No.
No. not you.
Oh, please, not you.
No, I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere.
You can't stay.
You know that. you have to cross over.
Jim, no!
No!
Jim, it's you...you're back.
Do I know you?
I know that you did this to stay with me.
I can't be mad at that.
But you could have gone into the light.
I would have missed you...
But at least I would have known where you are.
Can you hear me inside there, Jim?
Please...
Give me a sign if you can hear me.
Hey.
What the heck happened to me?
It's a long story.
What do you remember?
I remember you.
You do?
Yeah.
How could I not?
You're here every time I wake up.
And?
What more is there?
I mean, I barely know you,
But you're here more than anybody else I know.
Or knew.
He only came to grandview a few months ago for work,
So he has no friends here to speak of,
And his family's far away, michigan, I think.
So who does everybody think melinda is?
He's an architect, so melinda's been telling people
She hired him to remodel her garage.
And they bought that?
Hey, as long as the guy doesn't have any memory,
Who's to say it's not true, right?
You should get a few more days rest.
Melinda thinks that Jim's soul
Just magically went into this guy?
She says that when Sam died,
His spirit went into the light,
And Jim's spirit took its place somehow.
Melinda says she's seen it before.
It's called a step-in.
When is she planning on telling him all of this?
As soon as he remembers who she is to him.
She's afraid if she tells him now,
He'll think she's insane.
This has got to be one of the stages of grief,
Eh, just Melinda-style, right?
You wanna look through your stuff again?
The doctor says that...
Right. the amnesia therapy, huh?
Here.
Oh. how sick do you have to be
To not even remember your own face, huh?
You're not sick.
There's no brain damage.
You're just temporarily...
Wait a minute. right here it says
I have an appointment with Jordan, whoever that is, tomorrow.
You want me to keep the appointment for you,
- find out? - sure.
Why are you so nice to me?
I mean, I'm just a guy you hired to do a job, right?
But you've been here every day since I woke up.
Let's just say I knew someone like you
Who was there for me once.
Hey.
What are you guys doing here?
What, your friends can't come and take you out for a nice meal?
Oh, that's...that's nice,
But I'm just gonna turn in.
So rain check?
Sure.
Ok.
How long are we gonna pretend this is ok?
Jordan?
Yeah.
Who are you?
Hi.
I'm Melinda. I'm a friend of Sam's.
Where is he? is he ok?
Yeah. he's fine.
Thank god.
So worried when he didn't come home last night.
Are you...are you Sam's girlfriend?
No.
God, no. i
I'm his sister.
How do you know Sam anyway?
Through his work.
Look, the reason that I'm here
Is there was an accident.
He wasn't hurt too badly, but he's still in the hospital.
What happened?
We should go see him,
Talk to the doctors, let them explain.
Ok.
She's staying in his apartment
Until she can get one of her own and a job.
He was supposed to meet her
To help apply for a cellphone.
- I'm so glad you're all right! - I'm fine.
Am I a terrible person?
Why?
I'm relieved that he didn't recognize her,
Because if he did, he might not be Jim.
Might not be?
Look, I see the same guy that you see,
Different hair, nose, eyes. it's not Jim.
But the day of the accident,
I saw Jim's ghost step into Sam's body,
And ever since then, he hasn't appeared to me.
He's gone.
I just know what I see when I look
In those eyes, and Jim...
Is in there somewhere.
- do you need anything before I go? - I'm all right.
He just has to be.
He doesn't remember me.
Not my name, not my face.
It's one stupid thing, he,
He remembers the smell of my shampoo.
He remembers your shampoo?
It's the same almond-scented stuff I've always used.
He used to tease me about it relentlessly.
Really?
How long do you think it'll take
Before he remembers the rest?
Never! that's when.
What?
Nothing. sure it's nothing at all.
Hey, can you get me that box,
The one that says "sports"?
You ok?
Yeah. sure.
How's the guy doing,
The one in the hospital?
He died in an accident.
Then he...
Was revived when Jim's spirit stepped into his body.
His name was Sam.
Is...is Sam.
Is he remembering stuff yet?
I don't know. i...
He seems to remember me a little,
But then there's other times...
What?
