THE FALL

By Lilia Rubin

THE FALL
© 2011 Lilia Rubin
© 2014 Lilia Rubin
© 2016 Lilia Rubin

The Fall includes text from The Legacy Letters, © 2011 Tuesday’s Children

Songs in this play can be sung or spoken.

Characters:
(13 w, 2 m)

Nasrin – early 20s
Lauren – mid 20s
Roxanne – early 20s
Amelia – late teens
Nina – early 20s
Francesca – mid 20s
Melissa – mid-late 20s
Female Ensemble (to play Mrs. McCarthy, Roxanne’s Mom, Teenage Girl 1 & 2, Francesca’s Mom, Church Lady 1, 2, & 3, Nina’s Mom, Therapist, Madison) – Six women, 20s
Male Ensemble (to play Rabbi, David, Brian, all Dads, Angry Driver, Principal, Pastor Thomas, Brian, Bill, Wise Fiancé) – Two men, 20s-40s

PROLOGUE

ENSEMBLE
HOPE IS THE THING WITH FEATHERS
THAT PERCHES IN THE SOUL
AND SINGS THE TUNE WITHOUT THE WORDS
AND NEVER STOPS AT ALL
AND SWEETEST IN THE GALE IS HEARD
AND SORE MUST BE THE STORM
THAT COULD ABASH THE LITTLE BIRD
THAT KEPT SO MANY WARM
I’VE HEARD IT IN THE CHILLEST LAND
AND ON THE STRANGEST SEA
YET NEVER IN EXTREMITY
IT ASKED A CRUMB OF ME

MOMENT ONE

MELISSA
Test one two. Test one two. (Playback: “Test one two, test one two”) Perfect. Let’s get started.

NINA
Melissa Worth. Psychologist and certified grief counselor.

MELISSA
Think of this sort of like a group interview. I’ll ask you questions and then record your answers.

AMELIA
For a book.

MELISSA
A book of collective memory. From the perspective of young women who lost their fathers on September 11th.

NINA
Nonfiction, obviously.
LAUREN
My name is Lauren—

ROXANNE
I’m Roxanne—

AMELIA
Amelia—

NASRIN
Nasrin—that’s um, N-A-S-R-I-N—

FRANCESCA
Francesca—

NINA
I’m Nina.

MELISSA
It’s a long story how this all came about. I was working on my dissertation, which was going to expand upon the Kübler-Ross model, a.k.a. the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Part of my research included assisting one of my advisors in her work with grieving teenagers, and that’s where I met these incredible young women. Hearing their stories, I thought, “People should know about this.” So I scrapped my thesis and decided to write about them instead.

FRANCESCA
Which is cool. And completely terrifying.

ROXANNE
I mean, it’s basically the usual support group scenario, except we’re being recorded—

NASRIN
Which is a lot of pressure, since it’s for a book—

LAUREN
An actual book that’s going to be published and, you know, sold all over the country if everything works out—

NASRIN
What will people think when they read it? Will they be relieved? Will they be angry?

FRANCESCA
What if they just don’t care?

NINA
But Melissa’s right. Ten years have gone by—

ROXANNE
And sometimes you do just want to be like, “Hey! We’re still here!”

AMELIA
Yeah, we’re still affected by this. Don’t forget about us.

MELISSA
Remember, this is a safe space for you to share anything you like. If you want me to stop recording, all you have to do is say, “This is off the record.” And after this is over, you can still decide that you don’t want to be in the book, and nothing that you’ve said will be included. No questions asked. Anyway, okay, I’m just gonna jump right in. Starting to record...now. (She starts recording.) I was hoping that we could start by having each of you tell me what you remember from that day, September 11th, 2001.

MOMENT TWO
(Stark spotlight on Roxanne.)

ROXANNE
Oh. Me first? Uh. Okay, um. I was in sixth grade, in my second period orchestra class.

(The girls pull Roxanne’s hair back with a headband, suit her up with a massive backpack, which practically knocks her over, and place a violin in her arms. Sounds of off-key string instruments.)

And our principal, Mrs. McCarthy, came over the PA system.

MRS. MCCARTHY
Good morning, students. I apologize for the interruption. We’ve just received some very upsetting news. There has been a terrorist attack in Manhattan—

ROXANNE
What?

MRS. MCCARTHY
...World Trade Center—

ROXANNE
What’s happening?

MRS. MCCARTHY:
...students are dismissed for the remainder of the school day. Please remain calm as you exit the school building. Thank you.
ROXANNE
My dad had just gotten a job at the World Trade Center, working for a high-tech company in the South tower.

ROXANNE’S DAD
See the view, Roxy? Check this out! I bet we can see our house from here!

ROXANNE
Anyway, um, when I walked out of school with my friends, I saw that my aunt was waiting outside to pick me up, which was weird, because she lived in New Jersey and almost never came into the city. She didn’t say anything the whole ride home. When we arrived, my family was sitting in the living room watching the news.

ROXANNE’S MOM
(Shakily) Roxanne, sweetie, come here. Come sit by me.

ROXANNE
Mom? Where’s dad?

(Blackout)

MOMENT THREE
(Spotlight on Nasrin)

NASRIN
My dad...oh man, my dad was always prepared, to an absurd extent.

MELISSA
How so?

NASRIN
Oh, if we were going somewhere, he had to bring like, three different pairs of pants and at least two pairs of shoes, a windbreaker, extra socks, a hat, towel, raincoat, a bunch of food. It was like, if a tornado hit New York City, he would have been ready. Or if a volcano erupted and volcanic ash was spewing everywhere, he would have been prepared.

MELISSA
Like a Boy Scout.

NASRIN
Kind of. He was like Noah, like biblical Noah. If Noah kept a collapsible ark in the back of his Volvo.

MELISSA
That’s funny. Can I use that?

NASRIN
(Shrugs) Be my guest.

MOMENT FOUR
(Spotlight on Francesca)

FRANCESCA
My father’s name was—

FRANCESCA’S DAD
(Thick Italian accent) Alfonso Giovanni Torrini. Esquire.

MELISSA
Your dad was from Italy?

FRANCESCA
Yeah, he actually didn’t come to the U.S. until he was 20. I think in some ways he never really left Italy. He had that machismo...really fiery, passionate guy. He made sure my sister Alexis and I had a real Italian upbringing. Oh god, he used to play the same Pavarotti album over and over and over again, ugh, it drove us crazy. He actually—he looked just like Pavarotti. Powdered donuts were his weakness. That and the Giants. He loved the Giants—

FRANCESCA’S DAD
OH come ON, Fassel! Don’t break my heart!

FRANCESCA
—and hated the Giants. He was barely five-ten, bald, and out of shape. I was nine, and I thought he was the strongest man in the world.

MELISSA
Of course.

FRANCESCA
Anyway...so cut to 2001, I guess. I think I blocked a lot of it out of my memory, you know? Um, I remember that in the days immediately after 9/11, I completely stopped eating. It was like I was trying to strike a deal with God, like, “Okay, if I don’t eat anything for three days straight, you have to send my dad home.” We waited for weeks, but they never found his remains.

