Normality.

346. View on the way to work.

"I don't think life is ever normal. See that? Does it look normal to you?"

347. "Are you watching Kramer vs Kramer again?"
In my defense, it is only the third time in four days.

We built a life together. We wake up and have breakfast and I take him to school and then I pick him up after school and we have dinner together and... I read him a bedtime story... I'm not always the perfect father... but I'm there. I'm there. -- Mr. Kramer.

348. The custody case has almost come to an end. In the attempt to claim their adorable son, Ted and Joanna have just finished brutally assassinating each other's character in court. These mutually hurtful accusations, however, were not sufficient to prove bad parenting skills for either parent, and the judge awarded Billy to Joanna, on the sole basis that she is his mother. Now Ted's lawyer is explaining to him, that the only chance for a successful appeal is to put Billy on the stand, presumably to convince the judge that he prefers to live with his father. Not wanting to subject Billy to a potentially traumatic experience, Ted decides against appeal.

In uncharacteristic silence, we watch Ted discuss with his son about how their new lives will be. 

Billy: Who's gonna read me my bedtime stories? 

Ted: Mommy will.

Billy: You're not gonna kiss me good night anymore, are you, Dad? 

Ted: No, I won't be able to do that. But, you know, I get to visit. It's gonna be ok, really.

Wordlessly, I get up and open the bottle of pinot gris. "Would you like a glass?" I ask, a rhetorical question. "No..." he holds up his bottle of beer, a needless explanation, then, after a pause, "Whoever finishes his bottle first..." and we both smile at the unfinished sentence. 

Billy:[crying] If I don't like it, can I come home? 

Ted: What do you mean if you don't like it? You're gonna have a great time with Mommy. Really. She loves you so much. 

Billy: Dad? Don't forget, once, if you can just call me up, okay? 

Ted: We're gonna be okay. Come on, let's go get some ice cream.

Life goes on.