[Oliver] Shakespeare once wrote
Downloaded from YTS.MX
that we are all actors
strutting and fretting on a stage
until our part is played.
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[mother] Come on, come on.
[brakes screeching]
[Oliver] Of course, Shakespeare was a playwright.
A doctor mi ght compare the world
to a vast waiting room
into which we humans bring as much hope as we can carry.
[mother] He was fine.
- Allergies? - No.
Did he hit his head?
[mother] I don't think so.
No.
Oh, baby...
[Oliver] A farmer may see us
as seeds in a field awaiting the harvest.
Or to sea captains,
we are a universe of ships seeking safe harbor.
Do you have any family who can help you through this?
It's just been the two of us.
Who's Ferd?
Who?
Ferd.
The nurse found this in his pocket.
[sighs]
Fred.
Fred is Owen's best friend.
Well, that's somebody, isn't it?
[mother] His name is John Marx. M-A-R...
He'd remember Fred.
No. No, my son is Owen.
Fred is...
Fine. What is...
what is that address?
They sell stamps in the gift shop,
and there's a mailbox outside.
[Oliver] But to a postal worker like me,
I believe that we are all, in some way, living letters,
unique souls slipped into fr agile human envelopes,
stamped by our Creator,
and sent into the world with a story only we can share.
Even when we are missing a stamp or two.
Like the mail,
we are sometimes mishandled,
misdirected,
even lost along the way.
And yet,
what is written on our hearts can never truly be lost...
and will, somehow,
some way, someday,
be delivered.
♪ Ooh, yeah ♪
♪ It's all good and gettin' even better ♪
♪ Blue skies ♪
♪ Only sunny weather ♪
♪ It's a perfect day ♪
♪ Ain't nothin' wrong ♪
♪ 'Cause everything's alright ♪
♪ It's all good ♪
♪ And when we get together ♪
♪ Why not make it last forever? ♪
♪ When you got what matters ♪
♪ It's all good and gettin' even better ♪
♪ Don't need to make a million ♪
[♪]
♪ Don't need to rule the world... ♪
Good morning, you two.
How are you two today?
Considering all that we two have to do today,
we two are good.
"Good," of course,
being an evaluation of character and well-being,
and "well" being
a characterization of a state of being.
We're fine, Hazel.
- Excited for Saturday. - Oh, me too.
I have a question about the wedding.
[Shane] Oh. Well, you'll have to keep up.
We're interviewing for the temp position today,
and we're running late.
[Norman] Our colleagues are getting married on Saturday,
so you'll be assisting Miss Haywith Dorman and myself
while our co-workers are on their honeymoon.
So this is you?
The Dead Letter guys?
We're an elite task force
with wide powers of postal discretion.
Some people call us "The Postables".
Oops.
Ugh.
It's kind of sticky.
[sniffs] Kind of smells like leftover breakfast.
Ugh.
You know, I think we have
everything we need right here on your resume,
so we will be in touch.
We'll be in touch.
All right.
- Oh! - Hello.
- Good morning. - Morning.
Or goodbye.
[giggles]
Oh...
That was Phoenix Fink.
He's a no.
Oh. Well...
I'm sure our other applicants will be more impressive, hmm?
Uh, there are only two.
Not everyone appreciates
the glamor and mystery of our work, Oliver.
There are only two applications?
Mm-hmm. Just Phoenix and a Charley somebody,
who's coming in at 3:00.
But that gives us time to show you our house at lunch.
Oh, I can't wait.
Oh, and Rita and I have our last fittings at 2:00.
Ah, then we should get busy.
I believe today we address the horribly ripped and mangled.
And sticky.
Oh, these are from
the food truck mishap that happened last week.
A bucket of syrup fell off a Waffle Wagon
that ran over the bag of dead letters
that fell off of a postal van on the way to the DLO.
And now they're all glued together.
Hence the aroma of breakfast.
Oh, it looks as though someone less skilled than we
attempted to separate them
and ripped this one off the top.
That was Phoenix.
And now we're left with just a few letters and numbers,
and then the rest of the address is, well, stuck to this.
Oh, well. It is a start, assuming it can be detached.
Norman, any thoughts?
Well, I have been developing a special separating solution
specifically for paper preservation.
But it's still in its experimental stages.
It might be too soon.
Norman, from what I can perceive,
a child's drawing is cemented in this envelope.
And we cannot allow our country's children
to lose faith in the United States Postal System.
So? Shane, Ovilear?
What do you think?
Love it.
It's just so...
Rita and Norman.
Isn't it?
Don't you just love the breakfast nook?
Love the nook.
And the guest room can be a nursery someday.
Someday.
It is the perfect starter home, yes?
So are you going to make an offer?
Yeah. We just wanted your blessing.
Oh, and your dad's, of course.
[Rita] What do you think, Mr. O'Toole?
Solid bones,
copper plumbing,
new electrical...
I say go for it.
Yes!
Excellente!
[Joe] Big week, huh?
A house, a wedding...
and we finally get to meet your mother.
Well, two out of three isn't bad.
[Joe laughs]
Hey, everybody gets the "meet the in-laws" jitters.
But if she's anything like you, it'll be easy.
Yeah, she's not.
We do wear the same size shoe.
And we share...
Nope, just the shoe size.
[Joe laughs] Don't worry.
We'll take good care of her, won't we, Oliver?
You know, I'm not sure
this mailbox meets postal regulations.
Dad, may I borrow your tape measure?
Her flight gets in tomorrow.
Dinner is at 6:30,
and I've scheduled my meltdown for 8:15.
I wouldn't miss it.
[Rita] We did it!
We put in an offer.
And they accepted!
[Ramon] Right over the phone!
Right over the phone.
We bought a house.
We bought a house!
Norman, will you be all right?
I know it's a lot to take in.
A house, down payment, 30-day escrow.
But I am getting married in four days,
and I need my best man to be...
well, at his best.
Yeah. Oh, no problem.
I've got your checklist right here.
Oh, let's see.
Tuxedo, check.
Ring, check.
Wedding license, check.
Wedding gift for...
bride.
I thought people give us gifts.
And you give each other one.
It's basic wedding etiquette.
I read that
in "The Best Man's Guide to Basic Wedding Etiquette."
- Oh, I see. - Yeah.
What should I get?
Oh.