(A ‘coffin’ is filled with relics from dad’s life—old photographs, a Yankees cap, the Pavarotti album, Giants memorabilia, a six-pack of Italian beer, a box from Dunkin Donuts, etc. Two girls sing “Santa Lucia” a capella.)

FRANCESCA
I remember singing “Santa Lucia” with my sister, Alexis, at the funeral. He used to sing that to us to get us to fall asleep when we were really little.

(Very softly, sound of dad singing “Santa Lucia” overlaps with girls singing.)

FRANCESCA
Now when I hear that song I automatically think it’s him singing. Like I know it’s Pavarotti, but in my mind it’s my dad.

MOMENT FIVE

(Spotlight shift to LAUREN. The girls drape a tallit over her shoulders and fasten a yarmulke to her head. Enter RABBI holding cartoonishly large Torah. He slowly flips through it. In the silence, sounds of awkward coughing, etc. The Rabbi finds the right page and uses a pointer to show Lauren where to start. )

LAUREN
(In terror, off-key) Vayomer Adonai el-Avram Lech Lecha me'artzecha umimoladetecha umibeit avicha el-ha'aretz asher ar'eka. Ve'e'escha legoy-gadol va'avarechecha va'agadelah...

RABBI
(Softly cues her) Shemecha—

LAUREN
Shemecha...veheyeh beracha. Va...

RABBI
Va'avarechah—

LAUREN
Mevarachecha umekalelecha a'or venivrechu vecha kol mishpechot ha'adamah...

RABBI
Ve’e’escha...

LAUREN
Ve'e'escha legoy-gadol va'avarechecha va'agadelah...

(Humiliated, she looks up at the RABBI for reassurance.)

RABBI
Ben-achiv...

LAUREN
Ben-achiv ve'et-kol...

(The RABBI places a hand on LAUREN’S back. She hesitates, then turns upstage and vomits. Perhaps we hear some gasps/concerned murmurs.)

RABBI
Well, ah...why don’t we all turn to page 427 in our prayer books? In parshah Lech Lecha, God says to Abraham, "Go forth from your land and from your birthplace and from your father's house, to the land that I will show you.” Let’s join together in singing “Lechi Lach.”
(Sound of congregation singing “Lechi Lach.”)

MELISSA
Yikes.

LAUREN
Yeah...that pretty much sums up how 2001 went down for me.

(Blackout. Screen shows muted video footage of 9/11 newscasts. Soundscape plays in the background.)

MOMENT SIX
(Video abruptly shifts to man dancing with newborn. Instrumental background of “Feeling Good” plays.)

NINA
My dad loved the blues. That was such an essential part of him. When I was born, my mom wanted to name me Elizabeth, after her great-grandmother—

NINA’S DAD
Elizabeth makes me think of mothballs. She’s gotta be Nina. Doesn’t she look like a Nina?

NINA
He used to say—

NINA and NINA’S DAD
I swear you were singing before you were even born!

NINA
Can you imagine, my mom and dad are at the doctor’s getting a sonogram and all of a sudden they hear—

ENSEMBLE
IT’S A NEW DAWN
IT’S A NEW DAY
IT’S A NEW LIFE

NINA
And there’s this little sea monkey in there just like, “Thank you very much ladies and gentlemen! I’ll be here for the next nine months!”

MELISSA
(Laughs) So your dad was really into your singing?

NINA
Oh, it wasn’t just singing. He wanted me to learn an instrument, and you know what he picked?

MELISSA
What?

NINA
You know how most parents send their kids to piano lessons or violin lessons or something conventional like that?

MELISSA
Right.

NINA
My dad signed me up for tuba lessons.

MELISSA
Tuba?!

NINA
So there’s a whole photo album of me where I’m this (indicating) big, and I’m holding this monstrosity. He and my mom thought it was so adorable.

NINA’S DAD
One more, one more! Smile!

(“Young Nina” smiles for a photograph. Nina’s Mom and Dad laugh.)

YOUNG NINA
What’s so funny? (They laugh harder, and she starts to laugh, too.) Hey! What’s so funny?
NINA
I loved it because it made my dad so happy. I think it was always very important to me to have his approval.
MELISSA
Do you still play?

NINA
No, actually. After 9/11 happened I just kinda stopped.

MELISSA
Why?

NINA
Uh, it’s weird, but I was like, well, we’re all gonna die someday, so what’s the point? I thought, if my dad—if this person who is supposed to always be there—could die, I could die, too, and at any time. So like, why do anything?

MELISSA
But you continued singing.

NINA
Not on purpose. It was just something I did without needing to think about it.

MOMENT SEVEN

AMELIA
Um...so I just say this is off the record if I don’t want it in the book?

MELISSA
Yep.

AMELIA
Okay, uh—

MELISSA
You can just go ahead, you don’t have to say it again.

(Spotlight on Amelia, who is now wearing a child’s Cinderella costume.)

AMELIA
Don’t forget to blow on your tea, Daddy. It’s steamin’ hot. (She mimes eating a cookie.) Daddy, you must try this cookie. It’s probably the best food I ever tried!

AMELIA’S DAD
Nomnomnomnomnom! Delicious!

AMELIA
Would you like some crumpets?

AMELIA’S DAD
I would love some.

AMELIA
What are crumpets anyway?

AMELIA’S DAD
Beats me.

(They giggle conspiratorially.)

AMELIA
You know what we need?

AMELIA’S DAD
What?

AMELIA
We need some music.

AMELIA’S DAD
Oh yeah? A little Mozart?

AMELIA
Even better!

(Fade in Ricky Martin’s “Livin’ La Vida Loca.” Amelia dances a hilarious kid-dance.)

AMELIA’S DAD
All right! Give me a twirl.

(Amelia twirls. She continues dancing. The other girls pass through, dancing with her.)

AMELIA
Do you like dancing with me?

AMELIA’S DAD
No, I don’t like dancing with you...I LOVE dancing with you!

(Amelia squeals with delight)

AMELIA’S DAD
Do you know why?

AMELIA
Because I’m your princess?

AMELIA’S DAD
That’s right.

AMELIA
And you’re the king, right, Dad? (She waits for a reply.) Right, Dad?

(Fade in end of soundscape—very soft, maybe phone ringing—and fade out Ricky Martin.)

AMELIA
Dad?

(Blackout. Faraway sound of phone ringing continues in silence.)

MOMENT EIGHT

(Spotlight on Nasrin.)

NASRIN
Here, this is the article I mentioned earlier. (Reads) “In the first nine weeks after 9/11, the Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) confirmed over 700 incidents of violence against Arab Americans and people thought to be Arab Americans.” And it wasn’t just in New York, it was all over the country.

MELISSA
I remember hearing about it.

