lets it go. 17

MOTHER Ellen. Ellen de Vere. Well, come to the picnic! We’d be most happy. Great way to meet the school community. The staff. The kids. And the hard-working Parents’ Association. (on flyers) That’s me! We’re all quite batty! She pushes a flyer into Lizzie’s hand. LIZZIE Okay. Maybe. That sounds great. ELLEN Have a nice day! Maybe I’ll see you there ... She HEADS OFF. Flustered, Lizzie strains for her phone, which has fallen under the seat. She YANKS ... a SNAPPING sound. ON THE PHONE - a crack down the center. Lizzie stares at the shattered phone, distracted for a moment. Looking up, she can no longer find Lola. She glances at her watch and is immediately alarmed. LIZZIE Dammit ... She TAKES OFF at speed. EXT. THOMAS’ SCHOOL - LATER Thomas waits outside - it's just him and a couple of stragglers left. Lizzie comes hurtling along in the Volvo. She stops abruptly in front of Thomas. INT. LIZZIE’S CAR - CONTINUOUS THOMAS (as he climbs in) Where were you? LIZZIE Oh, my boss is being a total bitch again. She starts to drive off. LIZZIE (CONT’D) Don’t say that word. 18

I/E. LIZZIE’S CAR / SUBURBAN STREETS - TEN MINUTES LATER The Volvo turns a corner. THOMAS Where are we going? LIZZIE Figured we’d take a drive ... look at some neighborhoods. THOMAS Are we moving? LIZZIE Just looking for now. We can go for a wander. It’s decidedly odd to Thomas. Lizzie looks at him in the rear view mirror. LIZZIE I put your skateboard in the trunk. THOMAS (perplexed, but happy) Really? You can tell he’s not exactly used to Lizzie remembering to do the right thing too often. Lizzie pulls up in front of CLAIRE’S HOUSE. EXT. CLAIRE’S HOME - SOON AFTER Thomas skates along the curb; Lizzie feigns interest as she gives Claire’s house the once-over. THOMAS Watch this, Mum! He flips his board up onto the curb. LIZZIE Nice! The Land Rover drives up, Claire and the kids in the car - a “coincidental” meeting. As Claire gets out ... LIZZIE (CONT’D) Claire? It’s Claire, right? 19

Claire looks at Lizzie, not recalling how they know each other. CLAIRE Hi. Sorry, I forget your name. LIZZIE Lizzie, from the birthday party. You saved my blouse! CLAIRE Of course! (an awkward beat) Hi. LIZZIE I saw this place listed online and thought I’d have a drive-by - what a coincidence it’s you! CLAIRE I know! LIZZIE And you’re leaving? CLAIRE I’m afraid so. Are you in the market? LIZZIE If the right thing comes around. I love this neighbourhood. Jeremy and Lola EMERGE. As Lola heads for the front door Lizzie’s eyes follow her. JEREMY Thomas! THOMAS Hey, Jeremy. JEREMY I got the new Act of War - wanna play? Thomas looks at Lizzie, a plea on his face. She looks from Lola to her son. An awkward moment. LIZZIE Uh ... Thomas, I’m sure they - 20

CLAIRE He can stay and play for a little while. I could - would you like a cup of tea? LIZZIE Oh no! I don’t want to impose. CLAIRE Oh please - this is like the planets arranging a play date. THOMAS Can I, Mum? LIZZIE Well ... look, if it's no trouble. But I won’t stay - I do have some errands I need to do. CLAIRE Sure. You go do them. I’ll keep my eye on these ones. LIZZIE Oh, that’s super. What if I’m back in ... say, two hours ... ? CLAIRE We’ll be here. INT. CAFE - AN HOUR LATER It’s clear Lizzie had no errands. She sits alone, ignoring her tea. Deep in thought, she stares at cracked phone. ON THE PHONE - a crack running through Lola’s magnified face. We hear APPROACHING SIRENS. Lizzie looks up in time to see a FIRE TRUCK speeding down the street. Lizzie suddenly STIFFENS. She stares at the truck as it roars past - it has stirred a memory. The truck departs, SIREN FADING. Lizzie eventually blinks, as if emerging from a trance. EXT. CLAIRE’S HOME - AN HOUR LATER Lizzie on the front porch as Claire swings the door open. LIZZIE I hope he wasn’t too much trouble. 21

CLAIRE Not at all. (calling) Thomas - your mother’s here! We hear the boys approach, shouting. LIZZIE So - where are you guys moving to? CLAIRE Perth. A job thing. My husband. LIZZIE Wow, look at those ceilings ... CLAIRE I’d invite you in, but I’ve got to get Lola to dance practice. LIZZIE CLAIRE (CONT'D) Oh, I didn’t mean to-- If I wasn’t in a rush-- LIZZIE Actually, I’m thinking maybe I should bring my husband over to see this place. I mean why not, right? Should we go through the agent - ? Thomas and Jeremy ENTER the scene, out of breath. CLAIRE Don’t be silly. I mean, if you’re interested - then, sure. How’s later this week? (slides notepad) Write your number, I’ll text you some times. LIZZIE Sounds good. CLAIRE And bring Thomas - he and Jeremy had a terrific time. He should bring a swimsuit - they can go in the pool. Thomas lights up at this news. I/E. LIZZIE’S CAR / STREETS - LATER As Lizzie drives Thomas back home ... 22

LIZZIE So you like Jeremy? THOMAS He’s cool. LIZZIE His sister play with you, too? THOMAS No. LIZZIE What do you think of her? THOMAS I dunno. LIZZIE She seems like a nice girl, doesn’t she? THOMAS I guess. LIZZIE Well, where should we go for dinner? Your call. THOMAS (confused) I thought you had a date tonight. LIZZIE (remembering) Right. Grandma’s looking after you! (checking the time) Shit! INT. A RESTAURANT - THAT EVENING Pre-dinner wine. Lizzie, dressed up and looking great, sits across from BRIAN (handsome, early 40s). She’s a bit anxious. Conversation is stilted. A beat of silence as they sip. BRIAN Great wine. LIZZIE Yeah. Fantastic. Silence. Lizzie looks away. 23

BRIAN So ... how long have you been single? Lizzie is taken aback. LIZZIE I ... um ... I don’t really think of myself that way. BRIAN I thought you were - LIZZIE Oh, I’m divorced. It’s just ... it’s like I’m still in the middle of it. BRIAN I didn’t mean - LIZZIE No, it’s been a while. I should, you know ... Lizzie flicks her hand, indicating casting away her troubles, then looks down. It’s awkward. BRIAN Well hopefully tonight will take your mind off things. LIZZIE Definitely. (then:) I mean - yes! Hopefully. I’m sorry it took me so long to call. BRIAN I was wondering. LIZZIE Alice told me to about a thousand times. BRIAN Well, I hope I’m not a disappointment. LIZZIE Not at all. He smiles. 24

LIZZIE (CONT’D) You’re exactly what I expected. BRIAN Hmm. She giveth with one hand ... LIZZIE That wasn’t an insult. At least it wasn’t supposed to be. Am I being difficult? BRIAN I wouldn’t say that. Exactly. LIZZIE (opening up) I’m not good at this. I guess I’m out of practice. I never imagined myself ... at this stage in my life ... going on blind dates. It’s kind of ridiculous. (then) No offense. BRIAN None taken. A beat of silence as they sip their drinks. Then ... LIZZIE Basically, it’s been a while since I’ve ... (searching for the word) ... socialized. BRIAN Well. Here’s to the “social” you. LIZZIE There are reasons. Did Alice tell you I have children? BRIAN She mentioned a son. LIZZIE That’s Thomas. BRIAN I’d like to meet him. You have another? 25

LIZZIE (without hesitation) No. BRIAN I thought you said “children”. LIZZIE Just Thomas. One’s enough. He can be a lot to handle, believe me. BRIAN I’m sure. LIZZIE But half the time he’s with my ex. Brian nods. LIZZIE (CONT’D) Right now he’s with my folks. Lizzie takes a large swallow from her glass, and locks eyes with Brian. LIZZIE (CONT’D) (with intent) He’s staying overnight. INT. BRIAN’S BEDROOM - LATER THAT NIGHT Lizzie and Brian make PASSIONATE LOVE. There’s an urgency in her that seems to be coming from a deep place ... emotions she’s held in check for too long ... The pace quickens. Lizzie’s breathing deepens. She groans. Surrenders more deeply. Brian’s an all-in participant, of course. Suddenly: LIZZIE Oh, god - this is - Brian thinks she means “... so good”; what she actually means is “... about to turn into an orgasm”. She flips over, straddles him, grinds, positions herself to facilitate this imminent event. And then she’s on the home stretch. Fiercely focused, brow furrowed, animalistic, she builds to a really big orgasm - 26

- it’s so kind of intense that right at the end, the peak, she leaps off rather than lingers - hugging her knees and wrapping herself into a ball, her back to him, as the heaves and after-echoes of the orgasm become - - sobs. And suddenly she’s weeping in a flood. Brian, bewildered, slightly alarmed, tries to pull her close. But she’s like an armadillo there. He gently caresses her hair ... BRIAN (softly) It’s all right. He tries to stroke her shoulders and arms. But Lizzie suddenly shuts the floodgates, in a single breath. She bolts upright to the edge of the bed, covering herself. BRIAN (CONT’D) Is everything okay? LIZZIE I’m sorry. I’ve got to go. BRIAN Did I do something wrong? LIZZIE No. It’s just - this was a mistake. I mean - not a mistake. I mean - (beat) You’re great. (beat) I’ve got to go. Brian is flummoxed. As Lizzie picks her clothes up from the floor and puts them on, the moonlight illuminates her back - we see that her shoulder is horribly scarred - the withered skin of an old, deep burn. LIZZIE (CONT’D) You’re terrific. Really. I’ll call you. I’ve just - - grabbing her shoes - LIZZIE (CONT’D) Okay. Goodnight. 27

Lizzie LEAVES. EXT. CLAIRE’S HOME - LATER THAT WEEK Claire meets Lizzie and Thomas at the front gate. LIZZIE Sorry, we’re early. CLAIRE (friendly) No worries. Come in. (to Thomas) Jeremy’s already in the pool. Thomas runs off. CLAIRE (CONT’D) Where’s your husband? LIZZIE Couldn’t make it. Last minute thing. Claire closes the gate behind Lizzie. CLAIRE Too bad. But we’re the ones who make the decisions anyway! INT. LIVING ROOM, CLAIRE’S HOME - MOMENTS LATER They enter the living room. Lizzie is a bit tense but tries to act as natural as possible. LIZZIE It’s enormous! CLAIRE It was three rooms. We knocked them all into one. LIZZIE You have great taste. CLAIRE We travel, and I’m always picking things up. Lizzie crosses the room and looks out a window at the pool, where the kids are playing, the AU PAIR (sweet Polish girl, 22) watching them. Lizzie fixes on Lola. 28

CLAIRE (CONT’D) We put in the pool for the kids. A luxury, but we’re hooked. Lizzie turns to Claire. LIZZIE So this move ... it’ll be an adjustment. CLAIRE We can come back, but Bernard agreed to three years. LIZZIE Do you work? CLAIRE I quit my job when I had Jeremy. LIZZIE You miss it? CLAIRE I was a legal secretary. Not exactly thrilling. But it was a long time ago. Lizzie takes this in, steals another look at Lola out there. CLAIRE (CONT’D) Like to see upstairs? LIZZIE Of course I do! Claire turns to continue the tour. Lizzie continues to watch Lola outside as she follows Claire up the stairs. LIZZIE (CONT’D) Oh, it’s gorgeous. CLAIRE So what do you do? LIZZIE I’m with Arlin Naturals - the one in Town Center. I’m the manager. CLAIRE Nice. Do you like it? Lizzie hesitates for a moment. 29

LIZZIE I do. Family photos hang on the walls. INT. JEREMY’S ROOM, CLAIRE’S HOME - CONTINUOUS CLAIRE This is Jeremy’s room. It’s a mess. Lizzie looks around the room. CLAIRE (CONT’D) It’d be nice for Thomas. LIZZIE (smiling) I think so. CLAIRE That’s the master in there. It’s a mess! But Lizzie has stopped and is looking at the family photos. In particular, a pregnant Claire beside a little boy. Claire comes closer. CLAIRE (CONT’D) I love that one. We were at my parents’ house. Jeremy was four. Lizzie continues to look at the photo. CLAIRE (CONT’D) I was huge! Seven months pregnant. Do you have other kids? LIZZIE (quickly) No. Just Thomas. CLAIRE Right. Claire walks to the next room, and opens the door. INT. LOLA'S ROOM, CLAIRE’S HOME - CONTINUOUS CLAIRE This is Lola’s room. Plenty of storage space. 30