Well, pearls are always in good taste.
But something simple,
you know, something that lasts forever.
Forever?
Yeah.
Yeah, you know,
something that she'll have at your 50th anniversary.
Our 50th.
50 years?
Yeah.
That's about 20 years longer than my mortgage.
Ahem.
I've got to admit,
Ramon found the perfect place for the two of you.
Yeah.
Or maybe...
the three of you?
Did you take the test?
I did, yeah.
And I'm not.
Oh!
I thought maybe I was
because I was craving
peanut-butter-and-mayonnaise sandwiches.
But I think I just like peanut butter and mayonnaise.
I'm sorry.
It's okay.
Actually, it's not okay,
but the more I think about it not being okay,
the more I think something is not okay.
Which I know in my heart will be okay.
It's just that I'm--
Disappointed again.
Yeah.
Well...
well, you hang in there and you do what?
Trust the timing.
Exactly.
Oh.
Oh...
Hello.
Can I help you?
I'm waiting for Shane.
Well, she's still at work.
I'm Joseph O'Toole--
I'm Sharon McInerney,
and our children are getting married.
No kidding.
You didn't know?
No. I mean, I mean, you're Shane's mother.
Didn't I just say that?
Yes.
It's a pleasure to meet you.
I'm sorry you had to wait out here like this,
but I think Shane's expecting you tomorrow.
Yes, she is.
Right.
[whirring]
So did it work?
Well, Norman managed
to separate the address from the syrup,
but it's still too syrup-damaged to read.
So all we have of the address is what's left on the envelope?
Yeah.
J-O-H...
John something?
And there's a...
Ooh.
Ugh. It's kind of wet.
Yeah, I soaked the envelope in the same solution.
[phone rings]
It's your dad.
Hey, Joe.
I was thinking that if we can dry the envelope
and then separate the letter, then we could--
[Shane] What?
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
It's an extra day.
Your mother can't be that bad.
No, she's not bad.
She's just peculiar
and opinionated,
and she makes me so...
so...
so, so, so, so...
All right,
perhaps she's not everyone's cup of tea, but...
She's not even a cup.
She is a kettle of crazy.
She is a laboratory beaker full of bad chemistry.
She is the Holy Grail of guilt.
And I can only spend two days with her at a time.
Three, tops.
And now it's four.
Four, Oliver.
That gives her enough time to reorganize my spice racks,
and refold my laundry,
and...
give my cashmere sweaters to Goodwill.
Oh...
It is only four days.
Oh, darling,
you are so cute.
[Norman] Okay, we've got it.
The letter is dry.
Hmm.
Uh...
would you hold that?
Thank you.
All right...
Well...
we have...
a letter and a child's drawing.
"Dere Ferd...
I miss you.
Love from Owen."
Uh...
- Fred? - Fred.
[Oliver] Let's see.
"Dear John,
It's been two years since Fred left us
and went to live with all of you.
It's always meant so much to Owen
to know that his friend was still out there
on the lawn with you.
He's such a happy little seven-year-old,
and I'm so proud to be his mom.
Anyway, tonight, he just suddenly collapsed...
...collapsed,
and now I'm here with him at Rocky Canyon in the ICU.
And they think he has...
...leukemia.
He's so afraid,
and he's asking to see Fred.
If there's any way you can track him down
and bring him to the hospital...
then no matter what happens,
I know he'll find some peace.
Grate..."
I think she signs it "'Gratefully."
The rest is gone.
So we know the letter's addressed to John,
but without a last name,
it's useless.
All we know is delayed due to missing postage.
By the time it arrived,
John Whoever didn't live there anymore,
so it was returned to sender.
That is the letter's directive.
And it must be honored.
So it goes back into the mail.
And the cycle continues
until it's classified as a dead letter.
So we have no idea how long it was in the system.
It doesn't matter how long.
If this boy has managed to survive,
he's still waiting
for someone he loves to come back, and...
We don't know how much time he has.
Well?
[Shane] Then we'd better get started.
Okay, thank you.
The charge nurse
doesn't remember any pediatric patients
with the name of Owen in the past few weeks.
Now, if you want me to dig back a little further,
I may have to break through a firewall or two.
Well, what else could we do?
Well, we'll have to focus on what we have so far.
A partial address.
Very partial.
Yeah, well, first name J-O-H.
That's John.
Second line, S-T-A something.
Third line, Something-T Street.
And zip code has
something-0-something-- something-something.
I really had hoped this letter would yield more.
Yeah.
Oh, what about Owen's drawing?
Oh! Oh.
Eight years ago,
I read a fascinating article
on page 76 of "Postal Family Monthly"
about hidden messages in your child's artwork.
It was called "Secrets of the Crayon".
They said children
like to draw themselves beside their heroes,
like Superman,
or Captain America or...
Super Fred?
Right.
[Shane] What about "Fearless Fred"?
There's two "F"s on his hat.
And what is this?
[Rita] A sword? Maybe a magic wand?
A snake?
It's kind of wriggly.
But it has sparks flying out of it.
[Shane] Mm-hmm.
[Norman] A magic snake?
[Hazel] Excuse me.
There's a Charley Reddick
here to interview for the temp job.
And she's...
well, I wouldn't keep her waiting.
Huh.
Her? She?
[Hazel] You can fill this out.
Sitting down, or standing up.
- This as well. - Okay, yes, thank you.
Oh!
Look at her.
How temporary does she think this job is?
Norman, there are certain rules
about what we can say in the workplace.
No personal questions about marital status
or parental status or--
I'm just supposed to ignore the fact that she's--
Yes.
How is she going to sort all of the oversized internationals
from the domestics,
or carry the bulk mail up to Expediting?
Norman.
It's a new world, Norman.
Mm-hmm.
Whatever you do, just don't say "baby".
Hi, I'm Rita.
I hope it's okay that I applied.
I saw the notice on the board
and I thought, "Well, what am I waiting for?"
I've got a pretty good idea.
Just ignore it.
So, Charley,
let's just skedaddle on over to Norman's office,
and we can look over your application.
Ow!
Oh! Ow!
- Oh! - Ow!
Ow!
Um...
How am I supposed to ignore that?
Now, Denver General is only a mile away.
Don't take Speer, take Alameda.
Well, maybe you should do this. I just bought a house.