NASRIN
Storefronts vandalized, bomb threats sent to mosques, people getting beaten—

MELISSA
Right—

NASRIN
Basically all the sudden everyone was like, “Kill the Muslims!”

ANGRY DRIVER
(Over sound of car horn) Get out of the way, ya sand nigger!

TEENAGE GIRL 1
Can you believe that Afghani bitch?

NASRIN
I’m...Pakistani.

TEENAGE GIRL 2
(Lunging at Nasrin) Go back to Afghanistan!

NASRIN
(Shoving her off) Back off!

TEENAGE GIRL 2
Ewww! She touched me!

NASRIN
I went from being top in my class to getting suspended because I kept getting into fights with other kids. I remember the principal was like—

PRINCIPAL
If you want them to think you’re a nice girl, you’re going to have to act like one, (butchering the pronunciation) Nasrin.

NASRIN
Nasrin.

PRINCIPAL
Any more fights and you’ll be expelled, (still doesn’t get it) Nasrin.

NASRIN
IT’S NASRIN.

MELISSA
So none of the other students knew what had happened to your dad?

NASRIN
What did they care? I was brown. I was the enemy.

MELISSA
What about administrators? Teachers?

NASRIN
Even worse. The school sent out this newsletter with a list of everyone’s lost loved ones from 9/11, and we weren’t even on it.

MELISSA
Wow.

NASRIN
They just couldn’t bear to put down the name “Hussein Usmani.” I mean, okay, it’s like the world’s most Arabic name. Plus when people hear Hussein they think of Saddam Hussein, so obviously not the best association. But like, so fucking what? We were grieving just like everyone else! We should’ve filed a lawsuit or something...the whole thing was pretty fucked up.

MOMENT NINE
(Lights up on FRANCESCA and LAUREN)

FRANCESCA
So...what part of New York are you from?

LAUREN
Uh, actually, I’m not from New York. I’m from Boston.

FRANCESCA
Oh.

LAUREN
My dad was on one of the um, the planes.

FRANCESCA
Ohhh.

LAUREN
Yeah.

FRANCESCA
I’ve never met anyone that—

LAUREN
Yeah.

FRANCESCA
Wow.

LAUREN
You’re from here, I assume?

FRANCESCA
Oh yeah, I’m a Manhattan girl.
LAUREN
I can tell.

FRANCESCA
How?

LAUREN
You just seem very put together and adult.

FRANCESCA
Ha!

LAUREN
What?

FRANCESCA
I’m like the least adult person in the world.

LAUREN
How so?

FRANCESCA
Oh let’s see, well, I’m 25 and I live with my mother?

LAUREN
What’s wrong with that?

FRANCESCA
Oh come on!

LAUREN
Well, why?

FRANCESCA
Why what?

LAUREN
How come you live with your mother?

FRANCESCA
Ahhh who knows. So many reasons. She’s all I have.

LAUREN
You an only child?

FRANCESCA
No, I have a sister, but she lives in Italy now with her husband. What about you? Any siblings?

LAUREN
Nope, just me.

FRANCESCA
So you get it.

LAUREN
I think so.

FRANCESCA
Do you worry about what it will be like when your mom is gone?

LAUREN
Constantly.

FRANCESCA
Then you get it.

(Lauren nods. Uncomfortable silence.)

FRANCESCA
So Boston.

LAUREN
Yep.

FRANCESCA
Does that mean...you’re a Red Sox fan?

LAUREN
Depends who’s asking.

FRANCESCA
Uh oh.

LAUREN
Does that mean we can’t be friends?

FRANCESCA
I don’t know. I’m a Yankees girl.

LAUREN
Noooo! Not even the Mets?

FRANCESCA
A-Rod all the way.

LAUREN
GAH! I can’t even look at you right now!

(Lauren turns away and makes as though she is hiding her face from Francesca.)

FRANCESCA
(Softly sings) Sweet Caroline, buh buh buh—

LAUREN
You’re not allowed to sing that!

FRANCESCA
Good times never seemed so good—

LAUREN
(Burying her head in her hands) So good! So good! So good!

(They laugh.)

MOMENT TEN

ROXANNE
This is off the record.

(Melissa nods and pauses her recording.)

Dad, I have this place between awake and asleep where the world starts to slip away. It feels like falling. That’s when I see you. And I wonder if you felt that way too. Falling through a sea of open air. Was it cold and clear? Was it anything like flying? Were you afraid? Did you see God on your way down, or was it just empty? Why did you let go, Dad? I don’t understand. We had all these plans, remember? You promised we would travel all around the world. I used to have dreams about hot air balloons and all the crazy adventures we’d have. I guess life never happens the way you plan it. But I wasn’t ready for this. How can anyone be ready for this? I can’t stop thinking...you let yourself fall. You let yourself fall. How could you do it? How could you? How could you do it? (Desperately) DAD!

MOMENT ELEVEN

NINA
There are so many questions I wish I could ask you, Dad.

LAUREN
I’m looking at colleges—which one should I pick?

FRANCESCA
Are you proud of my grades?

AMELIA
I don’t remember what I wanted to be when I was little. Do you remember?

NINA
When I get married, will you be at my wedding?

NASRIN
Do you think I’ve made good friends?

ROXANNE
Are you mad that I dropped out of school?

AMELIA
Do you miss going out to breakfast?

LAUREN
Do you miss me as much as I miss you?

NASRIN
Hey Dad, why’s the sky blue?

FRANCESCA
Would you take my door off the hinges when I slam it?

ROXANNE
Have you read what I wrote in my journal?

AMELIA
Do you still think I’m your princess?

NINA
Do you remember the beach?

NASRIN
Did you see when I climbed Mt. Washington?

LAUREN
Would you teach me how to build sand castles?

FRANCESCA
I passed my black belt test like I promised. Were you watching?

ROXANNE
Do you think I’m a good person?

AMELIA
I skied the Black Diamond—did you see me?

NASRIN
When I feel sad, do you feel sad too?

NINA
Why’d you have to die?

LAUREN
Why you?

ROXANNE
Why not somebody else?

FRANCESCA
Will it ever stop—

NASRIN
Will it ever—

AMELIA
Will it ever stop hurting?

ALL
Will it ever stop hurting?

MOMENT TWELVE
(Spotlight on Nasrin)

NASRIN
Dad? The most incredible thing has happened!

NASRIN’S DAD
What? Tell me everything!

NASRIN
You’re not gonna believe this. We just elected the very first black president.

NASRIN’S DAD
You’re right, I don’t believe it! What’s his name?

NASRIN
Oh, his name is Barack Obama. Barack Hussein Obama.

NASRIN’S DAD
No way.

NASRIN
It’s true, I swear!

NASRIN’S DAD
Barack Hussein Obama. Things certainly have changed.

NASRIN
People were celebrating in the streets! At school, we watched his inauguration speech and everyone was cheering and crying. I wish you could have been here to see it. Mom says that the world is shedding its skin and growing a new one, a stronger one. I like that…it makes me feel...clean. Dad, for the first time in a really long time, I have so much hope. And I think you do, too. Wherever you are.

