444034 ORPHAN by David Leslie Johnson Property of: Dark Castle Warner Bros. February 5, 2007FADS I: : : i) - Lobe suor ~ rate cotzemy (uD 30'S) Sho’a_a simple beauty and very pregnant, propped up in @ bed, oucing a hogpltal guar NibaEe Sate Gobieee Paha!” SMEs hor swollen belly, fina with excitement, her eyes salt os foraee® ave vorce (0,8 Sey just relax now, Sith’ hefore you know it, Kate 2ooks up. Her onile falters as vo KAVEAL: INT. DELIVERY KOoM — wrcHr Hargh Lights overhead. THUNDER rumbles outside. Kate’s on a delivery'table, legs already in the stizrups. A sheet hangs,” across her belly so we can’t see what's going on below hervaist. L be over A DOCTOR and NURSE snap on gloves, prepare instriments: SHARP BLADES and CURBTTES, NEEDLES and FORCEPS. Kate is stricken. She ‘tries to sit up. : ATE Wait, I’ve changed my mind, 1 don’t want'to do this anymore.” he Doctor gives the Nurse an exasperated look. the Nurse takes ) Rate's hand, eases her back onto the table, NURSE. Your baby is dead. there’s nothing else we can do. Kate reels, her world turned upside-down. Emotional free-fall. KATE No, thie ion’t what's supposed to happen. My baby's alive! WORSE 2 We're so sorry. A terrible loss, wo're 80 BOITY: ++ : pars But it’s still alivel t's moving! Feel it, yon can feel it! Rate tries to put the mrse‘s hand on her. belly, but the’ Murse pulls away ond hands the Doctor a pair of gleaming blunt-tipped SURGICAL SCISSORS. the Doctor leans between Kate’d spread Tess, disappearing behind the curtain. ‘Rate gasps. . XATE : No, stop! T want to be asleep! WwDOCTOR Too late for anesthosia. ‘whe baby’s . You're going t8 experiente Some pressure no... Rate wines and bites her lip as the Doctor goes aboxt his unseen MOEK: 2 GOOD-LOOKING MAN in surgical scrubs stands behing hint Bizarrely, he’s videotaping ‘the whole thing. “Ho's Kate's busband, JomN (late 30°s). te amtles at her from behind the camera” : JORN ‘ It's okay, honey! You're doing great! he Doctor hands the scissors, now slick with or, te the warce, Bo vakes a SUCTION CATHETER and disappears behind the curtain again. Zhe Nurse. presses a button on a vacuum pump and the machine begins to HUM. Xate tightly closes hex eyes, Milo on"t happening. Wake’ vp, wats jon’ happening. Wake’ up, wake ‘up, wake up... ” eee ee eet Revdue"eiofeod Se" aeDyasge. ge epprcacted wie « el Bay ingle, al ugg totge apres, wht oelgea rors Congratulations, rs. coleman. Te's a gin, ‘The Murve offers her the bloody, blanketed bundle. Kate screans —~ INT. RATE AND JOHN'S BEDROOM ~ NrcuT Doxtigh Shaps awake. she’s been having a nightmare. John lies BF bok ang ap beds Be stirs, but doesn’t wake. Kate elips cat of bed and quickly pads to thé bathroon? IVE. KATE AND JoHN’S BATHROOM — NIGHT Rate closes the door. We now see that she’s not pregnant in Feality, only in her ‘nightmare. she slides to the cold fleor in the dark, a hand on her flat belly ao she stocker eo Ca XNT, DOCTOR BROWING’S OFFICE ~ DAY Rater JRICKLES in a little Zen fountain. Kate sits across from DR. BROWNING, a monsy-baired woman in her 50's. DR. BROWNING A lot of wonen experience difficulties around the anniversary of the niocarriage or the baby’s expected due date. It’s perfectly normal“RATE X was thinking of going back to work. { really thought was doing better. DR. BROANING . ‘You axe. whink about where you were : just’ four months ago. . : {off Kate's lock) . Are you still sober? Rate hesitates. Dr. Browning gives hex a penetrating look. x drove by the wine sho} hone ove by the wine shop on my. way the other day. 7 on DR. BROWNDNG pia you stop? RATE X really wanted to. ‘the thought went Prrough wy head, you know. IE wasn’t for me, it just