I don't think my heart can handle any more today.
- Just keep breathing. - [Norman] Okay.
Not you. Her!
[Norman screaming]
Did she get the job?
[gasps]
Oh!
What about this for Rita's maid of honor gift?
Hmm?
It's a silver owl necklace
with two little sapphires for eyes.
What are you doing here?
Here, here?
Or here in Colorado a day early--
because that's a longer story,
and I don't want to take you away from your work, and...
How do you get any work done
in those shoes on these cement floors?
That's my mother.
Mrs. McInerney. I'm so pleased to meet you.
I'm Oliver.
The Oliver that's marrying my daughter?
Oh, who else, Mother?
He's not the only Oliver in the world.
Yes, I am indeed Shane's fiancé.
I would be honored
to give you a tour of our inner sanctum.
Then lead on, MacDuff.
Ah. Shane didn't tell me you were a lover of Shakespeare.
Please.
Shane didn't mention you were so...
so...
whatever this is.
When she started vacuuming your Venetian blinds,
I thought maybe I'd bring her to you.
Chicken.
She just had Braxton-Hicks.
Braxton-Hicks?
That's a terrible name for a baby.
No, Braxton-Hicks are when you have contractions
that make you think you're going into labor,
but you're not.
Aren't we breaking some labor laws
just by being here?
Well, there's nothing in the rules
about where to have the interview.
I grew up loving the mail.
The postal service is in my blood,
and my great-grandfather
rode the U.S. mail mules down the Grand Canyon.
Oh!
That was my winning question
at the Miss Special Delivery pageant.
You're Miss Special Delivery?
[Norman] Mm-hmm.
Well, that was some time ago.
I used to dream about doing that.
But then I ended up with a husband for a while,
and things got...
Well, they got complicated.
If you're wondering if I can do the job,
this won't be a problem.
This?
Yeah, Little You Know Who.
Oh!
Charley, of all the people that applied,
you seem to be the most...
motivated.
And...
since you're not actually expected to deliver your...
your...
Uh, little parcel post.
For a few weeks or so,
well, Shane and Oliver should be back by then,
so let's just make it official.
You can start training tomorrow.
Oh, that's great.
Thank you.
[Norman] Welcome aboard.
And if you need any help getting on board...
Okay, Norman.
Yeah, okay.
[Oliver] And we process thousands of letters a year.
But we treat each one with a certain reverence,
and we believe each one has its own destiny.
Okay.
[Oliver] Now, let's see.
We've been to Sorting, Pending,
the Unattached Objects alcove,
Norman's laboratory,
my collection of antique letter openers...
Very impressive.
Oh, and we were awarded these
after a particularly difficult case
in which we happily averted a homicide by--
[Sharon] Shanie?
Remember when you got that best actress trophy
in the tenth grade for...
uh, what was it?
"Much Ado About Nothing,"
which you love to make much ado about.
Well, you were brilliant.
Oliver, I broke the firewall.
The hospital records go back seven years.
I could run a search for the name "Owen,"
but it might take a few days,
and we could be on our honeymoon by then.
Well, we cannot allow that to happen.
Any particular reason, Mother,
that you decided to come on Wednesday
instead of Thursday?
Yes.
I realized we'd be so busy
that I wouldn't get a chance
to really get to know Oliver in his natural habitat.
Well, I had a nice dinner party planned for tomorrow night.
But now I haven't had a chance to go shopping,
so there's nothing in the refrigerator.
I saw.
But I'll just get into that very busy pantry of yours
and rustle something up.
Tell you what.
I have got some great steaks at home,
and I can stop and get some shrimp and some corn,
and we can barbecue in your backyard.
I don't have a barbecue.
I will bring one.
What's this?
That is our current assignment.
It's actually confidential,
very sensitive...
Postal Privacy Code 10-0-7.
You know...
my mother actually taught first grade for a long time.
Maybe she can help.
Why don't you show her Owen's picture?
Uh...
uh, yes.
Yes, it's right...
This?
A little boy and a fireman?
I'm sorry, what?
We think a little boy
drew a picture of his best friend as a superhero,
like Fearless Fred.
Or Fireman Fred.
See? He's holding a hose.
We...
we actually believe that's a magic sword
or possibly a magic snake.
No, no.
He's shooting water out of the fire hose
at the fire right here.
See the orange scribbles?
I know what a child thinks a firefighter looks like.
Fred's a firefighter.
And right here,
the mother says,
"Owen was always so proud
to know that his friend was out there on the line with him."
"Line"?
Not "lawn"?
Firefighters fight fires on fire lines, not fire lawns.
Fair point.
It's difficult to make out, covered with all that syrup.
[Sharon] Thought it smelled a little like breakfast.
Well, good thing I came a day early.
Anything else I can help you with around here?
Actually, I could use some help with those steaks.
Well, all right.
Where do you stand on marinades?
I have deeply-held thoughts about marinades.
[Joe] I imagine you do.
Um, when you said your mother was an English teacher,
I thought, ah, a kindred spirit,
but I'm having a bit of trouble keeping up with her.
Maybe more than just a little bit.
I warned you.
She's a handful.
Sometimes, it's worth it.
Ah, for example?
I can't believe I am about to say this,
but...
I agree with my mother.
I think Fred is a firefighter.
So do I.
What frightened little boy
wouldn't want someone like that
to come save him
when everything's burning down around him?
[Rita] So now we're looking for a firefighter named Fred.
The letter was written about a Fred,
but it was sent to someone named John.
What if he was a firefighter, too?
Maybe that's who we should be looking for.
Oh, finding all the Freds and Johns
and matching one to Owen...
well, that will definitely cut into your honeymoon.
Yeah, I know.
And Oliver won't rest until this is solved.
But that's what we love about him.
He takes every letter so personally.
Do you two have children?
Uh, soon, maybe.
We're really hoping for soon, but...
Well, Oliver likes to say, "Trust the timing."
Oliver says all sorts of things, doesn't he?
Oliver's a wonderful man.
You'll see, once you get to know him.
Lemonade?
Oh, thank you.
We used to have roses like that
in the house where Shane grew up.
Yes.
Yes, I know.
Rosaceae rosa xanthina.
She always talks about how much she loved them,
so I planted them for her.
That was very sweet of you.
