Original subtitles

I've climbed the Eiffel Tower, walked in a London shower,

but I get lost finding my way to your heart.

And I can't tell you where the Big Dipper is,

where Cinderella's magical slipper is.

I'm a wisp now that you know I love

you so Hold me and kiss me and show

me the way to your heart

ease of transatlantic travel as compared to say a hundred years ago did i

mention we saw actual letters retrieved from the titanic yes yes you did

at the british postal museum yes on your honeymoon last tuesday in the afternoon

oh let me tell you nothing exceeds the realization of a great dream of your

life such as that unless of course

It is to experience it with the love of your life by your side.

I dare say we might be one of the great postal love stories.

That's how Shane and I met.

Just guessing at the post office?

Oh, the dead letter office, to be precise.

We comprise a rather elite task force with wide powers of postal discretion.

But I get ahead of myself.

I could go on. But please, tell me about yourself.

Ladies and gentlemen, we are beginning our descent into Denver.

Oh my goodness, the time just flew by.

Are we landing?

Momentarily, my love.

I know you slept all the way from London.

How about you?

Oh, my friend here and I had the most marvelous conversation about love and

the mail. Every step it took to get us to this moment.

The threshold of our new life together.

And now it begins.

And now it begins.

Finally love has found me After

all this time Finally love It

took so long It's just a crime But now

Good morning, Mr.

O'Doul. It nearly ran down.

Well, how long does it tick before it starts?

Five days. I had the gardener winding it while we were away, but I forgot he was

visiting his mother in Grand Junction this week.

Well, we were on our honeymoon.

You have a pretty good reason for letting things slip a little.

True, but it's ticked continuously for the last 100 years. I'd never forgive

myself if I let this clock stop on my watch, so to speak.

So, um...

How soon till you're ready to leave, my love?

I should be ready soon.

Well, it is our first day back.

So, they'll understand if we're a little late.

I suppose I am the ranking official.

Oh, let me bring this wedding gown upstairs.

No, just leave it there.

I'm going to take it to the cleaners and have it.

by wedding dress preservation professionals.

All right.

Oops.

Oliver! Yes, tell me.

He'll be here, Norman.

We were... I like getting back from our honeymoon, too.

Yeah, but we were coming back from the East Tin Cup family camp during the off

-season in Bland, Colorado.

They're in Europe. They have other languages. They could get on the wrong

train or eat the wrong cheese.

Ah, great heavens.

You tell us everything.

How was the cheese?

Unparalleled. The cheese, the wine, and, of course, the British Museum of Postal

History was humbling, inspiring, monumental.

the breadth and depth of their medieval collection was it put me in mind to

explore the possibilities of a postal museum right here in denver i couldn't

stop thinking about it yes it was a big topic in the balloon oh you did the

balloon it was so magical floating over stockholm in a hot air balloon sipping

champagne with my new husband sounds like a lot more fun than donkey rides

and east tin cup

Though the zip line was cool. We did love the zip line.

Rita, what have we here?

It's a welcome home present.

No. Oh, yes.

The great mailbox breach of 2017.

Yeah, every letter mailed from Garfield High School. I had given up hope they'd

ever be found. Yeah, they were recovered from a street drain and then

accidentally sent to the terminal annex in Kansas City. And it took seven years

to track and return them to Denver. Yeah, not everybody can be us.

We've got 25, including that severely damaged one. And I have invented

something to remove mold and flakes.

It's my four-step desiccation revelation process. It'll only take five to six

months for the process to complete.

Astounding, Norman. Well, we have plenty to keep us busy until then.

Miss McInerney, would you like to do the honors? You're still going by Miss

McInerney? We're still working on it.

Water-soluble ink, perhaps addressed with a fountain pen. I can barely read

anything.

Well, we have obeyed all the postal privacy directives, and we have no other

option. Norman? Well, extraction can be tricky.

Over here.

We've got a whole day planned for you. Lunch at Ramon's new restaurant with

Oliver's dad, and Charlie is bringing Eleanor.

Perfect. Oh, how's that going?

It's not strange having a brand new mom and her baby living in your basement?

Oh, no. When I was growing up, we always took people in. And how's Charlie

handling single motherhood? Oh, well, a new baby is a lot.

But we're helping, and Norman is completely on board.

Oh. Like, like completely.

Well, you'll see. Well, my friends, we have a nearly readable letter, shall we?

Dear Maria, I am shocked, dismayed, and quite hurt by your actions. I feel

utterly betrayed by someone I considered to be a stellar student with great

potential, and I was proud to be your mentor, and I thought your friend.

When the police arrived today, it broke my heart that you broke the law.

I'm sorry to say that I will... press charges life has consequences maria and

you must learn to face them or this path of anger you continue to choose to

become a way of life and all you have worked for will be overtaken by self

-entitlement and bitterness if you want to play ball for a living you need to

learn how to play ball in life this is difficult letter to write but not all

teaching happens in the classroom, and this is one lesson I feel I need to

impart to you. Impart? I'm gonna go with English teacher.

As your theater teacher, I often emphasized that drama belongs on the

stage, not... The rest is missing.

But we do know, however, whoever wrote this, clearly a Garfield High School

theater teacher seven years ago, and addressed this, apparently, to a

student. Ouch!

What a letter to send.

Or receive.

Maria could be a very different person now.

Are you really sure we have to deliver that?

I didn't hear you say that.

She must have done something really awful.

We brought them all the way from London.

That's from the British Postal Museum.

Oh, a sealing wax set.

It stamps the profile of a corgi.

Mailboxes of the 19th century.

Limited edition.

Oh, there she is, Charlie.

Hi. How are you doing?

Oh, she's fine.

She's a little colicky, but that's normal. Sleeps almost six hours a night.

Wakes up very cranky. I think he meant Charlie, Norman.

Oh, I'm great, but I couldn't do it if Eleanor didn't have two amazing

godparents, huh?