Lizzie enters the room. She observes every detail of the room while Claire opens the closets. LIZZIE How old is she? CLAIRE Seven, and already a full wardrobe. (smiling) Girls will be girls! Lizzie stares out the bedroom window at Lola. LIZZIE Is she okay with the move? CLAIRE It’s all she talks about. (laughs) Bernard told her there’s a unicorn petting zoo in Perth. I’m serious. So we’ve got a double trauma coming up in the next couple of years. Santa Claus. Then the unicorns. But Lizzie doesn't seem to roll with the humor. LIZZIE Isn’t it hard for you? CLAIRE A little. I’ll miss the house. The kids grew up here. It’s full of memories. We hear Bernard ARRIVE HOME. CLAIRE Speaking of the devil. It’s the unicorn whisperer. BERNARD (O.S.) Where are my two monsters? LOLA (O.S.) Hi, Daddy! CLAIRE Come and meet him - EXT. PATIO BY POOL, CLAIRE’S HOME - MOMENTS LATER The two women cross to Bernard on the patio. 31

CLAIRE Bernard, this is Lizzie who I told you about. Lizzie and Bernard shake hands. BERNARD So, do you like our cozy cottage? LIZZIE Very much. It’s lovely. CLAIRE (apologetically) I didn’t offer you a drink. Coffee? Juice? LIZZIE Just water, please. BERNARD I’ll get it. Bernard heads inside. CLAIRE Have a seat. The two women sit in patio chairs. The children continue to play in the pool. Lizzie’s eyes are still locked on Lola. Lizzie finally shifts her attention to Claire. LIZZIE When do you move? CLAIRE First week of September. It sounds silly, but I hope you buy the house. It would be in good hands. Bernard returns with water. BERNARD My wife is sentimental. He hands Lizzie and Claire their drinks, and sits. LIZZIE I sympathize. Memories matter. CLAIRE Leaving this house is a big step. 32

BERNARD (to Lizzie) But you go where the work takes you. This house has been good to us - maybe it’d be good for you. LIZZIE I think it might. Lola walks by them, wrapped in a towel. CLAIRE Lola. Say hello to Lizzie. LOLA Hi. Lizzie hesitates a moment. LIZZIE Hello. What a talented little girl you are. You swim very well for your age. LOLA (shy) Thank you. Lola runs into the house. Thomas runs over and sits down next to Lizzie. Jeremy joins them. THOMAS Buy it, Mum! CLAIRE (laughing) That settles it! (on Thomas) Meet the new owner. Thomas smiles widely. LIZZIE We’ll see. We’ll see. (to Claire) Mind if I use the loo? CLAIRE Over there next to the kitchen. LIZZIE Thanks. 33

INT. BATHROOM, CLAIRE’S HOME - A MINUTE LATER Lizzie dries her hands. Looking at herself in the mirror. INT. STAIRS/HALL, CLAIRE’S HOME - CONTINUOUS Coming out from the bathroom, Lizzie looks across the living room to make sure no one can see her. Briskly, she walks up the staircase to the bedrooms. INT. LOLA’S ROOM, CLAIRE’S HOME - CONTINUOUS Lola plays on the bed with a doll. LIZZIE Can I come in? LOLA Okay. LIZZIE Thanks. She sits on the bed and looks at the room, then at Lola. LIZZIE (CONT’D) It’s such a nice room. Aren’t you going to miss it? EXT. PATIO BY THE POOL, CLAIRE’S HOME - SAME TIME Bernard speaks to Claire quietly. Thomas and Jeremy are back in the pool. BERNARD She’s serious about it? CLAIRE It looks that way. BERNARD She seems great. INT. LANDING, CLAIRE’S HOME - SAME TIME The Au Pair walks down the hall holding laundry. She ENTERS Jeremy’s room. INT. LOLA’S ROOM, CLAIRE’S HOME - SAME TIME As Lizzie looks around the room, Lola appears melancholy. 34

LIZZIE So many nice things ... LOLA I guess I’ll miss it a little. LIZZIE Of course you will. That’s understandable. Lizzie takes a brush off the bedside table and starts to stroke it through Lola’s hair. LIZZIE (CONT’D) A room is a special place. If I lived here, I’d want to stay. Lizzie turns Lola to face a wall mirror. LIZZIE’S POV: Both Lizzie’s and Lola’s faces are reflected. LIZZIE (CONT’D) Everything just seems so right. Through the mirror’s reflection the Au Pair goes to enter with the laundry - a little startled to see Lizzie there. AU PAIR Oh ... A REVERSE ANGLE reveals that Lizzie is alone on the bed, holding a child’s brush - Lola is nowhere to be seen. LIZZIE (caught out) I was just ... I was looking for - The Au Pair is slightly weirded out by the encounter. But after all, Lizzie is here as Claire’s guest - AU PAIR I am just - . Is washing. I come back. Lizzie jumps up, discreetly puts the brush down (not discreetly enough: the Au Pair notices), and leaves - LIZZIE No, no - you ... you go ahead. You do that. The Au Pair looks at the hairbrush. Odd. 35

EXT. PATIO BY THE POOL, CLAIRE’S HOME - SAME TIME BERNARD How long have you two been friends? CLAIRE I barely know her - the kids play soccer together. We could ask her to stay for dinner ... BERNARD I thought we could get the kids to bed. And have a date night. CLAIRE (smiling) You think that every night. LIZZIE (O.S.) (calling) Thomas! Time to go home. Bernard and Claire turn as Lizzie sits back down. LIZZIE (CONT’D) You have the perfect layout. Thomas RUNS OVER with Jeremy. THOMAS Can we go ice-skating on Wednesday with Jeremy? CLAIRE (re: Jeremy) He’s obsessed. THOMAS (pleading) Grandma can take me if you’re at work. LIZZIE Oh, but honey. I think that’s a family day. CLAIRE Don’t be silly. He’s totally welcome. LIZZIE And we can’t just ask Grandma willy- nilly - 36

THOMAS Grandma never minds! LIZZIE (to Claire) Are you sure? CLAIRE Of course! LIZZIE All right, sounds like fun. THOMAS Thanks, Mum! LIZZIE Now get your things. Thomas and Jeremy RUN OFF. LIZZIE (CONT’D) Thanks for showing me the house. I’m seriously thinking about it. BERNARD Well, we seriously want you to buy it! INT. DINING ROOM, LIZZIE’S PARENTS’ HOME - EVENING Lizzie and Thomas eat with Carl and Donna. Donna is excited. DONNA So are you going to see him again? LIZZIE He was okay, but nothing special. DONNA As a woman who married your father, trust me - you don’t need “special.” CARL Very amusing. Donna rubs Carl’s arm affectionately. DONNA (to Lizzie) It’s just important to have relationships in life. 37

LIZZIE I know. DONNA You’re either at that job, or stuck in the apartment. It’s not enough. THOMAS We might buy my friend’s house. So we won’t be stuck. Donna and Carl hesitate. Lizzie smiles, tenses. CARL Oh, really? LIZZIE I was just looking, seeing what’s out there. DONNA Sure. THOMAS It’s big. There’s a pool! DONNA (to Carl) We used to do that. Window shop. LIZZIE I know I don’t have enough money. But it’s fun to look. THOMAS (instantly upset) You said we might buy it! LIZZIE Honey, one day. THOMAS You’re a liar! LIZZIE That’s enough, Tommy. THOMAS I hate the apartment. I can hear you clean your teeth! Lizzie, a little shocked - almost amused by it. 38

LIZZIE And I can hear you pee. So what? It crosses the line for Thomas. Out of the pre-adolescent oversensitivity, a real anger explodes. THOMAS I want to live with dad! LIZZIE Thomas! THOMAS You’re always saying you’ll do things! And you never do! LIZZIE You know that’s not true. Thomas. THOMAS It is true. You’re always sad. CARL Hey! You don’t talk to your mother like that. LIZZIE Dad. Please. (to Thomas) I’m not sad, hon. I’m getting it done. You know? (to her parents) I’m getting it done. THOMAS You don’t get anything done! DONNA Now, now. Thomas stands and storms out into the back yard. CARL (to Lizzie) Control him - LIZZIE - Dad - CARL (after Thomas) - you come back here - 39

LIZZIE - it’s okay, Thomas. CARL It’s not okay. LIZZIE It’s okay for him to feel his feelings. CARL Oh my god. LIZZIE He doesn’t mean it. Donna and Carl don’t comment. Carl stews a little. Everyone sits there in silence. LIZZIE (CONT’D) I took a quick look, for fun. That’s all. But he assumed - Donna and Carl just look at Lizzie. LIZZIE (CONT’D) (rises from the table) Aarghhhh! She heads out into the back yard. EXT. BACK YARD, LIZZIE’S PARENTS’ HOME - MOMENTS LATER Thomas sits hunched forward, forlorn and sulking, on the beaten-up old sofa under the stars. Lizzie sits tentatively down beside him. LIZZIE I got carried away with the house. It was a really dumb idea. Thomas doesn’t look up. THOMAS I thought we were gonna live there. LIZZIE I felt so ... She seemed so nice. I didn’t want her to think I was ... Thomas turns his head away. 40

THOMAS Poor. It stabs her a little. But then: LIZZIE Yes. It’s none of her business. Thomas broods for a moment, thinking about it all. LIZZIE (CONT’D) And it doesn’t matter what Grandpa and Grandma think. It doesn’t matter what anyone thinks. I know how you feel. You don’t think I do, but I do. When you hurt inside, I hurt too. Pause. THOMAS (soft) I want to stay with Dad. Wow. Lizzie sits in the silence, in the dark. Clearly hurt. LIZZIE You can. You already do. (a little pathetic:) Half the time. Thomas shifts slightly, his back to her. LIZZIE (CONT’D) We’re gonna work it out, Tommy. Somewhat lamely, she pats him on the shoulder. She stands, heads back inside the house. INT. DINING ROOM, LIZZIE’S PARENTS’ HOME - MOMENTS LATER Lizzie returns to the table. Sits. Not doing a good job of hiding her disquiet. DONNA Sweetheart. LIZZIE I’m fine. 41

DONNA You don’t seem ... yourself. Because before ... it started this way. LIZZIE Stop treating me like a child. I’m an adult. DONNA Of course you are. CARL We’re just concerned. LIZZIE Well, stop. Could you please, for one minute, just not be concerned about me? CARL For crissakes, Lizzie, this isn’t just about you. You have a son, and with you on edge like this all the time ... it’s not a healthy environment for a child. You’re short with him, you’re distracted. DONNA We thought you were doing better. Beat. Lizzie sighs. LIZZIE I did, too. INT. LIVING ROOM, LIZZIE’S APARTMENT - THAT EVENING Lizzie and Thomas ENTER. Lizzie looks tired. She puts down the mail, which includes an Amazon package. LIZZIE Straight to bed, okay? It’s late. Clean your teeth. THOMAS I will. Thomas heads to the bathroom. Lizzie leans back into the couch. Still. JUMP CUT: 42

Lizzie has poured herself a gin and tonic. She takes a long, deep swallow. She looks at the Amazon package before her. She leans forward, opens it. A beautiful children’s book, for a girl. She leafs through it. It’s a lovely, vibrant book. She wraps the book in bright paper. Writes in a birthday card with a big “7” on the front. Tapes the card to the present. She crosses the room to a closet door in the corner - locked. Stands at the door for a beat, as if deciding whether to open it. Takes out a key, unlocks it, swings it open to reveal ... INT. CLOSET, LIZZIE’S APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS A well organized closet. Coats and jackets fill our view. As Lizzie separates the hangers, we reveal a small hidden nook at the back of the closet. IN THE NOOK: there are SIX OTHER WRAPPED GIFTS in there. It’s like a secret shrine. Or rather, a secret SUPER-CREEPY shrine. The other six gifts are all shapes and sizes, with different colors and styles of wrapping paper. They’re in chronological order, each card entirely different, with its corresponding age. “1” - “Two” - “You’re THREE!” - “4” - “Look Who’s Turning 5!” - “For a Sweet Six Year Old”. Ritually, reverentially, Lizzie places the new gift in with the others. She looks at the tableau for a long moment. Then she pulls the hangers back in place, obscuring the nook from view once again. Back at the table, she sits. Swirls her drink - the ice cubes clink - and drinks. INT. ARLIN NATURALS KIOSK - DAY Lizzie approaches Courtney with a worried expression. LIZZIE My parents just called. Thomas is sick. COURTNEY (not convinced) Really? What does he have, or is he just plain “sick?” 43