Well, all of a sudden,
He likes different foods
Than Jim used to, and he can remember
The smell of his sister's shampoo.
Eli says that it's like a physical thing,
Like some sort of muscle memory,
But if it is Jim,
How does he recognize Sam...
What?
You don't have to stop on my account.
You know, actually you guys have done so much,
I think I'm good here, so...
I didn't know you had practiced today.
I thought your shooting clinic was on mondays.
It's Jim's.
Do you think it's ok if I take it instead of donating it?
Yeah.
Of course, honey.
I know you miss him, Ned.
Melinda told me that you would play pickup games
With Jim practically every weekend.
I know we're lucky to have each other, mom...
But sometimes...
Jim was like a dad to you.
I know.
I want you to know
That I was happy that you felt that way about him.
It's ok to be sad, Ned.
We all are.
I know.
We just all deal with it in different ways.
Yeah.
Who are you?
What do you want?
You were at the hospital.
You've been following me.
Just tell me what you want, or I can't help you.
The two of you, you're both thieves.
But you won't get to keep what you've stolen.
What have I stolen?
You know perfectly well.
Where did Sam go?
He was checked out last night.
By who?
I don't know. maybe if you ask...
Yes?
Hi. my name is Melinda Gordon. I'm a friend of Sam's.
A client, actually, and I went to the hospital,
And they told me that he was on his way...
Home. that's right.
I'm Nancy Lucas, Sam's mother,
And this is my husband Gerald.
Mom and dad.
W-well, that...that's great
That they... that they finally found you.
It was so kind of you to look after Sam
While he was in the hospital,
But you don't have to be concerned about him now.
His family's here, and we're gonna be taking him home.
Isn't this his home?
Well, uh, Sam doesn't even know his own mother,
But luckily his mother knows him.
He'll be coming home with us until he can find himself again.
With you?
You're gonna have to find somebody else
To do your blueprints, I'm afraid.
He won't be much help to you 800 miles away.
Now, um, if you'll excuse us.
The ghost seemed pretty bent out of shape.
He kept calling us thieves and saying
That we would never get to keep what we've stolen.
Hey, was the ghost a guy in his late thirties,
Kind of a high forehead?
Sounds like him. why?
Alan Walters...
The driver who caused the accident,
Died on the scene.
So I'm not crazy. that's good news.
Good news? the guy kind of died.
No, it's not good news that he's dead,
But that he was a witness.
-to the accident? -to what happened afterwards.
If he was there, he saw what Jim did.
That's why he's calling us thieves,
'cause he saw Jim go into Sam's body.
So good news that you are thieves.
No. Sam went into the light. that I'm sure of,
But this Alan guy, he must not have noticed.
Why didn't you notice him?
I was a little distracted.
The important thing is is that the reason he's haunting me
Is because he knows that Jim did.
Melinda, I've been in some very strange bookstores,
Which is why my clothes stink of patchouli,
And read some very interesting things
On this whole step-in phenomenon.
First of all, it tends to be permanent.
And second?
Supposedly it's like reincarnation.
No. reincarnation happens at birth.
I've already dealt with that.
Of course you have,
But the book says that in both cases,
Memories of past lives are usually lost.
You gotta wonder how much of the jim you know
Is in the sam that you don't.
If you take him home, the first thing
He's gonna do is remember how much he hates you.
The doctors said he should be in familiar surroundings
To help him remember who he is.
You mean who you want him to be.
You're just upset because he can't
Remember he promised to let you freeload off of him.
At least he offered to take me in,
Unlike you two, who just kicked me out.
We did not kick you out.
We told you that if you dropped out of college,
You'd have to pay rent.
If you wanted to continue living at home.
Oh, I'm not sure "wanted" is a good word.
It's not like I had a whole lot of options.
You make your own options.
What are you, a fortune cookie?
I remember something.
Oh, Sam, that's wonderful.
You see? having us around is helping already.
What is it, dear?
Coffee.
Anybody make any?
We were just, uh, talking about fixing up your old room.
How old am i?
Look at you guys.
This is like a dream come true for you...
A chance to control him all over again.
That's enough, Jordan.
Look, maybe i-i'll take a shower first and then...
Sure, and then we'll have some coffee,
And we'll talk about your future.
