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.