MOMENT THIRTEEN

NINA
(Addressing Melissa) This is off the record. (Awkwardly, after a deep breath) Hey, Dad. I gotta talk to you about something. I stopped going to church. I’m sorry...I just couldn’t take it anymore. It’s been four years now and people at church still act weird around me. Even Pastor Thomas. Whenever somebody asks how I’m doing, they give me that look. You know that look.

CHURCH LADY 1
(Giving “the look”) How are you, Nina?

NINA
Like I’m going to break into a million pieces if they speak too loudly or, God forbid, look me in the eye. And the worst part is when people say things like—

CHURCH LADY 2
Your father’s in a better place now.

NINA
Or—

PASTOR THOMAS
Everything happens for a reason.
NINA
Or the classic—

CHURCH LADY 3
It was his time.

NINA
I know they’re just trying to make me feel better but...his time? You were 40 years old. How could it possibly have been your time? And if everything happens for a reason, what was the reason for September 11th? If God is good, why does He let good people die? Does God love us? I don’t know if I believe in God anymore... I’m really confused about a lot of things. So that’s why I decided to take a break from church for a while. Mom says—

NINA’S MOM
Well, Nina, it’s up to you.

NINA
But I can tell she’s upset. Daddy, are you mad at me? Please don’t be mad. I would never, never, never want to hurt you. I still pray for you every day. I know that no matter what, you’ll always be listening.

MOMENT FOURTEEN

AMELIA
My dad was chief of the Nassau County Fire Department, and he used to take my brother Brian and me on the job with him a lot. So at a very young age, we got used to emergencies and high-pressure situations, rushing off to the scene and all that.

MELISSA
Wow, and that didn’t scare you?

AMELIA
Not at all, it was fun! Dad drove a Chevy Tahoe that had been converted into an emergency vehicle, and Brian and I would sit in the back. He’d turn the siren on and we would mimic the sound—

AMELIA & BRIAN
WEE-OOH-WEE-OOH!

AMELIA
Back then we spent almost all of our time at the firehouse. I remember Dad carrying me around on his shoulders, shouting to all the other firefighters—

DAD V/O
Make way for Princess Amelia!

AMELIA
I always felt safe when I was with him, like as long as he was around, nothing bad could happen to us. (Beat.) I wasn’t there when my dad went on his last call. I can’t even imagine what he was thinking when he saw what had happened. And when he ran inside that giant inferno, I wonder if he was scared. My dad’s partner, Bill, says—

BILL
Well, your dad was just determined to save as many people as possible. He ran back again and again. It was an unbelievable show of courage. Saved hundreds of people.

AMELIA
But my dad wasn’t able to escape his own death. He was 38. His name was Michael Sullivan, but everyone called him—

ALL
(Chant) Sully! Sully! Sully!

AMELIA
(As chanting continues softly) And after he died, all the firefighters at the Nassau County Fire Department had “Sully” embroidered onto their uniform. (Beat.) I still smile whenever I hear a siren. The sound doesn’t give me chills or indicate disaster in my mind. Instead, I get that same sense of safety and comfort I felt around my dad when I was younger. The sirens make me think of him.

MOMENT FIFTEEN

ROXANNE
I dated a ton of guys in high school...

MELISSA
Oh?

ROXANNE
Yeah, it was gross. None of them really cared about me. And the ones that did, I was like, “Oh shit, I better break up with them before they break up with me.”

MELISSA
Huh.

ROXANNE
I was like, a stereotypical rebel without a cause. I lost my virginity when I was fourteen...hooked up with football players in the back of the gym locker room...other stuff happened that I won’t get into...use your imagination.

MELISSA
Say no more.

ROXANNE
Got into college, dropped out of college. Dated a string of assholes (because they were so much safer than nice guys). I recently started seeing a therapist, finally, and she told me—

THERAPIST
Roxanne, I think it’s likely that your behavior when you were younger, and your subsequent intense mistrust of men, all stemmed from your father’s death.

ROXANNE
Which is so therapist-ey, so at first I was like, yeah whatever, lady. But it explains so much. I think a girl’s father is the most important man in her life, more important than any sibling or friend or husband or maybe even son will ever be... And like, after my dad died, I guess I started to believe that all the men I encountered in my life would eventually abandon me.

MELISSA
Sounds like trust issues.

ROXANNE
Kinda makes sense, doesn’t it?

MOMENT SIXTEEN

MELISSA
Finish this sentence: “I think of my dad when...”

FRANCESCA
I think of my Dad when I’m making coffee.

LAUREN
When I visit my grandparents.

NASRIN
When I go for walks.

AMELIA
At the St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

NINA
When I eat barbecue.

ROXANNE
At work.

LAUREN
Late at night.

AMELIA
At school.

FRANCESCA
When I argue with my mom.

NASRIN
When my laptop isn’t working.

ROXANNE
When I’m drunk.

NINA
When I fall asleep in the middle of movies.

AMELIA
When I watch old cartoons.

LAUREN
When I’m grocery shopping.

FRANCESCA
Sometimes when I’m out with friends.

NASRIN
When I’m out with my boyfriend. Which is weird.

ALL
I think of my dad—

FRANCESCA
I think of my dad—and I know that the way I would like to remember him is very different from how I actually remember him.

MELISSA
What do you mean?

FRANCESCA
I mean he wasn’t...a good person, exactly. My dad had a short temper. He used to get furious with us. Sometimes he hit us. One time...okay one time he hit my mom in the face so hard that he accidentally cut her with his wedding ring. I wish that I could be like you guys and say that my Dad is my hero, but I can’t. He wasn’t a bad person exactly...it was more complicated than that. Like he loved us very much, and there were some really great things about my dad. He used to take us swimming and to the park, and he gave the best piggyback rides, and he sang us to sleep at night...What really frustrates me now is that my mom doesn’t talk about it. None of her friends know, not a single one. I asked her about it once and she just said—

FRANCESCA’S MOM
I love your Papa, and I have forgiven him.

FRANCESCA
That’s it?

FRANCESCA’S MOM
What else is there to say?

FRANCESCA
I wonder if you can really forgive someone who hurt you like that. Like, I still love my dad, but I don’t know if I forgive him. It’s so confusing. I miss him more than anything, but I also just hate him sometimes. (Beat) Wait, sorry. Can we stop?

MELISSA
Sure.

FRANCESCA
Sorry, I completely forgot to say the off-the-record thing.

MELISSA
I can erase that part.

FRANCESCA
No, it’s okay. I mean yeah. No. I don’t know. Can I just have a minute?

MELISSA
Yes, absolutely! Do you want some water?

FRANCESCA
No, I’m good, thanks.

