ALICE (17), frustrated, storms in the kitchen, having just given up on

a conversation with her Mom. Her DAD is sitting at the kitchen table,
coffee in hand, reading a book. Holiday music plays quietly from the
radio in the background like always.

ALICE
Why is Mom the way she is?

DAD
What do you mean?

ALICE
I mean she never, ever understands. I can’t think of one moment in my
entire life that I’ve been around her and thought, whole-heartedly,
without a doubt in my mind that ‘Wow.’
(She stills.)
‘Mom really gets me.’

Her Dad silently closes his book in front of him. He senses this is
something he needs to listen to.

ALICE (Cont’d)
You know who really gets me? Carol.

DAD
…Allie—

ALICE
—Carol. Got me.
(She inhales, and her voice shakes during her next words.)
But now, now Carol’s gone. My girlfriend. The only person I could rely
on to always know who I was, is dead.
(She pushes through a sob in her next words.)
And it feels like Mom doesn’t get that either.

DAD
We’re trying. Your mother is trying—

ALICE (Interrupts)
Well not hard enough—

DAD (Cont’d, Loudly, desperately, but not aggressively)

—We don’t know what to say, here!
…It’s tense, quiet. The music on the radio still plays. Dad takes a
sip of his coffee.

DAD (Cont’d, hesitantly)

Your… girlfriend. Your Carol. Is gone. And we don’t know what to do.
(He fixes his glasses.)
We are lucky to still have most of our family here. The scariest thing
to ever happen to us was when you were in the hospital for your leg,
we don’t—
(A pause.)
…We can’t protect you from this.

ALICE
I don’t need protection, I need a mother.

DAD
She’s trying—

ALICE
(She scoffs)

DAD (Cont’d)
—Okay, your mother loves you so much it hurts, but this is an unknown.
And Antoinette, smart as a whip, her whole life is knowns. She’s never
dealt with this before. I've never dealt with this before.

ALICE
You know I haven’t either.

Of course. But, don’t you think, your mother might be trying anyway?
(He continues in a rush.)
And it might not feel like it — you’ve made that much clear — but her
whole life was knowns.

ALICE
Yeah, you said that—

DAD (Cont’d)
(Insistently)
—Knowns, and discovery. Right now, in her own… mad-scientific way,
your mother is trying to find ways how to help you.
(He places a hand on her arm. Squeezes.)
You just gotta give her a little time first.
Time.

Time.

ALICE (Triggered)
Time. Ohh, I gave her time. I have nothing, but TIME! When will she
have time for me? When will she put down her latest discovery and pay
attention to me? Finally put some of that genius you’re always talking
about towards understanding her daughter?!

A tear runs down Alice’s face, slowing down on her cheek.

ALICE (Cont’d)
Why can’t she discover me?

DAD
How do you know she hasn’t?

ALICE
What— I just do.

DAD
She loves you. Knows you, always has. And the way I see it? As your
father? Ever since the moment we found out she was pregnant with you —
Your mother’s greatest discovery has always been you.

ALICE
(Clears her throat.)
Yeah.

Clearly this wasn’t going anywhere. He just doesn’t get it.

She swipes at a tear. Looks about the kitchen in dismissal…
And sniffs.

ALICE (Softly)
I just wish she’d be the one to say it.

End scene.