LIZZIE He’s vomiting and has a fever. I’m sorry, but I need to be there. A beat. Courtney shakes her head. Alice steps over. ALICE For god’s sake, Courtney - her kid’s sick, let her go! COURTNEY She can go - of course she can go! LIZZIE Thanks. I’ll make it up. Courtney doubts it. Lizzie HEADS OFF. ALICE Lizzie, if there’s anything I can do, just give a shout. LIZZIE (over her shoulder) He’ll be fine. Alice watches Lizzie leave, a bit miffed by her abruptness. INT. BLEACHERS, ICE RINK - LATER Lizzie and Claire in the bleachers, watching the skating rink busy with parents and children skating. Jeremy is comfortable on the ice, while Lola skates slowly, trying to maintain her balance. Thomas isn’t bad. Lizzie’s gaze is following Lola. LIZZIE (but re: Jeremy) He skates well. CLAIRE Thomas is pretty good too. LIZZIE He comes with his father sometimes. Lizzie turns her attention back to Lola. LIZZIE (CONT’D) She’s so confident for her age! 44

CLAIRE She puts on a show. That’s for sure. As Claire watches the children, Lizzie subtly studies her. LIZZIE Have you lived here long? CLAIRE Just over ten years. LIZZIE Oh. So they were both born here. CLAIRE Uh huh. Both at Landry Maternity. Claire’s PHONE RINGS. CLAIRE (CONT’D) (walking away) Excuse me. Hi, Mum! [ ... ] On the ice, Thomas and Jeremy spin and zigzag among the other children, laughing. Lizzie glances over to Claire engrossed in her call, and starts pulling on her skates. INT. ICE RINK, ON THE ICE - SOON AFTER (AND INTERCUT WITH CLAIRE ON THE BLEACHERS) Claire still on the phone by the bleachers, as Lizzie skates up to Lola. They skate side by side. LIZZIE Remember me? LOLA You’re Thomas’ mum. They continue to skate. LIZZIE (on Lola’s skating posture) Bend your knees a little. You’ll be steadier. Lola tries and almost falls. Lizzie grabs hold of her to keep Lola’s balance. 45

LIZZIE (CONT’D) Hold my hand. Lola grabs Lizzie’s hand to help steady her balance. ON CLAIRE - becoming aware of Lizzie out there with Lola. But they disappear behind other skaters on the far side ... ON LIZZIE AND LOLA among the skaters. LIZZIE (CONT’D) Let’s speed up. Skating in hand with Lola, Lizzie’s spirits brighten. She’s happier than we’ve seen her up to this point. LIZZIE (CONT’D) Keep looking ahead. Lola seems to be having fun skating at a faster pace. LIZZIE (CONT’D) Let’s try something. You go in front. Lizzie maneuvers Lola in front of her, hands on shoulders. They pick up speed, legs in unison. LIZZIE (CONT’D) That’s it. Lizzie leans in, smelling Lola’s hair. Closing her eyes. They glide. Yes, it’s a little creepy. Suddenly, a man skates in front of them. Lola SCREAMS. Lizzie lifts up her head and tries to swerve out of the way, and Lola slips out of her hands. Lola FALLS TO THE ICE and slides towards the wall, colliding head first. Lizzie - horrified, panicked - as sound fades away. Claire sees the fall and runs out on to the ice, in shoes. CLAIRE Lola?! Lizzie swings a tight curve and hurries to join Lola and Claire. Claire and Lizzie help Lola to her feet. CLAIRE (CONT’D) Are you all right? 46

Lola holds her hand to her head. LIZZIE Lola? Honey? Claire searches Lola’s head for any sign of an injury. CLAIRE Let me see. Here? It’s only a bump. Lizzie bends down to help Claire. A small amount of blood begins to run from Lola’s nose. LIZZIE I’m so sorry. I have a tissue. CLAIRE (upset) I’ve got it. Claire takes her own tissue and holds it to Lola’s nose. CLAIRE (CONT’D) Press this on your nose. LIZZIE (justifying) The guy shot out of nowhere! I tried to get out of the way, but - CLAIRE (agitated) You were obviously going too fast! Lizzie nods sympathetically, not sure what to say. EXT. ICE RINK - DAY Claire crouches with Lola outside the rink, holding the tissue to Lola’s nose. Claire still seems unsettled. Lizzie and Thomas and Jeremy stand nearby. Lizzie attempts to remedy the awkward situation. LIZZIE I’m so, so sorry. But you have one little trooper right there! Lizzie smiles at Lola - Lola smiles back. Lizzie looks back at Claire, unsure of how to continue. LIZZIE (CONT’D) I want to make this up to you guys. 47

CLAIRE (tight) It’s fine, it’s fine. Lizzie nods. LIZZIE You know, I can take them off your hands this weekend. THOMAS I’m with Dad this weekend. Claire shoots a glance at Lizzie. “With Dad”? LIZZIE (undaunted) Or a weekday afternoon. Beat. CLAIRE They have so much to do already. Plus the move. Lizzie nods, realizing Claire is starting to detect her lies. LIZZIE Right. Whatever works best for you. CLAIRE (clearly distant) We’ll play it by ear. They all stand there. INT. BATHROOM, LIZZIE’S APARTMENT - THAT EVENING Lizzie opens her medicine cabinet and grabs the bottle of pills. As she opens the bottle she starts to CRY. She pours two pills into her hand ... then two more ... then the entire contents of the bottle. She hesitates. Lizzie drops the pills in the toilet. She flushes. INT. PSYCHIATRIST’S OFFICE - LATE AFTERNOON Therapy. Lizzie sits across from DR ARMAND, 62, an impassive, old school therapist. He takes notes on a pad. ARMAND How’s your day-to-day? 48

LIZZIE Much better. I try to relax. The other day I played hooky from work and went ice skating. ARMAND (a smile) Well, your secret’s safe with me. And how are you and Thomas doing? LIZZIE He’s great. ARMAND I mean the two of you. LIZZIE Oh, you know. We’re doing good. ARMAND Good. Lizzie smiles lamely. ARMAND (CONT’D) So, do you find yourself thinking less about your daughter? LIZZIE She’s been totally out of my mind. ARMAND And the medication. Do you feel it’s helping? Beat. LIZZIE Absolutely. Armand looks at her and nods. ON HIS PAD: he writes, “NOT TAKING MEDICATION ??” INT. HIGH-END CAR DEALERSHIP - DAY Mike sits in a glass-walled office on a headset. MIKE (into headset) There are only three in the world and one of ‘em just landed in our showroom. Uh huh. 49

Mike looks up as Lizzie ENTERS. MIKE (CONT’D) Steve, can I call you back? He hangs up and rises. MIKE (CONT’D) Hi. What are you doing here? LIZZIE We have to talk. MIKE We do. Because apparently you were talking to our son about moving? LIZZIE He misunderstood. MIKE You realize you can’t make decisions that involve him without talking to me, right? LIZZIE I know that. Look, I need to share something with you. It’s important. Mike’s assistant BEVERLY enters. BEVERLY They’re here. Do you want - (noticing Lizzie) Oh, sorry. MIKE I’ll be down in one sec. Beverly exits and Mike gathers papers for the meeting. MIKE (CONT’D) I’m busy. You can’t just waltz in whenever you feel like it. Why is it the world has to stop when you think something’s important, but not when I think it is? Beat. LIZZIE Oh. Fuck you. I’ll talk to you later. 50

Lizzie abruptly turns and EXITS. EXT. STREET - MINUTES LATER CLOSE on Lizzie as she strides toward us. Something fierce. Something blank. Something defiant in her. But she’s SO deeply inside her head. And not in the good way. It’s as if the world is passing by in streaks and blurs. INT. SUPERMARKET - AFTERNOON Claire is at the check-out with her groceries, Jeremy and Lola beside her. Lola smiles at someone off-screen. LIZZIE (O.S.) Hi. Claire is surprised to see Lizzie at the next register. CLAIRE Hello. LIZZIE So crazy, bumping into you. I was going to call. We decided we can’t buy the house, after all. Claire keeps bagging the groceries, not making eye contact. CLAIRE (cold) Is that so? LIZZIE We ran the numbers, and we just can’t swing the mortgage. I’m so disappointed. I love it! I got carried away. Claire gives Lizzie a hard look. CLAIRE It happens. The cashier finishes ringing up Claire’s groceries. CASHIER That’ll be two hundred and fifty- two twenty-six, thanks. Claire inserts her credit card. Lizzie notices the rolls of packing tape in Claire’s shopping cart. 51

LIZZIE Busy packing? CLAIRE Yup. Trying to plan ahead. LIZZIE (friendly) If you need help, just ask. CLAIRE Thanks. We have plenty of helpers. LIZZIE Well, if things change. (to Lola, leaning in) You okay with the move? LOLA Uh huh. LIZZIE (quietly) Good. That’s good. CLAIRE Let’s go, kids. Claire and the kids leave. LIZZIE (after them) Good luck with everything. CLAIRE Thanks. As Claire exits, Lizzie “searches” in her handbag. LIZZIE (to her cashier) Oh shit. I forgot my wallet. (on her trolley) I’m going to have to leave these. INT. CLAIRE’S CAR, SUPERMARKET CARPARK - MOMENTS LATER As Lola and Jeremy climb in and Claire loads groceries from the trolley into the Land Rover, Claire notices - - LIZZIE - leaving the supermarket without her groceries. Wandering down the road. 52

EXT. JOGGERS’ PATH, PARK - THE NEXT AFTERNOON Lizzie and Alice power walk side by side. Alice hesitates. ALICE So ... I spoke to Brian. LIZZIE (false nonchalance) Yeah, he’s nice, but I don’t think we connected. ALICE Lizzie - what happened that night? Lizzie stops. LIZZIE What did he say happened? ALICE Nothing bad. He said that you were having a nice time, then you just sort of ... left. Lizzie SIGHS. LIZZIE I guess it seemed that way to him. ALICE Was something the matter? LIZZIE No. Just, maybe it’s too soon. ALICE I’m sorry if I pushed things. Lizzie looks away. Alice senses it’s something serious. LIZZIE I’m just stressed. (beat) I’m not crazy, Alice. ALICE No one said you were. Lizzie turns back, hesitates. LIZZIE I can’t sleep. I keep thinking about her. 53

ALICE Lucy? Lizzie NODS. LIZZIE I don’t know, maybe it’s the custody thing bringing it all back. ALICE Sure. That’s probably it. Hang in. It’ll pass. LIZZIE Yeah. Of course it will. They walk - two friends among joggers in the afternoon sun. INT. AUDITORIUM DRESSING ROOM - EVENING Claire kneels in front of Lola, applying her makeup. Other GIRLS in ballerina outfits prepare around them. CLAIRE And some pink? (applying blush) A real ballerina! Claire leans in closer, applying the finer detail. An intimate mother-daughter moment - their eyes inches apart. Claire smiles. Lola smiles back. The DANCE INSTRUCTOR enters the dressing room. DANCE INSTRUCTOR Come on girls! There is general excitement in the dressing room as the girls leave in a stampede. CLAIRE I’ll be in the audience, cheering with your father and brother. LOLA (focused now) Uh-huh. Bye! CLAIRE (amused) Are you good? 54

LOLA Uh-huh! CLAIRE We’ll see you after! - but Lola is already out the room. Claire smiles as she watches her go. INT. BACKSTAGE CORRIDOR - MOMENTS LATER Lola jostles into waiting position with all the other seven- year-old ballerinas, behind their teacher. INT. AUDITORIUM - MOMENTS LATER Claire sidles along the row to join Bernard and Jeremy as the music begins and girls dance, bathed in red light. INT. AUDITORIUM BACKSTAGE - CONTINUOUS Lola and her nervous, eager little troupe watch the show from side stage. Excitedly waiting their turn. LIZZIE (O.S.) Okay, Lola? Lola turns, mildly surprised to see Lizzie, who smiles. LIZZIE (CONT’D) Your shoes are pretty. LOLA I got them for my birthday. LIZZIE Great! When is your birthday? Before Lola can answer, a group of girls come running off stage. Worried, she points to the stage. LOLA I’m on next. LIZZIE Do you mind if I watch from here? Lola considers this for a brief moment. LOLA No. Lizzie smiles and leans forward to gently touch Lola’s cheek. 55

