Virgie and Kelly ponder changes to their mother-daughter relationship as Virgie faces complications of old age and Kelly shoulders a newfound worry whenever her mother doesn’t answer her phone. Worrying aside, they keep the conversation light as their loving exchange and Virgie’s frank outlook on dying bring a unique perspective to their situation and to the experience of getting old. This is an incredibly heartwarming conversation between a mother and daughter as they balance their love and worry for one another.

FROM THE EPISODE:

KELLY: Well, to diverge from the questions: people told you you shouldn't have me. 

VIRGIE: Oh yeah. Geriatric mothers usually don't deliver nice babies; they aren't so lucky as to have a full term pregnancy.

KELLY: And in 1970, how old were you? 

VIRGIE: I was almost 40. 

KELLY: And what else was going on with you? 

VIRGIE: What else was going on with me? 

KELLY: They gave you monkey juice. The Rhesus Serum because of your RH factor. 

VIRGIE: Oh yeah. I got the monkey juice, yes. Yes, I forgot about that. It's been so long. Yeah, the Rhesus Serum because of my RH negative. And of course you were watched very carefully, but you grew up to be a nice, beautiful, adorable, perfect daughter. 

KELLY: I'm always reflective about how many people told you you shouldn't have a baby when you were that old. So thanks for not listening to them.

VIRGIE: Oh, you're a gift. You're a gift from God. 

KELLY: Let's move on. What are you hesitant to tell me? 

VIRGIE: I think I'm probably hesitant to tell you things that are happening to us physically, not psychologically. Your dad and myself. And after I think about it a little while, I think, with your mind, your maturity, you can handle it.

KELLY: I freak out when you hold things back from me. 

VIRGIE: I know, but sometimes I don't think you're ready for it. 

KELLY: That's not fair.

VIRGIE: I take a gamble at times. 

KELLY: If I call you at our appointed calling hours and you don't answer, and I call you over an hour's period of time and nobody's answering, do you know the second place I call?

VIRGIE: Yeah, the hospital. Anyway. Sometimes we go out, on rare occasions. 

KELLY: You don't ever go out. 

VIRGIE: Yes, we do.

KELLY: No, you don't. So you have to be honest with me. 

VIRGIE: You just have to accept some of those silly times. But I'll be honest with you if we had to have CPR or something like that. 

KELLY: Great. Okay. Thanks a lot.

VIRGIE: What happened to me that scared you the most and why?

KELLY: When you called me saying, "don't worry if you call and I don't answer; the EMS squad is here and they're taking me to the hospital." So yeah, that was a little worse. 

VIRGIE: But I survived. 

KELLY: You did, but you still are not confronting the issue that got you to that point.

VIRGIE: That's all right. Let's forget that. I want to move on. 

KELLY: I am sure you want to move on, but I'm daily worrying about you.

VIRGIE: That's okay. I'm glad you're like that, but if there's a crisis, I'll definitely let you know. 

KELLY: That's terrific. Thanks. What is the hardest thing about being a mom? 

VIRGIE: I'm worried about your security with the job you have now. You travel from Jersey to New York City and I live in mortal fear and it's obvious as to why I worry about you.

KELLY: But I work in a really safe building.

VIRGIE: The Tower was safe too for awhile. 

KELLY: If your number's up, your number's up. 

VIRGIE: I don't want you to have a lackadaisical attitude about that.

KELLY: I don't have a lackadaisical attitude— 

VIRGIE: But I do worry about that.

KELLY: At least it's mutual. 

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