Time Stands Still by David Margulies

MANDY: I prayed for you. Even though we’d never met. I prayed for you. It’s weird cause it’s
not like I believe in God or anything. Cause I don’t. Not really. I don’t think. But whenever I wish
for something? Or want something really really bad? I talk to Him. Like when I was little and my
grandpa got sick? I’d go to bed and lay there in the dark and say over and over, “Please God…
please please please let Grandpa get better.” When we heard about you – Richard was so
upset- In all the time we’d been together. I’d never seen him so upset. He was so scared you’d
be maimed or brain-damaged or something. I found myself going, “Please God, Richard loves
Sarah so much, please don’t let her die.”

MANDY: Um. Listen, I know how much you and Richard mean to each other. And then I come
along and it’s like: “Who is she? Oh, she must be Richard’s mid-life crisis.” Well, I’m not. Okay?
Whatever it was that brought us together, we’re together. For real. This is not a passing “thing.”
I love Richard. He is a very good man. Probably the nicest man I’ve ever known. He’s smart, and
kind, and caring. And I love his voice. I love the way he sounds. So he’s a lot older than me. So
what? It’s not like I go around thinking, “Oh my God, he’s like three years younger than my
dad!” Cause I don’t. All that matters - to me, anyway – is he takes care of me. He makes me feel
safe. And one day, when he’s old, and demented? I’ll take care of him.