LIZZIE Don’t be scared. Your mother’s here. Lola’s a little perplexed by it - but smiles. LOLA I know. BALLET TEACHER Okay, girls! All in order! Ready - INT. AUDITORIUM - CONTINUOUS Craning for a glimpse of Lola side-stage, Claire’s face darkens. Surely she didn’t see what she thinks she just saw? (CLAIRE’S POV): in the bustle of activity side-stage, we can make out Lola and other little girls; and a couple of ADULTS (the teacher, etc); and the back of a WOMAN’s head - it may or MAY NOT be Lizzie. The previous dancers flutter offstage, to applause, as Lola’s troupe files on. Claire tries to settle. Smiles thinly. Music UP. The girls begin their choreographed dance. Beautiful Lola in the thick of it. Bernard proudly films his daughter. Claire smiles - unnerved. INT. AUDITORIUM BACKSTAGE - CONTINUOUS From behind the curtains, Lizzie watches Lola dance. She is overwhelmed with emotion. ON LOLA - she is radiant. While she dances, she regularly takes small peeks toward the wing - towards Lizzie. INT. AUDITORIUM - CONTINUOUS Claire notices Lola doing this. Claire becomes more agitated. The show ends and the audience APPLAUDS WILDLY. CLAIRE (getting up) I’ll get Lola. See you in the lobby. Claire runs backstage. 56

INT. AUDITORIUM BACKSTAGE - MOMENTS LATER Claire rushes down the hall, weaving between groups of parents congratulating their children - searching the faces of women and children - looking for either Lola or Lizzie. Claire looks in the dressing room, but cannot find Lola among the other girls. Claire runs into another room and finds Lola removing her makeup in the mirror. She runs to her and hugs her tightly. CLAIRE I thought I lost you! (then) You were fabulous. INT. AUDITORIUM LOBBY - SOON AFTER The lobby is full of people. Parents and children find each other in excitement after the show. Lizzie walks towards the exit at a rapid pace when she comes face to face with Bernard and Jeremy, who are waiting patiently at the entrance of the theatre. BERNARD Hello! Lizzie pretends not to see them at first. LIZZIE (feigning surprise) Oh, hi! BERNARD How are you? LIZZIE Fine, thanks. When Claire sees her husband in discussion with Lizzie, she walks quickly to catch up with them. BERNARD You decided against the house? LIZZIE I got carried away! Embarrassing. But we’re still looking. BERNARD Well, we’re having a big going-away party. You should come. 57

LIZZIE Love to. BERNARD Saturday week. If you’re free. LIZZIE (sees Claire approaching) Okay ... great ... CLAIRE (eyes locked on Lizzie) We meet again! BERNARD (picking up Lola) Starlet! You were awesome. JEREMY Dad filmed it. CLAIRE (to Lizzie) Isn’t Thomas with you? LIZZIE (calm) I’m going to pick him up now. CLAIRE Do you know someone here? Beat. LIZZIE I just love ballet. Did you enjoy the show? CLAIRE Yes, very much. LOLA (to Lizzie) Did you see me looking at you? Lizzie freezes for a moment; she’s been caught. LIZZIE (awkward) Uh huh. You were fabulous. Claire gives her an incredulous look. 58

LIZZIE (CONT’D) Excuse me. I have to run. Lizzie escapes without a last look at Claire. BERNARD That was odd. Claire skeptically watches Lizzie EXIT the building. CLAIRE (quiet - not buying it) She just ... “loves ballet”. INT. ARLIN NATURALS KIOSK - THE NEXT DAY Lizzie stocks boxes on a shelf. She does not immediately react to a voice - CLAIRE (O.S.) Excuse me. Lizzie turns around and blanches at the sight of Claire. CLAIRE (CONT’D) (cold) Can we talk? LIZZIE (taken aback) Sure. Now? CLAIRE Preferably, yes. LIZZIE All right. (to Alice, officious) Alice, cover things for a few minutes? ALICE (perplexed) Uh, sure ... INT. MALL - MOMENTS LATER Lizzie and Claire walk side-by-side in silence down the hallway. The unease is palpable. INT. RESTAURANT - SOON AFTER They sit across from one another stare at each other. 59

Claire breaks the silence. CLAIRE What do you want? LIZZIE (butter wouldn’t melt) What do you mean? CLAIRE The supermarket. The rink. The ballet yesterday. Come on - it’s no coincidence. Lizzie leans back uncomfortably, trying to summon the words. CLAIRE (CONT’D) You never intended to buy the house. LIZZIE I’m trying to work it out. CLAIRE (puzzled) Work out what? The WAITER puts their coffees on the table. LIZZIE Thanks. LIZZIE (CONT’D) I lost a baby daughter seven years ago. Claire is taken aback - she was not prepared for this. CLAIRE I didn’t know. I’m sorry. LIZZIE (holding back tears) She died in a fire. At Bryant Hospital. Lizzie waits in vain for a reaction from Claire. CLAIRE Why are you telling me this? LIZZIE Every time I see Lola, I’m more convinced. 60

CLAIRE Convinced. Of what? Lizzie takes a deep breath. LIZZIE I’m pretty sure she’s my daughter. Claire simply laughs. CLAIRE Shit. You’re crazier than I was thinking. LIZZIE Really? CLAIRE So ... Lola’s your daughter. And what brings you to that spectacular conclusion? LIZZIE (calm) I just feel it. CLAIRE (frightened) Lizzie, you have a problem. LIZZIE Something happened. CLAIRE I don’t want to hear any more. This is nuts. You know that, don’t you? LIZZIE At the hospital fire. In the confusion. CLAIRE Look. Whatever happened to you, I’m sure it was very painful, but Lola’s my daughter. (beat) I can’t believe I just had to say that! (very serious:) I’ve never set foot in that hospital. I don't know about any fire. Lola was born at Landry Maternity. 61

Lizzie stares at her. Taking it in. Uh-huh. CLAIRE (CONT’D) I’m sorry for your loss, but I can’t help you. Lizzie looks down at her coffee, she has nothing more to say. Claire digs through her purse and puts a bill on the table. CLAIRE (CONT’D) And I don’t think our boys should play together anymore. Lizzie gives her a woeful look. CLAIRE (CONT’D) Please stay away from my family. Claire gets up and leaves, leaving Lizzie sitting there. EXT. ARLIN NATURALS KIOSK - MINUTES LATER Lizzie stoically goes behind the counter, picks up her keys, then turns to Courtney as Alice watches. LIZZIE I have to go. Lizzie EXITS the kiosk without waiting for a response. COURTNEY You do not just walk out! Lizzie continues. COURTNEY (CONT’D) Fine - consider yourself fired! ALICE Lizzie ... ? Courtney shoots Alice a look and she returns to work. ALICE (CONT’D) (under her breath, baffled) Jesus Christ ... I/E. LIZZIE’S CAR / FREEWAY - LATER THAT DAY The Volvo heads along the freeway. Lizzie drives blankly. 62

EXT. BRYANT HOSPITAL - LATER Lizzie stands looking at a building she has not entered in a long time. INT. BRYANT HOSPITAL - LATER Lizzie wanders the corridors, making no eye contact with patients or employees, trying to get her bearings. There is strain on her face. She places her hand on a familiar door. FEMALE VOICE (O.S.) Can I help you? Lizzie turns and sees a NURSE. LIZZIE You can. There was a fire here. The Nurse senses Lizzie’s distress. NURSE Yes. Six years ago. LIZZIE Seven. And I need information about a patient from back then. She had her child delivered here. The nurse doesn’t know what to make of this. NURSE You need the admin building. Building Three. LIZZIE Oh. Okay. Thanks ... Lizzie walks away. She knows she’s looking for something. Trying to put this geography of corridors together. Suddenly she stops. A corridor leads to an EMERGENCY EXIT. That’s the one. She walks to the exit. Looks back over her shoulder. Slowly, tentatively, she pushes the door open. A loud ALARM goes off. An ORDERLY pokes his head around the corner. 63

ORDERLY Excuse me! You can’t go there. Lizzie feigns a kind of ditziness. LIZZIE I’m sorry! I was looking for - ORDERLY - you can’t go that way. (points) The exit’s that way. Lizzie scurries past him as he eyes her suspiciously. LIZZIE Sorry. EXT. CLAIRE’S HOME - THAT EVENING (ESTABLISHING) The sun is setting. BERNARD (O.S.) It doesn’t mean anything. INT. KITCHEN, CLAIRE’S HOME - CONTINUOUS Claire rigidly prepares a salad. Bernard chops vegetables. CLAIRE Susan doesn’t spread gossip. She says it wasn’t just a little “time off” - Lizzie was committed. For almost a year. BERNARD What was the reason? CLAIRE Does it matter? BERNARD I feel sorry for her. It must be hideous to lose a child like that. Or think you could have saved them. Imagine it. CLAIRE I can’t even. Beat. 64

BERNARD I mean. You could always do a DNA test. Show her the results. CLAIRE (shocked) Oh, great idea! BERNARD I mean, just to prove her wrong. You know? And get her off your back. CLAIRE Give her some more attention. BERNARD It’s all so loopy. Claire rinses tomatoes under the tap. Shaking her head. It seems she’s about to say something. - OUT THE WINDOW (POV): she takes in Lola out by the pool, shrieking and laughing as Jeremy chases her around. Claire keeps shaking her head. Frustrated. CLAIRE It’s just so ... stupid. You think she’s going to listen to reason? BERNARD Doesn’t sound like there’s much of that. (beat) We’re moving, darling. This is odd, but it’s not a long-term problem. And it’s her problem. Not ours. CLAIRE (with an edge) Bernard, I need you to hear me. She’s making it ours. I’m concerned for our family. EXT. POLICE STATION - THE NEXT DAY (ESTABLISHING) BERNARD (O.S.) The woman is behaving irrationally. 65

INT. POLICE STATION - CONTINUOUS A small office. Bernard and Claire sit across from DETECTIVE STUART (58), calm and by-the-books. Claire looks tense. DETECTIVE STUART The problem is, there’s no law against being crazy. People can say whatever they want to say. BERNARD There must be something you can do. She’s stalking our family. DETECTIVE STUART Well, the places you mentioned, a supermarket ... a public performance ... A lot of people go to those places. They don’t constitute “stalking.” BERNARD She acted like she wanted to buy our house, just to get inside! DETECTIVE STUART My wife does that. Every Saturday. She drags me to these open houses. BERNARD I’m serious. DETECTIVE STUART I don’t mean to make light of what is clearly an uncomfortable situation. I’m just telling you that, realistically, this woman hasn’t done anything that would warrant police intervention. BERNARD Then what are we supposed to do? DETECTIVE STUART What you don’t do is overreact. Bernard shoots Claire a look. DETECTIVE STUART (CONT’D) Ninety percent of the time, these kinds of people just go away. For now, you should keep a log of your interactions with her. (MORE) 66 DETECTIVE STUART (CONT’D) If things progress over time you might be able to prove a pattern of harassment, and potentially apply for a restraining order. CLAIRE (rising, not happy) Thanks for your help. EXT. RIVER PARK - A FEW DAYS LATER A large banner reads “DENTON SCHOOL FUNDRAISING PICNIC”. A hundred kids aged 5 to 11, with assorted TEACHERS, YOUTH COUNSELLORS and VOLUNTEERS. Barbecues. Soccer. The sun is shining on the riverbank. We find Lizzie, busy helping out. Ellen (the mother with the fliers) is manning the barbecue. LIZZIE What can I get for you - more buns? ELLEN Yeah, and some veggie burgers. LIZZIE You got it. Lizzie heads to the supplies van - but then sees Lola, who’s alone. Lizzie changes direction and heads straight for Lola. LIZZIE (CONT’D) Hi, Lola. Lola turns. LOLA Oh. Hi. INT. KITCHEN, CLAIRE’S HOME - AFTERNOON (AND INTERCUT AS NECESSARY WITH ELLEN AT THE RIVER PARK) Claire, surrounded by boxes. The chaos of moving. Phone in the crook of her neck. CLAIRE Hey, Ellen. Listen, I’m definitely not going to make it. It’s officially madness here. ELLEN I get it. No worries. We’re coping! 67

