Yes?
No, no, he's not answering the phone.
Well, just keep trying the door. Keep...
Well, is the buzzer working?
Are you sure?
?Pap?!
Dad, are you okay?
You didn't answer the phone.
Or the door.
Dad, it's here. It's here.
Remember?
- The button that opens the door. - Mm.
Everything is open.
Mm.
Well, not actually, Dad.
Front door was closed.
I see.
Leo.
Hey, listen.
I can't make it in this morning.
Yeah, something came up. I'll be in later, though. I just...
Yeah, I have to, um...
Well, I'm taking my dad to the dentist
and getting his eyes tested.
No, no. I'll be back by lunchtime, though.
For sure.
I'll be there.
Hello, Mr. Leo.
You awake now?
- Are you with us? - Who...
You're...
I'm Xenia.
And you're Leo.
Mr. Leo.
- You want water? - Mmm.
Everything okay, papa?
He keeps looking at something.
Do you wanna look at that photo?
Of N?stor?
Look at N?stor.
He was such a good dog, wasn't he?
Don't you remember?
No?
Leo...
This time let's go together.
Come with me.
Please.
Did you hear me?
I can't. I can't.
You know that I can't.
Try!
M-Mi amor...
Please.
It means nothing to me, okay...
No...
But it does to me -
- it's an old superstition, Dolores.
It's a...
My love, it's a public celebration of pain
that's become a fucking circus.
Ay, Dolores.
Dolores?
Who's that?
Is that someone you used to know?
Today. Juntos.
Together?
That's right, Dad. That's what we're going to do today.
We're going to the dentist together.
You remember?
Maybe?
A celebration of pain that's become a fucking circus?
Yes, Dolores.
A superstition?
Ay, ya.
That's enough, Dolores.
Please.
I don't know why I thought this time would be different.
It's clear I don't matter; you don't give a fuck.
You can't do this for me?
You're leaving me alone.
I'm not leaving you alone.
I simply can't do it.
I am alone.
Dolores.
Huh? Dolores!
You are hot, Mr. Leo.
It's stifling in here.
They still haven't fixed the boiler.
I'll open a window.
Mmm.
This is early for you.
Not working this morning, huh?
A writer is always working, my friend, in here.
- Okay. - No. Mm-mmm.
- You don't want to? - No.
Okay. Sorry, Mr. Leo. I'm sorry.
You don't have to if you don't want.
Uh, dressing. Uh, your clothes.
I can help.
I can...
Yeah?
Okay, good.
Good.
Dad.
No, no.
Dad!
We have to go. Come on.
Dad?
Let's go.
Dad?
Come on.
You have to get in. Come on. It's okay.
I'm going to close the door, yeah?
Ah.
I see. I see.
Yes, Dad?
Dad?
- Do you wanna tell me something? - Many things.
Things, uh...
All...
No, no.
There.
Me.
Things.
It's okay.
Mm.
Are you ready for the dentist?
- Ahh. - Mm?
You gonna open your mouth? Ahh.
Oh, Dad.
Thank you. Bye.
Hello?
Can I help you?
Mikael? Mikael!
You have new customers.
And give me a cigarette, please.
Your mouth.
Can you just bring that hand down?
Good. And just open your mouth.
Open.
Can you open your mouth, please?
Good.
Uh-huh.
If you could sit in the chair a little bit longer.
Tranquilo, pap?. Tranquilo.
It's okay.
Sit back. Good, good. There you go.
A little longer.
Good.
Okay. And this one might have to come out eventually, okay?
Do-Don't worry.
Not right now.
- It doesn't have to come out right now. - No.
Nothing's gonna happen right now. Do you understand? This is just a check-up.
- Does he understand? - Sorry?
I'm asking, does he understand English?
Of course he does. He's lived here for over 30 years.
Okay.
Would you like to rinse your mouth out?
- Mm, water. - Huh?
No, no, no. Don't drink it. Don't drink...
No, no, no, no.
Oh.
Water.
Hmm.
- No. No. - Dad? Dad?
Dad, we have to do this, okay? We have to change your pants.
No, no.
- No. - Are you shy? You're a little shy?
Look, my eyes are closed.
Not seeing you. Not seeing you.
Whoa! Oh, whoa!
That's why we're going to get your eyes tested.
Not seeing me? Ha!
Come on.
Ah-ah. Stand up. Stand up.
Yeah.
Okay.
- No. No. - Oh, Dad.
It's normal. It's normal to take off your pants.
See? People do it all the time.
Look.
Whoo! See?
It's normal. It's normal, Dad.
See? Whoop. Whoo!
Ha! I think they'd fit you real nice.