might be nice to have a bottle handy in ease we had guests, DR, BROMIING Bat you didn’t go in? KATE i No. DR. BROWNING That's all that matters, Let's try to ayay focused on the positive. criet te if¥erent for everyone. You have to. take it at your own pace. . Keep writing in your journal. You're doing fine. Kate onilen weakly. Unconvinced. DvP. LIVING! ROOM -. DAY até hangs curtains over a beautiful picture window. She stéps Back to admire her work, then sighs. "Now what? Now that, she Gone, ‘the house suddenly seens quiet and lonely end too big. TNT, NURSERY - DAY : Kate sits in a rocking chaiz, gazing out a distinctive ARCHED WHINDON. "We vealize that she's in a fully furniohed and decorated muzeery. "Crib, changing table, baby swing. . No baby. EXT, COLEMAN RESIDENCE ~ DAY It's a bigy dramatic bone in! an affluent neighborhood, Kate crosses thé backyard into the nearby woods.ERT, FOREST ~ DAT After a ohort walk, Kate sits by a PEACEFUL BROOK, lost in her thoughto. She patio a JOURIAL Filled with hanwwritten ostriee Eton ber coat pocket. Afters beats eke bonine sateen ee EXP. SCHOOL FOR THE DEAP — DAY Class has just let out, PARENTS arriving to pick up their Kins. But the playgroand is hobmny Stuer ~~ enope™aptyseot ets SIS: comunivating to ono another and thelr Leashes Bead aoe eee, “ate polis up in a lury minivan. Her five-year-old daughter YAx Fine Over tolgreet her’ she's alaoot: risiseisusty meee (NOTE: Max docen't speak. Hor “dialogues 49 SIGNED and Stirttarb.” She "boset!s hianins ts ao beig bee 2 na People speak to her, they mst face her ant/or sign.) Kate kigeea Max’ head and helps her into thé van, buckling her cax seat. Max shows her an art project she's bringing home, XATE Wow, did you make thin? max ‘MY TEACHER HELPED. INT. /ext. xare's mmvryan ~ Day Kate's driving. She stops at an intersection. A PRECNANT WOMAN crosses the glzcet infront ‘of thom end gtsey at ee Og Watches hor for's tong beat so 19° EanaePoR™ 8 A the backseat, Max CLAPS hor hands to get Kate’s attention. Kate turns and Sees Max pointing to the eraftic Lights at's green. A car horn HONKS. Kate snaps ‘out of it and drives off. mmr, MUST ROOM - DAY . Rate site at a baby grand piano, ‘trying to compose a piece of muuic. She playa a few NOES, froma, ‘tries ayein, tekes a cencl1 ‘and erases what ehe’s written’ down, fhe pausge to look over-at a beautiful OXcurD in an ornate planter by the window. For a moment, she just stares at it. these BANG) Sho’s startled by something outside BOUNCING off the side Qf the house.” She closes hor eyes, frustrated, Maer’ sath BANG!’ She tries to ignore it, but’ canvte EXT. COLEMAN RESIDENCE - DAY Max is playing basketball in the driveway, but the ball’s too big for her and the hoop’s too high. ‘Every vine she exies te Shecs the balt"fatis shore and BANGS against the hoon,Rate opens the door, angrily signing as she speaks: : rare ‘ Stop banging that, against the house! I'm trying “to work! wax sorry, : “Max gives an abeshed look. Kate, sighs. She knova she was too harsh with her. No, I'm sorry, just... take a But break for @ little while, cxay? Max nods: Kate goes-back inoide. CAR pulls into the drive.” 