CLAIRE How are the kids? ELLEN They’re loading up on sugar - you’ll have fun tonight. EXT. THE RIVER - SOON AFTER Lizzie and Lola are on a PADDLE BOAT, just the two of them. It’s peaceful out here. They’re a million miles away. LIZZIE You’re a very special little girl, Lola. LOLA Thanks. LIZZIE I mean you’re special to me. (then) Am I special to you? LOLA Uh huh. LIZZIE That’s good. That’s very good. I want to be special to you always. INT. KITCHEN, CLAIRE’S HOME - SAME Claire continues packing as she chats. CLAIRE (into phone) Are they handy? Can I say hi? ELLEN Well, Jeremy’s playing soccer with his friends, and Lola went for a boat ride with your friend. Beat. CLAIRE My friend? ELLEN The nice one. Lizzie. CLAIRE What? 68

ELLEN (hearing the panic) Is that - ? Wait - is that okay? CLAIRE No - yeah - I mean - it’s complicated - - she’s already grabbing her keys and heading out the door - CLAIRE (CONT’D) Listen, I’m coming - ELLEN - she seems really nice. CLAIRE Yeah. It’s not that. ELLEN Do you want me to - CLAIRE No. It’s all good - a boat ride? ELLEN The paddle boats. CLAIRE (hanging up, rushing out) Jesus. EXT. THE RIVER - AT THAT MOMENT Out on the paddle boat, it’s tranquil. LIZZIE Have you ever felt your heartbeat? LOLA Uh huh. LIZZIE Sometimes, with two people, their heartbeats match. Shall we see if ours do? Lola shrugs, why not. Lizzie places her hand gently on Lola’s chest. Lola reaches up and lays her hand on Lizzie’s. A moment of silence. Then, feeling the heartbeats, both BEAM. 69

I/E. CLAIRE’S CAR / THE STREETS - SAME TIME INTERCUT between Claire speeding through traffic and Lizzie and Lola on the paddle boat. EXT. THE RIVER - SAME TIME ON THE PADDLE BOAT: a lovely calm has descended. At length: LIZZIE I had a little girl once. LOLA What happened to her? Long beat. Lizzie trying to work out what to say. LIZZIE There was an accident. LOLA A car accident? LIZZIE Something like that. Lola frowns. Just on the edge of perturbed. Why is this woman telling her this? LIZZIE (CONT’D) She was a lot like you. I loved her so much. Lola scoops up a strand of river grass floating by. LIZZIE (CONT’D) Do you love your mummy? LOLA Uh huh. LIZZIE Of course. And she loves you, too. And she’s not going to let anything happen to you. LOLA Why would anything happen? I/E. CLAIRE’S CAR / THE STREETS, A DISTANCE AWAY - SAME TIME Claire RIDES THE HORN - swerves around a car - 70

CLAIRE Move! - swerves back into the gap, just in time. EXT. THE RIVER - SAME TIME Lizzie looks down at Lola, and grins. She touches her little finger to the hollow above her upper lip. LIZZIE Do you know what this is? This is the mark of an angel. Lola, not understanding, says nothing. LIZZIE (CONT’D) Before we’re born, an angel puts its finger here. That’s why we’ve got that little indent. Lola touches her own finger to her lip. LIZZIE (CONT’D) That’s it. An angel put its stamp on you. Let me see - - before Lola can object or flinch, Lizzie touches her finger to Lola’s lip. Holds it there, a second: for Lola, it may be a second too long. For Lizzie: it’s as if she’s perfectly happy for the first time. Lizzie takes her finger away. LIZZIE (CONT’D) Do you ever feel your angel? Near you. Lola frowns. Hmmm, does she? LOLA Sometimes. I/E. CLAIRE’S CAR / THE STREETS - SAME TIME Claire continues her manic race, leaning into the steering wheel, treating the Land Rover like a Formula One McLaren. Suddenly there’s a DAD PUSHING A PRAM across the crossing - - Claire BRAKES HARD, skidding to a screeching halt, tyres smoking, stopping inches before the dad. 71

The angry dad BEATS his palm on the bonnet of the Land Rover. ANGRY DAD What are you doing! Look where you’re going! Claire quivers, shaken, terrified by how close she just came. Her hands over her mouth. The dad steps to Claire’s window, raps on it sharply. ANGRY DAD (CONT’D) What are you fucking doing? You could have killed us! But now all Claire sees is the empty crossing and the open road. She takes off fast, smoking the wheels. ANGRY DAD (CONT’D) Hey! Onlookers watch in disbelief. EXT. RIVER PARK - SOON AFTER Activity continues - the tables laid with food; the adults; the kids playing games (including Jeremy and his soccer game, B/G) - as Lizzie and Lola walk up from the riverbank, smiling, holding hands, swinging their arms loosely. Ellen, busy organizing food, watches them approach. A slightly perplexed look on her face. ELLEN How was it? LIZZIE It was great. I/E. CLAIRE’S CAR / ROAD INTO RIVER PARK - SOON AFTER Stopped impatiently at a traffic light, Claire suddenly does a highly illegal U-turn - BUMPING over the traffic island, crossing in front of the forward-facing traffic, and PULLING HARD into the river park entrance. EXT. PICNIC AREA CARPARK, RIVER PARK - MINUTES LATER - the Land Rover DOOR SLAMS HARD - - as Claire steps out of the car and strides fast toward the fundraiser picnic up ahead - composing herself and suddenly becoming “calm Claire”. 72

EXT. RIVER PARK - MOMENTS LATER CLAIRE (all sunshine, to Ellen) Hi! ELLEN Hi! CLAIRE You must think I’m mad! ELLEN No, I - (beat) - not at all. CLAIRE It’s really not a big deal. I think I overthink things sometimes - - but Claire is completely distracted, scanning for Lola - CLAIRE (CONT’D) - but I mean, she is a little - - Claire twirls her finger around her temple - Cuckoo - CLAIRE (CONT’D) - you know what I mean? Something not quite right. Maybe it’s just me. (spying Lola) There she is! Claire pats Ellen on the arm and marches briskly away, without so much as a by-your-leave - CLAIRE (CONT’D) Hi, honey! LOLA Hi, Mum. CLAIRE You good? LOLA Yeah. CLAIRE That’s good. She crouches down - attempts to be casual. 73

CLAIRE (CONT’D) What have you been doing? LOLA I went on the water with Lizzie. Claire tries to swallow the dread. Like swallowing a frog. CLAIRE That’s nice. (beat) What did you ... what did you talk about? Lola shrugs. LOLA Angels. It’s odd, but Claire lets it slide. CLAIRE Did she - ? Honey, did she touch you? Beat. Lola basically working out - which answer gets her into trouble? And which one keeps her out of it? LOLA No? Beat. Claire processing it. Buying it. Lola poker-faced. CLAIRE (big smile) And you talked about angels? That sounds nice! INT. LIVING ROOM, LIZZIE’S APARTMENT - LATER Lizzie enters, depleted. She crosses to the kitchen and takes a drink from the fridge. As she closes the door: a piece of Thomas’ artwork, held there with a magnet. Oh shit! ... LIZZIE Thomas ... INT. LIVING ROOM, LIZZIE’S PARENTS’ HOME - LATER Lizzie arrives, breathless and flustered. 74

LIZZIE (coming through door) I’m so sorry. I had to cover at work. But as she steps into the living room, she’s met with: Donna and Carl, Mike and Thomas, and Dr Armand. Everyone standing up. Worried. LIZZIE (CONT’D) Doctor Armand? ARMAND Hello, Lizzie. LIZZIE What are you doing here? (then, to Mike) What are you doing here? MIKE The school called me. THOMAS ‘Cos you weren’t there. MIKE Tommy, why don’t you go upstairs? Upset though he is, Thomas heads up the stairs. MIKE (CONT’D) (understanding) Lizzie, you know things have to change. Thomas is at an age - LIZZIE It was a work emergency. MIKE It’s always something. LIZZIE Mum, Dad, come on. You know things are better. They remain silent, exchange glances. At length: ARMAND Lizzie, we all care about you. We want to support your healing process. 75

LIZZIE Oh, god. DONNA Honey, listen to him. ARMAND We feel that your best chance for full recovery will come with the benefits of another inpatient program. (beat) It’s only temporary. Lizzie, in shock. And a simmering kind of fury. LIZZIE Are you out of your mind? What about Thomas? What about work? An ominous pause. DONNA Your friend Alice called. She told us you lost your job. Lizzie hesitates. LIZZIE (weak, soft, deflated) Why would she do that ... ? CARL She said she left you a ton of messages. What else do you think she should have done? LIZZIE I’m dealing with everything just fine. It’s everyone else who - MIKE Listen to yourself. “Everyone else?” You’re not there for him. She takes a deep breath. So wounded and raw right now, surrounded by all these people. LIZZIE (to Armand) You’re part of this? 76

ARMAND Insofar as we all care about what happens to you - yes, I’m part of this. And insofar as I’m your treating psychiatrist - yes, I’m part of this. Lizzie simply glares back at him. Then she starts down the hall - to Thomas’ room. LIZZIE I want to talk to him. ARMAND Wait. Lizzie stops. Armand slightly glances to Mike - as if they’ve already spoken about the next bullet point. Mike clears his throat. MIKE When you came back, I don’t think you ever really came back. LIZZIE (defensive) That’s not fair! Panicking internally, she tries to radically change the tone of the conversation. LIZZIE (CONT’D) Look, I appreciate everyone’s ... concern. The truth is, I’ve been focused on a situation that’s come up. They wait for what she has to say. She stands there, unsure. And then: sink or swim moment. Dive off the cliff moment. Once she starts, there's no turning back, and it's as if she's suddenly liberated - for a wild instant, at least - in revealing her crazy "theory". LIZZIE (CONT’D) (tiny nervous laugh) It’s actually kind of incredible. I happened to meet this little girl. Now, I don’t know for sure yet. But I think there’s a very strong likelihood ... that it’s Lucy. 77

A beat. All are stunned. Dr Armand drops his head. MIKE (realizing, quietly) So it’s this again. LIZZIE Don’t say that. I didn’t ask for it to happen! But I can’t deny what I saw. It could be her, Mike! It could be our daughter! It IS our daughter! A look of exhaustion comes over Mike. MIKE (kind, soft) Lizzie, when’s it going to end? LIZZIE Well if you hadn’t had her cremated, then it could have ended back then with an autopsy! When we would have realized it wasn’t our fucking daughter who was dead! MIKE Look, whatever it is you’re feeling, I feel for you. But you’re not the only one who went through it all - I did, too. But you’re still stuck back there. Why do you think I had to leave? Lizzie is paralyzed. MIKE (CONT’D) And now Thomas is being affected? (then) Don’t make me take him away from you. For good - ARMAND (mutters) - now, now - MIKE - it’s not what I want. A tear rolls down Lizzie’s face. MIKE (CONT’D) But I’m taking him. Now. This week. For now. 78

Slowly, like a child, Lizzie puts her hands to her ears. Looks exchanged between Mike, Donna, Carl and Dr Armand. Lizzie turns on her parents. LIZZIE Are you two happy? CARL No one’s happy. We understand what you’re going through and we want - LIZZIE To help me? You can help me by believing me! She suddenly seems near hysterical. It doesn’t help her case. DONNA There are different ways to help. As your parents, we have a responsibility. LIZZIE Are you hearing yourself? I know about responsibility! I have a responsibility, too! To her. CARL Dammit, Lizzie, you have to stop living with a ghost! She won’t come back. Accept it. LIZZIE Why? CARL Because that’s the reality. LIZZIE For you! CARL No - not just for me! Things are what they are, Lizzie! Life is not fair - LIZZIE (snapping) She’s still alive! Silence at Lizzie’s naked assertion. 79

LIZZIE (CONT’D) (to Donna) I’m her fucking mother. I know. Donna cups Lizzie's hands in hers. Lizzie looks into her mother’s eyes with a daughter’s plea ... Donna turns to look at Carl. Who’s staring at Lizzie. LIZZIE (CONT’D) (calm) You don’t believe me. ARMAND Lizzie - Lizzie grabs her things as she exits - DONNA Lizzie - LIZZIE (ice cold, matter-of-fact) Right. I’ll prove it. INT. LIVING ROOM, LIZZIE’S APARTMENT - LATER THAT EVENING Drink in hand, Lizzie leans forward into her laptop, scrolling through old photos. Younger Mike. Younger Lizzie. Thomas as a toddler ... Happier days. Then: herself in a hospital bed, pale, smiling, with Mike beside her holding Thomas, and a newborn baby in her arms. We PUSH INTO the photo. Lizzie’s eyes are so filled with yearning that she would climb into that photo, that lost world, if she could. The PHONE RINGS, and shakes her out of her reverie. But she lets it ring through to the answering machine. FEMALE VOICE I’m calling from Bryant Hospital regarding the information you requested on a “Claire Bradley” having been a patient here. Unfortunately, records are only shared with immediate family, for which we’d require identification. If you have any questions, feel free to call. Lizzie bends at the waist, tears flowing. 80