Don't you think? Whoo!
Stylish, Dad!
Just a minute!
Ah! Oop! Okay.
- Mmm. - Ooh!
Yuck, yuck. Okay.
Do you realise what you're doing doesn't help you?
It doesn't help us. Not you, not me.
And what are you doing to make things better?
Hmm?
Mmm.
Sorry. Can I ask you a question?
Okay.
What kind of endings do you prefer?
In books.
I'm a writer, you see.
Depends on the story. What happens in yours?
Since you've asked...
uh, in my story, a man sets off...
on a long voyage
and overcomes one obstacle after another
until he ends up on an island.
Is it about you?
About me? No, no, no.
And on the last page,
he has to decide to continue his life in exile
or to come back home, to what was once his home.
- And? - Uh...
he may discover that his family has not waited for him.
How long has he been away?
At least...
20 years.
- Twenty years? - Twenty years.
No chance.
But what if he regrets his decision to leave?
Bit too late, isn't it?
Is it? Is it too late?
We should go. Come on.
- Maybe see you later. - I doubt it.
Stop, Dolores.
Dolores!
Wait.
Stop!
Mm.
Went...
Yes, Dad?
What did you say?
I didn't say anything.
Take the left turning.
The left?
Why the left?
To go under the bridge.
No.
But I always go that way.
- No. - I have to leave flowers.
- Leo... - Ya estuvo.
Dad! No!
Dad! Dad!
Dad.
Does it hurt?
- No. - Are you in pain?
No.
Look at me.
Look at me!
- Do you want me to call an ambulance? - Yes. Please.
No.
You're hurt.
Uh... pa... pers?
You don't need papers. You live here, Dad.
- Yes. - You're a citizen.
- You're legal. - No.
You're safe.
I'm not going.
I can't.
I don't want to go.
Hi. Look, I may not make it in by lunchtime after all.
Shit. Sorry. Can I call you back?
- Mm. - Sorry.
Dad?
So... do you know where you are?
The... hospital?
Do you know why?
- Do you know why you're in the hospital? - No.
Do you know what day it is?
Today?
Okay, he's fine, I think.
- Fine? - His head is fine. It's a superficial cut.
I wasn't referring to his underlying condition.
The scan shows some further atrophy in the frontal lobes.
Actually, I wanted to ask you some questions about his symptoms.
Does...
My wife.
Mi mujer.
Pap??
Forgive me.
Did you wanna see Mom?
Is that what you were trying to say before?
Because I can call her and tell her that you're here if you want me to.
Forgive me.
You're sorry?
Don't worry, pap?.
We all have regrets.
I'm sure she has too.
- Rita. - There. You see?
He knows perfectly well who I am.
The malingering bastard.
- Do you know who this is? - But he just said...
Dolores.
- Dolores. - Dolores. Our son...
- He always wanted sons, you see. - He did?
No. No, no.
No.
It's not funny.
Maybe he should've stayed with her.
Dolores is a real person?
His first love. Childhood sweethearts.
Very passionate.
He adored her, apparently.
A codependent disaster, in my opinion, from the stories he told me.
My beautiful disaster. Hermoso.
Does he often hallucinate?
Excuse me, but my father does have a name, actually, and can hear you.
Okay. Would you prefer to step outside to talk?
Mm?
If it's okay with you, sir, I'm just gonna have a word outside with your family.
Two.
Two what? Two words?
Two words are okay with you?
Two of them.
Mm-hmm, yes.
Two of them.
Sirens outside.
Yes, that's because we're in the emergency room.
Emergency.
- Mmm. Urgent care. - Urgent.
Oh! No, no, no!
Wake up, Leo. Wake up, Leo.
- Time to go home. - Home?
With you?
No.
We divorced.
Quite a long time ago now, actually.
- Divorced? - Yes.
Probably because I became more successful than you.
A lot more, actually, which neither of us could deal with.
But we're still friends.
- Friends? - Yes.
I think that's what people call it.
You live in that dump overlooking the tracks,
which you like, apparently, alone.
Alone?
Yes, which for some reason you prefer.
And your daughter feels that we should respect that.
However, the doctor is, as they say, concerned...
- and thinks the time has come... - Mom!
Your hair.
- Same as it ever was. - Mm-mmm.
Well, more or less.
Thanks to my colorist.
- Looks good, huh? - No.
Oh, just...
just agree with me for once.
Upon a time.
- Oh, Christ. - You m-mine.
No, not anymo...
As I just mentioned, I have a new husband now.
You've met him.
- N-No. - Yes, of course you have.
Dozens of times. Socially. Parties.
Parties?
