Page 19 of The Second Chance Cinema
There wasDrake’s eighth birthdaywhen he wore a robot suit made from cardboard boxes.
There wasEllie’s thirteenth birthday partywhen Ellie sat in a sea of balloons wearing real earrings. By then, Ben had pierced her ears on her bedroom floor.
Next wasNielson Family Christmas, 2002.In a wide-framed shot, Drake sat next to a large red toy train that wound its way around a tall Christmas tree brushing up against the ceiling.
“What is all this?” Drake asked after he woke up and saw Ellie’s wall. He’d walked right by her to make them coffee without noticing the new photo gallery in their living room and almost spilled his giant cup when he came back in to kiss her good morning.
“We were so focused on cow tipping that we missed the best parts,” Ellie told him. “This, these kinds of moments, are the things we could see.” Drake softened. He was getting closer to agreeing with her. She could feel it. “What if the theater is our Vegas?” she suggested.
“I don’t get it.” Drake bent down to look at a photo of Ellie on a skiing trip. She explained that they could experience the wonderful moments without the consequences of the bad ones. “You could have a second chance to see your first snow. Your first kiss. Your Forrest the Fox mascot costume. I mean, I could actually watch you as the school mascot—”
“You’ve chosen the worst possible memory to convince me with,” Drake said, examining a row near the floor.
“We could agree to never talk about the cinema after we leave. Once the doors of the real world open back up, we can leave it all behind. Because what happens at the magic cinema stays at the magic cinema,” she explained.
Drake considered the suggestion. He was staring at a photo of himself wearing ice skates. He pointed to it with a distinct fondness. “This was the year my dad built an ice rink by hand in the back of the condo,” he told her. “My family didn’t have a lot of money, but man. They knew how to make things special.”
“Is that …a yes?” Ellie asked.
Finally, Drake gave a reluctant nod. “Yes, with a caveat.”
“Of course,” she agreed, nodding. Even though they weren’t technically married yet, marriage was a compromise. Ellie knew she’d bent Drake in her direction, and she’d do anything she could to make him comfortable with going back.
“To do this right,” Drake said, moving to the kitchen to track down pen and paper, “we’re going to need some ground rules.”
THE RULES
RULE ONE:
What happens at the cinema stays in the cinema, as discussed.
RULE TWO:
No one else can know about the cinema. They wouldn’t believe it, anyway.
RULE THREE:
Yes, this means that Ellie cannot write about the cinema.
RULE FOUR:
Ellie and Drake will, no matter what, get married as planned. The wedding venue deposit has been paid, and that was expensive.
RULE FIVE:
Ellie and Drake will not go to the cinema alone. Movies should always be viewed with the other person there to eliminate secrets.
RULE SIX:
Ellie will not judge Drake for being a “total hopeless romantic” in the past.
RULE SEVEN:
Drake will not judge Ellie for her “interest in questionable men with even more questionable tattoos.”
RULE EIGHT:
Ellie and Drake will return to the cinema every week until they use all ten tickets. This gives them plenty of time before the wedding to process what they’ve seen.
