Debra: Ray, I can't keep blaming her for everything if I've never been honest with her and I have never actually told her how she makes me feel when she does the things she does.
Ray: But you don't put that in writing! Oh, no, no! If it's in writing, then you can't deny it! You can't say things like: "You didn't hear me right," or, "l didn't say that. You must have misunderstood" because there it is in writing!
Debra: You know, if it were up to you, you'd have me do nothing.
Ray: Hey, let's not underestimate nothing.
Debra: Ray, I'm not spending the rest of my life this way with your mother saying she's sorry that you ever married me.
Ray: What? She's never said that!
Debra: She doesn't have to say it to say it. Everything she does says it.
Ray: Like what?
Debra: Like when she rewashes the kids' clothes.
Ray: Okay.
Debra: And then she rewashes the kids.
Ray: Look, all that stuff my mom does, that's how she helps.
Debra: No, no, Ray. That's how she criticizes. Only good can come from this letter, and I'm doing it.

Marie: I have always known that you felt that way about me. You think I'm all those things? Well, maybe I wouldn't be that way if I was welcome in your house.
Debra: But, Marie, don't you see? You're over all the time. You don't give me a chance to welcome you.
Marie: Well, I... [stutters] Okay. Maybe I am those things sometimes. But that's just because that's my way of trying to make us a family. [sobs] That's all I ever want.
Debra: [sobs] That is all I want, too is for us to be a family, a real family.
Marie: Well, I always thought that you didn't like my being in your family.
Debra: I thought you didn't like me being in your family.
Marie: Why would you say that?
Debra: Well, you know when you bring food over to the house?
Marie: I do it because I care.
Debra: No, but see, I feel like that's a criticism. You know, like you're saying I'm not as good as you.
Marie: You don't have to be as good as me. I love you for what you are.
Debra: I love you, too!

Debra: See, Ray? That letter actually made your mother and I closer.
Ray: I told you not to send it.
Debra: You don't understand. We had to have that blowout, to get past it. Now that we did the letter, and it's behind us, we can move on.
[meanwhile:]
Marie: Frank, what's Debra's letter doing in the garbage?
Frank: You read it already.
Marie: You don't throw this away. Not ever. [puts it in a drawer] Not ever. [locks the drawer]