1t’s John and eleven-year-old DANIEL, Kate and John’s other child. Daniel's blonde, brash, and cocky, ‘he all-american kid. “llc’s ‘wearing.a Little League Uniform Daniel runs tovard Max. He steals her ball and dribbles-it around. her in oiroles, Max watches glumly. Ho offers her the balls bat when she reachés for it, he snatches it avay and shoots a Jay-cps DANIEL Boo-yah! He shoots! He scorest ) om Nice one, champ! Daniel pumps hio arm and rung inside. John walks up the drive, gatrying a bouquet of FLOWERS. “Ho hands Max’ ‘the ball and Lifts her up to the bagkot. “ax happily pots the bare. taiquah tie top. aii rigntt “Gitme rivet She omiles and gives him a high-five as he carries her inside. Ive. MUSIC ROOM - DAY ate has Just sat back down at the piano when she hears Daniel ‘tear into’ the house and run upstairs. she slumps her shoulders and closes her notebook. No more work today. John enters. JOR Drapes look “nice. KATE cortains. (OEE Bis Look) They're curtains, not drapes. and how exciting is my 1ffe that © now know the difference. aBe offers her the flowers, : ERIE y : iwhat‘a this for? " Jom Just love you. Be kisses her as she takes them. Some of her gloomy mood melts. TNT, MAX'S BEDROOM ~ NIGHT Rate tucks Max into bed. max READ ME A STORY? a fee ee ee ey a ae seep ume oles Rie foe bate i Oe ge goers e fe eee eae aT aa Set. war's can = 36, farRaCin) Ce ee ee ue Geoleater ees eae SERIE. D eS at gees Speted Rttcet Pa hoe atSte BT ietselee Fae PSE Se atitneh eee Ba ‘The last picture is a FAMILY WITH A BABY ANGEL watching over them. : max , ‘5 BABY JESSTE AN ANGEL? RATE Yes, she de, She’s with us every day. Kato gives Max a gentle kiss on the forehead. INT. RATE AND JOHN’S BATHROOM - NIGHT Kate gpeng, a medicine chest and shakeu 2 PILL from a prencription bottle. Sho svallows the pill with a Dixie cup of wher,JOVT. KATE AND JOHN’S BEDROOM ~ NIGHT John watches TV in bed. "Kate enters from the bathroom in a ‘i nightshirt and sits on’the bed. She.rubs lotion on her feet. Jobin watches her, then reaches out, runs his fingers up and down her back. Kate freezes. He can’t see the nervous look that crosses her face, He moves closer, pushes her hair aside, Kissing her-nock. Kate responds stiffly, trying to get, in the mood. Be slides a hand around her waist, moves it up to her bresst... RATE Im'sorry. I can't. shit. he noveo avay,, tears suddenly in her eyes. He gives a concerned look, lets her have her space. A Beats me ATE : im so wick of feoling like this. Christ, the kids mst think I'm crazy, som wi21 you stop worrying about what everybody else thinks? rare Bow can 17 "T saw a pregnant woman Fouay on the way hone aid I almost lost ) fe. Yyoat burst into tears with wax aiteing right there. Daniel barely falka to me, You and 1 haven't ha sex im over a year now,” What Vf 1 never, get better? “i don't want to love you. x P goin to le u're never going to lose us. T Promise you. f just wish.-~ {off her look) Haze you thought aay ore about adopting? KATE © . Z can’t even be a nother to the children we already have. JOHN That's not true. the kids understand. They just know you're not happy. KATE, But I should be. J0nR Do you want another child?KATE You know Ido. More than anything. omy’ - ae Bven if it Gan’t be biologically ours. Rage. xes- Some : : ‘then what are we talking about thie for? Bet’s do it. xATE You-don’t just adopt 2 child because you're lonaly and depressed. JOEN at's not Ybyye'd be doing its We, wanted a child a year ago and we etill want one-now.. are, We can't replace our baby. JOBN No, we can’t. But we can take the” : place we made for her in our hearts and Gur home and give it to a child who needs a family. (beat) Kate, we love being parents, we're good at it and it makoo,us happy. What. Better reason do you want? ate looks at him for a beat, then smiles and lets her tears fall. IND. LAWYER'S OFFICE ~ DAY ate and John are being interviewed by a FEMALE LAWYER. LANTER Are you both employed? JOHN i/m-an architect at a firm in the city. ‘he Lawyer turns to Kate, Kate hesitates. ATE, T used to teach msic at Yale. 1 hhaven‘t worked for about a year. ‘LAWYER {a beat; considering] ‘You're sure you want an older child? (Hore)zaER (coRs*D| with