Original subtitles

Oh, dear.

Monica!

I'm so sorry I'm late. I was catching up on some research when I realized I had

to meet you here.

And it's so easy for me to lose track of time at the library.

Gloria, forget about where you've been.

Look at where you are.

What's Tess doing?

She's walking a labyrinth.

Is that some sort of exercise program?

In a way.

It's a sort of spiritual exercise that's been around for centuries.

It's a way of praying.

Like taking a quiet walk with God and setting everything aside for a little

while. Well, what are we waiting for?

Wait. The purpose of a labyrinth is to... is to slow down.

Cherish every moment that God gives us.

Lorena has been doing that ever since she got out of the hospital.

That's really nice, Grace. Keep practicing.

I'm going to be right over here.

Do you have a headache today?

No, honey, I'm fine today.

Lorena comes here every day with her little girl.

Grace is her reason for living now.

Why does someone need a reason?

For some people life becomes more precious when the end is near.

His name is Sidney Alcott.

And as far as Sidney's concerned, people are just funerals waiting to happen.

Oh, dear.

He's a broken man, Gloria.

He's like that rose.

So, which one of them is our assignment?

All of them.

They're all on the same journey, they just don't know it yet.

There's something else.

There isn't much time.

When you walk down the road,

heavy burden, heavy load, I

will rise and I will walk with you.

I'll walk with you till the sun don't even shine.

Walk with you every time I tell you I'll walk

with you.

Believe me, I'll walk with you. And allow me to thank you for choosing

Alcott Funeral Home.

May I offer my sincere condolences at your loss.

Thank you, but I haven't lost anyone.

Ah, you're here to make pre -need arrangements so that when the time

loved ones won't have to worry.

Wise choice.

Let me just grab some paperwork.

Actually, Mr. Olcott, I'm here to apply for the position that you advertised

for, the pre -need counselor.

I have a lot of experience with people in need.

Okay, well, look, I don't have much time. I have a viewing in half an hour.

That must be very difficult.

This is a business, Monica.

Myself, peace of mind. I'm good at it.

Because I've learned the secret to life and death.

Don't get involved.

But it's such an emotional time. People need compassion and understanding.

They need to know that they can trust someone with their pain.

You're good.

You do trustworthy very well. Impressive.

I think we can work something out.

You take all the time you need.

Are you ready, honey?

I'm ready.

I want to see her now.

Of course.

This way.

We find comfort in knowing your mother is only...

Slumbering with the angels.

Slumbering's always better than a $6 ,000 mahogany coffin.

Excuse me.

Good afternoon, ma 'am.

Thanks for choosing the Alcott Funeral Home.

I'm Sidney Alcott.

Hello, Mr. Alcott. I... It's nice to meet you.

Allow me to offer my sincere condolences on your loss.

Oh, thanks, but no one's died.

Not yet, but I... Well, the thing is... Take your time.

There's a lot to consider.

I know.

You know, the truth is, I don't even think I can afford one of your services,

but I was hoping maybe... Don't give it another thought.

This is our pre -need counselor. Monica.

You're hired. Now get rid of her.

She's lovely.

She's been dancing since she was four.

I make her costumes myself.

She's got another recital coming up next week.

Wow.

What is it?

Just that it might be the last time I see my baby dance.

See the funeral for me.

I'm sorry.

It started with headaches.

I clean people's houses, so I thought it was the ammonia, but apparently the

first sign are headaches.

You have a brain tumor?

There's nothing they can do, except guess how many days I got left.

I want you to know that I'm here and that I will do anything I can to help.

I just want a simple service.

At that church on Hanover Street.

Oh, the one with the labyrinth.

I know it really well. Yeah.

I play the piano for Sunday school there.

And I walk the labyrinth every day.

It gives me great peace.

Have you told Grace that you're not getting better?

I'm afraid of leaving her.

I don't want to leave her.

She's afraid to be alone.

And I need to find a good family.

Do you have any relatives?

No.

Grace's father left us years ago.

And I was adopted. Both my parents have passed on, so just us.

Mr. Alcott, is he a good person?

I don't really know him very well.

I need for him to arrange a funeral that'll make it easy on Grace, you know,

when the time comes.

Cleaning up doesn't really pay a lot of money, and I have some hospital bills.