(MELISSA exits)

FRANCESCA
UGH—

ROXANNE
Oh, shit—

NINA
This is way harder than I thought it would be—

LAUREN
I feel like I’m turning my insides out—

NASRIN
Wait, I think that came out wrong—

AMELIA
Sorry, hold on a sec—

(A collective breath)

ALL
Okay.

MOMENT SEVENTEEN

DAVID
It’s not a cold, I swear! It’s allergies! I have seasonal allergies!

LAUREN
Uh huh.

DAVID
What?

LAUREN
Nothing.

DAVID
What?!

LAUREN
You self-diagnose as much as my mother.

DAVID
That’s not fair! I don’t claim to be deathly allergic to every food known to man.

LAUREN
Well, not every food...

DAVID
Which you did not warn me about, by the way.

LAUREN
(Conceding) I admit that having her over for dinner last night was not a good idea.

DAVID
“Oh, David, I’m so sorry, but I can’t eat any of this. My face will just swell up! It’ll swell right up!”

LAUREN
Wow, that was a flawless impression of my mother—

DAVID
(Overlapping) “Don’t give it another thought, darling! I’ll just have some oat nut toast.” Actually, I don’t have any...oat nut toast. “Well, would you believe it, there’s some in my bag!” And then she reaches into her purse and pulls out an entire loaf of oat nut bread like Mary fucking Poppins!

LAUREN
So?

DAVID
So, clearly she knew I was gonna mess up!

LAUREN
Yeah, but it wasn’t personal. She just likes to do things her own way.

DAVID
She probably thinks I’m such an ass.

LAUREN
I think she actually really likes you.

DAVID
Why, what’d she say?

LAUREN
Nothing, I can just tell. If she really hated you, you would know.

DAVID
How would I know?

LAUREN
All right, for example, I dated this guy for a while named Bradley Beaumont—

DAVID
Ew.

LAUREN
I know. Anyway my mom invited him over for dinner, we come over, I make introductions, and my mom just goes totally silent. For the rest of the night.

DAVID
Your mom was silent? For more than a minute?

LAUREN
(Choosing to ignore him) And Bradley turned out to be like, the Olympic gold medalist of douchebags, so there you go.

DAVID
(Laughing) The Olympic gold medalist of douchebags?

LAUREN
Shut up, this is my story. Poetic license—

DAVID
(Overlapping) Fair enough.

LAUREN
How come you’ve never asked me about my dad?

(Taken aback, David stares at her.)

DAVID
What do you mean?

LAUREN
We’ve been together for almost a year, and you’ve never asked me about my dad.

DAVID
Oh.

LAUREN
I just thought, you know, aren’t you curious?

DAVID
Of course I’m curious.

LAUREN
Then why haven’t you asked?

DAVID
I don’t know, I just...I didn’t know if it was like, a taboo subject or something.

LAUREN
It’s not. Ask me.

DAVID
Right now?

LAUREN
Yes.

DAVID
Okay...what’s the deal with your dad?

LAUREN
He died.

DAVID
When?

LAUREN
When I was in eighth grade.

DAVID
How?

LAUREN
He was in one of the planes that hit the Twin Towers on 9/11.

(Beat.)

DAVID
(Dumbly) What?

LAUREN
I mean, at the time we didn’t realize it. We knew he was flying United but we just assumed he was on a different flight. It was like...this couldn’t happen to us, you know? Not our family. But then we got a call from the airline, and that was that.

(A silence.)

DAVID
God. Lauren. I’m so sorry. That must have been so...

LAUREN
Yeah, it sucked.

DAVID
How did you...I know “get through it” is the wrong phrase because when are you ever actually through it? But like how did you cope?

LAUREN
Support groups, therapy, antidepressants...a lot of stuff helped, but it was hard. It’s still hard.

(Beat.)

DAVID
I don’t know what to say.

LAUREN
Yeah, that’s why I don’t usually bring it up. It’s always this huge conversation stopper. I say “9/11” and suddenly everyone’s like, “Oh, look at the time! Gotta go!”

DAVID
Do you see me running away right now?

LAUREN
No. But you can. If you want.

DAVID
I’m not going anywhere.

LAUREN
Why not?

DAVID
Fuck, Lauren, I don’t know. Because I love you?

LAUREN
What?

DAVID
Because I um...because I love you...

LAUREN
Whoa. That’s. Whoa.

(Uncomfortable silence.)

DAVID
NOW I’m gonna run away. (He turns to go.)

LAUREN
(Laughing) Hold on, butthead. You don’t get to drop the L bomb on me and then flee the scene.

DAVID
Okay. (Bracing himself) Do your worst.

(Lauren lets him suffer a moment longer, and then with a surge of love she kisses him.)

DAVID
Does that mean—

LAUREN
Yes.

DAVID
You—

LAUREN
Yes.

(He holds her.)

DAVID
(Desperately trying to seem nonchalant) Great. Cool. (A moment.) I’m sorry I never asked about your dad.

LAUREN
It’s not your fault. I probably should’ve brought it up a long time ago.

DAVID
You must think about him a lot.

LAUREN
Every day. He was an awesome dad.

DAVID
I wish I could’ve met him.

LAUREN
If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.

DAVID
Beg pardon?

LAUREN
If wishes were horses, beggars would ride. It’s something my Dad used to say all the time.

DAVID
What does it mean?

(Beat.)

LAUREN
I have no idea.

(He laughs and kisses her forehead.)

DAVID
Promise you’ll tell me more about him?

LAUREN
Yeah. I promise.

(Blackout)

MOMENT EIGHTEEN
(Battery Park.)

FRANCESCA
Battery Park is my favorite place in the city. I come to watch the sunset...there’s this one moment as the sun is setting where it hits the top of Castle Clinton just so, sending light in every direction. It only happens once, so watch carefully, okay?

FRANCESCA’S DAD
Okay.

FRANCESCA
Papa, remember the big sphere that used to stand in between the towers?

FRANCESCA’S DAD
Of course.

FRANCESCA
Well, they recovered it from all the rubble and put it in Battery Park. In front of the Sphere there’s a fire burning, which they call “the eternal flame” because it always stays lit. Those two parts together — the Sphere and the fire – I think it’s America saying, “Nothing will destroy us completely. Nothing can extinguish our light.”

FRANCESCA’S DAD
(Approvingly) Mmmmm. That’s lovely.

FRANCESCA
I wish you could see it. They’re planning to relocate the Sphere, actually, in 2012, for the 9/11 Memorial & Museum. Things are changing, Papa. Everyone still calls it Ground Zero, but it doesn’t look like zero anymore, does it?

FRANCESCA’S DAD
No, it doesn’t.

(The lights shift)

FRANCESCA
Oh look! Papa, look at that! Hang on, I want to take a picture. (She takes out a small digital camera and snaps a photograph.) It’s beautiful, isn’t it? (She waits for a reply.) Isn’t it beautiful, Dad?

(The scenery disappears. Total blackout except spotlight on Francesca.)

FRANCESCA
Dad?

MOMENT NINETEEN
(Nina’s mom, played by Melissa, practices Tai Chi. Enya’s “Only Time” is BLASTING.)