Right. something to look forward to.
Putting together a memory book?
Yeah, kind of.
Is it for you...
Or for him?
Both, I guess.
I...i was kind of hoping that maybe Jim...
Sam would see it and it would jog something.
I know you think I'm out of my mind,
But I'm not.
No, I didn't suggest for one...
Excuse me. I'm sorry I came,
Uh, straight to your store, but the hospital gave me your address.
No, it's fine, really.
Good. because I'm, uh...
Wait a minute.
I know you.
- you do? - really?
No. you came to the hospital, didn't you?
Uh, yes, but I don't think we actually met.
I'm...i'm Delia.
I'm Sam.
Well, so they tell me.
Look, I don't know much about brain functions,
But I know I'm not gonna get my memory back
Unless I relax,
And right now, my family is imploding,
And you're the only person I know
Who's not desperate for me to remember them,
So are you busy right now?
Um, not...not really.
I went to the deli and got a couple sandwiches.
You wanna go somewhere?
I got it covered.
Thanks.
Why stop at one?
I mean, we could... we could have a whole house full of kids.
It would be fun raising them, I think.
It'd be even more fun making them.
Don't...don't press your luck.
Well, it's like on the one hand,
Sure, I'd like to remember who the hell I am,
But on the other, I don't remember what it's like to remember,
So I don't feel like I'm missing much.
I lost you, didn't i?
No.
No, sorry. i...i was just...
Thinking about something.
A memory, huh? showoff.
Does anything look familiar to you?
I'm afraid not.
But honestly, after the way my family was going at it,
Amnesia is my new best friend.
What do you mean?
I mean that from the looks of it, my old life,
Maybe it's good riddance, you know?
Maybe it's better I let it go and start over again.
Yeah, or maybe your old life wasn't as bad as it seems.
You know something about it I don't?
Look, the truth is
I actually feel at peace right now.
I mean, I know I had problems in my old life,
But suddenly, fwoof, they're all gone.
Is it wrong not to want them back?
I...i think you should...
Do whatever feels right.
Trust your instincts.
Yeah.
I still have no idea why you're so nice to me.
I know. I must have done a spectacular job on that garage.
Wait a minute. could you do that again?
Could you just laugh, 'cause...
That sounded familiar.
What do you say I conk you on the head,
And then you can forget your worries, too?
'cause then we could just sit here and enjoy this...
Glorious, oblivious afternoon together.
Yeah.
That sounds good.
Really good.
How do you like seeing a stranger in the mirror?
I know who you are, Alan.
I know about your wife and your son.
I'm sure they'd like to hear from you.
I can help you. it's what I do.
Same way you helped when your husband stole Sam's body?
Jim didn't steal anything.
He stole that family's chance to mourn their son.
Thanks to your jim, they will never believe that Sam is dead.
Right after the accident, I saw the light, too.
I watched Sam go into it,
Almost followed him.
Why didn't you?
'cause that accident that we had, it was my fault.
I didn't deserve to go into the light, not yet.
When I saw your husband take over Sam's body,
I knew what my purpose was.
- I saw how I had to make things right. - how?
By making sure they know the truth.
Who, his family?
All of them.
They need to know what you did
So they all can move on.
What if I think they're better off not knowing?
Then you are lying to yourself, too!
And I will make sure they know the truth
If I have to stay here the rest of your miserable life.
Hey. sorry. I was about to knock.
Uh, no. no, i...it's... I'm sorry. it's just I'm...
Little jumpy. it's ok. what happened?
A tree branch broke my bedroom window.
Hey, l-let me.
All right.
Recycling, right? ok.
Thank you.
I think I remember how to replace a pane of glass.
That's ok. you don't have to do that.
Well, I gotta do something.
I mean, everybody tells me to get back to my old routine.
I went back to work this morning.
You can imagine how much I remember about architecture
And then subtract a lot.
Sorry.
Maybe my parents were right.
Maybe I should go back with them.
At least I'd have a roof over my head.
Wh-what about your apartment?
Ah. the lease is up,
And they want a 6-month renewal.
No income, no job...
There's not a whole lot keeping me here.
You know, if, um...
If you remember how to fix glass...
