Best Years of Our Lives

Milly Stephenson:
"We never had any trouble." How many times did I tell you I hated you and believed it in my heart? How many times did you tell me you were tired of me; that we were all washed up? How many times did we have to fall in love all over again?

Al Stephenson:
I've seen nothing, I should have stayed at home and found out what was really going on.

Rob Stephenson:
We've got to find a way to live together-or else.

Fred Derry:
You know what it'll be, don't you, Peggy? It may take us years to get anywhere. We'll have no money, no decent place to live. We'll have to work, get kicked around.

Peggy Stephenson:
I've made up my mind.

Al Stephenson:
Good girl.

Milly Stephenson:
To do what?

Peggy Stephenson:
I'm going to break that marriage up!

Marie Derry:
Say, who is this Peggy Stephenson?

Fred Derry:
A girl.

Marie Derry:
I didn't think she was a kangaroo!

Homer Parrish:
I didn't see much of the war... I was stationed in a repair shop below decks. Oh, I was in plenty of battles, but I never saw a Jap or heard a shell coming at me. When we were sunk, all I know is there was a lot of fire and explosions. And I was on the topsides and overboard. And I was burned. When I came to, I was on a cruiser. My hands were off. After that, I had it easy... That's what I said. They took care of me fine. They trained me to use these things. I can dial telephones, I can drive a car, I can even put nickels in the jukebox. I'm all right, but... well, you see, I've got a girl.

Fred Derry:
She knows what happened to ya, doesn't she?

Homer Parrish:
Sure, they all know. They don't know what these things look like.

Al Stephenson:
They couldn't train him to put his arms around his girl, or to stroke her hair.

Milly Stephenson:
What do you think of the children?

Al Stephenson:
Children? I don't recognize 'em. They've grown so old.

Milly Stephenson:
I tried to stop them, to keep them just as they were when you left, but they got away from me.

Al Stephenson:
You know, I had a dream. I dreamt I was home. I've had that dream hundreds of times before. This time, I wanted to find out if it's really true. Am I really home?

Wilma Cameron:
You wrote me that when you got home, you and I were going to be married. If you wrote that once, you wrote it a hundred times. Isn't that true?

Homer Parrish:
Yes, but things are different now.

Wilma Cameron:
Have you changed your mind?

Homer Parrish:
Have I said anything about changing my mind?

Wilma Cameron:
No. That's just it. You haven't said anything about anything... I don't know what to think, Homer. All I know is, I was in love with you when you left and I'm in love with you now. Other things may have changed but that hasn't.

Fred Derry:
That's the cock-eyed kind of dream you have when you're overseas.

Peggy Stephenson:
You don't have to be overseas to have dreams like that.

Fred Derry:
Yeah. You can get crazy ideas right here at home.

Marie Derry:
What do you think I was doing all those years?

Fred Derry:
I don't know, babe, but I can guess.

Marie Derry:
Go ahead. Guess your head off. I could do some guessing myself. What were you up to in London and Paris and all those places? I've given you every chance to make something of yourself. I gave up my own job when you asked me. I gave up the best years of my life, and what have you done? You flopped! Couldn't even hold that job at the drugstore. So I'm going back to work for myself and that means I'm gonna live for myself too. And in case you don't understand English, I'm gonna get a divorce. What have you got to say to that?

Fred Derry:
Don't keep Cliff waiting.

Marie Derry:
What are you gonna do?

Fred Derry:
I'm going away.

Marie Derry:
Where?

Fred Derry:
As far away from Boone City as I can get.

Marie Derry:
That's a good idea. You'll get a good job someplace else. There are drugstores everywhere.

Homer Parrish:
I was afraid you wouldn't be able to stand up for me.

Fred Derry:
I'd stand up for you, kid, til I drop.

Peggy Stephenson:
Well, what have you been doing with yourself lately?

Fred Derry:
Working.

Peggy Stephenson:
Yes, Dad told me he heard you were in some kind of building work.

Fred Derry:
Well, that's a hopeful way of putting it. I'm really in the junk business - an occupation for which many people feel I'm well-qualified by temperament and training.