Hey, if you want to sit down, I can take you for a walk. Oh, yes, thank you.

Bye.

So, Charlie, when are you

back to work?

Um, well, I could take more maternity leave, but honestly, it's kind of lonely

at Rita and Norman's without them there.

Why don't you come hang out with us? Maybe you could bring Eleanor along. Oh,

regulations don't... Joe, you could come by and help us set up a crib in the

corner. Actually, Norman already has.

There's a crib in the DLO? I gave him your old one.

I'm sorry, babies in the workplace are... Oh, you are the ranking official

in the dead letter office, darling.

Yes, but... Wait!

Charlie, didn't you graduate from Garfield High?

Seven years ago, yeah. Did you know a girl named Maria? She either played

softball or volleyball, maybe?

No, I wasn't really into sports that much.

Do you remember your drama teacher?

Uh, Mrs. Philpott.

She's not there anymore. She actually left the second semester of my senior

year. No one knows why, though.

And the plot thickens.

And the salad bar is open.

Oh!

Please don't get used to, um...

Don't get in the habit of assuming I'm willing to bend the postal rules just

because. Because we share the same mailbox?

Over here. Ramon, you were both so kind to think of me on your honeymoon.

What a thoughtful souvenir, a compendium of recovered mail from the Titanic.

Your great-uncle was lost on the Titanic, if I recall.

Actually, he got lost on the way to the Titanic.

A fortunate mix-up. So, how is married life?

Grand. Every day, a revelation.

Marriage is like a salad bar, Oblir.

A great one brings you back again and again to appreciate all it has to offer.

How are your adoption plans coming?

Oh, well, there's a lot of paperwork to fill out to even start looking for a

baby.

But helping Charlie with Eleanor takes up a lot of time.

Well, Norman's time.

So, you found a letter to Mrs. Philpott? From. It was mailed in the great mailbox

breach of 2017.

bomb scare that turned out to be a false alarm.

But in the process, a mailbox was blown up along with most of the mail inside.

And then anything they did recover ended up at the wrong post office for a few

years until it made its way back to us.

Is that all you're going to eat?

Oh, I'm not very hungry.

Well, not every letter we deliver is going to be good news.

Whoever Maria is, she has a letter to read, and we... Norman, have you ever

had anything of yours heirloomized?

Uh, no, no. I think I would have remembered something like that.

Cherry Creek Professional Fabric Preservation. It is the only place that

I would trust with preserving my wedding dress. Then it'll be in perfect

condition for when your daughter gets... Oh, if you have a daughter.

Maybe someday, but what about you? Oh, we're still trying, of course. But we

want to adopt, too. If I can just get Norman to finish his application essay

on why he wants to be a dad.

Hey.

Maybe he already feels like one. Okay.

You know, it's funny.

You think, you know, your soulmates work some thoughts and then they surprise

you. Oh, believe me, after all these years.

I have seen all of Oliver's quirks.

Well, I'm going to run a search for all the Marias in sports at Garfield High in

2017.

I'm just going to need to take a look at that letter again. Oh, I've got it.

Where'd it go?

Oh, I put it in the pending box and it's...

It's already empty. Uh, that's not the pending box. That's the outgoing box.

Oh, and I emptied it onto the main conveyor on our way to lunch.

So it went back into the system.

Oh, I'm so, so, so, so sorry.

I'm just so jet-lagged, and I just... Not to worry. It was a dead letter. It

still is a dead letter. We'll find its way back to us sooner or later. We just

have to wait. In the meantime, we have plenty of work to do right here.

or, you know, adding on? Oh, the house is protected by the State Historical

Society. Any changes have to be approved by a committee.

Wow.

That's astounding. There's no postal museum in the state of Colorado, and yet

there is a museum entirely dedicated to the unsinkable Molly Brown.

I know, to be fair, she did survive the Titanic.

Are you feeling a little warm?

No, not really.

Mm-mm.

Oh, uh, well, the crank was lost years ago. Um, the society won't approve a new

window because it affects the exterior integrity of the house.

It only opens by committee.

Oh, well, uh, the review board meets next spring. I'll try and get it on the

agenda.

You okay?

I just feel awful about that letter.

On the other hand, would it be so terrible if Maria never got it?

Yes, it would.

And I have every confidence that we will get another chance to do the right

thing.

Trust the timing. Trust the timing.

I'm almost ready. I just have to find my other shoe.

Well, the shirt's here. There are none left.

Upstairs.

Got it.

Ready. Ready. Big day.

Big day.

Morning, Charlie. You're here early.

I bet you didn't want to miss the grand finale of the great mailbox breach.

Only two letters left.

Actually, three.

It's back!

Maria's letter?

No. Cast your dead letter upon the postal waters, and it shall be returned

to you.

Charlie? You okay?

Um, I have a confession.

The bomb scare, the great mailbox breach of 2017.

That was my fault.

I'm sorry. I don't understand how you could be responsible for a bomb scare.

Because it was my idea.

Not the bomb part. It's just... It's complicated.

Well, I'm stunned.

No, I'm flabbergasted.

Actually, I'm more than that.

I... Tell us what happened.

There were three of us who hung around in high school.

It was me and these two guys, Marlon and Barry.

Marlon was the sweet one.

Barry was the crazy one. We saw the world the same way. We read the same

books. We laughed at the same things.

So Barry's thing was thinking up these crazy pranks.

Nothing mean, just creative.

Like, um, putting the principal's morning announcements through an app.

that made him sound like Voldemort.

Voldemort. Later.

Go on.

Anyway, we had this thing about seizing the day, except Marlon and Barry kept

teasing me for always being worried we'd get into trouble if we did. So I decided

to do something to prove I was just as creative as they were.

That mailman empties that box at... 12.05 every day like clockwork.

What kind of life is that?

Every day, same time, same box.

I don't know.