What about carpentry?
Measure twice, cut one. sure.
It's not much, but maybe
You could help me finish my garage.
Um, well, that's very generous,
But I don't think it'll cover my rent.
There's plumbing and a fridge,
And you could live there while you do the work.
You know, just until you...
Figure out your next move.
Maybe I found something to keep me here.
Sorry I'm late. I just had to go over some things with Sam.
He's decided to stay in town.
Oh, really? wh-what's he gonna do?
Um, you know, this, that,
Just until he gets back on his feet.
So that's great, but...
Why are you trying to keep our son here?
Um, because I wanna help, and because he's...
He's not your responsibility. we're his parents.
You have no right to tell him what to do.
I didn't. I just made him an offer.
To be your live-in handyman?
That's...you know what? I understand how hard this is.
Don't stand there and tell us you understand
When you can't possibly.
He needs to be in familiar surroundings
With people who'll love him and embrace him
No matter how much of his memory he recovers.
I want the same thing for him that you do.
I just think he should be able to decide how to find it.
Thank you for your professional opinion.
He's coming home with us.
All right, Sam.
Let's see what you got.
Great. that's what I remember.
"Grandview...paramedic Jim Clancy was shot and killed last night.
"Clancy is survived by his wife...
Melinda Gordon."
Am I too early?
No, not at all.
Let me just go open up the garage for you.
Would you mind if I had a little coffee first?
Sure. uh, milk, no sugar?
Black's fine.
Thanks.
Melinda, look, um...
Everybody's walking on eggshells around me,
And I can't blame them, but...
I really need some honesty right now.
Are you asking me a question?
You hired me to do the remodel of your garage, but...
I'm starting to get the weird feeling
That there's a lot more to it.
What is it?
It's just, uh...
That's your husband, right?
You know, you'd think I'd recognize his face.
Why would you say that?
Well, he must have been around when I started the job.
Before he died, I mean.
You know about that?
Yeah. I read about it in the paper.
I'm monopolizing your time.
I'm yammering on and on.
You just lost a husband.
Why didn't you tell me?
You had enough on your plate.
You don't?
Look, there's something I have to tell you,
And it's not gonna be easy for me or for you, I'm sure.
Do you have an open mind?
More like an empty one, but...
Do you believe in the afterlife?
Heaven or ghosts?
Both.
What about stuff like reincarnation?
Like respect cows
Because they might be your ancestors?
Sort of.
My husband just died,
And you just had a brush with death also.
Heh. wait, you're not gonna tell me you think
I'm your husband reincarnated,
Because...
You're the only sane person I've met since I woke up.
No.
No, of course not. I...I just, um...
I just thought maybe you'd be able to
understand what he went through
Since you just kind of died yourself,
And I just need to know he's ok wherever he is.
Sorry
Whatever.
Ah, your high school yearbook.
Oh, my god. you were such a geek.
You know, Jordan,
You've been playing the remember
when game for about an hour now,
And I'm kind of getting the sneaking suspicion
That you're trying to get me to remember
When I said that I'd lend you some money.
Wow. major buzzkill.
No, really, I...
Oh, there you are.
Where have you been?
I started work again.
Oh. for that woman?
Whose name is Melinda, yes.
Oh, listen, sweetheart,
We wanted to talk to you about this.
Look, I just wanna do what feels right now.
All of your doctors agree you need to come home.
What I need is for you to stop pressuring me.
I know you mean well...
You're coming home with us now.
We've already bought your ticket.
It's nonrefundable.
Good, because I'm not going.
Finally, the Sam I know.
But you should go.
Excuse me?
Look, I need to decide my own future.
I...I know that, and I'm ready for it,
Whether I get my past back or not,
But, Jordan, you're barely 20 years old,
And you're acting a lot less.
You're not ready to take care of yourself.
Do you have any idea how much you sound just like them?
You know, you told me how much I hated these people.
Sorry. no offense.
But...but to me, they seem like they genuinely care about us.
If I can forget why I was so angry at them,
Why can't you?
Hello! you lost your memory.
Well, maybe you should, too.
Jordan.
No. Sam, wait.
Don't you run away, too, please.
What's left of my mind is made up.
You're here early.
