Laura's Birthday 1998

[At Laura's.]

Laura: "Lulu? Where's my baby girl? Is she over here?" [Lulu runs up to Laura from behind.] "I'll bet that she's [she turns around and smiles] right there!" [She picks up Lulu.] "Hello, sweetie. Oh, my goodness. Now, tell me something -- were you, by any chance, in the kitchen looking at my birthday cake?" [Lulu nods.] "You were? Hmm. Is it still there?" [Lulu nods.] "It is? It didn't get up and run away?" [Lulu shakes her head.] "Well, that's good, because I would hate to have to go chasing after it down the street. That would be pretty silly, wouldn't it?" [Lulu nods and Laura laughs.] "Oh, Lulu. A lot of people don't like to have their birthday around Christmastime, but I like it because I see all the decorations everywhere and I feel like everybody's helping me celebrate."

[There's a knock at the door.]

Laura: "Oh. Here, honey. Mommy's going to get the door." [She puts Lulu down on the couch and opens the door.] "Oh, flowers. Oh."

Delivery man: "Laura Spencer?"

Laura: "Yes, that's me. Thank you very much. They're pretty."

Delivery man: "You're welcome."

Laura: "Would you get the door for me?"

Delivery man: "Sure."

Laura: "Thanks. Lulu, look - flowers! Aren't they pretty? Daisies." [She puts the flowers down and takes the envelope.] "Well, I wonder who sent them, hmm? [Reading] 'Happy Birthday. To Laura. Happy Birthday. Stefan.'"



[Nikolas and Lucky have arrived. Lucky goes to sit with Lulu on the couch.]

Nikolas: "Happy birthday, Mom." [They hug.]

Laura: "Oh, thank you."

Nikolas: "You're welcome."

Lucky: "Happy birthday."

Laura: "Thank you so much. Oh, thank you. It's just so wonderful to have you both here. That's the best suprise of all."

Lucky: [To Lulu] "Is that the birthday cake I see over there?

Laura: "Oh, don't encourage her. She's been trying to get me to cut the cake since early this morning -- before dawn, I might add. I'm trying to hold out until dessert."

Lucky: "You're not supposed to hold out on your birthday. You're supposed to live dangerously, Mom. Cut the cake."

Laura: [Laughing] "All right."

Lucky: "Come on."

Nikolas: "First things first, though." [To Lulu] "You didn't break your secret, did you? Huh?"

Laura: "Oh, you have a secret?" [Lulu nods.] "You do?"

[Nikolas goes to stand with Lucky and Lulu.]

Nikolas: "Turn around. Turn around."

Laura: "Okay." [She laughs.]

Lucky: "Okay, here we go." [To Lulu, whispiering] "Go ahead. Go give it to her. Go ahead." [In a normal voice] "Okay. Go ahead, turn around. She's ready."

Laura: "She's ready?" [Lulu hands her the gift.] "Oh! Oh, thank you. Oh, you guys. I can't believe you did all this."

Nikolas: "It's from all of us."

Laura: "Thank you." [She opens the gift. She gasps as she sees the framed photo of her children.] "It's all three of you together. Thank you. That's so beautiful. Thank you so much." [She kisses Nikolas on the cheek.]

Nikolas: "You're welcome."

Laura: "It's beautiful." [She hugs Lucky and Lulu.] "Thank you! Oh. I love you."



[Laura is sitting on the couch, happily gazing at the photo. Her children are playing with a ball.]

Lucky: "Oh!" [To Lulu] "Almost. Want to get it? Okay. Oh." [He throws it back to Nikolas.]

Nikolas: "Whoa, whoa. Watch it. Just missed."

Lucky: "Nice flowers there. Grandma sent them?"

Laura: "Uh... no."

Lucky: [To Lulu] "Want to throw it to Nikky?"

Laura: "They're from Stefan."

Nikolas: "Why don't we help you clean up? We seem to have made a mess here."

Laura: "No, no, no, no. Absolutely no K. P. duty today. I'm living dangerously. And besides, I have to find the perfect spot for my picture. Have I told you how much I love it?"

Lucky: "Only about a zillion times."

[Laura laughs. She gets up and puts the photo on top of the fireplace.]

Nikolas: [To Lulu] "Come here, sweetie."

Lucky: "Um, I have to get going, so -- It was a great party, mom."

Laura: "It certainly was for me." [She smiles.]

Nikolas: "Yeah. I need to get going, too." [To Lulu] "You're the best secret-keeper ever, you know that?"

Laura: "Hey, you guys, thank you for making this day so special. [She hugs her boys.]

Nikolas: "Happy birthday."

Laura: "Thank you."

Lucky: "Happy birthday."

Nikolas: "Bye."

Laura: "Bye." [She sits on the couch next to Lulu as Nikolas and Lucky leave.] "Lulu. This was such a happy day, wasn't it, sweetie?" [Lulu nods.] "Oh, thank you so much." [Laura kisses her daughter's forehead. She turns to look at the the photo of her children and smiles. Her gaze turns towards a photo of her and Luke, and her smile falters.]