EXT. PARKING AREA, SOCCER FIELDS - A WEEK LATER Lizzie’s old Volvo parked among the shiny soccer-mum cars. Chaos of training activity out there on the soccer fields. INT. LIZZIE’S CAR - CONTINUOUS Inside the Volvo sits Lizzie. Watching. Hair pulled back under a baseball cap. Black sunglasses. Impossible to read. Suddenly she gets out of the car. EXT. SOCCER FIELD - CONTINUOUS A group of young girls practise soccer ... Lola among them. Lizzie makes her way to the field. Eyes trained on Lola. Lola runs about on the field. Not the most focused player. The COACH attends to a kid with a sore knee. Lizzie passes onto the field itself, closing in on Lola. LIZZIE Hey, Lola! Lola turns and smiles at Lizzie. LOLA Hi. LIZZIE How are you?! A beat. Lola likes Lizzie, but there’s something else - LOLA Mum said I shouldn’t talk to you. For a millisecond, it’s a slap to Lizzie. But the millisecond passes and her sunniness returns. LIZZIE I know, honey. I know. Sometimes - you know adults - we’re idiots, right? We make big things out of the tiniest things. And your mum and I did that. And we hated it. We hated every minute of it. Lola listening, weighing it up - like this is kind of tallying with her sense of recent events. 81

LIZZIE (CONT’D) And we had the biggest hug just now. We squeezed out all the problems. We had a big laugh. LOLA Really? LIZZIE She wants to tell you. But she’s got a really bad headache today. So she asked me to pick you up. LOLA Okay ... (still reluctant, confused) But ... do you know the safe word? Beat. ON Lizzie. The safe word. Shit. LIZZIE Of course I do. “Princess.” Lola, relieved. The system actually worked! LOLA Okay. Are we leaving now? Lizzie, relieved. Her guess actually worked! LIZZIE Uh huh. Right now. INT. LIZZIE’S CAR, PARKING AREA - MOMENTS LATER LOLA (buckling up) I scored a goal. LIZZIE (but distracted) That’s great. That’s really great. LOLA It was pretty great. Unable to stop herself, Lizzie reaches awkwardly for Lola’s head. LIZZIE Wait. Let me just - - with that, Lizzie YANKS a hair from Lola’s head. 82

Lola SHRIEKS. JUMP CUT: The shriek blends into a BLOWING WHISTLE on the field; (POV through windshield) Lola is still running about out there. Lizzie is still here alone in the car, in cap and glasses. (NOW we realize that what just happened was a kind of hallucination or obsessive projection.) Lizzie takes the cap and glasses off, SLAPS her hands on her forehead, HARD - as if trying to snap herself out of it. She rubs her eyes. Settles. Watches Lola. Okay. Now. She puts the sunglasses back on and gets out of the car. EXT. SOCCER FIELD - CONTINUOUS Lizzie moves toward Lola, determined. Hunched forward, hands in pockets. Cap, glasses. Coming closer and closer to Lola. Dreamy Lola seems to be investigating a daisy on the field. Lizzie picks up speed. And just then ... a HONKING HORN. Lola turns to see Claire’s car pull up near the other cars. She smiles and RUNS to her. Lizzie promptly changes direction and HEADS BACK. ON CLAIRE as Lola hops into the car - she never saw Lizzie. ON LIZZIE, scurrying back to the Volvo. Barely holding her emotions in check. INT. THE MALL - THE NEXT DAY Courtney hands Lizzie her final paycheck. COURTNEY (cold) Best of luck with your future endeavors. LIZZIE Thanks. COURTNEY Let’s hope you’re a better parent than you are an employee. 83

Lizzie SNAPS ALERT. LIZZIE (intense) Listen, maybe you go home feeling important because you get to be queen of a kiosk, but tomorrow I’m gone and you’re back in a fucking mall. Selling perfumed creams in a barely disguised pyramid scheme. On commission. So, there’s that. COURTNEY (shaken) You’re hurting me. Lizzie seems surprised to discover she is gripping Courtney’s wrist. She awkwardly lets go; then turns and intentionally brushes past Alice. ALICE Lizzie, come on. LIZZIE (pivoting) I thought you were my friend. ALICE I am. LIZZIE You called my parents? How old are we? ALICE I left messages for you. I was worried. Because you’re my friend. LIZZIE Well, don’t worry anymore. Okay? EXT. CLAIRE’S HOME, A FEW DAYS LATER - EVENING The going-away party. The home is crowded with happy well- wishers. Food, drink, laughter. INT. LIVING ROOM, CLAIRE’S HOME - CONTINUOUS Lizzie and Brian are in a corner, drinks in hand. Brian, of course, is clueless as to the real reason they’re there. Standing there awkwardly. Lizzie distracted. 84

LIZZIE I’m going to the loo. Lizzie crosses the room. At the bottom of the staircase, she pauses - looks back over her shoulder, scans the loud room. As discreetly as possible, she starts to head up the stairs. ELLEN (O.S.) You’re looking for the bathroom? Lizzie turns. Damn. It’s Ellen. LIZZIE Oh, hi. I am. ELLEN (points) It’s down there. Beat. LIZZIE Oh. Thanks! Lizzie comes back down the stairs. Passes Ellen with a smile. Ellen watches her go down the hall. Lizzie, grim-faced, enters the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM, CLAIRE’S HOME - CONTINUOUS Lizzie locks the door. Closes her eyes. Does nothing else. She simply stands there. Perfectly still. After a time - she opens her eyes. She takes a breath. Blank-faced. She leaves. INT. LIVING ROOM, CLAIRE’S HOME - CONTINUOUS Lizzie smiles as she walks back to Brian. She slips her arm around his waist and pecks him on the cheek. From across the room, Bernard spots Lizzie, winces. He hurries over. BERNARD Lizzie, hi! 85

LIZZIE Hey, Bernard. This is my friend Brian. BERNARD Hello. Hope you’re enjoying yourselves. BRIAN We are. And now, from across the room, Claire spots them. She blinks in disbelief. She pushes through the crowd. CLAIRE (to Lizzie) What are you doing here? LIZZIE (picture of innocence) Enjoying myself. BRIAN Whoa, is there a problem? CLAIRE Yes, there is. (to Lizzie) I don’t believe you were invited. BERNARD (fumbling) Actually, I might have mentioned the party ... at the ballet ... before I realized - you know. CLAIRE (to Lizzie) Well, you have to leave. This is my party, with my friends, and I’m no longer comfortable with you here. A CHEERFUL COUPLE passes by. MAN (to Bernard) Gonna miss your parties, pal! Bernard smiles and nods as they go by. 86

LIZZIE Look, Claire, I don’t blame you. I’ve been impossible lately. I’ve been dealing with some divorce issues. I don’t know how you’ve put up with me. All I can say is, I’m sorry. I want us to stay friends. Claire takes this in. A long beat. CLAIRE You have to leave. The moment hangs suspended. Hard to tell what Lizzie might do. Then she simply sets down her glass. Then Brian’s. Then takes Brian’s hand. They walk away as Claire and Bernard watch them go. Brian’s not happy. But halfway across the room, Lizzie stops. LIZZIE I gotta go to the loo. BRIAN Again? Lizzie looks at him daggers. BRIAN (CONT’D) I’ll be outside. Lizzie turns back into the thick of the party and makes a beeline for Claire, who’s talking to someone else. LIZZIE I’ll pay for a DNA test. It’s the only way. CLAIRE Excuse me? - in the loud, lively space, it’s like a bubble of intense, combative intimacy between the two women - LIZZIE I know what I know. CLAIRE (hissing) Lola was born in Sydney! I can prove it. Claire takes Lizzie’s elbow, leans in CLOSE to her ear - 87

CLAIRE (CONT’D) - don’t you dare fuck my party - LIZZIE I want my daughter back. That’s enough. Claire manhandles Lizzie through the guests - CLAIRE (hissing it, low) You’re sick, and you need to leave us alone. I don’t ever want to see your face again. We’re now officially in restraining order territory. You know that, don’t you? (beat) Now get out. Before I call the police. Brian has stepped back in, and helps take Lizzie by the arm - BRIAN Lizzie, what the fuck is this? Lizzie flaps herself free of both of them. LIZZIE All right! All right! I’m going. Lizzie exits indignantly with Brian. By now, quite some number of the guests have turned and are watching the scene. Claire turns back into the room, a picture of carefree fun, and returns to where Bernard is standing with Anne and Ellen. CLAIRE We’ve all got that one crazy friend, right! She puts her arm in Bernard’s arm, kisses him affectionately on the cheek. I/E. BRIAN’S CAR / STREETS - LATER Brian drives. He and Lizzie staring straight ahead. He pulls up in front of her apartment building. It doesn’t look as if he’s looking for a goodnight kiss. LIZZIE So ... um ... sorry about that. 88

BRIAN (a bad liar) No big deal. I’ll call you ... A beat. Lizzie knows it isn’t going to happen. LIZZIE Yeah. Okay. (beat) Brian - I - BRIAN It’s no big deal, Lizzie. She knows she’s ruined this. In another world, he’s a good guy. But right now she can’t have her cake and eat it too. She nods. Gets out of the car. Stands there. Brian drives away. Lizzie watches Brian’s car disappear around the corner. The instant it does, she looks oddly relieved. EXT. CLAIRE’S HOME - LATER The party is emptying out now - final guests are gathering their things and leaving. Goodbyes at the front door. ELLEN But what are you going to do? CLAIRE Darling - she has so many problems. And none of them are going to be ours, in Perth. BERNARD (to other friends) Drive safe. CO-WORKER She will. WIFE Hey, we didn’t get to say goodbye to the kids! CLAIRE They’re at a sleep-over! 89

BERNARD (grinning) It’s a kid-free night! Claire rolls her eyes. WIFE Oooh! We'd better leave you to it! They all hug and laugh. At the same instant, a FIGURE darts from the patio through the sliding doors across the living room behind them - casually, but with purpose - beeline for the staircase. It’s Lizzie, of course. Still in the same clothes. INT. STAIRCASE AND LANDING, CLAIRE’S HOME - CONTINUOUS Lizzie quickly ascends the stairs - at the landing, she’s effectively safe for now. She steps to Lola’s door. Takes a breath, enters. INT. LOLA’S ROOM, CLAIRE’S HOME - CONTINUOUS Lizzie ENTERS. In the dark, she removes a pair of scissors from her pocket. Pulls the covers down. The bed is empty. For Lizzie, tension turns to disappointment. INT. LIVING ROOM/FRONT DOOR, CLAIRE’S HOME - CONTINUOUS Bernard is saying goodbye to the last two guests. CO-WORKER 2 There’s our Uber. Keep in touch. Claire and Bernard wave them goodbye. They’re alone at last. CLAIRE I’m going to miss them all. BERNARD We can visit. It’s only five hours. CLAIRE I tell you what I’m not going to miss. BERNARD Tell me about it. 90

As Claire swings the front door shut, she enters the code in the alarm panel by the door. INT. LOLA’S ROOM, CLAIRE’S HOME - AT THAT MOMENT Lizzie sees a light illuminate on the window sensor in Lola’s room. She realizes that she is trapped in the house. INT. STAIRCASE AND LANDING, CLAIRE’S HOME - SAME Bernard leads Claire, a little resistant, up the stairs. CLAIRE Bernie - BERNARD No - wait - before you say anything! I just want to say something first. Claire, almost amused, waits for it. BERNARD (CONT’D) If we don’t have sex tonight - like we knew we would - like we planned - she won. That stupid woman has won. Claire looks at him, dubiously. The things men will say for sex. But on the other hand: CLAIRE (amused) Why am I not surprised that you’d say that? BERNARD I’m only stating the facts, my love. I’m not saying it’s romantic. I’m not saying it’s spontaneous. I’m just saying - - he gives her his best radiant please-be-reasonable cheeky grin - BERNARD (CONT’D) Honey - it’s a kid-free house! On a kid-free night! Claire smiles, relents. CLAIRE You said that already. 91