NINA
Hey, Mom? Mom. MOM!

NINA’S MOM
Yeah?

NINA
Where’s our turntable?

NINA’S MOM
What?

NINA
Where’s our turntable?!

NINA’S MOM
What?

NINA
Will you TURN THAT OFF for a second?

(MOM retrieves a small remote, which she points to turn off the music.)

NINA’S MOM
What’s up?

NINA
What were you listening to?

NINA’S MOM
Enya.

NINA
Enya. You listen to Enya? You enjoy Enya?

NINA’S MOM
Mm hm.

NINA
Since when?

NINA’S MOM
Since I started my Tai Chi class.

NINA
What Tai Chi class?

NINA’S MOM
I told you I was taking some classes at the YMCA, remember?

NINA
I remember, but…I took you with me to yoga that one time and you hated it! “Nina, this hokey new-age crap really isn’t for me.”

NINA’S MOM
(Laughs) Well, my chiropractor told me that Tai Chi is a really good stress reliever, so I decided to try it out. And so far I really like it.

NINA
Wow. Well, good for you, I guess.

NINA’S MOM
So what’s up?

NINA
Do you know where our turntable is? I can’t find it anywhere.

NINA’S MOM
Oh...yeah, it’s in the basement.

NINA
(Bemused) In the basement? We don’t even go in the basement. It’s gross. What about Dad’s blues albums?

NINA’S MOM
Also in the basement.

NINA
What for?

NINA’S MOM
For safekeeping.

NINA
But you love those albums!

NINA’S MOM
(Grappling) Yes, I do, but there were at least 500 and they were cluttering up the living room, and I wanted space to practice my Tai Chi. They say you have to practice every day if you really want to improve.

NINA
I’m confused.

NINA’S MOM
What’s confusing you?

NINA
Just seems like something’s up.

NINA’S MOM
Nothing’s up.

NINA
Mom, that music is our life. Nina Simone, Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald...

NINA’S MOM
So?

NINA
So something’s going on!

NINA’S MOM
What do you mean?

NINA
You know what.

NINA’S MOM
No, I don’t. I’m not a mind reader.

NINA
Okay, fine! It just seems like you’re trying to erase Dad, like get rid of any evidence of him. It’s like you’re doing everything you can to forget about him.

NINA’S MOM
(Slowly, quietly) I’m not trying to forget about Dad.

NINA
(Suddenly shouting) Why are you lying to me?

NINA’S MOM
Why are you yelling at me?

NINA
I’m sorry. It’s just...I go away for four months and when I come back, everything’s changed. It’s freaking me out.

NINA’S MOM
You don’t have any idea—

NINA
So tell me.

NINA’S MOM
You go off to school and I’m left alone in this house. I’m surrounded by memories of your father. Everywhere I turn, he’s there. I sit at the kitchen table and imagine he’s sitting across from me reading the paper. I go to cook dinner and I think of how he used to pretend the salad spinner was a motorcycle engine. There are so many things, Nina. That porcelain bowl he broke and glued back together...his slippers in our closet...that damn leather chair that still smells like his cologne no matter how hard I try to get the smell out—

NINA
I like that smell!

NINA’S MOM
Because you don’t have to be around it all the time! You get to go to college and get away from all of this! Believe it or not, things were a lot easier for me when you were here. When it was the two of us, I could focus on your life—driving you to voice lessons, helping you with college applications, taking care of you when you got sick. Now all of the sudden the house is empty.

NINA
I’m sorry about what I said.

NINA’S MOM
I don’t want you to think that. Ever. I would never try to erase Dad.

NINA
No, no, of course not. I shouldn’t have said that.

NINA’S MOM
Bring the turntable back upstairs.

NINA
Yeah?

NINA’S MOM
We should use it while you’re here.

NINA
All this stuff—the Tai Chi and the Enya and whatever else—it really makes you happy?

NINA’S MOM
It helps.

NINA
That’s good. I mean it.

(A quiet understanding passes between them.)

NINA
Hey, guess what.

NINA’S MOM
What?

NINA
I’m auditioning to sing with the New York Philharmonic.

NINA’S MOM
You are?

NINA
Yeah, they’re having this competition where people submit videos of themselves singing online, and whoever wins gets to sing with the Phil at this big gala they’re having next spring.

NINA’S MOM
Wow. That would be amazing. Life-changing!

NINA
Don’t get too excited though, okay? I don’t want to jinx it.

NINA’S MOM
(Amused) I’ll try my best.

(Nina Simone’s “Mood Indigo” begins to play)

NINA
Nina Simone.

NINA’S MOM
Uh huh.

NINA
How did you—

NINA’S MOM
I downloaded the song on iTunes.

NINA
Look at you!

NINA’S MOM
I know, right?

NINA
I love this song. Mood Indigo.

NINA’S MOM
You wanna dance?

NINA
Here?

NINA’S MOM
Sure, why not?

(She grabs Nina’s hands and they begin to swing dance, or at least, they attempt to swing dance. They laugh and laugh.)

MOMENT TWENTY

(Spotlight on Nasrin, who retrieves a large scrapbook from a backpack.)

MELISSA
Is that a photo album?

NASRIN
It’s a scrapbook. For the ten-year anniversary of September 11th.

MELISSA
That’s coming up soon.

NASRIN
Yeah, and my mom is going crazy giving all of us projects. So I had to make this scrapbook in honor of my dad’s life. I’m not really into arts and crafts, so it’s pretty lame.

MELISSA
Can I see it?

NASRIN
Sure. (Shows scrapbook to Melissa) See, I’ve divided it into three sections: (turning to each section) “The Early Years,” “Our Family,” and “The Legacy.” “The Early Years” is full of pictures and mementos from his childhood: a copy of his birth certificate, old drawings, things he wrote, photos of him with my grandparents and aunts and uncles... Uh, the “Our Family” section is pretty self-explanatory. It’s a bunch of pictures of our family, starting from when my mom and dad got married. And then the “Legacy” section is all about the ways we’ve honored my dad’s memory. There are flowers my mom pressed from his funeral, his obituary, a picture I drew of him in sixth grade, plus an article about our family that was published in the local news section of the Examiner.

MELISSA
It looks great.

NASRIN
You don’t have to say that.

MELISSA
I mean it! You did a beautiful job!

NASRIN
(Pleased, but uncomfortable with praise) Anyway, I think it’s been helpful for all of us to have something to put our energy into, since it’s such an intense time. We’re planning a camping trip after the memorial service. It’s gonna be a little cold that week, probably. But you know...

MELISSA
You’ll be prepared?

NASRIN
Yeah. We’ll be prepared.

MOMENT TWENTY-ONE
(Spotlight on Roxanne)

ROXANNE
Well, there’s the horse poop story...

MELISSA
(Laughs) Let’s hear it!