your phekgeound, you could have a Rovbole dnas Little ata years. : : We've ‘alrendy waited along time. “wo'd Tera chido quickly a0 possible, LARYER Well, ‘getting an élder child-ia detinitely quicker, not to mention cheaper, but. there’ Alot of those kids have serious behavioral problens. youn, Wo've already signed up for special needs adoption classes. ‘Trust me, Serre zeady for anything, LAWYER You must have a lot of love to give. Are you looking for a boy or a girl? like a little girl. EXT. RURAL HIGHWAY - AERIAL SHOT ~ DAY CAMERA FINDS John’s car winding its way along a tree-lined road... (DvP, JOBN’S CAR ~ DAY John 19 dciving. Kate in studying pages and pages of photocopied Zecords in a manila folder Jon gives her ah smsed Look. mse ton're not Uentied shout being Prepared? JOEN = rere’ not gonna be a pop guts, Fate miles. he closes the folder and looka ata Polaroid of Eepiyiuoven-yeut-cll Spek? Alvan cis? stapled to the covers Phe BIDET j0SE"Go Uhe photo Me Foun: : KE, HOME YOR GIMES ~ ESTARUASHING ~ DAY b's a piltared sansion with a large poroh, S¥0 MNS evperrioe a Ghote of Tdane cites on Kiplaygigund."°A eigusove Front renee S92 GhbtiseYs hole FOR Grkis\~P WUkn's car PuLAS into the parting lots From a SEAKY, BANDHELD POV looking out a second floor window, we bee Kate and John get out of the car, Someone if watching then... Rate senses movement and looks up... but there’s no one there.20. INE. HOME FOR GIRLS ~ PLAYROOM ~ DAY : ends) the girl from the Polaroid; is playing with a dollhouse. The dook opens Kate ant othe get ied PHTE Ine Meth ‘BIGAT, an Africensanezican mun in her $0%9, SISTER ABIGAIL Yolanda, look who's here to gee you. Yolanda niles at Ratio and John. She runs over to greet then, but stands just out of their reach. Kate kneels in front of her : ne, Dont you look pretty! - YOLANDA, Sioter Abigail put ribbons in my hair. See? KATE, Wow, that was nice of her. took, we brought you something for the trip ‘tomorrow. She hands her a bag of activity books and a “Travel vurtle,” a kid- sized lap desk for coloring in the car. Yolanda'’s face lignes up. SISTER ABIGATL What do you. say? YOLANDA ‘Thank you. Kate reaches out to her, but Yolanda puils' away, focusing all her attention on her presents. Kato gives her a sad uml UWE. HOME FOR GIRLS - PLAYROOM - DAY (TIMECUT) Yolanda ip draving a picture, *Travel Turtle” on her lap. Rate and abigail sit nearby, watching, Kate seems worried, "Abigall notices. She speaks in a low voice so Yolanda won't hheary a SISTER ABIGAIL Nervous? ATE Yeah, And happy. And excited. and proud, “And scared ehitless, it's fonny. All tho pane feelings 1 had when I was pregnant with our others. SISTER ABIGALZ That's what really worries you isn’t it? Something bad happened’ the Last’ ‘time you felt this way. (off Kate’s look) (Hors)san Z SISTER ABIGAIL, (coW?*D) eg rorgnda’s aSlag womiiag, latins? =) She's afraid of getting hurt agaln, toes, But havo’a good feeling absat you' two, You can help each heal. Aad you're lucky. You have a wonderful husband who ean be there for yoo both. A flicker crosses Kate's eyes at the méntion of bet “wonderful husband.” “boubt? “Uncertainty? Abigail docon't see ire ‘RAT, HOME FOR GIRLS - CORRIDOR - DAY Yohn emerges trom the MEN'S ROOM. The walle of the hallway are Mined with children’s artwork. Ho glances at it as he walke by. Suddenly, he stops short. - Amidst the crude yatercolors and macaroni ‘mosaics ere geveral beantifel paintings, Surpeseingly sophisticated, more Like the works of Uenrt Rousseau than eke crayon-and-stick-figure scribbles surrounding them. Then he hears something: a LITTLE GINL’S VOXCE, softly HUMMING a tage. We know the words. “when