The Guncle

Their first night in Palm Springs, Grant wakes Patrick in the middle of the night by screaming that there’s a ghost in Patrick’s toilet. It turns out that the boy has never seen a toilet with an automatic lid. After acquainting them with the deluxe features of his Japanese bathroom, Patrick activates the retractable cleansing wand, spraying Grant—and then Maisie—in the face with water, creating a small bonding moment of fun before the kids go back to bed.

The next morning, Maisie refuses to touch her pancakes—they’re not shaped like Mickey Mouse. Grant bursts into the kitchen with Patrick’s Golden Globe Award, claiming it was left by the tooth fairy. Not amused, Patrick marches Grant back into his room to show him what the tooth fairy actually left: a Playbill from a production of Porgy and Bess, which Patrick claims is much better than money.

Over breakfast, Patrick teaches Maisie and Grant about Disney and renegotiating contracts. He introduces them to his housekeeper, Rosa. Though they decide to go swimming, Maisie sits in her room, sullen—she doesn’t like the swimsuit her father packed because she prefers shorts and T-shirts. Patrick shows her Maisie collection of caftans and allows her to wear one for swimming. His wardrobe rule is simple: “In this house, we wear what we want, it doesn’t matter if it’s for boys or girls” (70).

While Rosa watches the kids, Patrick visits his neighbors, John, Eduardo, and Dwayne, who are in a committed long-term three-person relationship. This throuple calls themselves JED after their initials. Patrick tells JED about Maisie and Grant and his time in Connecticut. They toast to Sara’s memory, and JED, who have always wanted kids, claim it’s wonderful that Patrick has this time with his niece and nephew. Unfortunately for JED, no adoption agency will place a child in such an unconventional home.

Patrick complains about the barrage of kid questions he must answer every day, but one of these—when was the last day of your childhood—sparks a conversation about youth and loss of innocence. Patrick decides that his actual answer is the day Maisie and Grant moved in. He resolves that Sara’s death and their time with him will not be the end of their childhoods.

Patrick and the kids establish a comfortable routine. One morning, a delivery arrives for “Jack Curtis,” which Patrick accepts, much to the confusion of Maisie. Jack Curtis is a pseudonym he uses so prying eyes won’t know his business. He’s ordered himself books about understanding grief in children. He’s also gotten them all bicycles but forgot helmets.

Cassie Everest, his agent’s assistant, stops by. Cassie wants Patrick to come out of retirement, partly because his agent, Neal, has promised her a promotion if she can convince Patrick to return to work. Cassie is persuasive. She understands Patrick’s dissatisfaction with television and his true love, the theater. Impressed by her persistence, he agrees to discuss the matter later.