Some people like their routines, you know?

Some people need their routines.

Take that away and he'd be lost.

Maybe he'd be released from the monotony of the daily drudgery of constant

retrieval and it would rock his world.

All he needs is something to wake him up.

We seize the day.

Okay, we seize the day. We seize the day.

Bye-bye.

Now, I must take exception to the characterization of dedicated postal

service as drudgery. She was 17, Oliver.

Keep going.

I had the idea to put something in the mailbox that would surprise the carrier.

Just surprise him, that's all.

Maybe put a microphone in there and have a voice yelling, let me out.

Barry wanted to put a cat in there.

a cat a cat but we landed on something we thought was pretty tame

we put an alarm clock in the mailbox just to see what would happen

Uh-oh.

What happened?

The alarm didn't go off.

What's he doing?

Where's he going?

No way he really thinks that's a bomb, right? What do we do now?

Nothing.

We weren't here.

The bomb squad came. He detonated the mailbox.

And the rest is history.

You intentionally breached a repository of the U.S. mail with... A clock.

I'm so sorry. I don't know what I was thinking. All those letters.

Charlie, it was a really long time ago. You were just a kid, and it was a silly

prank. It was a federal offense.

But not intentional.

A federal offense.

But not intentional.

You know I love the post office. Yes, we do. But there should be a consequence

for this sort of thing.

So, suspension.

Oliver.

So, you should go home

and meditate on what you've done.

And we will see you in the morning.

Thank you, Oliver.

I'm sorry.

At least we found Maria's letter.

Wait. You asked me about a Maria at my school. I just remembered one.

Do you remember her last name?

No, but she was supposed to be the lead in the school play, and then she just

disappeared.

Like Mrs. Philpott?

Does she play sports, too?

All I know is that Maria never graduated.

I think she got arrested or something.

Wow.

So Maria went to jail, Miss Philpott disappeared, and Charlie violated

Federal Postal Regulation 587B, Section E, Paragraph 12.

At least we have the letter back. And a real lead now, too. I ran a search in

the 2017 Garfield High database for seniors named Maria.

I found two.

A Maria Haugen was never registered in the drama class.

But a Maria Sollinger was. So, Maria Sollinger, next steps?

Track down Maria's current address and surprise her with a really awful letter.

That is our mandate, yes.

I hope that our efforts to deliver the last two letters are successful and

bring a modicum of pleasure to their intended recipients.

Well, let's get this over with.

That's the spirit.

Oh, how did your appointment...

Oh, well, the adoption people want us to find a registered family therapist to

attest to our fitness as parents.

Yeah, they gave us a list of names, but they're all on the other side of town.

And I'm not comfortable being that far away from home in case Eleanor needs

something. On the other hand, honey, perhaps a good therapist could provide a

little perspective on how to raise your children while other people raise

theirs.

Well, I've got one. A therapist?

A cousin. Oh.

Norman and his married cousins.

Oh, that's right. Collide. Calliope, she's perfect.

She's a family counselor, she's right in town, and she's really flexible.

Well, with our schedule, flexible hours are a plus. I haven't seen Calliope

since, um... Oh, five years ago, when she played Santa Claus at the office

Christmas party.

Oh, that was her coming down the pneumatic tube in the terminal annex?

Yeah. Do you really think a cousin is a good idea, though? Of course.

I mean, who knows them better?

Sorry, I interrupted you at lunch. Oh, that's okay.

I mean, I get it.

You get what?

Well, sometimes you just have to weigh in on a conversation with another point

of view before I've had a chance to actually... I didn't see it as weighing

in on... You just did it, darling.

But that's okay.

It's just a little quirk. A little quirk.

Rita, where are we with that first letter?

I'm still missing one digit of the street address and most of the street

name, except for the letter Z, but we're getting there. Great. And the search for

Maria Sollinger? Well, I found 20 just in Colorado, but only one that matches

our Maria's age.

And that is where the trail for Maria Sollinger stops.

after her arrest yeah i couldn't find anything in the traditional news

probably because she was under 18 but i did find something on the garfield high

chat room from back then listen to this maria solander could have gone division

one but she blew it then this i heard she was sentenced to 30 days in juvie

kiss that scholarship goodbye

Wow. Whatever Maria did must be the reason she didn't graduate high school.

If she was sentenced, there would be court records, but that would be a tough

one. Maybe we can follow a paper trail to somebody who still knows her.

Okay.

Uh, Norman?

I could use your advice.

Oh, um... Well, personal or postal?

Well, for many years, I have been your mentor in many areas of life. But now,

as a newlywed, pupil has become the teacher, and I have much to

learn about the first months of adjustment.

Um... Well, uh...

It's mostly about working out the little things, like who does the dishes, or who

takes out the garbage, or who thinks my 36-volume collection of South American

commemorative stamps doesn't belong on the coffee table.

Little stuff.

But you do adjust eventually?

Yeah. It comes down to teamwork, compromise.

Waking up every morning and thinking, What can I do to make her happy today?

Bingo.

Public defender Ed Frank supervised juvenile cases seven years ago.

Excellent. Let's make the call.

I'm on it.

And guess what?

I just matched Zipco to half a street name.

That's two down, one to go. We're on a roll.

Yeah, and Calliope can see us at 1 today. Except I was going to take

Eleanor for a walk.

Oh, well, you could take a walk with me to therapy.

Public Defender's booked for today, but there might be an opening for tomorrow.

So I think I might just go home and have a nap.

Are you okay?

Yeah, it's just these long hours are starting to make me... Actually, you

reminded me.

I have an errand to run. I can drop you at the house.

All right, everyone.

Let's break and regroup at 2, shall we? Oh, okay.

Come on, Norman. Let's get evaluated.

I am

so

ready for this nap.

How are you feeling?

I feel good.

Where's my wedding dress?

