Fade In:

Exterior. New Home-Day

On a hot summer afternoon on Pelican Street, a couple moves into a new home.

HENRY, a mid-30 white man dressed in overalls is visibly annoyed and unpacking boxes.

Interior. Kitchen-Day

HENRY

Babe, can you pick up some nails when you go to the store?

Henry fingers the bottle in his overall pocket, catches himself doing this and moves a ladder.

Sarah follows his eyes and rubs her bump.

Sarah

I’m going to stop by the baby store and look at some strollers. I want to get a pink one or maybe yellow…if we have another one.

Henry

Let’s just get this one over with first.

Sarah: (rubs her bump)

Let’s start with the pink one. Maybe we can get one at the thrift store.

SARAH waits for HENRY to show some excitement. SARAH leaves and we see Henry take out the bottle. He takes a quick sip.

We see him walk over to a covered section of the pantry where there are several -hidden mini bottles. Henry puts another one in his pocket.

HENRY(mumbles)

Just a sip. I got this. Just a sip.

He continues painting the pantry red. We see his hands shake and the lines are fractured.

Scene

Int. House Day

Sarah walks in the door and puts her keys down.

Henry

How did it go? (quickly puts a piece of gum in his mouth)

Sarah

(sees him do this and closes her eyes).

They said the vitals are good. We need to start deciding on names.

Henry

I wanted to leave that up to you.

SARAH

This is our baby. When she grows up, she wants to hear about how we chose her name. Y’know a cute story. How did you get your name?

HENRY

I don’t want to talk about it.

SARAH

Please… I need to feel as if you have some interest.

HENRY

My adopted parents named me. My birth mother couldn’t look at me because I reminded her of my fathers

SARAH

You never told me this.

HENRY

My birth mother was raped by my father. He got her when she was walking home from school.

SARAH

How old was she?

HENRY

I think she was 14. Her parents were Catholic, so they made her have me and then give me up for adoption.

SARAH

(covers her mouth)Was he…?

HENRY

An alcoholic? Like me?…I don’t know.

SARAH steps towards him and watches him step back.

Henry

I never told you this before because I just don’t think about. I don’t want that type of history. I’ve been thinking what to tell the baby about her grandparents.

SARAH

We don’t have to tell her.

HENRY

Kids ask.

SARAH

I never asked.

HENRY

That’s why I married you. You always allowed me to take my time.

SARAH

Well, yes for the most part.

HENRY

I already told you when we separated the first time that I had too many secrets for you. You wouldn’t like me if you knew everything.

SARAH

I love you, that’s a whole lot different than like. We are married and we’ll figure something out about what to tell her.

HENRY

SARAH

I like the name Hannah.

HENRY

She can’t be named Hannah.

SARAH

Why? You don’t like it?

HENRY

That was my mother’s name.

SARAH

HENRY

(fingers his bottle)

I like Georgette.

SARAH

That could work. (sing songs) Georgette, come here so Daddy can give you a kiss.

HENRY

(smiling for the first time)

Maybe I can read her a bedtime story or go for a walk at night.

SARAH

Georgette can be Daddy’s little girl.

HENRY

Yes. Teach her how to ride a bike and scare off boys who come to the house. Maybe get a nice shotgun.

 

SARAH

Hold on now, we have to let her date a little.

HENRY

So can we name her Georgette?

SARAH

Georgette Amelia Harris. I like it. Sounds like a French movie star.

HENRY

I don’t want her to grow up and be an actress. Maybe she can be a lawyer or a doctor. Something big. Something I couldn’t be.

SARAH

Whatever she does, as along as she has a daddy to love her, she’ll be happy.

HENRY

I hope so.

SARAH

I know so.