THE THAYER GALLERY, ART ROOM/SAME DAY

AMANDA and CHRIS are waiting patiently in the gallery for ANTOINETTE to return with the file. Amanda is wandering around the gallery looking at the paintings. Suddenly, she stops and stares at one.

AMANDA
(in a low voice)
Chris.

CHRIS
(turning from the sculpture he's been inspecting)
What is it?

AMANDA
Come look at this painting. You've got to see this.

Chris walks over to the painting that she's staring at. It is of a dark-haired woman, a young woman, who appears to be a dancer.

AMANDA (cont'd)
Who does this painting remind you of?

Chris scrutinizes the painting for a few minutes.

CHRIS
She looks like Lila a bit, doesn't she?

AMANDA
She doesn't just look a bit like her, Chris. She looks almost exactly like her.

CHRIS
Lila is from New Orleans, isn't she? Maybe it's one of her relatives.

They are interrupted as Antoinette enters the room with the file in her hands.

ANTOINETTE
I've located what Grandmother was talking about. I hope it's helpful to the two of you.

She hands them the file.

AMANDA
Thank you. I have a question about this painting, though---where is it from?

ANTOINETTE
That painting? We've had that painting for ages...over thirty years. From what I understand, a gentleman commissioned it to be painted of his love. I'm not quite sure how we ended up with it in our possession.

AMANDA
The woman...do you know who it is? And who painted it?

ANTOINETTE
I'm sorry, I don't. Is it someone you know?

AMANDA
She just looks familiar...but maybe it's just a coincidence.

CHRIS
Thanks for the file, Antoinette. We really appreciate all of your help. Please give your grandmother our best.

ANTOINETTE
I will. Nice meeting you.

She leaves the gallery, leaving Amanda and Chris to stare at the painting. Finally, Chris takes Amanda by the arm and leads her out.

CUT TO:

CORY MANSION/DAY

MATT is standing across the room, facing a distraught ALLI. Meanwhile, Alli is sniffling but still angry. Matt tries to figure out what's going on.

MATT
Talk to me, Alli. What's wrong?

Matt's seeming cluelessness seems to make Alli more agitated.

ALLI
Wrong? What could possibly be wrong? My latest stepfather was blown ot kingdom come, my mother's taken off and left me here, and you want to know what's wrong?

Matt realizes his error and rubs his face with his hand, suddenly looking very tired. Though it is evident that he may be out of his element, he forges on.

MATT
Okay, that *was* a dumb question. But Alli, all that doesn't give you the right to just cut school whenever you want! For the record, I *do* know what you're going through. With Mac...

ALLI
No. No, you don't!

Alli sniffles.

ALLI
Grandma didn't just leave you behind because she didn't want to be hassled with something as inconvenient as her children, did she? She cared about you. My mother doesn't seem to remember me. My father, if that's what you want to call him, doesn't either. So here I am, left in this godforsaken city, and no one wants anything to do with me.

MATT
Alli, about Sam, I do understand. It took years for me to get to know Mitch as my father. But for his reasons, he had to go. That doesn't mean he doesn't care, though. It's the same for you and Sam, Alli.

Alli shakes her head. It's obvious she can't believe what Matt is saying. As she sits on the couch, her voice breaks.

ALLI
You're wrong, Uncle Matt. But that doesn't matter right now. I am sorry about Cam. I really am. But what about me, Uncle Matt? Don't I count? Mom won't let me help. She's so wrapped up in herself that she can't see me!

Matt sighs and sits on the couch next to Alli.

MATT
Alli, I really wish that I could make you see that your Mom's feelings have her kind of mixed up right now and that she needs you. But whatever I say right about now won't be believed, so I won't try. I *do* understand why you feel so deserted. But what it all comes down to, Alli, is that you've broken my trust in you. So until your mother gets home, you're grounded.

Alli looks at Matt tearfully and with a hint of defiance.

CUT TO:

JOSIE and GARY'S APARMENT/DAY

JOSIE is sitting on the sofa, flipping through a catalog. GARY is in the middle of the floor, attempting to put together what looks like some sort of entertainment center.

GARY
You do realize that this thing is never going to get put together correctly if you leave me in charge, right?

JOSIE
(not looking up from the catalog)
You can do it. Come on, a few nails here and a hammer there. How hard can it be?

GARY
(Putting down the hammer and standing up)
All right, J, you put it together then.

JOSIE
I'll do it later. Come here and look at this, will you? I want your opinion.

She holds the catalog up as he peers over the back of the couch.

JOSIE (cont'd)
What about doing the baby's room in this pattern? The green and yellow ducks?

GARY
Honey....Hayley hasn't even given us the green light to adopt the baby yet. Aren't you jumping the gun a little?

JOSIE
(turning around to face him)
No, I'm not. I think she's going to do it, Gary. She's going to let us have the baby. I can feel it.

GARY
I just don't want you to set yourself up for a disappointment...

JOSIE
Gary, we've lost two children already. Haven't we been through enough? It's time something good came our way and I think Hayley is it. Let's just remain positive about this, okay?

As she finishes speaking, a knock comes on the door. Gary walks over to the door to open it, and finds HAYLEY standing there.

GARY
Hayley....

Josie looks towards the door and jumps up as she sees Hayley.

JOSIE
Hayley! What are you doing here?

HAYLEY
I'm sorry...I hope I'm not interrupting anything important.

Josie takes Hayley by the arm and leads her in.

JOSIE
No, not at all. Come in, please.

HAYLEY
I came here to talk to both of you. It's not going to take long, but I need you to hear me out, okay?

Josie and Gary exchange a nervous glance.

GARY
All right, Hayley. Go ahead.

HAYLEY
When I decided to give this baby up for adoption, I thought it would be easy. I thought I would just give my baby over to someone who'd be able to care for them. But it's not that simple.

She reaches into her bag and takes out the sonogram pictures.

HAYLEY (cont'd)
I had my sonogram today and I saw this baby moving. I saw him or her on the screen as a real, living being. And I saw him or her as my child.

JOSIE
Hayley...please don't tell us what I think you're telling us---

HAYLEY
Please let me finish, Josie. I saw him or her as my child that I can't provide for properly. (She begins to cry, noiselessly.) As much as I already love this little baby in the pictures, I know that I can't be it's mother AND it's father. I would give it a loving home, but I couldn't give it everything. You both can. I'm telling you right now that I want you to adopt my baby and that I'm going to have Cass draw up adoption papers, and a contract stating that once this baby is born, you will have full legal parental rights to it.

Tears begin to fall down Josie's face and Gary looks close to crying as well. Hayley reaches out and hands the sonogram pictures to them.

HAYLEY (cont'd)
I wanted you to have these. I wanted you to meet your baby.

She is silent as Josie and Gary stare at the pictures.

JOSIE
(whispering)
Thank you, Hayley. Thank you so much.

She reaches out and hugs Hayley tightly. Gary stands back a bit, but his face is overcome with emotion.

FADE OUT