Oh, well, I knew you fully intended to take it to be preserved, so I thought to

myself... What can I do to relieve my dear wife of the burden of such a

mundane errand? So I took it for you.

Wow. How thoughtful.

And where did you happen to take it? Oh, Fred's. Swifty Cleaners.

Not Cherry Creek Professional Fabric Preservation.

No, Fred. He was very excited. In fact, he said he's always wanted to work with

real lace.

I thought you'd be pleased. I just wish you'd ask me first.

Oh, well, it would be just another decision for you to make when you have

so many here waiting for you already.

Well, I've been making decisions my whole life, darling.

Just not in historical landmarks. Oh.

Do you think you'll feel well enough to go back to work?

Yep.

Why don't you go on ahead and I will meet you there.

Okay.

Bye.

Exquisite craftsmanship.

1898. Yes.

I can restore this.

Yeah, fabulous.

Two months. Maybe three if you want to restore to its original beauty.

Three months?

No, that's impossible.

I'm not fixing a can opener.

My craft is one of precision and detail.

It's a crank.

What if we swap out original beauty for original function?

Please. My marriage is riding on this. New husband, family heirloom.

Six weeks.

Four days. Three weeks.

I am pleased to inform that Norman and Rita Hayworth Dorman exemplify the

highest parental standards, and I unreservedly recommend them as

candidates for adoptive parents. The highest parental standards. I bet all my

practice with Charlie and Eleanor helped, don't you? Oh, yes, absolutely,

darling.

No, I know I'm late. I'm sorry.

No, no, just in time. Rita believes she's about to make a breakthrough on

her next last letter.

The only possible combination of zip, street, and name is addressed to... Oh.

Wow.

Hi.

You didn't have to knock.

Uh, we are here on official business.

The second letter from 2017.

We believe it's addressed to you.

Rita Cross referenced the address to one previously listed for you.

So, is it really for you?

Now, Charlie, don't feel pressured to reveal the contents of a personal letter

to us.

Dear Charlie, I know this sounds crazy since we've only been friends up to now.

The truth is, I have feelings for you.

Oh, wow!

They started the day we met, and they've just gotten deeper.

And if I don't say something now, we could graduate, go our separate ways,

and miss out on the best thing that could ever happen to us.

So it's time for me to seize the day and just say it.

I think I love you.

And if you think you could feel the same way, then maybe after we graduate, even

if it's not the three of us anymore, it could still be the two of us.

Just think about it.

Please. It's poetic, but, um, to the point. Yeah, it looks like he signed it

L-O-something.

Probably loved Barry.

Barry?

I didn't realize he liked me so much.

Well, so that's Barry's handwriting. It's not Marlin's? Yeah, yeah. See how C

is spelled with I-E instead of E-I and separate has three E's?

Common mistakes, sadly.

Not for Marlin. Barry was a terrible speller.

Barry wrote this.

Yeah, we just had fun together. If one of us had feelings for another one of

us, it would have been weird. But I guess Barry liked me.

I always liked... Doesn't matter now.

Have you kept in touch?

With Barry?

Or Marlon. No, we all lost track of each other after graduation.

Maybe Barry's still interested.

In a single mother?

Yes. But besides, it's been like seven years. I wouldn't even know where to

start. Well, that's what we do.

We could help you find Barry. But we are not in the business of locating lost

crushes.

Our official duties require us to focus on Maria Sollinger and delivering... Why

can't we do... Sorry to interrupt.

Oh.

Sounds like Eleanor needs her mama.

Well, our, um... therapist...

helped me to see that focusing on Eleanor was getting in the way of

focusing on starting her own family. Wow.

You got all that in an hour?

She seems pretty special.

Well, she is my cousin.

Can you guys stay for dinner?

Thank you, but we have a date with a pasta maker.

With a wedding gift from Hazel.

Assuming we can find it.

Lots of gifts still on the dining table.

And... On the floor and in the closet. Yep, lots.

Lots of gifts.

Lots of friends giving lots of gifts.

I was thinking if you prefer to go out for dinner, we could... You smell

something? Yeah.

It's like something's on fire.

That would explain the sirens.

It sounds like it's coming from over there on Gaylord near... Red Swifty

Cleaners.

I know what you're thinking. Oh, I don't think you do, Oliver.

I suppose you got to wear it

before... Before?

Before you took it to the wrong cleaners and it was cremated by Fred's Swifty

Fire Center?

Perhaps we should discuss this later.

What are you doing?

Winding the clock.

But it doesn't have to be wound for another three and a half days.

No, I wind it every other day. It keeps the mechanism supple. It's not there?

I broke it.

I was trying to open that stupid window upstairs and I took it to a repairman

and he said there's a chance it'll be ready before the clock winds down.

I'm so sorry.

I'm sorry too.

How about I... make you some linguine and clams with a nice cabernet.

Thank you.

I'm not very hungry.

I mean, who never opens the window in their bedroom?

Did you try using a three-quarter-inch Allen wrench? The point is that the

window should have worked, but it didn't, so I found a way to fix it.

But you didn't. Well, the sacred O'Toole clock that hasn't stopped chiming in a

thousand years is going to stop if Arthur doesn't find the right piece of

wood to fix the thingy in time, and my wedding dress is dead.

Did you guys apologize?

I said I was sorry. He said he was sorry.

Did you forgive each other?

Well, I felt it would be a thoughtful surprise to have her dress waterproofed

and mothproofed professionally as a lasting heirloom and savor the chore of

delivering it herself.

Gets it out of the hallway.

Yes, that too. So I took it to Swifty Cleaners.

Actually, the former Fred's Swifty Cleaners after six o'clock last night.

So the wedding dress is now essentially toast.

And the clock crank? It's not cranking.

Norman, I'm not sure what I'll do if I let the family clock run down after all

these years.

Oh. Well, what's the worst that can happen?

Coffee break.

Here's your usual honey.

Just like you like it.

