AARON

(intrigued by her)
Tell me something I don’t know about you.

TALIA
Mm, like what?

She goes to kiss him, but he turns so she

catches his cheek.

AARON
C’mon. I want to know you.

TALIA
We do know each other.

AARON
I mean, now. Not you from high school, not the girl who was just Alicia’s friend that I
had a hopeless crush on.

TALIA
Why do you want to know me?

AARON
There’s something about you…and I think there’s more to you than you’re letting on.

TALIA smiles.

AARON (CONT.)
So…?

TALIA
You really want to know me? Who I am now?

AARON nods, expectant.

TALIA (CONT.)
Okay.

Pause.
 2
TALIA (CONT.)
My dad is dying. Feel free to run, if you’d like. The window is still open.

AARON
I––

TALIA
I know it’s a lot to deal with.

AARON
It must be. Especially on your own.

TALIA
How do you know I’m dealing with it on my own?

AARON
Why else would you be telling me? I’m practically a stranger.

TALIA
You’re not a stranger, you’re an old friend.

AARON
Just a friend?

TALIA smiles but doesn’t respond.

AARON
I am sorry that you’re going through this.

TALIA
Thanks. They’re talking about selling the house already. It’s like they decided everything
without me.

AARON
That isn’t fair.

TALIA
(trying to laugh)
And Elle, my sister, she told them she thinks it’s my fault.

AARON
 3
Your sister thinks that your dad dying is your fault?

TALIA
I wasn’t around to nag him…

AARON
About what?

TALIA
He has emphysema. It’s a lung disease. And I always used to bother him about smoking,
hiding his cigarettes, ripping them up, before I moved. Wait. You’re not running away?

AARON
Why would I?

TALIA
I mean…I’m going to be a fucking mess when he goes. Nobody wants to deal with that.

AARON
So? I’ll probably be a mess when my parents go too. It’s normal. That doesn’t make me
want to be with you any less.

TALIA
What do you mean, be with me?

AARON
Sorry. I don’t mean to scare you off…I like you.

TALIA
I like you too…but I live in California.

AARON
So?

TALIA
I’m not…I can’t move home. I can’t.

AARON
Do you have to?

TALIA
 4
(afraid)
Am I selfish if I don’t?

AARON
(pondering)
Did you think it was selfish when you left?

TALIA
No…but I was eighteen, I didn’t think like that. And my dad wasn’t sick.

AARON
I think you’ve got to really think about what it means to be selfish. I think there is a line
between living the life that makes you happy and neglecting your family.

TALIA
Nobody said anything about neglect! I’ll come home more often. And I’ll call…and
there’s always FaceTime.

AARON
So, what do you owe them?

TALIA
What do you mean?

AARON
What do you owe your parents? What do you give back to them in exchange for them
raising you? Do you have to give anything back?

TALIA
Are you trying to be annoying?

AARON
No. I just think this raises the question. What do we owe our parents? I don’t know the
answer.

TALIA
(bitter)
Some people would say that we owe it to them to be the person they always imagined us
becoming.
 5
AARON
Maybe. Do we owe it to them to sacrifice our happiness?

TALIA
Isn’t that the same thing as being who they want us to be?

AARON
Not always. I think there’s a middle ground between pursuing our own happiness and
becoming exactly what they hoped.

TALIA
You know, my mom told me once that she and my dad hoped I would become an
engineer. She said they supported me wanting to do something in the arts, but that they
were disappointed. I can’t even imagine how fucking miserable I would be as an
engineer.

AARON
I think you’re brave.

TALIA
You do?

AARON
Yes. For being out there. For really trying. For not letting yourself settle. For––

She cuts him off with a kiss.

DORIS, half-asleep, enters SL. She turns on

the kitchen light.

TALIA and AARON break apart. TALIA

waits to be found out.

As DORIS turns to go back to bed, holding

a glass of water, she sees AARON. She
drops the water, grabbing the nearest
utensil, a spatula.

DORIS
I have a weapon!

TALIA rolls her eyes and stands up so her

mother can see her.
 6
TALIA
Mom, it’s me!

DORIS
(relieved, then
immediately angry)
Oh my God. What the hell do you think you’re doing?

