Split screen disappears. ALLY takes a book from her pocket book. My White Knight from The Music Man plays. LARRY enters. ALLY looks up, gets up, and sits across from LARRY as he sits behind the desk.)

LARRY: I didn't know if you'd give it back. You are laying siege to my office.

ALLY: Larry.

LARRY: I told you I can't do this.

ALLY: And you want to know why I won't go. You pushed me away too hard. That means something. I'm going to tell you what I think it means. And if you think it's all
bull, tell me the truth, and I'll leave. When Sam told me you had an engagement ring, well, I was shocked, because you were pushing me away. My birthday, I know, Sting, but no contact all day. I sat home alone all day, and when we came,
after we made love, you didn't hold me. You were so distant. You were thinking
about asking me to marry you, and yet you were shoving me away at the same time. I think you wer scared, no terrified. Of what, I'm not exactly sure. All I know for
sure is that when I was terrified that I was incapacable of falling in love again, you
wouldn't let me push you away. You wouldn't gto. So if you're really scared, I'm
not leaving. Just tell me what you're scared of, please.

LARRY: I'm not scared. I just realized we were wrong for each other.

ALLY: Now, that's impossible.

LARRY: Why?

ALLY: We are meant to be together. Whether we end up together is in doubt, but that isn't.

LARRY: Just because you think we're right for eachother--

ALLY: Come on, Larry. Lying to me isn't going to make me go away.

LARRY: Ok. You're the love of my life. I told Jaime that after I kissed her, but...

ALLY: But what?

LARRY: That doesn't change anything. Ally, I can't be with anyone.

ALLY: What are you talking about?

LARRY: I can't imagine anyone after you, and I--

ALLY: Can't imagine being with me. Why? Why?

LARRY: I failed as a husband. I failed as a father, and you're too important. I love you too
much to fail you too. You have to go.

ALLY: You haven't failed as a father, Larry. Sam loves you so much that he gave up on the idea of his parents together and came to Boston to convince me to get you
back, just so you'll be happy. Maybe you weren't there for him before, but you're
not a failure. You went to Detroit when he needed you--

LARRY: Because you reminded me I needed to.

ALLY: I was only telling you what you already knew. How you were at Christmas, Larry...

LARRY: I was afraid to go. Afraid I couldn't help him.

ALLY: My father told me that he didn't come to Billy's funeral because he couldn't bare to see me hurt and not be able to help me. You went, and you helped him. Despite
her fear. You didn't fail, and I can't believe that you'd fail me.

LARRY: I already have. I was pulling away from you.

ALLY: You were afraid, and you ran, that isn't failing, Larry.

LARRY: Why not?

ALLY: Did I fail when I was afraid you were about to dump me and dumped you?

LARRY: No, of course not. That's how you--

ALLY: That's how I am, and you hve to be strong and hold me up. I'm too weak to hold you up, so you being afraid is a failure.

LARRY: That's not what I--

ALLY: No. Is that what you think; is that why you'll fail me?

LARRY: No, it's my history.

ALLY: Right. Back to you failed her, so you'll fail me. I'm the love of your life, damnit. Why
won't I be different?

LARRY: Because it wasn't Helena. It's me.

ALLY: You're talking like you're incapable of change. Before Sam came, you weren't really
connecting with him, with you in Boston and him in Detroit, but when you came back
from Detroit, you talked all the time, and we were talking to Jaime about Sam coming to visit us. You changed, Larry. You must have.

LARRY: I needed to be there for Sam.

ALLY: Why don't you need to be there for us? Why aren't we important?

LARRY: We?

ALLY: Us, our relationship. Or me. Why aren't I important enough for you to change?

LARRY: Why do you keep making this about you. It's about--

ALLY: I know. It's about you. But Larry it's about you being able to change as a father but
not being able to change as a husband.
LARRY: As a father, I knew I had to try, but with you, I can't risk hurting you.

ALLY: What recquired you to try?

LARRY: He was my son. I already committed to him.

ALLY: You already committed to me.

LARRY: Not forever

ALLY: You can't committ to me forever, because you can't stand to hurt me.

LARRY: Yes.

ALLY: You think this doesn't hurt?

LARRY: You can leave. You'll get over me. It'll be better.

ALLY: For who? No, I told you, if this was fear I wasn't leaving.

LARRY: What are you saying?

ALLY: I'm not letting you go.

LARRY: What are you going to do?

ALLY: I don't know. You're the one with the magic words to scare away fears, but I'm not
afraid and that should mean something.

LARRY: It does. For you. Find yourself a groom that isn't scared, and you'll have something.

ALLY: Larry, God. Do you really want to do this?

LARRY: No, of course not, but--

ALLY: But you can't hurt me, right, that's what this is about.

LARRY: What are you talking about?

ALLY: You're going to hurt me.

LARRY: See.

ALLY: And I'm going to hurt you. It can't be avoided. I already hurt you when I broke up with you, and you already hurt me when you left.

LARRY: That was different. We were both protecting you.

ALLY: Well, guess what Larry, it didn't work. And if we don't get back together, its going to
hurt a lot more. Now I could lie to you and tell you I'll never get over it, but I will. The thing is, you won't.

LARRY: Don't worry about that.
ALLY: I have to. No matter how happy I manage to be, I'll always be worrying about you,
thinking there's something I could do, and I'll never be as happy as I could be with you

LARRY: Ally. It doesn't have to be that way. Just forget me.

ALLY: Its not that easy. I went to Junior Prom with Billy. Yes, this does have a point. But
my best friend went with a friend. He had an awful time. He'd only dance one dance. So she had to dance in groups of three with Billy and me or groups of 5.
She would search him out in a corner somewhere and try to talk to him, but he didn't
want to have fun. She felt guilty all night because she should have been doing something more to make him have a good time too. At the end of the night, he asked her if she had a good time, she told him she had, she asked him back , and
he told her the truth, he hadn't had a good time. And she felt awful, first because he'd had a bad time and second because he'd had the bad manners to tell her the
truth. Because everyone knows that was the perfect opportunity for a white lie.

LARRY: Ally, Detroit isn't some dark corner somewhere. I won't be in your life.

ALLY: You'll always be in my life. You're the love of my life.

LARRY: We have to stop saying that.

ALLY: Is it making it too hard to be noble? I've been a part of your life every day since you left. You haven't sold the ring. You stare at it, and you think about me. I don't need a ring.

LARRY: Ally, stop.

ALLY: Why? It doesn't change anything.

LARRY: I don't want you looking over your should after me.

ALLY: How about I only think about you every other week, is that ok?

LARRY: Ally, this is stupid.

ALLY: You're right. This is incredibly stupid. You didn't fail Helena; you're stil friends, close
friends.