Maybe there's something we can do.

Do you think Mr. Alcott would help me out? I mean, I can't pay him a lot, but

will work. I'll do whatever I can. I'm a hard worker.

Come on.

Compata, volocorio, requiem.

Sidney, this is Lorena Watkins, and I really think that you should talk to her

about... Certo, quartet, creole.

Sidney, Mr. Alcott, I... Here, hold this.

Wow.

You like to dance.

I was a ballroom dance champion.

My little girl loves to dance.

As well.

Lorena has a proposition to make.

You know, Mr. Alcott, I think you need somebody here to help keep this place

clean. What I really need is someone to play a lot of old hymns. It's crazy

Delaney's. They don't want a quartet. They don't want a soloist. No.

What they want is everybody singing old hymns.

Lorena plays piano for her church.

You do?

Yeah.

Old hymns.

And I houseclean.

I do windows.

All right, then.

Hi. Oh, yeah, yeah. Just a little headache.

You're the guy that drives the hearse, right?

That's one of my jobs, yeah.

I'm Andrew.

Lorena. Hi. It's my first day.

I guess we'll be seeing more of each other.

I'm sure we will.

I understand you have a daughter, right?

Gracie. She's 12.

You like kids?

Oh, I love kids.

Oh, good.

I guess she's going to be coming here after school.

Do you think Mr. Alcott likes kids?

I hope so.

Is he in his office, by the way? I think so.

Well, welcome aboard.

See you.

Mr. Alcott, I accepted a delivery while you were gone.

All right.

Name of deceased?

Benjamin Holzer.

His friends called him Beanie.

Fine. Age?

Seven.

He's a kid?

Yeah. He was playing in his front yard in the ball, rolling to the street. He

didn't see the car coming.

And his parents will be here soon.

I'll be right down

All

right

get this over with

Kid, how much cleaner if we talk in here?

I'll call the makeup artist.

Did he drop the sheet?

What?

Hey, honey, you're Lorena's little girl, right? You're Grace?

Hey, no big thing, kid.

Stick around.

Maybe she'll learn something.

You walked out on an assignment.

I suppose you have some explanation for your behavior.

I don't know about this, Ted.

Grace is a child.

She needs to be protected.

Grace is a child of God, and he has a plan that includes all three of those

people. Lorena?

And grace.

And Sydney.

It's hard to imagine. Nobody's asking you to imagine it. Just get out there

listen. God has something to tell you, too.

All right, Tess. Now, look, I know that you're a fan of this thing, but... This

thing is a powerful reminder of someone bigger and wiser than us. And you seem

to need to be reminded of that angel boy.

Get a move on.

Tess, no. I'm sorry. This just... Gloria?

Tess has been helping me do some research on the lab rats and... Well,

Listen.

Oh, Jerusalem was written hundreds of years ago.

See, it was too dangerous for the pilgrims to visit the Holy Land. So they

build these labyrinths in their cathedrals and take a sort of symbolic

pilgrimage.

And this path that leads to the middle, that's called the road to Jerusalem.

It's all very interesting.

I brought you some coffee.

I hope you don't mind. It's strong.

I like it strong.

You were wonderful with the boy's parents.

I'm a professional.

Would you like me to mail that for you?

No.

Thanks for the coffee.

You must have been a very good dancer.

I had a good partner.

Had?

My wife is dead.

She and my daughter were killed in a car accident a long time ago.

I'm sorry.

Life is a fatal condition, Monica.

You live alone, you die alone.

End of story.

Is that the lesson you were trying to teach Grace?

She's only 12 years old.

She's never seen a dead body before.

Well, now she has. She'll get over it.

That's not the point.

And she won't get over it.

And it wasn't very nice of Mr. Alcott to do that.

You look so lonely and scared.

Is that what it's like when you die?

No.

No, I don't think so.

But hey, we don't have to worry about that now, okay?

Let's just think about living the best that we can.

How long are we gonna live, Mama?

Well... I don't know how long this old body's gonna last.

But I'll tell you this.

My spirit will never die.

I think I know what will make you feel better.

One, two, three. One, two, three. One, two, three. Good.

Oh, honey, you look great.

You need to float more.

This is a waltz, not a square dance.

Here, give me your hand.

Play it again, Lorena.

You ready?