Yes, well, I have an affinity for the past
that Shane's emphasis on the current
might typically preclude,
but I suspect in some cases,
such as a living reminder of her ancestral home,
she might still hold a tender thought.
I just want to make her happy.
How did you two ever...
I mean, I've never seen
anyone wear a suit and pocket watch to a barbecue.
Oh, thank you.
Yes, it was my grandfather's.
I wind it every morning, and it has never failed me.
Shane has tried to convert me,
unsuccessfully,
to one of those digital timepieces
that require nightly charging,
but perhaps I'm a little old-fashioned.
Possibly.
[Oliver chuckles]
Do you know why?
Why?
Why you seem to identify so much
with things of the past?
Your dad seems comfortable here in the 21st century.
Oh, well, he...
No.
We should get these started.
[Joe] Four to five minutes on the first side
till it's slightly charred.
[Norman] Slightly charred.
[Ramon] Hello, everybody!
- Ramon! - Hello.
My grandmother's jalapeño mole surprise.
How does a little boy become friends with a firefighter?
Perhaps he was a neighbor
or he put a fire out at his house?
You know, this is a complicated one.
Perhaps we should move the rehearsal to Friday?
Well, the minister is only available on Thursday.
Oh.
[Joe] You know,
firefighters are a very tight-knit family.
I bet if we found a firefighter that's been around a while,
he might know a Fred or two.
Or at least be able to send you in the right direction.
Oh, Norman.
I bet you have a cousin in the fire department.
Let me think.
Um...
How many cousins does he have?
37.
Oh, Theo.
Yeah. He's a firefighter at a station in Arvada.
Station.
That's the "S-T-A" on the envelope.
Owen's mother must have sent the letter to a fire station.
We should head over to Theo's first thing in the morning.
Or we could even go tonight.
Or first thing in the morning.
Is there...
is there something going on with you?
What do you mean?
Well, you just seem awfully preoccupied recently.
Is it the wedding or my mother?
Oh, no. She's lovely.
And so interested in getting to know me.
[laughs]
Well, that's a good thing, isn't it?
Of course.
There's just a great deal
to accomplish before our wedding.
Like the rehearsal that you were willing to postpone?
[chuckles]
I just think it would be nice
not to have any outstanding work on our desks
so we can relax on our honeymoon.
Oh, I'm counting on relaxing.
We are going to find Fred.
I just know it.
So Oliver was married before?
Yeah.
It was probably
the only spontaneous thing Oliver's ever done.
And it didn't last very long.
She just wasn't...
you know, postal enough.
But he and Shane are made for each other.
Oh, that's good.
Yeah.
Because marriage is hard.
It's been pretty easy so far with me and Norman,
but we were friends for a long time first.
A long time.
Yeah, next time, I'll do it right.
I was just too young to be a wife.
And now, being alone
with this one due in two and a half weeks
and the rent due in two,
it's getting pretty obvious
that I'm not in a good place
to be a mother right now, either.
So I was thinking that...
I mean...
I want this little girl.
I really do.
But I also want her to have a chance, you know.
So...
So?
So when she's born,
I'm going to put her up for adoption.
Oh...
How'd you like to be the guy
that gets to ride in one of these bad boys?
Not if it meant going to a fire.
Oh, you never dreamed of being a firefighter, Oliver?
No.
I always wanted to be...
well, this.
[Theo] Norman.
What's up?
Oh, hey, Theo.
These are my colleagues, Oliver and Shane.
Sorry to be dragging you away from your forest fires.
Well, none today so far.
Whatcha got?
Oh, we received a letter
from the mother of a little boy named Owen.
She is searching for Owen's best friend,
whom we believe may be a firefighter named Fred.
Yeah.
He looks like this.
Sort of.
[Theo chuckles]
Uh, yeah. Yeah.
Fred was with us here at the station for a while.
You know him?
Well, knew him.
Um...
there's a picture of him...
here we go...
at a retirement party a few years ago.
We've got Bob, Cameron, Susie, Chris, and Fred.
Uh, five names but four people?
Four people, and one Fred.
[Shane] That's Fred?
[Norman] Well, the likeness is very good.
[Shane laughs]
We thought he was a firefighter.
Well, he was, in a way.
Do you remember that big Peak to Peak fire?
They pulled in fire crews from all over the state
to fight that.
So the story goes,
this five-year-old boy,
who always wanted to become a fireman,
took his favorite toy to one of the stations,
and I guess he gave it to the crew
to carry on the truck for company.
That little boy...
do you know where we could find him?
I don't think anyone would know that anymore.
Fred was passed around from station to station
and fire to fire until...
well, until we took him on an arson call
in Roosevelt National Forest.
We lost control.
We had to pull back really fast,
leaving everything behind.
We went back looking for Fred,
but the fire was declared a crime scene,
so we weren't allowed in the area.
Probably wouldn't have mattered.
It was a bad one.
What was the station Fred came from before this one?
Oh, let me think.
We got Fred from Station 27 out in Broomfield.
I guess we could just keep following Fred backwards
until we arrive at Owen.
Sounds like a lot of work.
Well, one way or the other,
this letter is being returned to sender.
But not Fred.
No.
Unless...
I don't know.
What's the post office have to do
with an old arson case?
Happily, we won't burden you
with the complexities of such a story,
but I assure you,
as a federal task force,
we possess the authority
to employ any means necessary to complete our investigation.
Good luck.
This could take forever.
Well, look for the boxes over near the perimeter,
where the fire trucks would have been.
Norman. Shane.
Say hello to Fred.
He made it through the fire.
Oh, me of little faith.
The Peak to Peak fire was ten years ago.
That's a lot of firefighters to interview since then.
Yes, I understand.
- But nevertheless-- - Look at this.
I thought that was just crystallized syrup,
but underneath, that looks like handwriting.
Huh. I believe it is.
Thoughts?
Oh, what about your old batch of revelation solution?
Oh, that's in my lab.
[Rita] Oh.
Right. We're going to get you home, Fred.
Oliver, I think we need to face something.
Two years after Owen gave Fred away,
he was diagnosed with leukemia.
That's just a long time
to expect a little boy to survive something--
I'm sorry.
We are not medical professionals,
nor are we fortune-tellers.
We can only do what we do well,
efficiently, expediently.
Correct?
Of course...
Mr. O'Toole.
Shane...