Parties? Parties?
We are too busy for parties today, Dad.
Don't... Don't humor him, sweetheart.
Cunning bastard.
He just pretends he doesn't remember things so he can make me feel guilty.
Mom, stop it.
I'm sorry, sweetheart.
I didn't even ask where you were going when all this happened.
We went to the dentist, and now...
we're going to the optometrist, if we ever get there.
Can you manage?
Do you want me to come too? I suppose I could rearrange some things and...
N?stor.
N?stor is there?
- No. - N?stor?
No, N?stor is no longer with us.
He's in heaven.
No.
- Doggy heaven. - No.
He was a very good dog.
Oh, N?stor.
N?stor!
Is he getting agitated?
We can give him something to calm him down.
Why does everyone continue to refer to Dad as "he,"
as if he's not here?
Well, is he?
Oh, N?stor.
- Hey. Hey! - Hey!
I'm sorry!
Hey, are you following us?
No. No, no, no. I'm not following. No, no.
It's just that I saw you up there and then I... I...
I can't stop thinking about the conversation we had before.
Because it's incomplete, like my book.
- You okay? - Yes.
Let me help you up.
Thank you.
Wow.
What is it? Are you hurt?
No, it's that...
you keep reminding me of someone that I once knew.
Do I? Who's that, then?
Uh, well...
we met at college.
And we had a daughter.
Who, by now, will be, uh...
How old are you?
Probably the same age as your daughter, I should think. Am I right?
Yes.
- Do you see her often, your daughter? - No.
- No, I don't. - Why?
Well, I left when she was a baby.
- Uh... - Why?
Because I couldn't concentrate on my work
because of the noise and the crying and...
You know?
That's sad.
That's the saddest thing I ever heard.
- For her, at least. - For me, too.
But you have to make sacrifices when you are a writer.
Are you saying you sacrificed your daughter... for a book?
Dad.
Dad?
Are you okay?
Let's quickly find you some nice pants before we get your eyes tested, okay?
Okay?
We'll get some for me too.
Luckily for us, we got a later appointment.
But we have to be quick. Okay?
Other one.
Huh? What other one?
Mmm.
Like you.
See you later, maybe.
Okay, okay, okay.
I'm sorry. I meant to call back.
There have been some complications in my day.
What happened in the meeting?
They still want me to do it, don't they?
I've been working on it forever. I've done all the research.
Well, that's just today. I mean, I can do it.
No, it's just been a crazy day, but I...
Sorry. Could you hold on for just a moment?
Sorry.
Dad?
Please don't disappear like that again.
- Where did you get that dog? - Encontr? a N?stor.
N?stor.
He stole my dog!
Him! He stole my dog!
The fucking Mexican stole my dog!
Okay, what's going on?
- He stole my dog. - N?stor.
Get out of my country, you fucking criminal.
Listen, I can explain. This is my father. He's just confused.
- Is the dog hers? - Yes.
- Give the lady back the dog now. - Dad? Dad?
Dead!
- You're dead. Dead! - Okay, please... Hey!
Stop. Get off him. You're hurting him. Please.
Okay? This is my dad.
He's just confused. He's really not well at all. Can't you see?
N?stor.
Dad? Come on. Dad?
It's okay. It's okay.
It's okay.
Hello!
Whoo-hoo!
It's just a light. It's not gonna hurt you.
- Ah! - No, no.
Look this way, please.
For God's sake.
Okay.
Now, put your chin right here for me.
Right here.
Chin right here. Right here. There you go.
Just here. Come on. Almost.
- Dad? Dad? - Just put your...
There you go. Forward. That's it. That's it. Okay?
It's not that difficult.
Just... Th-There you go. Don't move, don't move.
Okay, good. Now, looking here.
Okay, good, good. Nice, nice, nice.
One more thing to do here now, and then we're done.
Now, look straight ahead for me. Looking up at the screen.
Now, can you read that for me?
No, look through here. Looking...
Excuse me, ma'am, but is he...
Is he what?
Is he all there?
Sorry, Dad.
Those security guards. Brutal.
And that stupid optometrist was so rude, so disrespectful,
I could've killed him.
Killed... N-N?stor?
N?stor?
No.
No. He was put to sleep, Dad. He was sick, you know.
Kill the sick?
Kill sick people?
No. Of course not.
Hi.
Yes.
Oh, okay.
Oh.
That's very disappointing.
Yeah, he's a good choice. Of course. Um...
You know, I've been working on it for much longer.
Oh, I couldn't call back today, you see.
I'm really sorry about that.
No, no. No, I ge... I understand.
Yeah.
I get it. Thank you.
