She was lucky that was all I did!
(Nat shuts up about it, and goes back into the kitchen. Becca heads to the couch.)
Not that it helped. Not that she’ll suddenly ... realize ... I mean, it was a fruit roll-up. Just let him have it. Am I wrong?
IZZY
No. I would’ve smacked her, too.
BECCA
Yeah, well, obviously.
(Beat.)
And I was doing well too, wasn’t I, Howie? I had a bunch of good days in a row.
(Izzy snuggles up to her sister on the couch.)
IZZY
You can come shopping with me anytime, Bec. I’m gonna give my kid whatever he wants. Candy, whatever.
BECCA
That wasn’t my point, Izzy.
IZZY
No, I know, you’re saying be with him. She blocked him out instead of ... appreciating him, or whatever. I understand. I totally get it. And if you ever see me doing what she did, smack me, too, okay?
(Beat.)
BECCA
Okay.
IZZY
Maybe you taught that lady something.
BECCA
Yeah, I don’t think so.
IZZY
(Calls off) Hey, Mom, did they have any bosco?
NAT
(From the kitchen) Right here.
IZZY
Oh good, let’s crack that bad boy open. (Heads off)
BECCA
(Off Howie’s look) What?
HOWIE
Nothing.
BECCA
Have I shocked you?
HOWIE
No. Not shocked, no.
BECCA
Well you look shocked.
HOWIE
Do I?
BECCA
Or something.
(Taz starts barking. It immediately gets to Becca.)
Go quiet him down, wouldja, Howie?
(Howie turns to go. Jason is standing by the front door. He’s entered, unnoticed. Pause. They all become aware of his presence. Nat and Izzy stand in the doorway of the kitchen.)
JASON
Hello. Hi ... um ... I saw the sign outside, so ... the open house sign. And the door was open.
HOWIE
You looking to buy a house?
JASON
No.
BECCA
Howie—
HOWIE
What? He said he saw the sign.
JASON
I just wanted to say hey.
(Taz has not stopped barking.)
HOWIE
Taz! Shut up!
(Taz stops barking. They all stare at Jason.)
JASON
You know who I am, right?
HOWIE
Yeah, we know.
JASON
So, since the sign was out there, I thought it’d be okay if I just poked my head in. I’ve been wanting to say hello for a while and—
HOWIE
Now’s not really a good time for us.
JASON
Oh. Okay.
HOWIE
We’ve got family visiting.
JASON
Right. I was just saying hey anyway. I didn’t wanna bother you. Just say hello in person. But ... maybe another time would be better.
HOWIE
Yeah. It’s just we have relatives here.
JASON
Right, you said. Hi.
IZZY AND NAT
Hello.
JASON
Another time then.
BECCA
Yeah, we’re ... we’re around, so—
HOWIE
Becca ...
BECCA
What?
JASON
I could come by any afternoon really, if there’s a day you’re—
HOWIE
Well the problem is we’re trying to sell the house, which takes up big blocks of our time.
JASON
It wouldn’t take long. I just wanna sit down with you at some point.
HOWIE
Still—
JASON
I’d really like to arrange something if that’s possible.
HOWIE
And I just told you now’s not really a good time.
JASON
No, I know, but I wasn’t talking about right now.
HOWIE
Great. So why don’t you take off then? And if we can arrange something in the future we’ll do that.
JASON
Okay. Well I wrote my number down ... (Pulls crumpled paper from his pocket) So if you free up at all ...
(More awkward silence. He places the number on the closest piece of furniture. He’s about to go, when:)
HOWIE
Can I just say something to you? (Advances on him)
BECCA NAT IZZY
Howie, don’t— Hey, easy now. Oh, Jesus.
HOWIE
An open house sign doesn’t mean we’re holding walking tours in here.
JASON
I know that.
HOWIE
You can’t just pop in because the door’s open. We were conducting business.
JASON
That’s why I waited until that couple left. It looked like things were finished here.
HOWIE
Well they’re not.
JASON
Then I apologize.
HOWIE
We live here, okay? This is our home.
BECCA
All right, Howie. (Reaches for his arm)
HOWIE
You don’t just walk into someone’s home like that. Especially given the circumstances. You should show a little respect.