Hey, whatever's wrong,
You don't have to hide it from me.
Trust me,
It's not anything you wanna hear about.
Melinda, you gotta stop thinking like that.
I'm your friend,
And I love you.
I just...
I couldn't lie anymore...
So I started to tell Sam the truth.
Jim...
He never doubted anything I told him.
But Sam...
You should have seen the look on his face.
It's like I told him I was abducted by aliens.
I'm so sorry.
I know this is probably the worst pain you have ever felt.
What do I do?
You get angry. that's what.
You gotta curse the universe and break some stuff.
Breaking stuff, that sounds great.
It's the next stage after denial.
Denial?
The stages of grief.
You're just going through what we all went through,
What I went through with Charlie.
Some people call it denial.
Some call it magical thinking.
Whatever it is, it's...it's completely normal.
Normal...
But not real.
Unfortunately, no.
Do you remember Jim's funeral...
When everybody started to dance
And I told you afterwards that Jim had made that happen
And you said you believed it?
You said that you could feel him there, too.
That was different.
That's what you always do.
You talk to ghosts or whatever it is,
And you make people's lives better.
Well, how is it different this time?
It's different, because you aren't helping anyone.
You're not helping Sam,
You're not helping his family,
And you are definitely not helping yourself.
The last conscious decision my husband made
Was to risk everything just to be with me.
I am not gonna turn my back on that.
That's great.
Believe he is out there somewhere.
You are not listening to me, as usual.
As usual?
I know it's bizarre.
All right, it's even hard for me to believe,
But it's what happened.
Jim is not just "out there somewhere."
He's here, in this man's body.
- Melinda... - No, he took a chance
Out of love and out of loyalty
For the one person who meant everything to him,
Even though he knows it doesn't make any sense.
That is what love is,
In case you're unsure.
So there's no middle ground?
I have to check my common sense at the door,
Or we can't be friends?
What's wrong?
Rough day.
Me, too.
You moving in?
What's wrong?
Well, look, I been thinking about this.
You've been amazingly supportive.
Uh, but it's just weird.
I mean, I don't even know you,
And suddenly I'm moving into your place.
And then what's even weirder is...
I mean, how I feel when we're together.
It's ok.
Ah, is it?
Heh. the point is...
No matter how painful this whole thing has been,
I've been given a second chance,
And I realized that last night when I stood up
To my parents and my sister.
Ok. so, take your time.
Do whatever it is that you need to do to get your memory back.
I don't know if I want to get it back.
Look, I don't know if the guy I was
Is the kind of guy I wanna be.
What kind of guy is that?
The kind that has an affair with a married woman.
Tell him.
You deserve an explanation.
He deserves the truth.
But all I can give you right now
Is that I would have never cheated on my husband, ever.
Will you tell me what is going on between us?
'Cause I'm confused,
And whenever I'm around you, I can't think straight.
Because I feel so familiar?
That's part of it.
Do I feel like a friend?
At least.
That you can trust?
I think so.
Then trust me.
I just don't know if can trust myself.
Sam, look...
Look, thank you for helping me, ok?
Thank you, but I think we're better off if...
Maybe I just go away, huh?
Go?
Where?
I guess I know when I get there.
Oh, Melinda.
Is she here? where's Sam?
Where did you send him?
- I don't know. - oh, terrific.
The boy can't remember a damn thing,
And now he's out wandering all alone.
Do you really think that's what he needs?
No. actually, I wanted him to stay.
Well, what are we supposed to do now?
I have no idea.
But if he ever gives you a second chance,
I hope you don't blow it like you did the first time.
I beg your pardon?
I know what it's like to lose someone
And do not know if it's for good.
I know that impulse to do everything humanly possible
Just to get them back.
Sometimes impulses are wrong.
- Are you a parent? - No,
And I'm not a doctor either,
But believe me when I say that you have to start
Preparing yourself for the fact that your son
May never remember who he was.
Look, Ms. Gordon...
And you should be grateful for that. you know why?
Because you'll actually have a son.
At some point, he's gonna need his family,
And he will call,
But all he's gonna remember is who you are now,
So wouldn't you want that to be a good thing?
What is that supposed to mean, exactly?
You've held on to your children
So tight that you've lost them both.