Thank you. What is that?

Oh, that's, uh, my father brought it in. It's the O'Toole family rocking chair.

It's nearly 100 years old. Aw.

Heavens, it's like I've married a museum.

Oh, Shane. The public defender returned your call. He leaves tomorrow on a two

-week vacation.

Oh, great.

Just great.

What if I go now, camp outside his office, and then he'll have to see me?

Perhaps Norman and I should take over from here?

The two of you take over?

You've been tired, and this may end up being a very sensitive meeting.

Sensitive?

Oh, silly me. Hey, Shane.

I found the, um, Garfield yearbook. Oh, look.

We are looking for anything about Barry.

Uh... Ah!

Senior class.

Let's see. Oh, look!

There's Charlie.

Charlie Reddick, most likely to have a happily ever after. We will just have to

make sure that we get her one.

I understand the irresistible urge to locate this fellow on Charlie's behalf,

but as I said, personal interests cannot exist in the postal environment.

Oh, come on, Oliver.

If this is for Charlie, you heard her yesterday.

I did. Just in my experience, there are countless ways in which meddling in

another's affairs can backfire.

Agreed. There are a myriad of ways that meddling in anyone's stuff can backfire.

Or... just end up on fire you mean myriad ways it's common misconception

to use the article a the preposition of however oh look fast

-talking barry most likely to own a car dealership are you seriously giving me a

grammar lesson right now my only intent was to clarify the use of myriad as an

adjective now if it had been employed as a noun oh then i would use a myriad of

other ways to stop you from correcting me that would be technically correct if

used as a noun right now there are a myriad of nouns coming to mind just as

there are myriad ways to open a window without employing the one tool never

intended to open the window and there it is forgive me i thought we were supposed

to keep personal interests out of the office environment mr o'toole exactly My

point, Miss McInerney. Is anyone hungry?

No. No.

Hi.

Sorry, we're late.

We've got a lead on Barry.

Oh. Might be selling cars.

He sounds a little sketchy, but if you do decide to, check him out.

Whatever you do, don't do it on postal time.

She's gone.

She's not gone.

She just needs some air.

So do I.

Go find her. Rita and I can talk to Mr. Frank.

You just go.

Norman, I don't know where to look.

Of course you do.

Where do you go when you need to feel like yourself again?

This is Clypie's number.

She made time for us right away, so just, uh... think about it.

Here I was wondering if you know me at all.

I know you're unhappy.

Because you are.

And you are because I am. And I don't know how we got here.

Where we go now.

Remember how it felt when we were sitting on my porch swing?

Everything made sense when we were there going in the same direction.

Maybe we need some help.

So Rita and Norman turned in their application, huh? Yeah, all they have to

do is wait now, I guess.

Could take a year.

Well, the good stuff is always worth waiting for.

You found that old high school friend of yours yet?

You know about that?

You know those Dark of Night awards over behind Oliver's desk?

One of those is mine.

You don't get one of those without paying attention to details.

So? Yeah.

Yeah, I just found him. Turns out he really is a car salesman right here in

town.

Then what have you got to lose?

Give the guy a call.

You were so kind to find the time to help us, Mr. Frank.

Well, you don't give me much choice.

Federal postal officials with badges beat local public defenders every time.

This is very federal and very postal.

I'm sorry, but my hands are tied here.

Maria's juvenile records are sealed.

Now, you can try to get a court order, but that might take months.

And there's no guarantee that we grant access. The post office just wants to

know about her current whereabouts.

The people I represent are in the habit of sending annual Christmas cards. Well,

if you do think of anything you can tell us, please give us a call.

Well, this may not help your search, but I'll tell you one thing.

Maria was a really good kid who had some issues she needed to deal with.

She regretted what she did.

And she deserved a second chance.

I tried to give her one.

And I hope she took it.

We're never going to get through all that red tape. We've got to go to Plan

B. Should we run it by Oliver?

They're in therapy. We've got this.

Wait. Thank you.

Plan B is Mrs. Philpott?

Yeah, we ran into a dead end with Maria. But we found Mrs.

Philpott's address in an old faculty directory.

And that led us here.

There's only 1.5 people named Philpott in every hundred thousand.

Even less in Denver, so it really wasn't that hard.

Come on, it's gonna be okay.

Miss Philpott?

Yes? We're from the post office.

Yes, I wrote this to Maria Solinger.

But I thought it was destroyed in the explosion.

It's my fault, Mrs. Hillpot.

Barry Rogers, Marlon Carter, and I dropped a clock in the mailbox as a

stupid prank. We had no idea how far it would go. Of course you didn't.

I'm just thrilled that this was never delivered.

Oh, well, that's the thing.

Once that letter entered a U.S. mailbox, it became the property of the U.S.

Postal Service.

So we have no choice but to deliver that to Maria now.

Oh, dear, no, please.

I wrote this in a very weak moment when I was really struggling, and what Maria

did was just the last straw.

What did Maria do?

Maria was a talented, very promising senior.

She could act on stage and lead a team on a softball field.

And the rule was, if her grades went down, she couldn't play.

So when she failed her final exam, she was benched on the very game that a

college scout...

was attending just to see her.

Now, she begged her coach to look the other way, but he wouldn't. And so she

begged me to raise her grade, and I wouldn't. She just lost it. I smashed

her bat into my windshield.

No one was hurt, but by the time it was all sorted out, I had missed a very

consequential doctor's appointment.

It was my first day of chemo.

Maria was arrested for vandalism and expelled from school.

not long after I left school to work on my recovery.

And, well, here we are.

Do you have any idea where she is now?

No. But I couldn't bear it if this letter makes things worse now.

We have to deliver that letter to Maria.

But... there's no reason we couldn't deliver two.

We just need to find her.

Uh-huh.

So, let me see.

Well, when I was looking for Maria, I'd usually find her making out under the

bleachers with a boy named Toby.