As they pass Lola’s room, Claire notices that the door is ajar. She hesitates. CLAIRE (CONT’D) Be there in a sec. Bernard continues to the bedroom. Claire ENTERS Lola’s room. INT. LOLA’S ROOM, CLAIRE’S HOME - CONTINUOUS The room is empty. Claire crosses to the bed. She touches the covers. INT. LOLA’S CLOSET - CONTINUOUS Lizzie is in Lola’s tiny closet, surrounded by hanging clothes, trying not to move or breathe. Her face presses up against a dress. She inhales its aroma. INT. LOLA’S ROOM, CLAIRE’S HOME - CONTINUOUS Claire EXITS the room. INT. LOLA’S CLOSET - CONTINUOUS In the closet with Lizzie - noises [AUDIO, O/S] noises - hard to interpret at first - Bernard and Claire, in the next room. Shuffles. A zipper. Perhaps not so hard to interpret. Lizzie, cramped in the tiny closet, taking in every fragment of sound. A tiny groan from Claire. A bumping of furniture. HARD CUT INTO: INT. BERNARD AND CLAIRE’S BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS - with Bernard and Claire now, as they begin to make love. It’s a couple who have done this many times over the years, though maybe not so regularly of late. There’s a precision to it: they know the drill. A kind of ease, but still - “kid- free night” - there’s something awkward and forced in it too. Mostly here we’re with Claire. It will almost feel the most intimate we have been with her thus far. Vulnerable - and second by second letting go. Or rather, trying to let go. Bernard almost an afterthought. Claire sighs. She sighs into it - Bernard, thrusting. And suddenly, she’s gripping him harder - directing traffic. Grinding. Going somewhere else. If there was frailty, it’s becoming something fierce. Claire starts to groan, guttural. 92

Her eyes close tight. Biting her lip. Willing something to happen. INT. LOLA’S CLOSET - CONTINUOUS - while Lizzie listens, paralyzed. Fascinated. Intrigued. Horrified. Uncomfortable. Freaked out. Her brow furrowed. The bedhead in the room next door starts thumping into the adjoining wall. Which, apparently, is the back of Lola’s closet wall. The coat hangers jerk rhythmically. Lizzie, hyper-aware of the banging bedhead, inches away. The bedhead bangs louder, faster. A lot of noise through the wall now. And it keeps on going. And going. Slowly, Lizzie covers her ears, drops her head between her legs. INT. BERNARD AND CLAIRE’S BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS Bernard, thrusting faster and faster into Claire. She’s gripping him so tight. She wants him to come. We continue to sense a frustration and disconnection in her. But Bernard comes. Kid-free night! Victory! Groaning. His breathing subsiding. Big, full sighs. Claire strokes his face. Still on top of her, Bernard lets out a giant sigh. Claire smiles. Continues stroking him. Bernard goes to go down on her - CLAIRE (softly, pulling him back) No ... BERNARD No, but I want to - / [make you come too ...] CLAIRE No, no, no. (beat) No. She pulls him into her arms, continues to stroke his head. 93

CLAIRE (CONT’D) (gently) I’m good, honey. They lie there entwined. Claire stroking him. In her eyes, many things. Warmth. Tenderness. Frustration. Distance. EXT. CLAIRE’S HOME - THE NEXT MORNING (ESTABLISHING) A bright, sunny day. INT. LOLA’S CLOSET - CONTINUOUS Lizzie - in exactly the same position we last saw her in - head still between her legs, but zonked-out sound asleep. SUDDENLY she wakes with a gasp. Looks around, confused. She can’t believe she’s still here. In this cramped closet. INT. BERNARD AND CLAIRE’S BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS Claire, sweating, pounds it on the treadmill in the bedroom. INT. LIVING ROOM, CLAIRE’S HOME - CONTINUOUS Bernard calls upstairs as he turns off the alarm. BERNARD See you in a bit! You want anything? CLAIRE (O.S.) Just our children! INT. LOLA’S ROOM, CLAIRE’S HOME - AT THAT MOMENT Lizzie slowly opens the door of the closet. She crosses to the bed, examines the pillow - looks under it - and is disappointed. She scans the room. What is she looking for? On the low dresser: Lola’s HAIRBRUSH, clotted with hair. Lizzie pockets the brush. INT. CLAIRE’S BATHROOM - CONTINUOUS Claire starts the shower. INT. LOLA’S ROOM, CLAIRE’S HOME - CONTINUOUS Lizzie hears the distant shower EXITS Lola’s room to ... 94

INT. LANDING, CLAIRE’S HOME - CONTINUOUS ... and stealthily makes her way toward the staircase. INT. CLAIRE’S BATHROOM - CONTINUOUS As Claire prepares to remove her sweats, a PHONE RINGS. INT. HALLWAY, CLAIRE’S HOME - CONTINUOUS Lizzie looks toward the source of the sound - a landline on Claire’s bedside table. She quickly ducks behind a corner. Claire steps from the bathroom to answer the phone, and glances over at the hallway. CLAIRE’S POV: A hall mirror reflects Lizzie hiding. Lizzie sees the mirror; the women’s eyes meet in the glass. A beat. A stand-off. Claire sees the handle of the hairbrush sticking out of Lizzie’s pocket. CLAIRE What the hell? - Lizzie starts for the door. Claire leaps across the bed, awkwardly, and stumbles to Lizzie, grabbing her wrist. Lizzie breaks free, shoves Claire away and starts down the stairs. ON CLAIRE - a wild look comes over her as she LEAPS after Lizzie. Claire FALLS ONTO LIZZIE, and the two of them TUMBLE DOWN the staircase. The women LAND at the foot of the stairs, stunned. Lizzie, in pain, winded, slowly rises. EXT. THE KID’S SLEEPOVER HOME - AT THAT MOMENT Bernard walks Jeremy and Lola to the car. He turns to address the sleepover MOTHER who’s at the doorway with her kids. BERNARD Thanks again! SLEEPOVER MOTHER It was fun. 95

INT. LIVING ROOM, CLAIRE’S HOME - SAME Lizzie staggers for the front door. Before she can open it, Claire is on her, YANKING HER away. They SLAM against a wall. STRUGGLE. CRASH INTO FURNITURE. A GLASS VASE SMASHES onto the tiles, exploding into hundreds of POINTED SHARDS. Lizzie and Claire grab at one another’s clothing and hair as they tumble through the room. The scissors clatter to the floor. It’s all pure animal ferocity now. There is no more restraint. Just naked violence on a knife-edge of adrenalin. ON THE TILED FLOOR - Claire’s bare feet step on the shards of glass, drawing blood. Consumed by rage, Claire THROWS Lizzie against the sliding doors that separate the living room from the patio. THE GLASS SHATTERS as the two women fall onto ... EXT. PATIO, CLAIRE’S HOME - CONTINUOUS ... where Claire tries to choke Lizzie. Lizzie flails at Claire, frantically trying to keep her at a distance. But Claire somehow weathers the blows. And Lizzie is beginning to struggle - fighting for even a lick of oxygen. Her eyes beginning to roll back in her head. I/E. BERNARD’S CAR / STREETS - SAME TIME Bernard, Jeremy and Lola drive along through the suburban streets. The happy family unit. EXT. PATIO, CLAIRE’S HOME - SAME TIME With a last-gasp burst of strength, Lizzie manages to pry Claire’s hands from around her neck and THRUST her away. Claire falls off her and scrambles frog-like across broken shards - screaming in pain all the while - to reach the SCISSORS that fell from Lizzie’s pocket on the floor over there - as Lizzie HEAVES for air and gathers herself. Too late. As Lizzie tries to get up, Claire raises her by a fistful of hair and SLAMS her against the wall, the scissors poised in front of her. Time seems to freeze for an instant. They are FACE-TO-FACE. Claire, the scissors held aloft, like some avenging angel. 96

CLAIRE You broke into my home. You attacked me. I could end it. Right now. A beat. Life, suspended by a thread. LIZZIE (breathing hard - defiant) Do it. Claire doesn’t. LIZZIE (CONT’D) You killed me anyway. Claire, perplexed by this, flinches. LIZZIE (CONT’D) (insistent) DO IT!! The scissors, quivering in Claire’s shaking hand. Lizzie trembling too, pinned there by her hair. LIZZIE (CONT’D) (quieter) Stab me. (beat) Stab me. CLAIRE LIZZIE (CONT'D) - I’m going to let you go - - stab me - CLAIRE - listen to me. I’m going to let you go. You’re going to - LIZZIE - stab me - CLAIRE - I’m not finished. I’m going to let you walk out of my life now - LIZZIE No you’re not. You have to kill me, because I won’t stop. I know what I know. You know I know it. The scissors. The fistful of hair. Claire’s eyes, giving nothing. 97

CLAIRE (cold) And what is that? Nothing but their breathing. Suspended in the abyss. LIZZIE You have no idea - CLAIRE - about what? LIZZIE What it’s like to lose a daughter. To spend every day missing a piece of yourself. To live with a grief that never goes away. CLAIRE You’re out of your mind. LIZZIE That’s exactly what everyone’s been saying. For seven years. They’re still breathing hard, still frozen in this tableau. LIZZIE (CONT’D) (resolute) I want what’s mine. CLAIRE Nothing’s “yours”. LIZZIE And I want the whole fucking world to know. CLAIRE That you’re crazy? That’s not going to be hard. LIZZIE To know what you are. A thief. You’re a common thief. (beat) You stole my child. As if a switch has been thrown, Claire reacts in a kind of spontaneous fury. CLAIRE Stole? Stole? I didn’t steal! I saved! 98

It’s the crack in the dam wall. Lizzie is recognizing that SOMETHING IS HAPPENING. What the fuck? What did Claire just say? If the primal emotions were visible, there are bolts of lightning coming off Claire right now. CLAIRE (CONT’D) I saved her and I LOST MY OWN. So FUUUUCKK YOU!! She’s completely in Lizzie’s face. It’s wild and frightening. CLAIRE (CONT’D) (imitating Lizzie, whiney voice) “You don’t know what it’s like to lose a child! You don’t know what it’s like to lose a child!” Lizzie’s in such shock, she can barely breathe. CLAIRE (CONT’D) Where’s my fucking right to my grief? I lost my own! My flesh and blood. Fuck you! I never got to grieve. Where’s my fucking right to my grief? I couldn’t tell anyone. I didn’t have no fucking therapist. No institution to help me through. I didn’t have anyone. Only her. I never got to thrash it out with my husband. I never got to feel it. I never got to share it. What the fuck makes you think you’re so special? I lost my own. Just like you. So join the club. I saved her. What part of that don’t you get? I saved her. I earned her. They owed me that. LIZZIE Who owed you that? She wasn’t yours! CLAIRE (ignoring her) She would have died. You wouldn’t have known the difference. You were this ... unconscious lump on the floor. You would have died too. 99

LIZZIE They saved me. They would have saved her. Pause. CLAIRE She was already mine by then. Lizzie stares into Claire’s eyes with a kind of perplexed anguish. Realizing just how insane Claire might be. And now - snapping into a greater consciousness of this whole insane situation - Lizzie’s eyes run down over Claire’s entire body: a mess of blood and cuts and fragments of glass. LIZZIE You’re hurting me. For the first time, Claire becomes aware of just that. LIZZIE (CONT’D) You’re bleeding. This is absurd. It is. Claire falters. Blinks. Suddenly, at last, she releases Lizzie’s hair. She takes a step back. She stands there, slick with blood, the scissors still in her hand. She seems to realize what she has just confessed to. The enormity of it. And it’s as if suddenly at that moment, she knows just how entirely screwed she is. The seven-year mask just came off. And with it, paradoxically, seven years of fear. CLAIRE As soon as I held her, I knew she was gone - - at this, a wild, elemental sob escapes from her. CLAIRE (CONT’D) Mine, I mean. Lizzie, still against the wall, clenches and unclenches her hands, as she stares and listens. Reeling from the near- incomprehensibility of the moment. CLAIRE (CONT’D) I saw a dead woman on the floor. That’s all that happened. (MORE) 100 CLAIRE (CONT’D) I couldn’t see your face. (beat) I just thought you were dead. I mean, it wasn’t like a thought. There were flames everywhere. Just - chaos. And if you were dead, then wouldn’t it be better if I were the one to take her? To look after her? Because what are the alternatives? Foster homes? An orphanage? Long beat. LIZZIE What about my husband? The father of my daughter. CLAIRE But I didn’t know that. How could I have known that? LIZZIE How could you - (trying to process the weird logic) - what? CLAIRE I already had milk in my breasts. And now, for Lizzie, the logic is through the looking-glass. She has no words at all. Just anguished bewilderment. CLAIRE (CONT’D) One baby died. Another needed me. I heard it crying. I didn’t see it. I heard it. LIZZIE Her. You heard her. CLAIRE Her. (beat) Lola. LIZZIE Lucy. Beat. The tiniest hint of a nod of agreement from Claire. CLAIRE I heard her. 101

