OK.
Well, why aren't you upset?
I mean, I am.
But it's fine. You obviously have your reasons.
Do you want to know what they are?
I mean, if you don't think we should keep seeing each other,
I'm certainly not going to force you.
We've been seeing each other for three months
and you have never once opened up to me.
I do have a little girl to consider.
A little girl? She's 11.
It was a big step for me to start dating again.
You're a grown man, aren't you? Maybe it's time for you
to put on your big-boy pants and be emotionally available.
There's a lot for me to navigate, with regard to Emma.
Oh. Thank you so much for reminding me.
Please don't be sarcastic.
Can you please not be a piece of shit?
OK... um...
Emma's in a really fragile state right now.
She keeps having these full-on panic attacks.
I'm not even sure if I know how to stop them.
Then I should talk to her. I'm an empath.
OK, are we ready to order?
Does it look like we're ready? Fuck off!
You don't think I'd make a good mother, do you?
I'm the one breaking up with you.
Please don't take this away from me.
I'm sorry?
- You're antiquated. - I'm antiquated?
You're old-fashioned, outdated.
No, I know what the term 'antiquated' means.
You're a dinosaur.
And do you know what happened to the dinosaurs?
- Mm-hm. - A flaming meteor crashed into them
and they died because they weren't ready.
Can anyone really be ready for a meteor?
Well, you're certainly not.
And you're a three.
- I'm a three? - Mm-hm.
Usually, I'm a seven.
But when I'm with you, I'm a nine.
Emma would be sooo lucky to have a mum who's a nine.
Can you please stop making a scene?
Oh, my God! Stop trying to control everything!
You can't control everything!
And traffic is starting to back up on the A20.
Now here's Tony with the weather.
Thanks, Karen. After a chilly night of 7.5 degrees,
Adelaide is in for a sunny one today,
with a high of 25 degrees in the city,
while the lower southeast Mt Lofty region...
- Hey, bubs.
Gotta go.
Em?
Look, I know how tricky today must be for you.
- It is for me too... - Dad!
Right.
Uh, I'll meet you outside, then, OK?
I don't need your help.
We're not going to make it in time.
I was trying to get you out of your room this morning-
I had to finish Earth.
Go that way.
Bubs, we're better off staying
- on the usual route, I'm telling you. - It's not moving!
Hey, over here!
Emma, no.
- Dad! - No, no.
- Stop. - I said no.
Dad!
You gotta be kidding me. It's too damn early.
Hey, how are you?
- We gotta go. -Hope these sandwiches are OK. -Thank you.
- Bye-bye. - Thank you.
You cannot do things like that.
- He's homeless. - I don't care.
He could be dangerous.
It is my job to keep you safe.
-Hey! Are you calling? -Somebody call an ambulance!
No airbags. No airbags.
- Em?
Em, it's me it's daddy.
I'm here. You're OK.
Hi. Are you OK?
- She gets panic attacks. - Yeah. OK. I get it.
Look at me. Look at me. OK. I just need you to look at me.
There's something in her bag.
Coming, Em! Coming, baby!
- Em! Em!
Em! You're... OK.
What did you say to her?
What did you do?
She hit your car.
Oh, God.
It's to stop me from turning my head.
- Does it hurt? - Who is it, bubs?
Um, hi.
You gave me your address, through insurance.
I wanted to say sorry for...
for wrecking your universe.
I read it when I was your age, and I loved it.
You don't know my age.
- 11? - I'm 12 in two months.
That's a thoughtful gesture. What do you say, Em?
No?
You don't want to say anything?
Well, at least she took it.
Um... Do you want to...
This is a complete invasion of...
I should not have... I shouldn't have come here.
What? No, no.
Hey. Um...
Hey! Hey!
Uh... Hey!
Wait up!
What was your name, again?
Mary.
Would you, uh, like a cup of Gary?
Fuck.
Tea.
