Post Office

Hank doesn’t contest his divorce from Joyce, despite the loss of her inheritance, though she lets him keep the car since she doesn’t drive. Still working at the post office, Hank encounters his old lover, Betty, who has aged rapidly and experienced much misfortune. She lost her job, their dog was killed, and she now survives by doing cleaning work in a run-down hotel. Drinking wine and worn by disappointment, Betty suggests they get back together. Hank tells her they should wait. Nevertheless, they buy whiskey and beer, and she dresses up in her best attempt to recapture the past before joining him in his small apartment.

As they drink, Hank calls in sick to work, but the post office sends a nurse to verify that he’s home. Hank hides Betty in the kitchen, answers the door with a cigarette to mask the smell of alcohol, and narrowly avoids being caught. Relieved, he and Betty resume drinking and share stories about workplace inspections and the pressure of being constantly monitored. They laugh together, but when they eventually go to bed, the closeness they once shared is gone. Hank notices her aging body and compares her unfavorably to Joyce.