Toby... Toby Seccombe.

Couldn't act, couldn't throw a ball.

The only talent that kid had was being crazy about her.

I hope she didn't lose that, too.

And then I read this kitchen hack on Instagram that said you waste more water

by rinsing every plate and every piece of silverware one at a time before you

put it in the dishwasher than if you just put a small load into the

dishwasher.

Everything gets clean, and it's more ecologically sustainable.

That's why I do it.

How do you feel about that, Oliver?

I'm afraid I don't know what an Instahack is. Graham, Instagram.

Would it be fair to say that each of you, having lived alone before getting

married for how many years?

Every day since I graduated college.

And Oliver was... Married, very briefly. Prior to that, I lived in the home alone

in which we currently reside. Really a lovely Victorian that's been in my

family forever.

So, each of you over the years have developed your own daily routines.

Dishwashing, cleaning, et cetera. And that worked for you then as a single

person, but not necessarily now as a couple.

Well, one might argue irrespective of one's marital status that a freshly made

bed is more aesthetically pleasing with crisply folded hospital corners.

We don't live in a hospital.

We don't live in a college dormitory either.

Oh. I'd like to end there for today.

I'd like to see you back in two days, but in the meantime, I have some

homework for you.

She gave us homework, too.

Lots of bubble baths. What about you?

Something about not building another fire this week until the flue is open. I

think it's a chimney sweep reference. Oh, yeah.

I think I might have a way to find Maria.

Mrs. Philpott said that Maria had a boyfriend, right?

Mm-hmm. What if that boyfriend became a husband?

I'm going to do a search for Maria Seccombe.

This is highly irregular.

We followed protocol.

You were the first ones to make contact. Perhaps you and Rita should follow

through? Uh, no.

Charlie's having coffee with that Barry guy, so we're watching Eleanor.

And when we find Maria, well, you and Shane should do this.

Together.

You know, I really hope Barry is everything that Charlie is hoping for.

I keep wondering, if Barry thought that letter was blown up, why didn't he write

Charlie another letter?

Oh, I don't know.

Yes!

We found her.

A second.

Yes. My name's Oliver O'Toole, and this is my colleague, Shane McInerney.

We're from the post office, and we'd like a moment of your time.

Sure. I only have a moment, though. Come on in. We run the Dead Letter Office,

and we have a letter addressed to you several years ago.

You were at one time Maria Sollinger, right? Yes.

Apologize that we had to go to some lengths to locate you. It involved

contacting the writer, a Mrs. Barbara Philpott.

Needless to say, um...

She remembers you, and she remembered Toby. So finally we put two and two

together and discovered you'd married.

We were concerned that receiving this letter after so many years might cause

some distress.

Although you seem well, working here and not... In jail.

The letter was written not long after the incident.

We're required to deliver this.

to you, but you are not required to read it. And we do have another letter that

she wrote to you just yesterday.

Dear Maria, I owe you a long overdue apology.

And with all my heart, I hope you are in a place where you can accept it. You

were angry that day, and I should have handled it better. But I just discovered

I had cancer.

I was scared and angry with the world, too.

And you paid the price for my anger.

I'm so sorry.

Forgive me.

Can you... Right here. Of course.

I'm so grateful that my letter was found in time to help me reach out to you. I

have a new, far less dramatic life growing flowers, of all things.

I hope you have found a happy life, too.

Fondly, Mrs. Philpott.

Mrs. Philpott has been in remission for quite a few years.

Until recently.

Thank you.

For the record, I am happy.

I mean, it took a lot of time and I had to start over, but... Sorry, I will read

this again. I just, um... Oh, we've taken up too much of your time. Thank

you. No, thank you.

I wish we could keep talking, but I just got thrown a curve today.

You do seem pretty busy. It always is in adoptions.

We thought we had a couple to adopt a little girl being born in a few months,

and they have just backed out, so... I'm scrambling here.

This isn't the same as meddling.

This is just passing on information. Information that could change their

lives. I know, I know. It's blurring the lines between official business and

personal life.

Not unlike keeping a nursery in the DLO, I suppose.

It was going to take Norman and Rita at least a year, maybe longer.

Precisely. Come on, Oliver. Why can't we just... Wait, what are you saying?

No, you first. No, you.

I was just...

I'm going to say maybe Dr. Callis give us an A for our homework.

That's what I was thinking.

We might be having a violent agreement.

Hey. Look at you. You look wonderful.

Oh, you too.

I was so glad to get your message.

There's just so much for us to catch up on. I just... I wish I had time for more

than a cup of coffee. My wife just called. I gotta go pick up my kid from

preschool. You're married.

And you have a kid.

Yeah. Yeah.

This is my little buddy.

Three.

Doctor said he's smarter than a six-year-old.

Anyway, let's try to make the best of the time that we've got.

Yeah, you know, I'd love to, but I just realized my babysitter leaves early

today, so I gotta rush off soon, too. Oh, that's too bad.

So you're a mom?

Yeah. Little girl.

And you're a dad.

I'm loving it.

Can you believe that crazy, wild Barry is now a solid citizen?

Well, we all grew up, I guess.

Hey, do you ever see Marlon?

No. No, he got all serious, too, and he went to college, and we kind of lost

touch after that.

We should try for a reunion someday.

Yeah, yeah, sure.

Sorry, I do have to leave.

What's that?

Do you remember the mailbox and the alarm clock?

Are you kidding me?

That was our best prank ever.

That was your idea.

Well, they found some of those letters, and this one is from you.

Oh, wow.

I forgot about this.

Is this why you called?

Well, I didn't think that you'd still... Why would you? It was a long time ago. I

wasn't really... There's something that I should have told you a long time ago.

This letter that you got from me, I wrote this, but...

The signature that's missing, that doesn't say Love, Barry.

I don't understand.

