Chapter Text
EXT. PATCHIN PLACE
Celine walks though her gait appears listless. She keeps looking back to see if anyone is following but no one is.
She pauses in front of a closed gate. A sign hangs from it. Celine closes in to read it. “Here John Reed and Louise Bryant lived while he wrote Ten Days That Shook The World.”
She runs her fingers along the letters of his name. Then walks on.
EXT. FATHER DEMO SQUARE
Jesse wanders back. He seems in no particular hurry to go anywhere or do anything. Instead, he just sits down on a bench.
EXT. CHRISTOPHER STREET STATION
Celine arrives at the entrance to the station. A sign over the staircase identifies it. She pauses and looks around. Sees nobody she knows. Reluctantly, she starts down the stairs, disappearing into the depths of the city.
EXT. FATHER DEMO SQUARE
Jesse looks around. Kicks off his shoes and runs his bare feet through the grass.
INT. CHRISTOPHER STREET STATION PLATFORM
Celine hurries to board the train.
STATION ANNOUNCER (over speakers)
Last call for the E train to Harlem Station. Departing in one minute.
She makes it just as the doors close. It pulls out.
EXT. FATHER DEMO SQUARE
Jesse’s phone rings. He answers.
JESSE
Hey.
(listens)
Yeah? No.
(listens)
Yeah. Just here on the sidewalk. All alone.
(listens)
No, I don’t think so. It appears to be a lost cause. I am definitely no longer wanted.
(listens)
Yeah. Yeah.
(reacts to what is said)
Really? OK.
He stands and hurries out of the square.
INT. TRAIN
Celine strolls down the aisle. Not particularly full for a Sunday. She finds an empty seat and sits. She takes off her sunglasses and stuffs them in her bag.
Looks out the window but there is nothing but tunnel. Nothing to see.
She looks at the people in the car. Most of them stare at their phones. A middle-aged couple bickers toward the back.
One woman reads a copy of This Time by Jesse Wallace.
Celine opens her bag and feels around. Touches something strange. She pulls it out. It’s her beige top from Before Sunrise.
A smile of remembrance crosses her face. She holds it up on herself. Then notices...
...the passengers around her staring her way.
She stuffs it back in the bag. Fishes around and pulls out a copy of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. She opens it and resumes reading. Almost hiding within its pages.
Her cellphone rings. She fishes it out of her bag.
CELINE
Hello?
EXT. GROVE STREET
Jesse walks along at a brisk pace. He seems to be going somewhere.
INT. TRAIN
Celine is still on her phone.
CELINE
Hank, what a nice surprise.
INT. HANK’S KITCHEN
He sits at the table with phone in his hand.
HANK
I thought I would let you know that I spoke with Melina.
INT. TRAIN
Conversation goes back and forth.
CELINE
Really. And?
HANK
I told her we should just be friends. I’d be crazy to throw away what I had here.
CELINE
Yes! Finally. Somebody listening to me.
HANK
Yeah. Dad told me that.
CELINE
He did?
HANK
Yes. He said I needed to decide if what I felt for Melina was real love or true love. I am not even sure if I am in love at all.
CELINE
Good man.
HANK
So’s my dad.
Celine wrinkles her brow but says nothing.
HANK (CONT’D)
Like Dad says life’s a balance, it’s a dance. And the older we get, the easier it gets to be your true self. I have no idea what the future holds. I don’t even know if I am in love with Melina. I have a lot of good memories but what I feel is nothing like what you and Dad have.
That observation touches her.
CELINE
Had.
HANK
Have.
CELINE
I don’t know about that.
HANK
That’s just a myth you like to tell yourself. I know it isn’t always perfect. What relationship is? But I have never seen two people with a stronger bond. Talk to you later.
He hangs up. Celine just sits there thinking.
At that moment, out the window, the train emerges from the tunnel. We see the NYC skyline in all its glory.
INT. HARLEM STATION
The train pulls in and screeches to a halt. Doors open. Riders troop off. Celine among them. She follows the signs for the MTA train up the Hudson to Tarrytown.
Her eyes catch sight of a women’s restroom.
INT. HARLEM STATION BATHROOM
Celine walks in. A YOUNG (mixed race) WOMAN stands at the sinks staring into the wall-sized mirror and putting makeup on. She watches Celine go in a stall and close the door.
After a moment, she sees Celine’s top tossed over the top of the stall followed a moment later by her bra.
The Young Woman’s eyes widens.
The stall door opens and Celine steps out. She walks over next to the woman and surveys herself in the mirror. Trying to assess that she still looks good. The top still fits her beautifully as she stands there in all her braless wonder.
Celine notices the woman standing next to her. She gives Celine an appreciative nod before her feminine gaze becomes a leer, almost a come on.