Would you like a cup of tea, Mary?
My name is Gary.
Sure.
How long have you been in Australia?
Uh, 12 years.
That's Emma's mom.
My ex-wife.
She live far away?
Uh, yes...
I'm sorry. I don't know why I said ex-wife.
Um.
She died.
Oh.
Cancer.
Um, I'm sorry.
Oh. Well, thank you. We're used to it by now.
As used to it as you can be, I guess.
- Uh, milk? - Yeah.
What was her name?
Lisa.
- Oh, shit. - What?
The book I gave her -
the mom is dead and she lives alone with her dad.
Oh, God. Well, I wouldn't worry about that too much.
Well, then her dad dies and leaves her all by herself.
Mmm. She may actually like that bit.
- Agh!
- Are you OK? - Uh, yeah.
I just dropped the, uh... Damn!
- Oh, that's a lot of blood. - That is a lot of blood.
I would put that under the tap.
- I'm gonna go get a bandaid. - I'll get you a bandaid.
- OK. Sure. - Tell me where to go.
- It's, uh, just down the hallway,
and it's gonna be the bathroom, last door on the right.
OK.
You said you knew where I was.
After the accident.
When I was scared.
You said that you'd been there too.
Oh, I have. A bunch of times.
Well, there's a lot of blood coming out of your dad.
I'm gonna stick some of this... This is eucalyptus oil...
It's gonna sting.
- I'm sorry. - Brave. Brave.
Yeah. I'm gonna do two. I'm gonna do two.
- Mm-hm. - I'll make it quick.
- Mm-hm. Mm-hm. Mm-hm. - Oh, gosh. Sorry.
- It hurts a lot. - Does it really?
Yeah. I want to pretend like it doesn't.
What, uh, brought you here?
Truthfully?
Um...
There was something about your daughter.
At the accident, I... I know this sounds like a complete weirdo thing to s...
I'm so sorry.
I meant what brought you to Australia?
Oh.
Idiot. Um...
Uh... I... I wanted a change.
Whereabouts in America?
- Chicago.
Can't get more of a change than Chicago to Adelaide.
Mm-hm. You bet.
Why did you choose Adelaide?
Uh, I can work from anywhere.
What do you do?
I volunteer places. I do stuff for charities.
So I go to a nursing home every day,
I make and donate stuff.
Oh. Did you mean what do I do for a living?
Oh, right, um...
Uh, I give relationship advice in a column.
Wow! What kind of qualifications
do you need for something like that?
Oh, I have an undergraduate degree in psychology, um,
but I don't really use it, um,
well, I stopped pursuing that when I got here,
'cause it was really hard for me to do the one-on-one stuff.
How come?
Um... Why did you come here?
Lisa was Australian.
Um, so we moved when she was pregnant.
And then, uh, after she died, um...
I just felt like I couldn't take Emma away from Lisa's family.
Felt like it would hurt her too much to leave them behind.
Emma? You OK?
- Oh! - Oh! God! W...
- It's all over you! - Oh, my gosh. I'm so sorry.
I...I... You're sorry? I'm sorry!
- Have you got a tea towel? - Yes.
We are not good with mugs.
Last time you're gonna see mugs over here.
Do you need anything else? Like ice?
Ice or anything?
Mary!
Mary.
Are we really doing this again? Are you OK?
I just... I felt like...
You know, I gave your daughter an inappropriate book, and...
Like I said, it's seriously not a big deal.
- But then I smashed one of your mugs. - It's just a mug.
- I just feel like I should go. - It's just a mug.
You'd already smashed a mug.
Look, you, um,
coming in to check on Emma was a very thoughtful gesture.
I did hit you both with my car.
You did. And I am planning on suing you.
I've been struggling a lot lately.
Emma's got all sorts of issues.
I don't, frankly, know how to handle them.
You speaking to her after the accident, I...
I don't know what you said, but, um...
I'm having a really hard time articulating myself right now.