T was Jomust @ L1vtels gilizly asked my mother, What will I bo?... ‘THT, "TOME FOR GIRLS - ART ROOM ~ DAY John follows the HUQANG to-a stark, white room. Tight glants in fron 2 big window, shining on A LIPiue GIRL in a lacy white dress - Ker. back is to us, 30.ve can’t see her faco, just curlp of platinum blonde hair ppilling to her shoulders. ‘she sits at an ) easel, all alone, painting another extraordinary picture. John watches, curious, Suddenly, she genecs' his presence. she stops humming, the paintbrush freezes mid-stroke. she turns. £3 oka eat she gene dy ott pote ann nt age dee He ote ee ie oe ne eo friendly and inviting. ‘She wears & tidck Giack volvet rinses EGR OG, BRtNid BEES mina, JOHN Hi there. ‘ESTHER Bello. She epeake with a strange accent. Sounds Zactern European. JORN. . Are these paintings all yours? ESTHER : Yes. Do you like then? Jom Very much. “They're remarkable.22. aie a ‘SSUHER Thank-you. My name is ¥sther, What‘ yours7 vor .. John. It’s'nice to moet you. She smiles and demirely offers her hand, giggling as he takés it. She blughes, then turng back to her painting. 3¢'s a half finished jungle scene with a SMILING LION crouched beneath a tree. Jom 80 what’s this one going’ to be? ESTIER My paintings are stories that come from Rlaginatioas hip ope a inet’ a sod : Pother ion who can't Fina nee, zon She's smiling. ESTHER She's dreaming about hey babies. rt's the only thing that makes her happy. gous e Well, 1 hope she finds then. ESTHER . She will. Look. As ghe speaks, Esther dabe her brush and paints little licn eube curled up in front of their sleeping mothert they 300 Em the Jungle ana tm. jwere 10st in the jungle and they Were 50 seared pectuse they alone hive other ge Fathers Hot Slat when, they *a be sons férevers found toeis acehoe ican ies vede tele Eiec. ‘and they fent screale chee thay Eg11 ‘aoheep tod. Now whon eho notkee Lion Wakes up, her dream will hace cima true, "She has Ber family agains vom 7 Wheré did you learn how to do this? STEER I've just had lots of time to practice, I guezs. It’s 0 boring here. youn You don’t play outside with the other Girls? Sounds like they're having fun.13. x rine staylig Inside, mat vay 2 a to, that ny Jontt® tt Sy daothes acts Jom ora, “Gnae's vory Able of (that's vary responsible of you, but i'll bet the elstere could find” ~ sonathing eles for you to waar You don"t ke my dress? - Don"t fon don"t Like 2? - Don’ think it's pretty? ae you. - ‘Your dress is. very pretty. 1’m just saying you could probably go outaide if you really wanted to. BTR, {a deat, hesitant 1,don"= Like playing with the other girls. I'm different from everyone. som There's nothing wrong with different. ESTHER Yes, there ig. Everybody says there's Rot, but it isn't true. \T don’t cares Tf i'm sad or lonely, i just cone in Here Gnd pane a stacy with = Rappy” ending. And when people say they. Like ny paintings, it makes mo feel better. (Gf bio Loox) Tpuink peogle ghoutd always txy to fake the bad things that happen to then and) turn them into something good. Don't you? John is taken aback. who tx this kid? Before he can respond: ~ RATE (0.8.) 7 ‘Tore you are. Rate and Sister Abigail stand in the doorway. Jobn waves for Rate to enter and Esther sits up eagerly when she does. Abigail's expression darkens when he sees who John has been talking to. Jom Rey, I'd like you to meet_soneone. (to Bsther) zsther, this is my wife, Kate. Kate smiles and offers her hand, but instead of shaking it, Bsther Jovingly presses it to her cheek. :Mu Hotta. Kate’and John exchange a bemused look: Rate laughs. Bother wilts. youn” She painted these all by herself. Wow, you're quite the little artist. ESTHER ‘Thank