- Oliver-- - [phone rings]
Hey, Joe.
Oh, no.
No, that's...
that's okay.
Yep. No, I will...
I will meet you there.
Okay.
All right. Thank you.
That was your father.
He is on mother of the bride patrol,
and, apparently, she has some new ideas.
So...
how about you go to Station 27,
and I will take my lunch break early.
Shane...
If that's all right with you.
Shane, I am sorry.
- Please. - It's fine.
I just...
- I am-- - I said it's fine.
Just don't forget
that the rehearsal is at 7:00 p.m. tonight.
It should be sort of up there.
[Joe] High?
Soaring.
Yes.
And four standing...
things.
- Posts? - Pillars.
Columns.
Yes!
And creating a kind of a...
A bower?
A bower...
Like a gazebo?
Could you be referring to the traditional Hebrew chuppah?
There you go.
Mother, we're not Jewish.
And how is that my fault?
And canopies are very symbolic.
They create a sacred space for the bride and groom
that the rest of us can't enter.
Oh, that sounds really good right about now.
You know, I've seen many beautiful weddings
of all faiths
take place under a canopy.
Something like this, perhaps?
Perfect.
Joseph and I could whip together
a beautiful tabernacle of love in a few hours.
[Joe] This is quite nice, Ramon.
[Ramon] Thank you.
I once worked as an architect's assistant
to Francesco Catalan,
the greatest designer of urgent care facilities
in Barcelona.
Of course you did.
[Sharon] I love it.
Now, about those candles...
I give up.
[Ramon] Yes, I see what you mean.
You okay?
Thank you.
This wedding isn't big enough for the both of us.
Maybe not.
But your mom,
she's been imagining this day her whole life,
just like you.
She's just trying find a way to be part of it.
But she's only been here a day,
and she's already building a gazebo in the sanctuary.
[Joe chuckles]
Well, I'm no expert,
but if a gazebo is the worst of it,
you got off easy.
Fair enough.
Now, if you could just explain Oliver to me.
What's going on?
We found Fred.
He was a stuffed toy.
A toy?
Sort of a firefighter's mascot.
Owen gave him away years ago.
Anyway...
suddenly, Oliver just seems far more interested
in reuniting a boy with his stuffed action figure
than he is in getting married.
Honey, you know that's not true.
He says he just wants to clear off his desk
before the wedding, but...
Maybe he needs to clear off more than a letter.
I'll tell you what.
I'm going to go build a gazebo
for my two favorite people in the world.
You go find your future husband
and ask him about Dumbarton Oaks.
Dumbarton Oaks?
Oh, Captain, hi.
My name's Oliver O'Toole.
I'm from the U.S. Postal Service...
Oliver O'Toole, I'm from the U.S. Postal Service...
You ever remember seeing this doll...
Pardon me.
Hi, I'm Oliver O'Toole.
I'm from the United States Postal Service,
and I was wondering if you had a moment to--
It's Fred.
Good to see this little guy again.
It would mean the world to Owen if we could get Fred back home.
I don't know where he started.
I don't think anybody knows anymore.
Adoption?
Charley said that?
Yeah.
You know, Norman,
we've been so worried about getting pregnant
that we've forgotten
that it's really about being parents.
I mean, and we're ready, right?
Mm-hmm.
And then this happens.
It sort of feels like a...
like a miracle.
I thought getting through the next three weeks
without using the word "baby"
would be a miracle.
[laughs]
She needs good parents, and...
we're ready to start a family.
- Wow. - Yeah.
Wow.
I thought we had a rehearsal.
I canceled it.
What?
Well, it's really not that complicated.
I mean, you stand there.
Rita and Norman will walk down the aisle.
I don't understand.
Oliver...
we don't need a rehearsal for the wedding.
We need one for the marriage.
I can't...
I can't stand here on Saturday wondering what...
what happened with us today.
You're not sharing with me what's going on with you,
and if you can't do that today,
how can you share your life with me?
How can I share mine with you?
Who or what is Dumbarton Oaks?
It's a...
museum in Washington, D.C.
They have an astounding library
of medieval, Latin, and Old English texts.
Why would your dad tell me to ask you about it?
As you know, my mother left my dad and me.
But actually...
she left us twice.
The first time
was after a fight my parents had when I was eight.
But she came back for a while...
and she brought me a stuffed bear.
She said his name was Dumbarton Oaks,
and she met him in Georgetown when she was there.
And she thought...
he needed a friend.
Anyway, I loved that bear.
I didn't let him out of my sight.
But somehow,
I knew she wasn't really back for good.
I was a kid, so I thought
if I could somehow just hold on to that bear...
that I could hold on...
Hold on to her.
I kept that bear on my dresser for years
so she'd know that I loved her.
But...
What happened to Dumbarton?
The day she left us,
again,
I was furious.
And I grabbed him, took him out to the trash,
but I couldn't do it.
So I took him to church...
and I left him on the altar right there.
Then I walked out.
And I never looked back.
I can't help feeling
that...
there's something else
that you still need to leave at the altar.
I just...
Well...
why don't we start...
by getting Fred home?
Whatever it takes.
No matter how long.
For better or worse.
What is this?
It's a tabernacle of love.
[laughing]
[Norman] Any minute now.
Norman, I must admit
how very impressed I am by your scientific skills.
You must have dreamed of being a scientist
when you were a boy, hmm?
Actually, I wanted to be a cowboy.
[Oliver] A cowboy?
[Norman] Yeah.
My mother, my biological mother,
she used to tell me bedtime stories
about how my father was just away in Wyoming,
riding horses and herding cattle,
so I wanted to grow up to be just like him.
[chuckles]
I was going to be just like my mom.
A cave explorer and UFO activist.
Huh.
[Shane] I wanted to teach, just like my mother.
I wonder if our parents
realize just how much they shape our dreams.
Uh, well, along those lines,
parenthood-ing and such,
Rita and myself,
I, uh, well...
Charley is planning
to give up her child for adoption.
So we were thinking--
Very seriously thinking...
[Rita] That those parents could be...
us.
Oh!
Oh...
That is so wonderful!
Have you, uh, mentioned this to Charley?
Not yet.
But the timing just seems so amazing.
It will have to be handled discreetly, of course.
Right.