But there's still time to maybe get them back,
But not if you keep making the same mistakes.
Hey. where are you?
At the cafe, doing homework.
Oh. I thought I'd surprise you
And stop by and take you out
For something to eat, but you're not here.
- Where? - At the courts.
Isn't your shooting clinic on Mondays?
Ok, promise you won't get mad.
Well, I promise I will if you don't start talkin'.
Mom, there's no shooting clinic on Mondays.
What?
I used to meet Jim there on Mondays to practice,
But I didn't tell you it was just him and me,
Because I was afraid if you knew,
You'd make me come and work at the store instead.
Ned, I wish you would have...
Mom, please don't be mad.
I'm not mad. I'm ju...
I have to call you back.
Sam?
Hey. Delia, right?
What are you doing here?
Heh. promise not to laugh?
I have no idea.
I was driving out of town.
I was leaving...
And then suddenly I got this feeling
That I was supposed to be somewhere,
Somewhere important.
So I just came here.
Weird, isn't it? heh.
Yeah. you could say that.
I was hoping someone would recognize me...
They could tell me why I had to be here.
It's really you.
Sorry?
I think you could be right.
I think you are supposed to be somewhere.
Where?
You tried.
I will never forget that.
If you never forgive me, I will understand,
But I couldn't just sit around and do nothing
When this whole thing was ready to blow away.
What whole thing? what are you talking about?
You and Jim, your future together,
Your whole everything.
Are you drunk?
No, there is no time to explain, Mel.
He's outside.
- who? - Jim.
I mean Sam... Jim...Sam...
Whatever the hell his name is.
But I convinced him to come back
And talk to you, but you have to
Figure out what to do next.
Where did you?
He was on the basketball court on the way out of town.
I saw him, I stopped, and I convinced him
To come back and talk to you.
Why did you?
Because he was waiting for Ned,
And I finally understood.
What?
That I was wrong.
Ok? about pretty much everything.
And I know that we are gonna talk about
this endlessly in the future,
But right now, you have to go outside
And make sure that Jim does not get back on that road
And go out of town.
You keep calling him Jim.
That's who he is, isn't he?
Ok. stop. go.
It's ok.
Got my best friend back.
Ok, quit your blubbering.
You made me blubber.
Oh, wait a sec.
Delia.
There's a stain on it.
You gotta really be presentable.
You got any lip gloss?
No, if it's Jim, I don't need lip gloss.
Do you know how lucky you are?
You are gonna get a second shot at your one true love.
Ok. go.
Go, go, go.
Ok.
You're back.
I apologize for before.
I got a little overdramatic.
It's ok. I don't...
I mean, if I'm on some search to find out
What feels right in my life, you know,
What places and what people,
You know, I should take baby steps.
I should start at square one and not square 10.
And if that does...
You know what? whatever your reasons are,
I'm fine with it.
You don't need to explain anything.
Maybe that's best for now, for both of us.
Ok.
Can I move this stuff into your garage?
Yeah. I'll help you.
Thanks.
Hey, you guys need some help?
- Sure. - Sure.
Did I mention my, uh...
My parents called my sister
And apologized for a lifetime of controlling behavior?
And then Jordan just got up and went back home with them.
I had no idea.
Oh, yeah? because when I asked them
why the big change of heart,
They said that they had talked to you
And that you had talked sense to them.
How'd you do that?
I have a few talents.
A few talents?
That's what you're gonna leave me with?
Ok.
No explanations.
I'll be right there.
Hey, Sam, why don't you, uh...
Show me what you're planning to do with the space in here?
Love to, if I can remember.
I know what you're thinking.
It's a good thing you didn't listen to me.
I beg your pardon?
If there's one thing I thought being dead
Would make me an expert on, it was being dead,
But I was wrong.
That's your specialty, like you said.
I've been at it a while.
I wanted them to have the closure,
But you held out for more.
You gave them their family back.
Are you ready?
To go into the light?
It's been following me around all day.
But there is one thing I wanted to say to you before I went in.
What?
What your husband did might just be a miracle.
I hope it is,
Because after a lifetime of this,
A miracle's what you deserve.
Hey, uh, you ok?
Yeah.