TALIA
I––

DORIS
As if this day couldn’t get any worse.

TALIA
What is the big deal?

AARON stands awkwardly between them.

DORIS is ignoring him.

DORIS
The big deal is that you have no respect for this house!

TALIA
It’s got nothing to do with the house.

DORIS
Oh, you just don’t respect me.

TALIA
I know you had a bad day, but why do you have to take it out on me? You always take it
out on me!

DORIS
You brought a stranger into this house! What, you can’t afford a hotel room?

AARON
(awkwardly interjecting)
I’m sorry…uh, this may be my fault, I wanted to spend some time alone with Talia and I
suggested her place. In fairness, I didn’t know her place was, uh, your place, but…
 7
TALIA tries not to flinch at this lie.

DORIS
I appreciate the chivalry, young man, but I promise, my daughter isn’t worth
compromising your principles.

AARON
I’m sorry to hear you think so, Mrs. Johnson. I’m going to go.

He kisses TALIA on the cheek, but she is so

mad she hardly notices. He exits the front
door.

TALIA
Is that what you think of me?

DORIS
Do you really want to know?

TALIA
Answer my fucking question!
 8

He only wanted to sleep with you, how can you not see that, Talia? You’ve been taken advantage
of so many times by so many men who––

TALIA
Aaron wanted to spend time with me, that’s it! You really think who I am isn’t worth that?

DORIS
(changing tactics)
I don’t know who you are, Talia. I have no clue. You ran off to play actress, you abandoned us––

TALIA
(raising her voice)
Abandoned? Are you fucking kidding me? Just because I didn’t want to end up like you!

DORIS
(raising to match)
No, of course not! Why would you want to have to deal with raising a daughter as ungrateful as
you? Real life is not glamorous, I’m sorry! No matter where you go, that won’t change. And
you’re not going back, so you might as well get used to it.

TALIA
You can’t make me stay.

DORIS
Just watch me!

DAVE enters SL. He braces himself and crosses

into the kitchen.

TALIA
I can’t believe what a bitch––

DAVE
Hey!

What are you doing up?

DAVE
I heard you two yelling.

TALIA
 9

Sorry…

DORIS
Dave, she won’t fucking listen to me.

DAVE
About what?

DORIS
You know what!

DAVE
Oh, you mean about moving home because of my death sentence?

DORIS
Do you think you’re funny?

TALIA crosses to the couch, sits, exhausted.

DAVE
(shrugging)
Apparently, you lose the right to make jokes once you get sick.

DORIS
You’re damn right you do! I can’t believe you. How can you just let her leave?

TALIA
I’m right here!

DAVE
Dear…it’s not about letting her do anything.

You don’t have all the time in the world left, you know! She should be here. We should be a
family again!

TALIA
It’s not like I’m never going to come visit, I––

DORIS
 10

(as a reflex) You stay

out of this!

The light in ELLE’s room flicks on.

TALIA
Oh, I’m only family when you want me to be, I see. I fucking heard you earlier, you know.

DORIS
What are you talking about?

TALIA
Don’t lie! My whole life is a mistake to you, isn’t it? (she turns to her father) I can’t watch you
die! I’d go insane. Can I keep my sanity please? Do I least get that?

DAVE
Would you both knock it off? Please stop acting like I could drop dead any minute. Doris, we
can’t keep Talia here if that’s not what she wants. That would be selfish, and as she pointed out,
I’ve done more than enough of that in my life.

TALIA glances up gratefully.

DORIS
Well, I haven’t! I can’t deal with this on my own, do you understand that? And if Talia runs off
again, then––

TALIA
It’s not running off! I have a life out there! A job, an apartment, a cat––

Is any of that more important than us? Than your dad? You need help anyway. All you do is
drink.

TALIA
Don’t guilt trip me! You’re being selfish. Did you ever stop to think that maybe I can’t stand
being sober because of you?

DORIS
You––

DAVE
Dear…
 11

DORIS
Don’t you “Dear” me! How can you let her treat me like this?

ELLE has descended the staircase. Nobody sees

her.

DAVE
Talia…your mother cares about you.

TALIA
(laughing)
Is that why she’s trying to control my life?

DORIS
I’m trying to stop you from making a decision you’ll regret!