But isn't it fun imagining a little Postable
running around the Dead Letter office,
you know, sorting and stamping stuff, huh?
[Oliver] Absolutely.
Yoo-hoo.
Mrs. McInerney, what a delightful surprise.
Rita, Norman, good morning.
What brings you to our workplace, Mother?
Well, I packed two different mother of the bride dresses,
but not being privy to what your color scheme is,
I thought you should pick it out.
One silver, one gold.
Oh, both classic and traditional.
What's this?
Oh, that is Fred the Firefighter.
Turns out your assessment of the child's drawing
was accurate.
You mean I was right?
Indeed.
So did you find the kid?
[Rita] Not yet.
We're working on it.
Well, what is to be will be,
even if it never comes to pass.
Well, we have every intention it will come to pass.
[Shane] Mother!
You know what?
It's a very small wedding with no specific color theme,
so wear whatever you want.
Silver, gold...
What's Oliver's favorite color?
[Shane] Oh. Um...
um...
Well, I suppose you have the rest of your life together
to figure that out, right?
Anyway, I was going to make dinner tonight
since you're all so busy.
What sounds good?
Clams and a nice red wine, please.
Clams? Done!
Carry on.
Did I say that
I wanted to be just like her when I grew up?
Grow up and be ju--
Wait a moment.
Why a firefighter?
What?
Why was Owen fascinated with firefighters?
Well, maybe he wanted to be one when he grew up?
Just like his dad.
[Oliver] Very possibly,
except his mother never mentions a father.
She never writes "we." She writes "I."
"I am with him.
I know Owen will find peace."
What if Owen took Fred to the fire station
because his own father was about to fight that fire?
We just have to know which station.
Any minute now.
I need a Yoo-hoo.
I refilled the refrigerator this morning.
You only eat clams and red wine when you're upset.
How do you do it, Norman?
Do what?
You never knew your father.
Your mother abandoned you, and yet you've become this...
this confident, open, trusting fellow.
Well, your mother left you, too.
My point exactly.
Well, I did finally get a great forever mom.
Forever is hard to come by.
[Rita] Norman, it's working!
I see "Denver" and "Station"
and the number three-something.
30, 31, 32?
I'm on it.
Well, you know the way I see it?
It's not what you've lost.
It's what you've found.
Think of all the great women who stayed in your life.
My grandmother, she loves you.
Mrs. Parker Pennington Payne did provide excellent guidance,
as did my Sunday school teacher,
dear Mrs. Genzinger.
Oh, and your idol,
Theresa Capodiamonte.
She adored you.
And then there's...
well, Shane, of course.
[Oliver, in memory] Miss McInerney
worked in Di rect Line Operations,
but a small miracle brought her to us.
There are no small miracles, Oliver.
Only big miracles!
They only seem small
because we stand so far away from them.
[Shane] Oliver, I found something.
It's from an old "Denver Post" article.
There was a firefighter at Station 36 in Park Hill
10 years ago
named Thomas Owen Walker.
I bet that's it.
I bet Owen has his father's middle name.
"Despite the destruction of 80,000 acres,
the Peak to Peak fire resulted in a single casualty,
Lieutenant Thomas Walker,
whose heroic actions
saved the life of station captain John Marx,
but resulted in his own tragic death.
[sighs]
Lieutenant Walker leaves behind a wife
and a five-year-old son."
Chianti, cabernet...
anything red.
Mm-hmm.
You offered.
[Mrs. Genzinger, in memory] A Christmas tree...
growing out of a rock...
that sounds miraculous to me.
Funny, I think about that tree from time to time.
Just out there...
alone in the wind...
holding on to that rock,
just trying to survive.
Or maybe the rock was holding on to it.
[Shane] Okay. Goodbye.
Well, that was my mother, of course.
So are you still in the mood for clams?
Oliver?
I'm sorry.
I was just thinking of Mrs. Genzinger.
Your Sunday school teacher?
She's known me longer than any other woman in my life.
I'd forgotten just how much she'd tried to teach me.
About what?
Oh, when to hold on.
When to let go.
I'm going to hold on.
[Oliver chuckles]
Oh, hey.
Oh, I felt that.
Ahem.
[Rita] Hey, Charley.
How's it going?
Good. Yeah.
I thought I'd get a head start on the...
What is NIFTS?
NIFTS.
"Not intended for the system."
Things that end up here when they're supposed to be...
somewhere else. Yeah.
We were wondering
if you would like to take your lunch break with us.
At the Mailbox Grill.
Our treat.
Oh, um...
I'd love to,
but I need to use my lunch hours to start looking for a new job.
It looks like USPS is cutting back on temps.
Thank you.
Rain check, maybe?
What are you thinking about?
Well, I don't want to say it
if it's going to make you unhappy.
We're married, Norman.
We can say anything to each other.
If her baby ever needed a family--
tomorrow, next week, or whenever--
and I knew in my soul
that we were supposed to be her parents,
then...
well, I believe that would be a miracle
that we would have to say yes to.
I agree.
Trust the timing.
But wouldn't it be a mistake to twist the timing?
What if Charley isn't our miracle?
What if we're hers?
[Oliver] This is it.
Lieutentant Walker's old station house.
Someone should still remember him.
Uh, good afternoon.
We're looking for the officer on duty.
That's me.
I'm Lieutenant Walker.
Lieutenant Walker?
That's right.
[Oliver] Uh, we're from...
I'm sorry.
Are you Owen's mother?
Yes.
I wrote this
on Owen's first night in hospital.
How is he?
He's beaten the odds so far.
It's getting harder.
How on earth did you track him down?
We actually thought
we were looking for someone named John at first.
John Marx.
He was on my husband's crew.
I thought he could help,
except I found out later he'd retired.
He moved away and we lost touch.
But I never gave up trying to track down Fred--
till I saw something on the news
about a fire in the National Forest.
They quoted the fire captain,
saying something about everybody got out safe
except their mascot...
a stuffed toy named Fred.
I never told Owen, though.
He'd...
he'd already lost so much.
[Oliver] Forgive me,
but I have to ask.
Becoming a firefighter after losing your husband,
it's...
surprising.
Owen was determined to take his dad's place.
Ah.
Except that wasn't possible.
So I decided to do it.
For the both of them.
It doesn't worry him,
you know, that you're fighting fires, too?