ROXANNE
When I was little, I went through a horse phase. Lisa Frank was big back then, and just about everything I owned was covered in Lisa Frank horse stickers. Anyway, the only time I’d ever seen real horses was when the police were riding them around Central Park.

ROXANNE’S DAD
Tell you what, kiddo. For your eighth birthday, you and I are gonna take a trip to North Carolina to see some real wild horses!

ROXANNE
So we packed up and went. But here’s the thing: all we found was their poop! We were driving for miles and miles around the countryside and my dad kept saying—

ROXANNE’S DAD
They’ve got to be here somewhere, dammit!

ROXANNE
But all we saw was poop. We spent the next week cleaning it out of the wheels of the car. I was so disappointed, but my dad said—

ROXANNE’S DAD
Roxy, when life gives you horse crap, you make fertilizer!

MELISSA
(Laughs) I’ve never heard that one before!

ROXANNE
Oh, that’s nothing. Wait ‘til you hear the bad puns. They’re deadly!

MOMENT TWENTY-TWO

NINA
DAD! Guess what, guess what, guess what.

NINA’S DAD
What?

NINA
I won the contest!

NINA’S DAD
No way!

NINA
Yes way. I’m singing with the New York Philharmonic. (Squeals) Can you believe it?

NINA’S DAD
Of course I can believe it.

NINA
Well I can’t believe it. This kind of thing never happens to me, I never win anything! I wanted to tell you first. Guess what song I sang in my audition video.

NINA’S DAD
What song?

NINA
Mood Indigo!

DAD V/O
Aha!

NINA
It was Mom’s idea...but it does make me wonder...did you have something to do with this? (Beat) Dad? (Beat) What are you up to up there? (Beat) I know, I know, you’d never tell. (She blows him a kiss.)

MOMENT TWENTY-THREE
(Spotlight on Amelia)

MELISSA
If you could say anything to your dad right now, what would you say?

AMELIA
I’d say...I’d say it’s been ten years, Daddy, and my memories are fading. The things I do remember about you feel so random and scattered. I’m 18 now. Brian is 24. Mom is in her fifties, though you didn’t hear it from me. You’ve missed so many important moments. My high school graduation is this year, and it’s still so strange to think that you won’t be there. Sometimes I feel like you’re going to just walk through the front door, or share some exciting work story over dinner, or I’ll find you sitting on the couch screaming at the Giants on television. Sometimes I get really sad, and I then I feel guilty because I know you’d want me to be strong. You’d say—

AMELIA’S DAD
Hang tough, kiddo!

AMELIA
I still remember you always used to say that. Mom helps a lot. I don’t know how, but she can tell when I’m thinking about you. She always says that you’re really proud of me. And just knowing that—knowing that I make you proud—that’s everything.

MOMENT TWENTY-FOUR
(Spotlight on Francesca. Santa Lucia plays softly through her monologue.)

FRANCESCA
Right before my dad died, he tried to call us. He called our home phone but nobody was home, so then he tried to call my mom, but she didn’t answer, and he didn’t leave a message.

MELISSA
What do you think he wanted to say?

FRANCESCA
I dunno, goodbye, maybe? Or just fill us in on what was happening? Maybe he knew it was the end, maybe he didn’t. We’ll never know.

MELISSA
What a huge burden for your mother to carry.

FRANCESCA
She still hasn’t forgiven herself for missing that call.

MAMA
I had the dream again.

FRANCESCA
What happened this time?

MAMA
My fingers were too big to press the buttons and I couldn’t answer the phone.

FRANCESCA
She tells me about these horrible nightmares and I just want to cry and cry. Actually, I’ve been crying a lot lately.

MELISSA
Why’s that?

FRANCESCA
I’m not sure. One minute I’m fine, and then the next, POOF! I’m sad. I don’t know if it’s because I miss my dad, or love him, or hate him...or if I’m just tired. I feel like I’m always tired. (Beat) I know that in a perfect world, I’d be more resilient.

MELISSA
What do you mean?

FRANCESCA
Like, I’d be a better person for learning to live without my dad. But the truth is, my survival isn’t this thrilling thing that constantly propels me to live life to the fullest. Most of the time, I just exist—I go to school, I see my friends, I call up my mom or Alexis, I eat, I sleep... Sometimes I don’t even notice a week slip by.

MELISSA
Time is sneaky that way.

FRANCESCA
Right? Or is it my fault?

MELISSA
Of course not.

FRANCESCA
I just know my dad would have handled it differently. If the roles had been reversed. If something had happened to me, he wouldn’t have collapsed the way I do. He would’ve been determined to live out the rest of his life on my behalf.

MELISSA
You don’t know that for certain. People handle grief in all kinds of ways.
FRANCESCA
I guess I just...sometimes I wish it had been me instead. (Beat) Bleh, I don’t know why I said that. You probably don’t want to hear that. My dad definitely wouldn’t want to hear that.

MELISSA
You’d be surprised how many survivors have said that to me.

FRANCESCA
I guess what bothers me the most is that my mom is alone now. Totally alone. I’m in college, and Alexis is with the rest of the family in Italy. I wish Mama would find someone else.

MELISSA
Has she dated at all?

FRANCESCA
She went on a few dates last year, but she says she doesn’t like dating now that she’s old. I think part of her is afraid it would hurt my dad’s feelings if she actually found someone new. I told her he would want her to be happy. I think that’s true. I just wish he could tell her himself.

(Fade up volume of SANTA LUCIA)

MOMENT TWENTY-FIVE

NINA
I think that heaven is an old blues café. Candles lit at every table...women in long gowns huddled around men playing poker, laughing and drinking scotch...waitresses handing out big, thick cigars they carry around on trays. A small stage with a grand piano and a drum set...spotlight on a single microphone right in the center. Big red curtain in the back. My father is the emcee, and Nina Simone is headlining.

ENSEMBLE
ROCK-A-BYE BABY
SING YOUR ROCK-A-BYE BLUES
ROCK-A-BYE BABY
SING YOUR ROCK-A-BYE BLUES
YOUR DADDY WILL HOLD YOU
IN YOUR POWDER-SWEET DREAMS
OH SWEET BABY,
SING YOUR ROCK-A-BYE BLUES

AIN’T NOBODY
GONNA TREAT YOU WRONG
AIN’T NOBODY
GONNA TREAT YOU WRONG
YOUR DADDY’S WATCHIN’ OVER
YOUR CRADLE TONIGHT
NO, THERE AIN’T NOBODY
GONNA TREAT YOU WRONG

SLEEP PRETTY BABY
THERE’S NO USE IN CRYIN’
SLEEP PRETTY BABY
THERE’S NO USE IN CRYIN’
YOUR DADDY IS WAITING
IN YOUR POWDER-SWEET DREAMS
SLEEP PRETTY BABY
THERE’S NO USE IN CRYIN’

MOMENT TWENTY-SIX

LAUREN
This is off the record.

MELISSA
You got it.

(In the darkness, Lauren struggles to put on a wedding dress.)