I wrote this as a joke, and I signed it Love, Marlon, because he had, like, a

major crush on you, and I was always teasing him about it, and when I mailed

it, he got pretty upset, and then it got trashed, so I figured, you know, all's

well that ends well, right?

So Barry wrote the letter and signed it for Marlin?

Ouch. Big ouch.

Oh, it's okay.

I mean, a few days ago, I didn't even know this existed. It's not like I spent

years wondering if Barry loved me. So how long are you gonna wonder if Marlin

still does?

We're back.

And we have great news.

Oh! Everything went okay with Maria?

Better than okay.

Charlie? I must admit, the consequences of your high school prank have yielded

one remarkable, perhaps...

Even miraculous development Maria's good. She has a great job that she loves

and it's placing babies with adoptive parents and

There's a baby do soon that

needs a family and she's looking for a couple just like you

So, Barry isn't so sketchy and wild anymore.

No, he even volunteers for Neighborhood Watch.

Guess I was wrong about that guy.

Did you ever think you were wrong about Oliver?

I've never stopped loving him.

How's therapy going?

Uh, it's, um, it's going.

dark of night award presented to joe o'toole remember how i got that going

the extra mile driving through that blizzard to deliver a wedding dress

So here's a question for you both.

What is the first moment you knew you'd be together?

I think it was the swing.

I gave her a porch swing to remind her of a happy memory.

It's in the garage.

I keep meaning to set it up.

And I procrastinate.

I just haven't found the perfect place.

because it's so her and the house is so... So you.

I share that beautiful home. It's your house. It's not mine. You share a house

with the State Historical Society. I can't even move a chair.

Or set the clock.

It's a crank.

A hundred-year-old irreplaceable crank.

Oliver, what's the worst that could happen if the clock rang down?

Without the dress, without the crank, do you?

believe that you would still be married?

Well, of course we would.

I take great umbrage at your question.

He says things like that.

Because you know him. I do.

And all that you know, the history, the habits, the quirks, did you marry him

because of all that or in spite of it?

Because I love him.

I love her.

Tell me.

How much time passed between the first time you said I love you and the day you

married? A few weeks.

Ten weeks, four days.

Ten weeks, four days. From I love you to forever.

There's no time at all.

But we were ready.

We knew what we wanted.

Of course we were.

We're not children.

Love can make children of us all, Oliver.

But children must learn how to grow up.

And lovers must learn how to become husbands and wives.

We have great friends, really happy friends who can write a recommendation

at some point when they're even happier.

And my cousin Spike is our accountant.

He just sent over our tax returns.

Yeah, I got him right here.

Okay, we can expedite this. And if the mother approves the application, which I

think she will, we can get you cleared by early next week. Oh.

There is just one more thing.

And we understand if you feel you can't proceed.

Good morning.

I am ready and I'm even on time.

So how did that feel?

Strange.

Sad. I guess I've never seen the clock so still.

But it'll be fixed soon, I hope.

So the clock will keep time once again. But perhaps you won't expect quite so

much from it now.

Or from yourself.

No.

How does that feel?

Starting over?

Shane.

Well, the dress is gone.

But it's not like I was planning on wearing it ever again.

I just thought I needed to hold on to it to... To what?

To remember the happiest day of my life.

So far.

Now, I have one last assignment for you.

I want you each to do something to surprise each other this week.

Something that leaves behind the old things and makes way for a new thing.

Two surprises to create one new vision.

I have no idea what you're talking about.

We'll think of something.

Wait, did you just say our last assignment? Yes.

This is your last session.

This is not a marriage in trouble. This is a six-month-old marriage.

The honeymoon is over, and now it's time to get down to the business of being

married.

The good news is you've been friends for so long, you don't need me to save your

marriage.

You just needed a little help to get it started.

Sorry.

It's a 911 from Norman Rita

So

this sounds like wonderful news Except there's something

wrong, isn't there?

There's a reason they had trouble finding her a family She has it

Congenital heart condition.

They said she could be in NICU for a few weeks before we would even take her

home.

And then she'll probably need surgery at some point.

Oh, wow.

So what are you thinking?

I mean, we don't want to say no, but... We just keep asking ourselves if we have

what it takes to help her.

It's a lot to take on.

Well, perhaps the question is, are you worried you're adopting the wrong baby?

Or that she's getting the wrong parents?

Because we can't imagine anyone better than the two of you to breathe

love into a child every day of her life.

She's so tiny.

You can see her little tiny nose.

It's right there on her face.

So when do they need an answer?

I think you already have one.

Then I guess we're having a baby. I think we're having a baby.

I think I'm going to cry.

Well, I certainly hope it's been worth all your trouble, Norman.

Yeah, after all this, it would be a real bummer if this turned out to be

somebody's gas payment.

Why, I doubt anything could tarnish a day such as this one. In fact, I believe

we should break out the U to celebrate your impending parenthood.

Two babies in the house? Are you sure we won't be in the way?

Absolutely not. You and Eleanor are family. Thank you.

Have you ever thought about calling Marlin? I mean, I bet he'd be thrilled

to hear from you. I don't know. I just feel sort of pathetic now, you know?

Calling around, asking guys if they ever had a crush on me. But Marlon really did

have a crush on you. According to Barry, but who knows what's really true. That's

my point.

You don't know until you give him a chance.

Truth is, I used to imagine running into Marlon someday.

Then I had a marriage that lasted about 30 seconds.

And to Eleanor, it's going to last a lifetime.

That chance is gone.

Oh. She has been fuzzy for two days no matter what I do.

Well, when I was little, my mom used to put me on the tractor and drive me

around the commune until I fell asleep.

Couldn't hurt to try. Mm-hmm.

Do you want to go for a ride with Mommy?

I feel so bad for her.

I have an idea.

Uh-oh. I think we should find Marlon. Oh, I don't know.

Sure. Natalie just seems so down.

She needs something to close this chapter one way or the other.

Can't we just order her pizza?