You know...
we've learned something about loss
through all of this.
Being afraid to lose someone someday...
it steals the joy of having them today.
We've tried everything...
and now there's one clinical trial left.
And believe it or not, it starts tomorrow.
This is kind of like a miracle.
Your timing is perfect.
[yard gate opening]
Hey.
How'd it go with Firefighter Fred?
[Oliver] Oh. Yeah.
Mission almost accomplished.
Almost?
Yes. We deliver Fred to Owen tomorrow.
The same tomorrow
that your wedding is happening on?
Yes, as a matter of fact.
Mrs. McInerney, may I...
ask why are you removing Shane's roses?
We need them for your sacred space.
Give her a chance, Ollie.
You two aren't so different, you know.
Thank you for your service.
Joe told me
that clams and red wine are your go-to comfort food.
Are you currently in need of comfort?
I can't say I've given it much thought.
Oh, I bet you've put a lot of thought into it.
How long did you think
before you asked Shane to marry you?
Hmm. Well, let me think.
Uh...
It was...
8:30 a.m. on a Monday.
I was standing in line in front of her--
Good heavens, Oliver.
It was love at first sight then?
Yes or no?
Yes.
But I was married.
To a woman who ran off to Paris
to write terrible poetry,
from what I hear.
It was unremarkable, the poetry.
The actual leaving was--
Very painful, I imagine.
She left you at the National Postal Museum,
leaving you holding the proverbial mailbag
at the Pony Express exhibit.
Shane certainly has...
kept you informed.
I'm her mother.
Come sit.
[Oliver clears his throat]
I'm sure she's had plenty to say about me, too,
but as much as we drive each other crazy,
we love each other
and have always been there for each other.
Just like you and your dad.
We are...
we're close now,
but we were estranged for nearly 15 years,
I'm afraid.
So he wasn't around when she left?
No.
Then...
who was there to help you through?
I had my faith.
Faith is good.
Hard to hug, though.
You are a good man, Oliver.
Sensitive, brilliant,
oddly vintage,
grammatically correct,
maddeningly cerebral,
and an incredibly thoughtful lover of Shakespeare
and mail...
and my beautiful daughter.
And...
tomorrow,
you are going to marry her,
and you need to get your act together
before then
instead of pushing it all down
with shellfish and pinot noir.
[clears throat]
Uh...
I just...
I don't know what to do.
Well, you begin by doing
the thing that scares you the most.
All you have to do is face up to the scary,
and the rest is easy.
You need to heal.
But you don't have to do it alone.
You have a whole family of people who love you, dearie.
And...
and that includes me.
Because love is a choice...
and you're a choice I want to make.
And...
tomorrow,
if you want,
I would like to become the mother you deserve.
What do you say?
[clears throat]
Serve God,
love Shane,
and mend.
"Much Ado About Nothing."
- Are you okay? - Yes, yes.
- Can I help? - Thank you.
Okay.
Oh.
Charley, we've been thinking.
We are very impressed with your work.
Oh, thank you.
Maybe you could give me a recommendation
when I leave.
Well, we talked to Oliver and Shane,
and we would like to offer you a job in the DLO.
[Norman] Full-time.
But it feels like...
you would be giving up something...
someone...
because you don't think you can have both.
Is that right?
Norman and I have talked it over,
and...
um...
we would like to adopt...
you.
I don't understand.
What if you had a job and a home and a family
that would love to help you raise your little...
one?
Seriously?
Yeah.
We just bought a house,
and we could turn the rumpus room
into an apartment, rent-free.
And we could all help each other.
Yeah.
It takes a village.
With a basement.
I don't know what to say.
- Say yes. - Yeah!
- Yes. - Yes!
- No. - Oh.
- No? - No.
Oh, I'm in labor again.
Oh.
Yes, you've rejoined the full-time labor force.
And we follow all the state and federal laws.
No, Norman.
She's in labor-labor.
Baby!
Baby, baby. Baby.
- Yeah, mm-hmm. - Oh!
I got you.
[Shane] Hey!
I've made all the calls for tomorrow.
I've confirmed our tickets to London Heathrow.
Your tux has arrived.
Is that my bag from Joe? Mm!
Great.
And...
I was just trying on my going-away dress.
What do you think?
Can you believe
that by this time next week,
we will be on our honeymoon,
standing in the London Museum of Mail,
reveling in the epic archives
of the British Postal Service.
Oh!
What are your thoughts on ballooning over Stockholm?
Oliver?
Oliver, you're...
you're scaring me.
You were right.
Robin Walker's letter...
has awakened...
something in me I realize I now must face.
When I was little...
I wanted to deliver mail.
As a man, I had to.
I had to...
return to strangers what was lost.
Because I realized...
that what I'd lost...
I couldn't restore.
Go on.
My mother left me.
My wife left me.
How long will it be before you--
Oliver, no.
I can't get it out of my head
that "forever"...
is a promise not everyone can keep,
especially to me.
Not after they realize that I'm really--
I'm just--
Just exactly who you are?
Hmm?
Oliver, I'm sorry your wife left.
And I am so sorry your mother left.
But...
I'm afraid that somewhere along the line,
you started believing
that all that leaving had something to do with you.
They left...
not because they figured out who you are,
but because they had no clue who they were.
I know who I am, Oliver.
And I know you.
I know you.
You are the man that I have loved,
and worked with,
and cried with,
and fought with,
and prayed with,
and prayed for.
I know you.
And I still love you.
I always will,
and I will never leave you.
I will never leave you.
[♪]
♪ You asked me ♪
♪ If there'll come a time ♪
♪ When I grow tired of you ♪
[♪]
♪ Never my love ♪
[♪]
♪ Never my love ♪
[♪]
♪ You wonder if this heart of mine ♪
♪ Will lose its desire for you ♪
[♪]
♪ Never my love... ♪
♪ Never my love ♪
♪ Never my love... ♪
[♪]
♪ What makes you think love will end ♪
♪ When you know ♪
♪ That my whole life depends... ♪
♪ On you ♪
[♪]
♪ Never my love ♪
It's after midnight.
You're seeing the bride on her wedding day.
And it is a beautiful sight to behold.
Since it is our wedding day now,
I have a gift for you.
Do you remember
the last time we saw Theresa Capodiamonte?
Life is so beautiful.
Don't waste a moment of it.