LAUREN
Okay, you can look now!

(Lights up on Lauren in a white wedding gown)

LAUREN
Well, what do you think? Do I look like a grown-up?

LAUREN’S DAD
You look perfect.

LAUREN
I don’t feel perfect. I’m getting married in three months, and all I want is to be sixteen. Not a care in the world...fleeting romance...raging hormones...SATs...awkward adolescence... Never mind, I don’t want to be sixteen.

(Lauren’s Dad laughs)

LAUREN
This is normal, right?

LAUREN’S DAD
What?

LAUREN
It’s normal to get really freaked out before your wedding?

LAUREN’S DAD
Of course it’s normal! I know I did!

LAUREN
It happens in, like, every romantic comedy. Somebody always starts panicking right before the wedding.

LAUREN’S DAD
ELAAAAINE!

(Lauren giggles)

LAUREN
I’m going to be fine, right?

LAUREN’S DAD
Right.

LAUREN
I love David. David loves me. You know, a few weeks ago, we were picking out invitations with Mom and he started to cry? He’s seen me cry a billion times, but I’d never seen him cry before. And there he was, like straight up sobbing in the middle of the store. So I asked him, David, what’s wrong?

DAVID
This is really happening, isn’t it?

LAUREN
Yeah, but look, I understand if you still want to back out—

DAVID
I’m so—happy.

LAUREN
And then, of course, I started crying and then my mom started crying, and the store clerk was just staring at all of us like we were insane. But oh my god, you should see Mom! She’s glowing! She and David’s mom are like, best girlfriends now. It’s really cute. They already have plans to take me to the spa before our wedding so we can all get “shellacked.”

LAUREN’S DAD
Sounds like your mother.

LAUREN
I wish you could meet David—the two of you would get along so well. God, I can’t believe I’m wearing a wedding dress. When I was little I used to daydream about my future wedding all the time.

LAUREN’S DAD
Is that so?

LAUREN
(A reverie) I would wear a pink dress and there would be tons of pink flowers. The groom would be Justin Timberlake, of course.

LAUREN’S DAD
Naturally.

LAUREN
Mom would be crying the whole time, and wiping her face with a handkerchief like they do in the movies. And you would wear a black tuxedo with a red rose boutonnière just like the one you wore when you married Mom. You and mom would walk me down the aisle together, and just before you stepped away, you’d kiss my forehead the way you always used to. (Beat. She examines herself in the mirror.) Dad, I can’t do this without you. I need to know that you’ll be with me when I walk down the aisle. Will you? (Silence) Dad?

(A knock on the door)

LAUREN
Just a minute!

(A sharper, louder knock)

LAUREN
I said just a minute!

WISE FIANCÉ
(From outside door) Jesus, lady, you’ve been in here for over an hour!

LAUREN
Oh...are you sure? That long?

WISE FIANCÉ
Quite sure!

(Lauren opens the dressing room door.)

LAUREN
Sorry.

WISE FIANCÉ
You getting married?

LAUREN
Yeah.

WISE FIANCÉ
You nervous?

LAUREN
I’m scared shitless.

WISE FIANCÉ
You look it.

(Beat.)

LAUREN
Do you work here?

WISE FIANCÉ
No, I’m here with my fiancé.

LAUREN
Oh...congratulations.

WISE FIANCÉ
Thank you.

LAUREN
Which one is she?

WISE FIANCÉ
That gentleman over there.

LAUREN
Oh! Sorry, I don’t know why I assumed—

WISE FIANCÉ
(Cutting her off) I was hoping to try on this tux, if you don’t mind relinquishing the uh, dressing room...?

LAUREN
Yes, of course. I’m so sorry.

WISE FIANCÉ
You apologize too much.

LAUREN
I know.

WISE FIANCÉ
Relax. You look beautiful.

LAUREN
You think so?

WISE FIANCÉ
I do.

LAUREN
Thank you. (Beat.) Do I really look that scared?

WISE FIANCÉ
Uh huh.

LAUREN
Erghh, it’s all happening so fast. I wish I could just put the world on hold for a minute.

WISE FIANCÉ
(Mutters under his breath) If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.

LAUREN
What was that?

WISE FIANCÉ
Oh, um I said...if wishes were horses, beggars would ride. My fiancé says it all the time...I don’t actually know what it means.

LAUREN
You have got to be kidding me.

WISE FIANCÉ
Why? What did I say?

(Overwhelmed, LAUREN starts to cry)

WISE FIANCE
Oh, shit. I’m sorry! Please don’t cry. Please don’t cry.

(Lauren’s crying turns to laughter)

WISE FIANCÉ
Um...are you okay?

LAUREN
(Pulling herself together) Yes! I’m great. (Clears her throat, wipes away a few stray tears) Anyway, I’ll let you have the room now. Congratulations, again.

WISE FIANCÉ
(Thoroughly bewildered) Thanks...you too.

(She starts to leave)

WISE FIANCÉ
Wait, don’t forget your clothes!

LAUREN
Rightyesclothes...

(She grabs her belongings and quickly shuffles out of the dressing room. The door closes firmly behind her. She turns back to look at it, then looks out toward the audience.)

LAUREN
I’ve gotta hand it to you, Dad: you’re good.

MOMENT TWENTY-SEVEN
(Spotlight on Roxanne)

MELISSA
Okay, what about you Roxanne? Any final thoughts?

ROXANNE
Hey Dad, when I was little, did I ever teach you something really important? (Silence. No response.) The reason why I’m asking is because I’ve been babysitting this five-year-old girl named Madison. She’s this little blonde darling with a voice that I can’t even believe is real, it’s like a Powerpuff Girl. She may actually be the cutest thing alive. Anyway, I’m the one who’s 22, right? I’m the grown-up; I’m supposed to be, like, an all-knowing elder to this little girl, right? Well, the other day, we were getting on the subway, and Madison asked me—

MADISON
Roxanne? Is this where daddy leaves to get to the city?

ROXANNE
Yes, that’s right!

MADISON
Hi, Daddy! I love you, Daddy! I miss you! See you when you get home!

ROXANNE
(Laughing) Madison, your daddy can’t hear you. We’re in Westchester and he’s aaaall the way in Manhattan. And she gave me this look, like, “Foolish adult, I know everything and you know nothing.”

MADISON
(Giving her the look) Roxanne, me and Daddy have a love path. It doesn’t matter where we are. I can be at school, camp, or home and me and Daddy can send messages back and forth through our love path.

ROXANNE
I couldn’t believe that in just moments, a five-year-old could explain something that I’ve been struggling to piece together for ten years. After you died, people would tell me that I could talk to you up in heaven, and I never really knew what that meant. But now I think I do. You and I will always have our love path. It doesn’t matter where you are or where I am. No matter how far apart we are, there will always be this invisible thread connecting us.

(She holds up a thread. The rest of the stage is illuminated, revealing the six women amidst a sea of silvery threads.)

ROXANNE
See?