Celine smiles before curtly shaking her head. Then hurries out.
Her old top and bra remain atop the stall door.
The woman shrugs and resumes applying her makeup.
INT. HARLEM STATION CORRIDORS
The camera follows Celine as she walks along down stairs and through the corridors. Kind of like in Before Sunset when she and Jesse are walking up the stairs of her apartment building.
She checks the time as she passes a station clock. It is just before noon.
Her phone rings again. She appears almost annoyed by the intrusion. She pulls her phone out. Caller ID says it is Ted. She silences the ringer and tosses it back into her bag.
It rings again. She sighs and checks. Brightens when she sees the ID says Ella.
CELINE (answers)
How’s it going, Pomme?
INT. FRONT BEDROOM
Ella and Nina sit on the bed. Ella holds Celine’s guitar, ready to play. Nina holds the phone. They have it on speaker.
ELLA & NINA (together)
Hi, Momma!
ELLA
We were looking through your guitar case --
NINA
-- and we found some sheet music.
INT. HARLEM STATION CORRIDOR
Celine smiles and nods.
NINA
(over the phone)
It appears to be in your handwriting.
CELINE
Yes, I wrote a few songs in my day. Not anymore.
INT. FRONT BEDROOM
Nina holds up a piece of sheet music. Ella begins to play “An Ocean Apart”. The sisters begin to sing the lyrics.**
INT. HARLEM STATION CORRIDOR
Celine listens to her daughters sing over the phone.
INT. FRONT BEDROOM
The girls sing away. Kaitlyn and Madison stroll in and listen.
INT. HARLEM STATION CORRIDOR
Celine continues to walk and listen as they sing the chorus.
INT. HANK’S KITCHEN
He sits at the table holding his baby and listening on the phone.
EXT. NEW YORK STREET
Jesse walks along listening on his phone as well.
INT. FRONT BEDROOM
The girls sing. The roommates listen.
EXT. NEW YORK STREET
Jesse still walks along.
INT. FRONT BEDROOM
Same as before. Only Ryan and Ethan now enter the room. They and the girls exchange knowing smiles.
INT. HARLEM STATION CORRIDOR
Celine slows as she listens.
INT. FRONT BEDROOM
The song ends. A feeling of love and warmth in the room.
ELLA & NINA (into the phone)
We love you, Momma.
INT. HARLEM STATION CORRIDOR
Celine looks moved. She wipes a tear away.
CELINE
I love you too. All of you. Even your father.
EXT. STATION PLATFORM
The words move Jesse who has just arrived.
INT. FRONT BEDROOM
Same as before. The sisters hug while their roommates and the guys applaud.
INT. HANK’S KITCHEN
Same as before. He hugs his child.
INT. HARLEM STATION CORRIDOR
Celine hangs up and hurries on to make her connection.
EXT. HARLEM STATION MTA PLATFORM
Celine reaches the top of the stairs and steps out onto the platform. She immediately notices...
...a blue flier hanging from the nearest post. It is a blue 8x10 piece of paper. At the top it reads HAVE YOU SEEN THIS PERSON? Below it is a photo of Celine.
She notices that the next post has one as well...
...and the next one...
...and the next one...
...all the way down the platform.
Some of the passengers arriving and departing pause to look at the flier. A few start to make the connection that she is the woman in the picture.
Celine takes a closer look at her photo.
She and we realize that her photo is really two pictures of Celine photoshopped into one. Her younger self on the left side and her present self on the right. Young and old Celine combined into one. A composite of her life. Just like that moment in Persona.
EXT. COLLEGE DORM - FLASHBACK
Celine turns to Jesse.
CELINE
So what did you learn?
END FLASHBACK
EXT. HARLEM STATION MTA PLATFORM
Back to scene. Celine’s eyes widen and she steps back.
She reaches out with her hand and caresses her younger half. It brings a sad smile to her face. Her features soften.
Celine fishes out her sunglasses and puts them on.
ANNOUNCER (over loudspeakers)
Final call for the Hudson Valley Metro Liner. Now boarding for Yonkers, Tarrytown, Sleepy Hollow, West Point, and Poughkeepsie.
She hurries down the platform to the open doors of the train. As she starts to get on board, she spies...
...Jesse standing at the far end of the platform.
Their eyes meet.
She pauses.
She takes off her sunglasses and stares at him.
He stands there staring back. A smile on his face.
A conflict of emotions play across each of their faces.
Neither sure what to do.
Celine takes a step towards the train. Looks back at her man.
He continues to smile back - expectations rising.
Celine takes another step towards the train. She is about to board then she stops and stares back his way.
Hold for a moment.
FADE OUT
The screech of train wheels as it begins to pull out of the station.
THE END