JASON
I’m sorry. (Looks to the others) I’m sorry I interrupted.
(Beat.)
Sorry.
(Jason exits. They’re all silent for a couple beats.)
HOWIE
You believe that? The balls on that kid? Walking in here?
NAT
(Regarding laundry soap) I’m gonna bring this ...
(Nat heads into the laundry room with the soap.)
HOWIE
And what was he, out there hiding behind a tree or something? No wonder Taz was barking.
BECCA
Or maybe he was barking because he’s hungry. Did you feed him?
HOWIE
Oh ... no. I got caught up with—
BECCA
No, of course not. You wanted that dog so badly, but you can never remember to feed him. (Turns to go)
HOWIE
I’ll do it.
BECCA
It’s nice to know things are getting back to normal around here. (Heads out back)
HOWIE
(After Becca goes) That was the last thing she needed. That kid showing up.
IZZY
She seemed fine with it. You were the one who got upset.
HOWIE
Yeah, well, I’m not the one slapping people.
IZZY
(Regarding Jason) I don’t know, you came pretty close just then.
(Pause.)
So I’m free next week if you wanna try this again. Another open house.
(Beat.)
HOWIE
IZZY
You really should do something about that room though. Auggie does some renovation stuff on the side, if you want me to ask him. He could get in there and—
HOWIE
Oh, I don’t know ...
IZZY
He does good work. He put up my mother’s drywall.
HOWIE
I think we got it covered.
IZZY
Still, you should really try to fix things up a little.
(Beat.)
The room, I mean.
HOWIE
Yeah, I know what you meant.
(Izzy heads into the kitchen, leaving Howie alone. The lights fade.)
SCENE TWO
About a week later. Nat is helping Becca clea
n out Danny’s room. Becca is taking Danny’s books out of a bookcase and placing them into a milk crate. Nat is taking toys, stuffed animals, kids puzzles, etc., out of a toy box and placing them into a garbage bag or keep box.
NAT
(Holds up toy) Keep or toss?
BECCA
Toss.
NAT
(Another) This too?
BECCA
Yeah.
(Nat puts both toys into the garbage bag. Becca finds The Runaway Bunny. She flips through it.)
Remember this one? (Holds up the book)
NAT
That was your book.
BECCA
I know.
(Becca puts it in the keep box. Nat pulls a Curious George doll out of the toy box.)
NAT
(Holds it up) Monkey?
BECCA
Um, keep, I guess.
(She does.)
NAT
Howie doesn’t mind this?
BECCA
It was his idea. After that open house. Seems his grief goes out the window when it comes to maximizing profits.
(Beat.)
Sorry. I don’t even know why I said that. Just being mean.
(They go back to work.)
Besides, it’s not like we’re getting rid of everything.
(Something stops Nat. She’s holding a pair of Danny’s sneakers. They’re smaller than she remembers. Becca glances over at her and realizes what’s happening.)
(Simply) Don’t do that. (Takes the sneakers) Quick and clean, like a band-aid. (Places the sneakers in a garbage bag) Otherwise we’ll never get through it.
(Becca grabs a kleenex from the bureau and passes it to Nat without missing a beat. She carries on as if the moment never happened.)
Did Izzy tell you I was taking a continuing ed. class? We’re reading Bleak House. Isn’t that hilarious? He handed out the syllabus and I just laughed. Bleak House. Of course no one knew what I was laughing at, which was great. (Nat looks up at her) It’s in Bronxville so no one knows me. I’m normal there. That’s what I like best about it. I don’t get “the face” every time someone looks at me.
NAT
What face?
BECCA
You know. (Demonstrates—solemn pity) “Oh, hi. How ya doin’? Hangin’ in there?”
(Nat laughs a little.)
I hate it.
(Together, they strip the robot sheets off the bed.)
And you know what’s nice? These ladies, don’t even talk about their kids or their husbands or any of it. I think they’re just so happy to be away from all that. It’s probably the last thing they wanna talk about. Because I’m sure most of them are bored housewives, right?
NAT
I don’t know. I’ve never met these people.