"Don't waste a moment."
I remember.
Go ahead.
Self-winding.
I love it.
I was going to have it engraved,
but "Trust the timing" was a bit long.
What about "Forever"?
I'll have it done by noon.
Noon? How?
- Norman has... - Has a cousin?
Your dad helped me wrap it.
And...
an old friend helped me find it.
Dumbarton?
How...
[Shane] You said that
Mrs. Genzinger has known you longer than anyone.
So I thought
if she was your Sunday school teacher,
she spent a lot of time at your church.
So I gave her a call.
Oh, my gosh.
You told me
she wanted you to learn
when to hold on and when to let go.
Turns out,
you needed to let him go,
and she was wise enough to hold on to him.
She was the one who found him at the altar?
Sacred spaces have a way
of turning into the lost and found.
We're ready.
Owen, your ride is here.
You've got some new friends you need to meet.
Owen, my name is Oliver O'Toole.
I understand you're off to the hospital again, hmm?
Yeah.
Well...
we're from the Post Office,
and we've been looking for you.
And we think you've been looking for somebody.
Oh, man.
Mom, it's...
Hey, Fred.
Where did you find him?
He was still fighting fires,
like you wanted.
[Oliver] It's a wonderful gift you gave,
and there are a lot of people
that wanted me to tell you
just how much Fred has meant to them.
But we thought
they should tell you themselves.
Owen...
your dad was there for us when we needed him.
So was Fred.
And now we're here for you.
You ready to fight the good fight?
Yeah.
We got you, Owen.
Good luck to you.
- We got your back, Owen. - We're here for you.
I'm going to be all puffy for the ceremony now.
Hey, how long is the ceremony, anyways?
Because we've got a baby to shop for
and a nursery to decorate.
Don't worry, Norman.
Ramon said he's going to take care of everything.
[♪]
I don't think I've ever seen you without this on.
To everything there is a season, Rita.
Thank you for being there for me through all of them.
I'll see you out there.
I love you.
Okay. Go.
[♪]
- [knocking on door] - Hi.
Oh, you went with the gold.
Goes with the roses.
Well...
if you look this beautiful in a bathrobe,
I'm guessing
you'll knock 'em dead in your dress.
It has a tricky zipper.
Would you help me with it, Mom?
Well, they always skimp on the zippers
because you only wear the dress once, and...
I would love to.
[classical music playing]
[Ramon] This is for you, right here.
Yes, it's going to be amazing.
You're welcome. Yes. No, sit right here.
Ovilear, my friend.
Ramon, I must say,
that is a magnificent tabernacle.
Thank you.
Excuse me.
- Hi! - Hi.
So?
So.
You ready?
Yes.
I know.
Mrs. McInerney, you look absolutely lovely.
So does your bride.
Have fun up there.
Thank you.
Shall we?
[Norman] From the Song of Solomon,
"Set me like a seal ov er your heart,
like a seal on your arm.
For love is as strong as death.
It burns like a blazing fire,
like a mighty flame."
[Rita] From Ecclesiastes,
"Two are better than one
because they have
a good reward for their efforts.
If one falls down,
his companion can lift him up."
[Rita and Norman] "When you pass
through the waters,
I will be with you."
[Rita] "I will be with you."
[Norman] "And when you pass through the rivers..."
[Rita] "And when you pass through the rivers..."
[Norman] "They will not overtake you."
[Rita] "They will not overtake you."
"When you walk through the fire..."
[Rita and Norman] "...you will not be burned."
[Oliver] Shane Shannon McInerney...
[Shane] Oliver Joseph Lindley O'Toole...
[Oliver] Will you take me as your husband?
[Shane] Will you take me
as your fiercely loving but utterly adoring wife?
[Oliver] Will you accept this heart I offer
and trust me with yours?
[Shane] Will you cherish me tenderly,
love me patiently,
and basically put up with me?
[Oliver] Will you forgive my failings
and overlook my obsession with the King's English?
Wherever you go, I will go.
And where you stay, I will stay.
[Shane] "And your people shall be my people,
and your God, my God."
And will you embrace my only dream,
which is to make you happy?
Will you trust my heart to understand yours?
And will you let me love you with all of my heart?
Will you share every season of every year ahead,
through rain and snow,
through sleet or sunshine,
even dark of night,
until God parts us?
I will!
I will.
And as a token of the vows we have made...
And as a symbol of our love...
[Oliver] With this ring...
[Shane] With this ring...
I thee wed.
I thee wed!
Whoo-hoo!
[cheering]
Well, Shane's mom sure can tango.
That was the most beautiful wedding
I have ever been to that I didn't get married at.
- Oh, thank you. - [Norman] Yeah.
I thought you were going
to change into your going-away dress.
I was too tired to change.
I may be too tired to go away.
Oh, Charley named her baby Eleanor.
Remember Eleanor from Passports?
Yes.
She actually always thought
Shane and I would get together.
[Rita] I miss her.
[Oliver] To absent friends.
[Norman] Oh. So don't forget to call us
when you land in London.
[Rita] Yes, and text us lots of pictures.
Oh, I shall.
I mean, well, sorry, Shane shall.
Oh, my goodness.
[Shane] Oh.
Oh, postmarked, stamped...
Goodness. Look, the wax seal's intact.
- Huh. - Huh.
Handwriting indicates male, 30s, slight tremor.
Commemorative rose stamp.
Maybe it's a love letter.
Hmm.
[Norman] Hand-mixed ink.
Italian, probably.
And the faintest scent of...
Norman?
Wildebeest--no.
Yak. Oh.
Goodness.
Does that say "Alameda" and "Alamo" or something?
Oh, there's a zoo in Alamogordo, New Mexico.
Lots of yaks there.
Postmark could be New Mexico.
The seal seems like
some sort of family crest, perhaps.
Oh, I have a book
on seals and stamps of the Southwest
back at the DLO.
It's just a block from here.
What say you, Miss McInerney?
Hmm...
We've got time, Mr. O'Toole.
[Oliver] To deliver what is lost,
to redeem wh at has been forgotten,
to faithfully bring to completion
the epic journey of a humble envelope
and whatever dwells in that sacred space inside,
that is a noble calling.
And it is what we do.
It is what we love.
It is who we are.
And we are, forever, the Postables.
[♪]