LIZZIE (almost inaudible) What did you hear? CLAIRE Her life-force. Lizzie, utterly still. Thinking about that life-force. CLAIRE (CONT’D) She was bellowing for help. Lizzie slowly brings her hands over her cheeks. CLAIRE (CONT’D) (so deep in the memory) There were sirens. There were windows breaking. But that little voice was like - the whole world. Claire closes her eyes for an instant. Takes a breath. She looks almost peaceful. Even standing there covered in blood. CLAIRE (CONT’D) Lizzie - At the sound of her name, Lizzie almost blinks in shock. CLAIRE (CONT’D) It wasn’t - (beat) - a plan. You have to believe me. It’s not like I was thinking. (beat) I’ve saved the dead woman’s baby. That’s all I was thinking. That’s all. And then ... Pause. Claire slumps to her haunches, her back against the kitchen island. Remembering it all. Letting it all flow out. Lizzie slumps to her haunches against the wall, so that the two are facing each other. LIZZIE And then? ... CLAIRE And then the plan came out of my mouth. 102

LIZZIE What do you mean, “came out of your mouth”? Claire extends her arm, points across the room - as if dramatically re-enacting the moment with the remembered firemen. CLAIRE “That’s her baby. Her baby’s somewhere over there. Quick! Find her baby! I heard it crying!” It’s a profoundly shocking moment for both of them. Lizzie learning just how Claire managed to pull it off. LIZZIE (almost in admiration) Who’s going to question the mother with the babe in arms? Of course. And I’m the unconscious mother with the dead baby. (then: realizes) Fuck! And Mike pushed for cremation. I was so distressed I couldn’t think. He was like, Mr. Man of Action. Taking control. Moving it along. They came to see us to talk about the autopsy - - she’s way back in her memory now, recreating the moment - LIZZIE (CONT’D) - and Mike got angry. Shouting at them. “You think there’s some other cause of death? Other than being burnt to a crisp? Don’t do that to her body. I mean, look at it.” Lizzie suddenly weeps at the memory. LIZZIE (CONT’D) “Look at it.” She looks at Claire, in astonished amazement. LIZZIE (CONT’D) I mean, you could see she’d suffered. The tiny thing. We saw the body. Mike’s attitude was, we didn’t need to learn every little detail. Of how she suffered. A tear rolls down Claire’s cheek. 103

LIZZIE (CONT’D) (very quiet) And it wasn’t even mine. Claire is staring into the pits of hell. Thinking about her real dead child. LIZZIE (CONT’D) We had a service for your daughter. Claire’s face distorts in anguish at the realization. LIZZIE (CONT’D) Yours. Not mine. Pause. Claire’s voice coming from a million miles away. CLAIRE They moved us to Landry Maternity that night. No one talked about the fire. Maybe that was me. Making it obvious it was not a topic for discussion. Later I had to go through it for the enquiry. But that first night, I was okay. We were the lucky ones. After that, it was like it never happened. (beat) And that was it. She was mine. Lola was mine. I called her Lola. (beat) Because the plan came out of my mouth. (beat) Before I knew I had one. LIZZIE And you never felt - CLAIRE Felt what? Beat. LIZZIE You never felt? Claire gives Lizzie an almost chiding look: what do you think? Don’t ask such a stupid question. Lizzie lets it go. LIZZIE (CONT’D) And Bernard? 104

CLAIRE No need. Ever. For anything. He’s a good man. If nobody knew, then nothing could go wrong. Claire hangs her head in shame. A kind of dry-weeping now. Her shoulders heaving. They both simply look so drained and exhausted. The silence is broken by a single small crunch: a shoe on glass. LOLA (O.S.) Mommy? Both women turn and see Bernard, standing amid the ruins on the patio with Jeremy and Lola on either side - they look as pale as ghosts, and it’s clear they’ve been standing there at least some small amount of time. Jaws agape. Almost immediately as her head turns, Claire rises up from her haunches - CLAIRE Hello Darling! Mommy’s had a - - a WHAT? An accident? What possible excuse can she give for this carnage all around? For her battered and bloody body? CLAIRE (CONT’D) (faltering) Mommy and Lizzie have had a - - a what? A little tiff? It is clearly hopeless. Bernard stares at Claire with horror and revulsion. Claire knows that he - and Lola and Jeremy - have heard enough. CLAIRE (CONT’D) Bernard ... She steps toward him. He steps backwards. BERNARD Why? CLAIRE It was for us. Bernard shakes his head. 105

CLAIRE (CONT’D) (to Lola and Jeremy also) For us. Lola frowning, in utter shock. CLAIRE (CONT’D) (weaker - to Lola) For us, darling. On Lola’s confused face, we ... FADE. EXT. (THROUGH GLASS INTO INT.) EMERGENCY ROOM - DAY (DUMB-SHOW) Mike rushes through a hospital carpark toward a busy emergency room entrance - - and rushes straight into the building, inside the foyer - - where Lizzie (with a number of bandages on her battered body, butterfly clips on her face etc), seeing him, turns away from her intense conversation with Donna and Carl and a UNIFORMED POLICE OFFICER and a DETECTIVE with his notepad - - and runs into Mike’s arms. He takes her in - the cuts, the bruises, the bandages. Searches her eyes: Is it real? Could it possibly be real? Lizzie nods, blurting it all out rapidly. Information overload. Mike and Lizzie embrace, tightly. Mike bursts into joyous pained tears. The floodgates open for Lizzie too. Finally validated in her gut knowing. As Donna and Carl and the cops give them space, Lizzie and Mike hold the tight embrace. EXT. BACKYARD, LIZZIE’S PARENTS’ HOME - DAY Seated at the table in Carl and Donna’s lovely backyard are Lizzie, Carl, Donna, Mike - and Thomas and Lola, side by side. Blue sky. A bountiful lunch. With the possible exception of Lola, everyone is trying to act normal here. But of course everything is utterly new - and strange - for everyone. 106

Lola eats, oblivious to the way Mike is staring at her in such wonder and smiling. Lizzie observes Mike observing Lola. THOMAS So ... The adults might seem relieved that it’s Thomas who’s the first to ask the elephant in the room questions. THOMAS (CONT’D) ... Will Lola come and stay with me and Dad when I’m there? Mike nods at Thomas - more “Good question, Tom” than “Yes, of course she will”. Mike looks at Lola, who’s definitely keen to hear the answer - in this, her bewildering Brave New Life. LIZZIE Of course! (beat) She’s your sister, Tommy. Lola steals a glance at Thomas. Thomas steals a glance at Lola. Lola looks up at Lizzie. LIZZIE (CONT’D) I mean, maybe in a few weeks we could try that. Once everything begins to settle. Would you like to stay at your dad’s, Lola? At Mike’s? Lola shrugs timidly. Looks to Thomas. Looks to Mike. Looks to Lizzie. THOMAS Can Jeremy stay too? Lola lights up. LOLA Yes! ON LIZZIE: trying to study Lola, discreetly. Recognizing that Lola is missing her other family. EXT. CLAIRE’S HOME - ANOTHER DAY Lizzie, Lola, Mike and Thomas arrive at Claire’s front door. Mike presses the doorbell. 107

The Au Pair swings the door open. AU PAIR Hi! LIZZIE Hi! Across the room (B/G) Bernard and Jeremy are standing amid a sea of removalist cartons. BERNARD Come in! INT. LIVING ROOM, CLAIRE’S HOME - CONTINUOUS Lizzie, Lola, Mike and Thomas enter - - Lola runs up to Bernard. They embrace, tightly. Lola turns to Jeremy. LOLA Hi. Lola and Jeremy embrace, a little awkwardly. But with warmth. The adults all look at each other. More of this weird Brave New Life - for everyone. BERNARD (on the boxes) These made it as far as the removalists’ depot. Lizzie’s eyes light upon a couple of the boxes: “LOLA - TOYS”, “LOLA - CLOTHES”, etc. A glance between Lizzie and Mike - there’s going to be so many DETAILS to sort out. JEREMY Dad - can we swim? BERNARD Of course! Bernard steps to Lola’s boxes. BERNARD (CONT’D) Lola, we’ll find your swimmers. Lizzie holds up the beach bag she’s carrying - with Lola’s and Thomas’ towels, etc. 108

LIZZIE I already got her some. Just in case. Lizzie hands the beach bag to Lola. LIZZIE (CONT’D) You get changed, luv. The kids run off. Long strange beat. BERNARD Thank you for bringing her here. I know the court judgement says you don’t have to - LIZZIE - thank you for deciding to stay. It’s really great. MIKE We want you to ... LIZZIE ... we want you to remain a big part of her life. Bernard’s eyes well with emotion. BERNARD It’s very hard. In some way, she’s still - MIKE - of course she is. Of course she is. BERNARD It’s very hard. His eyes sweep outside, to the pool - where Jeremy and Thomas have already jumped in. BERNARD (CONT’D) And then there’s - [i.e., her brother/s] LIZZIE - yes. The three adults watch the kids out there. 109

MIKE They’ll work it out, I guess. LIZZIE Better than we do. Lola enters frame, in her bathing costume. Lizzie, watching her. The boys are completely lost in splashing each other. Lola stands on the edge of the pool. ON LIZZIE: studying Lola. Watching her preparing to dive. The proud new mum. Her heart filled with love. ON LOLA: she DIVES into the water. INT. A WHITE CORRIDOR - DAY TIGHT ON THE FEET OF A WOMAN AND GIRL slowly walking down a corridor. Tentative. Arms by their sides. From the rear, the couple make their way down the hall. Lizzie and Lola. They reach the end of the corridor, and a final door marked “VISITING ROOM.” A UNIFORMED MAN opens the door to ... INT. VISITING ROOM, WOMEN’S PRISON - CONTINUOUS ... a bright, sunlit room. There, seated at a table in prison garb, is Claire (among other PRISONERS and their VISITORS at other tables, and a few GUARDS positioned by the walls). Claire stands. Lizzie turns to Lola. LIZZIE Wait here for a second. Lizzie comes up to Claire. For a moment, neither speak. CLAIRE How is she doing? LIZZIE Well. Better than I’d hoped. (beat) Every day brings something new. 110

Claire nods. Almost trembling. Gently, tentatively, she takes Lizzie’s forearm in her hand. CLAIRE Thank you for this. Lizzie hesitates. This isn’t about being kind to Claire. LIZZIE If I kept you away, it wouldn’t stop. I’d be passing it on to her. Beat. Claire. Absorbing it. Okay. Whatever the parameters. Claire nods. Lizzie turns to Lola. LIZZIE (CONT’D) Okay. Lola runs up to Claire and hugs her without hesitation as Lizzie takes a step back - trying to be discreet, but observing it all, with deep fascination. CLAIRE (quietly) It’s so good to see you, honey. For a moment Lizzie stands there watching the obvious love and warmth between Claire and Lola. LIZZIE I’ll leave you to it. CLAIRE Thanks. (beat) Thirty minutes. LIZZIE I’ll come back and get you, Lola. Lola nods. Stands there between these two women. Her arm around Claire’s waist. Lizzie smiles. Then turns and HEADS OUT. INT. VISITOR ENTRY AREA, WOMEN’S PRISON - SOON AFTER On a hard plastic chair, in a row of chairs bolted to the floor, in a bland, linoleum-floored visitor processing area, sits Lizzie. 111

No one else in the empty room. Prison information posters on the walls. A GUARD engrossed in paperwork at her station behind a plexiglas barrier. A drink and snack machine, humming. And Lizzie. Very still. She looks at the guard. She looks at the drink machine. She looks out the narrow slit of window. (POV): out there, a GROUNDSMAN drives a ride-on mower, mowing a field. Lizzie watches him for some time. There is, perhaps, a strange kind of peace on her face. EXT. WOMEN’S PRISON - HALF AN HOUR LATER Lizzie and Lola emerge from the prison. Walking side by side toward the carpark. At length, Lola slips her hand into Lizzie’s. Lizzie looks down at her, smiles. Squeezing Lola’s hand as they walk out into the world. FADE TO BLACK. THE END