you, You smell nice. . Sister Abigail-shifts uncomfortably. a you Like me to paint Would you ke me to a picture? You cen wateh me Lf'you want. Erm normally a Little aby, but = SISTER ABIGAIL: Esther, I’m sorry, they don’t have tine for yok to paint then a picture. (off Eother’s 100k) They have to come with mo now. Yolanda’s going hone with them tomorrow. “sn’t that wonderful? she releases Kate‘s hand and musters a weak smile. ESTHER Yes. I’m sure she'll be very happy. Fare, It was nice meeting you, ESTHER ‘the pleasure was mine. JOE 7 (to sister abigail) you've got a real talent on your hands ere, . SISTER ABIGAIL Yes, we're very lucky to have her. But there's somcthing strange “in Abigail's voice -- she definitely doesn’t sound. NT, HOME FOR lucky. Euther watches them go. GIRLS ~ ENTRY ~ DAY Sister Abigail walks Kate and John to the front door:as. sisrie asrcart the notaty wilt be here at ten for ‘you fo sign the placement agreenent. KATE | - ‘Thank you 0 much for all your help. . Rate, giveo hero vam bug. Dut mid-enbrace; she notices sanetBingr “gathoY de ct’the endo alivay, peering at then from around a corner. Abigail and John seo her, too. KATE What did she say to me back there? It sounded like... “motta?” SISTER ABYGATE It’s Russian. Tt means “nother.” TIT. JOHN'S caR ~ WIGHT John whistles "whatever Will Be, Will me” to himself ag he érives. Kate gives hin an amused look, then jokingly sings along: ATE, Men you vero Joust a 1idittle giiirh... : = JOHN Sorry, i've got that stuck in my head now. xne She made quite an impression on you. JORN, wish you could've heard the things she was saying before you came in. wmow adults who aren't that mature. beat) : 2 wonder why they didn’t show ua her case file. Rare She probably wasn't there when we were first looking. some : Ht Just blows my mind, a Kid ‘cout Hdugh ee tech ap o86, Sete sont, still turn ont Like thats rowe, ‘You sound like you're gorry we're not adopting her inatead of Yolanda. QO18. ‘ Jom : . No, of course not. xX just hope she gots the right break. (ott her look) T wouldn't trade our Little gitl for the world, “You know that. Kate gives him an adoring look and squeezes:his hand. EXT, HOME FOR GIRLS - ESTABLISHTNG + MORWING “ghe sun is just rising,.warming the sky with an idyllic light. NE. HOME FOR GIRLS - DORMETORY.- MORNING qhe GIRLS (5-7) axe busily getting dressed and making theii beds. The HousmOrarR inspects each of then in turn. "One Ded remains vunade, ite occupant misoing, The Housemother turns to, the room, zeady to give a scolding, but can’t find who she’s looking for: OUSEMOTEER Where's Yolanda? WE, HOME FOR GIRLS - WASHROOM ~ MORNING ‘he OLDER GIRLS (8-12) are brushing their teeth and washing up. The Housenother enter@ and looks around, HOUSEMOTHER Have any of you seen Yolanda? Nobody has. UN. HOME FOR GIRLS - VARIOUS - MORNING Siuter Abigail leads the NOW and LAY ASSISTANTS in a search of ‘the hone, looking for Yolanda. he playroom, art room, chapel, classrooms, laundry room, rest rooma.—~ thoy’re all empty. INT. HOME FOR GIRLS - BASEMENT ~ MORNING A young nun, SISTER JUDITH, walks downstairs into a dark storage: area. Lots of hiding places, . SISTER JODITH Yolanda? are you hiding down here? Then she notices a closet behind her. The door, is ajar. She Feaches out, opend it... and nearly gags at what sho sees inside. TOW ANGLE — INSIDE THE CLOSET A child's bare feet dangle in pid-aix. “The “Travel Turtle” is on DB HSSe BIRGER LEME SEIT on Mt side heavy:W AVE, ROTEL, ROOM ~ MORNING Kato dries het“hair in the bathroom. thé PHONE RINGS 0.S. she pauses, suddenly concerned for some reason. She opens the door. ‘As John reaches for the phone, CAMERA MOVES IN