Fuck!
Went to Greece today.
No.
Today we went to the dentist. Okay?
Then to a stupid optometrist
with a minor detour to the emergency room.
Okay? You hit your head.
- Tunnel. - That was a scan.
You were with me all day. Okay?
No.
Gone.
Alone.
You know something, Dad?
I can't pretend anymore.
I just don't know what you're saying.
I'm lost.
I'm completely lost.
And as it happens, I lost a very big job today.
It was a big story.
I'm gonna have to make some hard choices.
For both of us.
I'm sorry.
But there it is.
Uh-huh.
Where have you been all day, Dad?
Let the world know that Jesus is free!
Home.
You've been waiting. I'm sorry, Xenia.
- Someone looks tired. - It's my fault. We tried to do too much in one day.
You need to go. Can I help you with anything?
It's okay. It's my job.
I guess I'll be off, then.
Okay.
I'll see you soon, Dad.
Home. I want go home.
This is your home.
Here.
No.
Okay.
Okay!
I'll stay.
I'll stay tonight.
Pap??
Are you okay?
Fuck.
Aah!
No.
Fuck.
I called the hospital and called the police.
Well, I just don't know what else to do.
I just feel so terrible, like...
I should've been watching him, you know.
I should've heard him go out. He went out barefoot, Mom!
Oh.
Look, Leo.
We are not alone.
This is why I wanted you to come.
Everyone here has lost someone.
But today they are coming back to visit us.
Him as well.
He'll never come back.
Come with me.
Come closer.
My love, don't stop there.
Keep walking.
You're nearly there.
We'll all be together again.
It's not like this, where you are, is it?
You get used to it.
What's this? I mean, look at his feet.
- Home. - Yeah, dirty.
- Your customer, not mine. - Show some respect, Tazeem.
You okay, uncle?
You okay?
Warm water. Please.
Feet.
For your feet.
He should be at home, Rahim.
Yes, but right now he's here and needs our help.
That's good, huh?
Address! What is your address?
Name of street?
No need to shout.
Where do you live?
Do you know?
Water.
I think we should call the police.
This the guy?
He been causing a problem?
No problem. No, sir, not at all.
I, um... I think maybe he is lost.
Also maybe his mind.
Be quiet!
Does he know where he lives?
The officer wants to know where you live, uncle.
Home.
Sir. Come on.
Come on.
Watch your head.
Go ahead.
Leo...
Even if you don't believe
could you at least act as if -
- as if what?
As if he were here.
What for?
Try to sense him.
Say something to him.
What can I say?
That I can't bear the guilt I've felt for so long
because I let him go to school by himself that day?
And there's nothing I think more about
than to find the driver of the fucking car
and smash his head on the same fucking road?
What can I say?
That his mama and papa's lives are destroyed?
No, not that -
What can I say to him?
It should be me in there, not you, my love.
I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
I love you so much, my son.
Speak to me.
I can't bear the silence. I can't bear it.
I know.
But it's more unbearable to think
that nothing of him exists.
Because then where can I put my love?
Hey, Mom. They found him.
I know. Thank God.
Yeah, I'm taking him home now.
Wherever I go,
there I am.
True.
But you...
you're not always there.
Also very true, Dad.
- "Dad"? - Yes.
You're my dad.
Mi pap?.
So I chose...
Rita.
Which led to me, so I'm happy you chose her.
One road, other... roads
I could... I could have...
Could have what, pap??
Could have...
gone to Greece.
Mom told me you went to Greece when I was a baby.
To some island, to write.
Mmm, write, write.
Many years. Many...
Well, not really. You...
She said when you got there, you changed your mind.
You turned around and came straight back.
For you.
Did you, pap??
For me?
F-For me.
Well...
thanks for doing that.
For all of us.
Even if Mom and you did get divorced later.
Alone.
You have me, pap?.
But I have to work.
And you know how much I love my work.
I've been working on some stories in honor of your story.
And I have to travel.
So I won't always be here.
M-M-M?xico.
I was supposed to go to the border, actually.
I... I crossed over.
Yesterday.
Does it feel like yesterday?
Was yesterday.
And...
I went... there.
There.
And many other places I went.
Mm.
I'm sorry, pap?.
I'm trying to understand.
I'll try harder...
to see it from your point of view,
to see what you see.
No.
In the sea I died.
Mmm.
No, no.
I was there.
I was...
I was there. I was...
I was... there.
All the same time.
And then?
And then come home.
This one.
With you.
Welcome back, Dad.
Molly.
Y-You said my name.
Oh, yes, that's me.
And...
you're you.
However far away you go...
and whatever they say,
you are always you.