Mrs.

Philpott?

It's Maria.

Ladies and gentlemen, the great mailbox breach of 2017 approaches its end.

Twenty-five ill-fated missives were savagely launched into likely oblivion,

and yet, with the perseverance of this office, each has been given a second

life. As we prepare to dispatch the last of them, may we never lose sight of the

high purpose to which we, as postables, have been called.

Let's see.

Address is still unreadable.

Um, sorry. I should change her.

Element?

Well, it's intact.

It's smudged. I can barely make out the handwriting.

I concur.

Sadly, we...

last letter be unreadable.

Would have been so nice to be able to have delivered them all.

Norman, are you sure you can't think of something?

Not unless they invent a device to decipher poor penmanship.

Hello? May we help you?

Hi. Yeah.

I'm looking for Charlie Reddick. I'm Marlon Carter.

Mr. Carter, I'm Jane McInerney. We spoke on the phone.

Right.

Thank you.

Is she here?

She is.

Charlie?

Great.

What is going on, Miss McInerney?

It's okay.

Charlie.

Marlon?

It's good to see you.

Um, how did you... I got a call about an old letter that came through here.

Barry wrote it and forged my name.

It's a federal offense, you know.

It's really good to see you.

You too.

I feel bad about Barry's letter. I'm sorry you had to read it.

It wasn't your fault.

It's just a shame that that's the one that survived.

What? Yeah, there was another that, uh... Sorry.

I think that's it there.

What? Yeah, I mailed one that day, too, and it was on green paper just like

that.

Wait, you wrote that letter?

I did.

To her.

Oh, I love my job.

Goodness, perhaps we should deliver that letter. Oh, yes.

Oh, um... This must be Eleanor. Yeah.

Yeah. Oh, sorry. She's been fussy.

Thank you.

Oh, yeah.

This is definitely from you.

You can read that?

She's the only one who's ever been able to read my handwriting.

Dear Charlie, about an hour ago, Barry wrote a stupid letter to you and signed

my name and mailed it.

It's embarrassing.

So if you open this letter first, please just throw Barry's away.

But if it's too late and you've already read his, then I hope you ignore it.

Don't get me wrong. He's right about me. I do have feelings for you. But I'm

working on how to say that in my own way, in my own time. So please don't

feel like you have to answer this.

Just remember, somebody's always writing about love. But I think the best love

just gets lived.

I hope I live long enough to find a way to tell you that someday. Face to face,

the way you deserve.

Love. Marlon.

I don't remember exactly what I wrote, but I haven't forgotten how I felt.

And you're supposed to get over your crash, you know, but... Oh,

look how sweet she is.

Finally.

So, I guess, being a mother and everything...

You don't get out much?

Not much.

Do a lot of takeout.

I love takeout.

He's in law school.

Top 10% of his class. And he's never missed a car payment.

Solid guy.

So you must have broke a few rules to find him that fast, huh? Does a hacker

hack on the internet?

What do you think that letter said?

Oh, hi.

Enough.

Um, Marlon said he'd drive me home. Do you mind if we order in from Angela's?

Oh, I... Oh, I love Angela's. Best crust in Colorado. Tell him about the cheese.

See? A happy ending. And pizza.

I know you're upset.

Oliver, I want you to know that I wouldn't have brought Marlon here if I

didn't think that he was a really nice guy who genuinely wanted to see Charlie

again.

I'm not upset.

It's just that after all we've learned in therapy, I still don't understand

your preoccupation with matchmaking.

Of course you do.

I know you, and you know me. That's what we've learned.

I'm a romantic, and you are too.

But I use laptops, and you use... Logic.

Not everyone could have navigated these past few days the way we have.

Agreed.

Thank you for going the extra mile.

I would go just about anywhere with you, Mr. O'Doul.

Except right now, I've got to do something.

Ah, so do I.

I'll meet you at the house?

Deal.

What on earth?

Are you ready to be surprised?

I think I already am.

What is all this?

These are the seashells I collected from that island the Christmas my grandfather

died and I wondered if I'd ever be happy again.

That's the pen you borrowed and wouldn't return.

You used it to draw.

A picture of what jazz looks like on the night we first kissed.

I kept that right here for months.

Until you came back to me.

And that I did.

And the letter opener I gave you for your birthday.

The last rose of summer.

Did I marry a pack rat?

You married a man who believes that everything you touch in his

life becomes a rare and sacred thing.

But it would mean nothing if I didn't have you to share it with.

Anywhere.

Anyplace.

In any old home.

Or perhaps in a new one?

It seems the State Historical Society is willing to accept the O'Toole Mansion as

the site of the Colorado Museum of Postal History.

I'm just hoping you're willing to consider the possibility of moving.

Because, um...

Because I want to start over.

Shane.

Will you marry me?

All over again.

Love is patient and kind.

Love bears all things, hopes all things, endures all.

I've always been in love with you.

Always. I have thanked God every day that you came into my life.

But I realize now that having you in my life doesn't mean expecting you to

change and fit into it.

I'm asking you to forgive me.

And I'm asking you...

To build a new life with me.

Not mine.

Not yours.

But ours.

Will you do that?

If you'll forgive me for expecting the same thing. I absolutely will.

We've both lived alone for so long, and...

We are so very much ourselves.

But you are the only man that I could ever live with and

truly be myself with.

And yes, I ended that with a preposition.

Wherever we live, you.

Well,

I guess I have a few left in me.

This is gonna be hard to top.

Well, there's no pressure, of course.

Trust me.

I've got this.

Oh?

We'll have to find a new hiding place for this when we move it to the new

house. Oh, you think so?

Someplace high where she can't reach it.

She?

Or he.

We'll know in a few weeks, probably.

Plenty of time to find a spot for that swing.

It'll be great.

It'll be like a rocking chair, built for two.

Or...

Oh, my God.

Really?

Oh, my God.