Uh...
Can I maybe take you out to dinner tomorrow,
to talk about her?
Oh, I can't do that.
Oh. I'm so sorry.
I did not mean to overstep my boundaries.
No! No. I mean I can't do dinner.
Um...
I could do lunch.
Tomorrow?
Sure. I could do lunch tomorrow.
- Great. - OK.
Promise you won't run away again?
Uh, yeah, yeah. No, I mean, I can't promise that.
I don't know, between work and Emma,
I don't really feel like I have much time for myself.
- I get that. - What about you?
- Oh, I have lots of hobbies. - Like?
Well, I speak four languages. I do topiary.
Um, quilting and knitting.
Pickling and pottery.
I spent a full year doing close-up magic
to entertain at the nursing home.
Muay Thai.
And I make cheese.
You make topiaries?
- Like, building things out of trees? - Shrubs.
Where do you even begin to learn something like that?
Online.
Oh. This is it.
It's amazing - it's been run by the same family
for the past 60 years.
- Gianni, how are you? - Hey, Gary!
- How you doing? - Good to see you.
- Alfie, how are you? - Table for two?
I can't eat there.
Uh, hang on a sec.
Hey!
- You don't like Italian food? - Uh, I've got allergies.
- I'm vegan. - What to?
Italian food.
OK. I'm so sorry. I wish I had checked...
It's not your fault!
Is it a gluten thing? They have great gluten-free pizza.
What about here?
I haven't heard music in a bar for 12 years.
What are you talking about?
I haven't been out in a really, really, really long time.
How's that even possible?
I get why someone like me hasn't been to...
Do you dance?
Uh, probably going to need to
drink a lot more before that can happen.
- That was really expensive. - Mmm.
What music are you into?
I don't listen to music.
Why? No. Really?
Do you know this is Melody Gardot?
Melody Gardot?
- Wow. - Oh, oh! Melody Gardot?
- No, I don't. - OK.
Well, before Melody Gardot was THIS Melody Gardot,
she was actually... More. ..hit by a car.
She was in hospital for a year, with memory loss.
But there was this physician who believed
that he could heal her brain through music.
So he taught her to hum and then to sing.
And now here she is!
And if she hadn't been hit by that car,
we wouldn't be listening to that voice.
That voice melts spines.
Why don't you like music, Gary?
Well, Mary, I like it.
I just don't listen to it anymore.
Why?
We had trouble settling Emma when she was a baby.
'Cause she would cry all the time. We tried everything.
And then one day we worked out
the only thing that would make her sleep...
- Was what?
The only thing that would make her sleep
is when I would sing to her.
Aw. What would you sing?
Just a song.
- Can I hear it? - No.
No, I haven't sung that since she was little.
- Come on, Gary. - No.
- Gary! - No. No.
- No, no, no. - OK.
What if the reason we ended up here
is so that you could sing again?
The music stopped! You're laughing, but it's meant to be!
- Come on. - It's not gonna happen.
I'll cover my eyes. I'm not even gonna look at you.
Look, I'm looking at my hands.
You can cover your entire body.
- I don't want to sing right now. - Come on, Gary.
- My God. - Do you want me to go under the table?
No! Just... Stop bringing attention to us.
OK. Just do it. Really quietly.
I'm not gonna judge you.
Thanks, I appreciate that.
OK, OK.
♪ There is freedom within
♪ There is freedom without
♪ Try to catch the deluge in a paper cup
♪ There's a battle ahead
♪ Many battles are lost
♪ But you'll never see the end of the road
♪ While you're travelling with me
♪ Hey, now, hey, now
♪ Don't dream it's over
♪ Hey, now, hey, now
♪ When the world comes in
♪ They come, they come
♪ To build a wall between us
♪ We know
That was beautiful.
Clearly, it didn't work. You're still awake.
I think you should sing it for her again.
Fuck, no. She would hate that.