Here we go.

One,

two, three. Back.

Enter to your father and bow.

You're not nicer than my mom said you... I mean, thanks.

You're welcome.

Can I walk with you this time?

Sure. Hold my hand.

I'm okay.

I'm okay. Let's keep going.

You have the strangest look on your face. What happened?

God just showed me the truth.

What truth?

Lorena came here to plan more than her funeral before she dies.

Like what?

Like a reunion with her father.

The one that she never knew until now.

You mean...

Sydney had two daughters.

You ought to knock before you walk into somebody's office.

I'm sorry.

I was wondering if you could help me practice some more.

Maybe later.

But I have a dance recital tonight, and it would really help. I have a business

to run. And it'd be really cool if you could come to the recital. You don't

to pay or anything.

See, I get two free tickets.

One for my mom, and you can have the other one.

I can't talk about this right now. I have a funeral.

For that boy?

Yeah. I bet his parents are really going to miss him.

I'm busy right now, Grace. I'm very busy.

Do you miss anyone?

Oh, damn it.

See what you made me do?

I'm sorry.

Oh, don't do that. Don't cry.

It doesn't do any good.

My mama is going to die.

You know that?

Yeah, Monica told me.

I never really understood what it meant until I saw that boy.

I'm going to be late.

I'm sorry I cried on you.

Here, wipe your nose.

So you won't forget?

Forget? My recital.

He doesn't care who he hurts.

He just... You know, I don't think I should have come here. It was a stupid

idea. Don't say that.

I don't know what good it's done.

How are the funeral arrangements coming?

Everything is going to be taken care of.

If it's okay, Monica, I need the afternoon off.

I have an appointment with social services.

Oh, Lorena.

Oh. What choice do I have?

I've got to find somebody to adopt Grace, and I want to know who they are

can know that she's going to be okay.

What about Sidney?

Why would I let that man have her?

Because he's your father.

I didn't know that.

It's true, isn't it?

You should tell him.

You haven't said anything, have you?

No, I haven't, but it will make all the difference to Sidney if you tell him he

believes his daughter is dead.

She is.

My older sister's dead.

My mother was taken to shopping, and we were in a car accident, and I was the

only survivor.

Afterwards, I guess my dad couldn't take care of me.

You know, I gotta tell you the truth, I'm...

Never really thought much about my father until I got sick.

And then I got a copy of the accident report, and by next of Ken, it said

Alcott as my father.

That's how I found him.

And you didn't try to contact him?

Not until now.

I wanted him to be a good person.

I wanted him to have a good reason for giving me up, but...

After spending some time with him, I don't see much good in him.

The truth can change everything.

It may even change Sidney.

But you'll never know unless you tell him.

And he walks with me and he talks with me.

And he tells me I am his own.

What are you doing?

He left it unlocked.

I figured you finally got sick of all the dust and wanted me to clean.

I ought to fire you right now.

You know, Mr. Alcott, I'm not just a cleaning lady.

I'm actually a person who cares about you, and I want to see you find some

in your life. Don't start telling me I need God or something, because I'm not

buying it. I'm not trying to talk you into anything. Believe me, I just want

explain. I... See, every day, I walk the labyrinth at the church on Hanover

Street. Forget it.

I got my own way of finding peace of mind.

Yeah, I found the liquor bottles.

I have something I need to tell you. Just get out. I'll put everything back

myself. It is important. Please.

Go.

Okay.

But before I do, I promised Grace that I would give you this.

What? The ticket to her recital tonight.

Please don't let her down.

She's been through so much.

Welcome to the club.

I don't see him.

He's not here yet.

Okay, turn around.

Well? You're the prettiest flower of the bunch.

Now go out there, have fun, do the best job that you can. I'm already proud of

you.

Okay, everyone.

Places, please. It's time. Hey.

I love you.

Love you, too.

Now, don't forget to save a seat for Mr. Alcott.

Yeah. Oh, Sidney.

Oh, Sidney what?

Weren't you supposed to be somewhere tonight?

Was I?

Oh, oh, yeah.

A little recital.

Too bad.

Believe me, Monica.

I've missed a lot more than that.

When did you last see your little girl?

She just turned two.

How do you... What do you know about Rose?

I know that she's your little girl.

And I know that you have seen her.

What?