BECCA
Well that’s who takes Westchester continuing ed. classes, isn’t it?
NAT
I guess.
BECCA
Sure, and they’re just so happy to be talking about Dickens instead of what’s for dinner. “Yay, we’re reading literature.” It’s like they’re in college again. Who’d wanna talk about their families? I know I don’t.
(Beat.)
Anyway, I like it. I like that I’m just a lady taking a class. And next week we start Madame Bovary. That oughta get the ol’ girls goin’, huh?
NAT
I don’t know that book.
BECCA
No, I know.
(Nat, packing up more toys, accidentally flips the switch to an obnoxious yapping dog. It’s loud.)
NAT
What the hell? (Trying to turn it off) How do I—? That’s annoying.
BECCA
(Over the noise) Try listening to it for hours on end! (Switches it off) Izzy gave him that. Only people without children give these kinds of gifts. Or people who want to punish parents.
(Then) You know what? Debbie’s kids might like that. We should save it for them. That’d show her.
(Becca pops the toy into the keep box.)
NAT
Still haven’t heard from her?
BECCA
NAT
Of course.
BECCA
She’s getting big now.
(Beat.)
NAT
I thought you haven’t seen them?
BECCA
No, but ... I passed by Danny’s daycare last week, and the kids were all in the yard. (Off her look) What? I was just walking by. That’s how I get to the post office.
NAT
Yeah. Anyway, that’s too bad about Debbie. But that can happen. Friends disappear. I remember when Arthur died—(Stops herself) Sorry.
(Pause. Holds up a toy.)
What about this?
BECCA
No, it’s busted. (Takes it and tosses it)
NAT
You know, the thing about Debbie ...
BECCA
Yeah?
NAT
It’s just as bad the other way sometimes. Do you remember Maureen Bailey?
BECCA
Sure.
NAT
Well I couldn’t get rid of her after your brother passed away.
BECCA
I remember.
NAT
Always at the house. Always checking in on me. Eatin’ up the cinnamon buns Uncle Jimmy brought me. I never had a moment to myself. And of course it was nice, I guess, but it didn’t feel like it was about me. It just felt like she had nothing else to do. Like consoling me became her hobby. Something to fill up her day. And finally in the middle of coffee one afternoon, I said, “Maureen, why are you here all the time?”
BECCA
What’d she say?
NAT
She said, “I want to be there for you, Nat, I want to share in your grief.” And so I said, “Well it’s not working. I seem to have it all to myself still. You plant your fat ass in that chair every frickin’ day—”
BECCA
You did not say that.
NAT
I did—“and suck up all my coffee, and I don’t see you leaving with any of this grief you’re allegedly sharing with me. In fact the only thing you do take outta here are my cinnamon buns.”
(Beat.)
So I never saw her again obviously.
(Beat.)
Which was too bad actually, because she was the only one who was willing to talk about Arth—(Stops herself again)
BECCA
You can say his name.
NAT
Can I? I don’t know your rules, Becca. I don’t wanna get scolded.
BECCA
You can talk about Arthur. I just don’t like the comparisons.
NAT
Okay.
BECCA
It’s not like the Arthur stuff didn’t ... He was my brother, so obviously that was a really hard time for all of us.
NAT
I know.
BECCA
But that was a long time ago, and it was very different. For me.
NAT
Of course it was.
BECCA
Okay then.
(Back to work. Becca takes pictures off the wall. Nat finds some papers on a bookcase.)
NAT
What’s this?
BECCA
Oh, it’s a ... It’s just a story that boy wrote. He sent it to us.
NAT
(Regarding the title) What is it, an Alice in Wonderland kind of thing, or—
BECCA
No, it’s more science fiction.
NAT
(Turns a page) It’s dedicated to Danny.
BECCA
Yeah, he asked if he could do that.
NAT
Why? It’s about Danny?
BECCA
No, not at all. It’s about a scientist.
NAT
Oh.
BECCA
Or the son of a scientist, actually. The father discovers this warren of—It’s like a network of holes to other galaxies, or parallel universes, I guess, but he dies somehow. And so the son goes into these holes trying to find him. Well not him, because he’s dead, but another version of him.