No, I bet she wouldn't.
You don't know my daughter.
-You said... -Hey, no, no, no.
The secret to the answer is in the questions.
You find out what it is that THEY want to do,
then you advise them to do it.
But, then, sometimes, I honestly have to make up the question,
because it's so boring.
- You make them up? - Mmm.
- Isn't that against the law? - No.
OK.
I just kind of draw on my, um, life experience, I guess.
Give me an example. You've got to give me an example.
OK. Dear Adelaide...
- Adelaide? - Adelaide.
Dear Adelaide, I, um,
I feel like I'm doing a bad job as a dad,
and my little girl has trouble telling me what she needs.
So I try to make everything perfect around her,
but it doesn't seem to make her happy.
And I don't know what to do.
Sincerely, G.
G? OK.
I can relate. Go on.
Dear G,
you say you're trying to make everything perfect,
but perfect doesn't exist.
Perfect's the armour we wear to stop ourselves from being seen.
And maybe it's the thing that's stopping your little girl
from seeing you and feeling close to you.
Maybe you should run towards imperfections,
and laugh and cry and dance, sing.
Get messy.
Messy's good.
Break yourself open - it's how the light gets in.
Always, Adelaide.
When did you come up with that one?
Right now.
I'm trying to get you to sing to your kid.
Right...
Can I ask, um...
what you did in the car for Emma?
I could see she was scared in there.
She's done that before.
It's like she's built this fortress around herself,
so that nothing can hurt her.
I'm doing everything I can.
I get scared sometimes.
Scared of what?
Somehow I caused all of this.
After Lisa died, I spiralled.
Emma was four.
And, um...
Took me years before I felt like I could be her dad again.
I know it probably doesn't feel this way,
but you're already doing the best thing for her.
You're present.
And she may be pushing you away, but you're there.
I mean, that kind of stability is so rare, Gary.
It's... It's fucking priceless.
I can't believe I just unloaded all that on you.
- I'm sorry. I am so sorry. - No! No. No, it's OK.
- I'm an advice columnist. - Oh, God.
- That's fine. - You know what?
I help everybody with their problems.
- You know what, Mary? - What?
I'm not gonna sue you anymore.
No, I promise. I'm gonna call my lawyer tomorrow.
I just...
I can't believe I'm giving anyone advice.
My life is a mess.
Messy is good.
Who put on that song?
- I don't know. - Did you just put on the song?
I've been sitting here with you.
Um, I need to go.
Did I do something wrong?
No, I just feel like this is, um...
I shouldn't have put myself in this situation.
- What situation? - I haven't day-drunk in a really long time, so...
I don't think it's day anymore.
- Really? What time is it? - After 6.
Oh, fuck!
Dear Adelaide,
I've been alone for a really long time.
A boy has appeared and made himself vulnerable to me.
He has made me question
why I've chosen to live a certain way.
I feel like I'm running from my past,
and I can never reveal who I really am.
I've been badly hurt.
I feel lost, and I don't deserve love.
How do you know when that person is the right one?
Sincerely, M.
Dear M, thank you for writing.
Losing yourself - I'm not going to sugar-coat it -
that's the worst thing you can do.
Don't stop believing in who you are.
It's one thing to know that
kindness and vulnerability matter,
but the first person you need to be kind to is you.
We're all feeling our way through the dark.
- Stop running in circles.
Stop running from yourself,
and start running to the light.
Oh, fuck!
Don't lose track of your heart.
It's the only thing that's keeping you going.
And remember, you don't get what you need
until you're brave enough to admit that you need it.
Jump in head-first and fight for it -
even if it means fighting for yourself.
Fuck!
How do you know that
this person is the right one for you?
You won't know unless you open the door
to the possibility that you do deserve to be loved.
Agh!
Strip away the layers and break yourself open.
That's how the light gets in.
Don't lock yourself in your basement.
- Always, Adelaide.