You named her Rose.

But the people who adopted her, they gave her a new name.

Sidney?

Huh? I accepted a delivery.

Uh, put it in the prep room.

I did.

Then get out.

What are you talking about, Martha?

What are their name rows?

Lorena.

Lorena?

The cleaning woman?

Well, where is she?

In the prep room.

I don't want to.

I know how sad you are right now, Grace.

But try to think of this as a celebration of your mommy's life.

She loved you so much and she planned this day for you because she knew this

what you would need.

I need my mom.

What's going to happen to me now?

We're going to make sure that you are taken care of.

I'm not going to forget about my mom.

Of course you won't. And you must never forget how much she loved you.

Are you going to my mom's funeral?

I think my mom is right about him.

He's just very sad right now, too.

I always wondered what you'd look like all grown up.

There wasn't a day that went by that I didn't think about you, Rose.

I never stopped loving you.

I wanted to tell you that.

That I loved you.

And that I was sorry.

You were right there in front of me all this time.

But I was too damn drunk to see it.

On the day I let them take you away, I... I wrote you this letter.

I always thought that someday I'd track you down and...

Send it to you, and you'd read it, and understand why I had to let you go.

I'd lost your mother. I'd lost your sister.

I shouldn't have let myself lose you, too.

But I just...

I

never had much faith in anything.

But I always believed.

I'd see you again, Rosie.

But not... Not like this.

What happened, Sidney?

What are you doing here?

Don't you have work to do?

Yes.

And it's here, with you.

What are you talking about?

I'm an angel.

You're an angel.

Sure, why not?

I'm the angel of death.

My God.

I always thought that was just a joke people made.

No.

God sends me at the time of death to escort people home.

You took Rose?

Yes. When she died, I took her home, but there have always been angels around

her.

Because I wasn't there.

Because I let her go.

Sidney, you lost your wife and your child, and oftentimes people make bad

decisions when they're grieving.

I didn't think I could raise her alone.

You've never been alone.

God will never forsake his children.

And why didn't he tell me how to find her?

I would have... He showed your daughter how to find you.

And after that, it was up to the two of you.

And I blew it.

Now it's too late to know her.

You're still awake.

Come with me to the funeral.

I can't.

That

music

was written by a very courageous woman a thousand years ago.

Her name was Hildegard, and she walked with God every day of her life.

She described herself as a feather on the breath of God.

I've never heard a better way of describing what it means to be on a

with him.

Lorena made that journey every day.

I didn't know her, but I walked with her once on that labyrinth out there, that

path that symbolizes our journey toward God.

She came into this world with the name of Rose.

And like her namesake, she bloomed and left this world a richer place.

She touched each of our lives. To some, she was Rose.

To others, she was Lorena.

To God, she was his beautiful child.

And she still is his beautiful child.

And even now, she walks with him and she talks to him just as she

did so many times on that labyrinth in the courtyard.

I come to the garden alone

while the dew

is still...

on roses and

the voice I hear

falling on my ears

the son of God

disclosed

with me and he talks with me and he tells me I

am his own and the joy we share

as we tarry there none other

has ever known and

the joy we share

As we tarry there, none other has

ever.

Hello, Sidney.

Where did you come from?

The same place that Andrew came from.

Okay.

Then you can explain this.

What do you want to know?

She used to walk this thing.

She knew God.

I just walked it.

I don't know anything.

I don't know how to feel.

Why would God want to meet me anywhere?

Because he loves you, Sidney.

Because he knows that your life is full of pain and regret.

But his great gift to you is this.

When people lose their way, God is always waiting to show them the way

What's the point?

I've lost more than my way.

I've lost the chance to ever know my daughter.

No, you haven't.

Your daughter knew God.

She trusted God. She walked with him here.

This is where her journey began.

And it can become your journey too.

Walk with him, Whitney. Not just here.

But wherever you go for the rest of your life.

And you will know the peace that your daughter knew.

When you learn to love what she loved, you will know her.

You will.

Grace?

Yes, Mr. Alcott?

Hey, um... Monica said you might be needing a

family now.

Well, I have some ideas about that.

I thought we might talk about it.

Okay.

You know, whoever you decide to live with probably should be somebody who can

dance, don't you think?

Yeah, that's a good idea.

Hey,

I dance.