on Kate. she watches from tho doorway, her face alxeady xegistering dread. She }nows. Even before he afswers the phone, somehow she knows. JOHN (0.8.) Hello? XP. HOTEL ROOM BALCONY - DAY tthe sky has turned gray. Kate stares out at the hotel paz) ps sett Tong {nce Lot, seoking a cigarette. Ber eyes arc red, but. he‘ eriéd-herselt out. John’ stands by the open'sliding glass door. om me birth family io claiming her body. They're planning a private service. He looks to Kate for a reaction, but she haw none. He continves: JOE Sister Abigail thinks she might have been playing gomething called “Tho Choking Game." It's a kind of schoolyard dare, You try to get a rush by having someone choke you untit "you st pass out. ‘There have been cases where kids have tried it alone and accidentally hanged themselves. Abéat. Kate's voice is distant, ast . RATE So that’s it? She just vanishes from our lives? Jom We can have our own.service. X think ~ At‘e important that we — RAE : I've been in grief counseling for almost a year-and-a-half. If you say the word *closure," I'm going to-claw your eyes out. She's not angry, just matter-of-fact. He wants to say something, but holds his tongue, “Silence hange heavy between thems XATE, Maybe we're not supposed to do this.18. som. Wo. Don’t say that. 7 - RATE: . We-try ‘to-have a baby and I have a third trimester miscarriage that leaves. + me sterile, We try to adopt and she dies the night before we bring her. home, That doesn't sound like somebody's trying to tell ws, gomething? Jom Yolanda didnt die to teach us a Jeagon.. We didn’t make this: hoppen, Fars, Zt doesn't make. any difference. Gan't go through this again. JORN So let’s not: Let‘s adopt zather. his brings Kate back to reality. she eyes him coolly. ATE Her body's barely cold and you're already thinking about replacing her? + dom We can't replace Yolanda any more than ge can replace Jessie. But we can’t help her anymore, either. Esther is alive and needs & family. Right now. ATE, We have to at Teast wait until -- om. sunti2 what?’ I don’t want to waste another year of our Lives wishing for something that we-can’t have. (beat) I want ug to feel like a fanily again. Kate xegards him for a beat, conflicted. Then: KATE, Let's seo what Sister Abigail thinks. TP, HOME FOR GIRLS - SISTER ABIGAIL'S OFFICE - DAY Sigter nbigail hands Kate and Jonp a folder with a Polaroid of Esther stapled to it. Her case file.<1. SiSTER ABIGAIL , Yor the most.part, she’s an’ ideal child. She's originally from Russia, but hér English ds flaviess, Smart as a.vndp end very nature for her ago. pI At eng ig twice end I’ve never had to clean.up after her. She's a bit of a npat-freak. ~ Jom I think we Gan handle that. SISTER ABIGAIL She's also fiercely in: nt Whatever the other children want to do, she wants to do the opposite. youn i She told me they make fun of her. BISTER ABIGATL tm suré they do, but she doesn’t make. things any easier on herself. She just docan’t seem interested in friends. She doesn’t even play Like a normal child. “She just reads and paints. Most of the tine she barely speaks. xatE way do'you think that is? SISTER ABIGAIL Woll, like most of the gizie here, theré's been no shortage of hardship in her iife. She's been orphaned twice —- her birthnothor died of AIDS, then the Anerioan family who adopted her waa Silled daa hotse fire.” And T- strong); suspect that she’s been sexually abused as well. By who? SISTER ABIGATL, Zdon‘t know. Theres nothing’ in hor history, but that doesn’t necessarily mean anything. Russian adoption. records are notoriously unreliable. JOHN ‘Then ishat are you basing thie on? Sister mbigail hesitotes. Deciding how mich to say. )