Setting: In a small kitchen with two chairs and a table. An older woman is sitting there primping things for her family to come visit her. Knock on the door. Woman and younger daughter enters.

Allie: Grandma!!! (Run for the embrace)

Grandma: Hello sweetie. I’m so glad that you are going to be spending the whole weekend with me! Don’t tell your mom, but someone is not going to eat anything but my fresh baked goodies all weekend.

Allie: I promise! It will be our little secret!

Mindy: (Appears distraught and tired) Hi mom.

Grandma: Mindy, I’m so glad to see you. It has been what… 3 years?

Mindy: Only two mom.

Grandma: Allie. Why don’t you say goodbye to your mother, and then you can go unpack in your room?

Allie: Alright Grandma. (Runs to mom) I love you mommy.

Mindy: I love you too Al. Be good for grandma.

Allie: I will. I pinky promise (pinky promise but kiss the hands) Bye.

Mindy: Good bye big girl. I promise when I get back we can go to the toy store and pick out that doll you wanted…alright?

Allie: Yah mom. Sounds great. I love you.

Mindy: I love you too darling, have a good weekend.

(Allie runs out of the room)

Grandma: Now, why haven’t you called?

Mindy: Mom, I told you I was fine.

Grandma: But Mindy, I know you, and I know that you are not fine. Ever since Frank left you can see the distress smeared across your face. Maybe Allie would be better off staying with me for a while so that you can sort some things out?

Mindy: How dare you? Allie is my daughter and I am a damn good mother. What happens in my life is my decisions and you have no say in how I raise my daughter. Hell, I bet I am doing five times as well with Allie as you did with me.

Grandma: You have no right to say that. I traveled for work reasons, and I was the reason there was food in your mouths. Now get out of my house. Don’t you come back here until you have sorted everything out and you are ready to apologize to me. I’m the one that is taking care of your daughter on the brink of the moment. You should be on your knees kissing my feet.

Mindy: Mom. I didn’t mean it like that.

Grandma: Well I meant it. So get out now.

Mindy: Fine. I’ll be back on Monday.

(Mindy exits house and lights go down)(Lights come up with Grandma in robe as if it is morning time the phone rings)

Grandma: Hello? Yes this is she. My daughter. Yes she is on a business trip. What? No that can’t be possible. No my daughter was a great driver. Drunk… no this must be a mistake my daughter didn’t drink. The other car? God damn it. No.( Beginning to cry) My daughter can’t be dead. She is a mother. She has a daughter here at home. I understand. Thank you.

( Lights go down to a red as old woman sobs) (Lights come back up as the little girl comes in)

Grandma: Good morning Allie. How did you sleep darling? (Holding back sadness. The “Brave” face for little kids)

Allie: Fine Grandma. (beat) When is mom coming home? (Sits in chair)

Grandma: I needed to talk to you about that Allie.

Allie: What’s wrong Grandma? You look sad. Is it because I left the jelly on the table last night?

Grandma: No sweetie. You did nothing wrong.

Allie: Then what is it Grandma? I really need you to hurry up; I have plans to go play with Shane outside.

Grandma: Honey, it’s about your mother.

Allie: What’s wrong? What happened? Is she mad at me? She isn’t going to leave like dad did is she? I’m already missing a dad. I can’t be missing a mom too.

Grandma: Allie, sweetie. Mommy got in a car accident last night. She went to go live with the angels (beat) in heaven.

Allie: No. That’s a lie grandma. Why would you lie about something like that. Mommy is coming back. I know it. She can’t leave me… dad already left. I have to have a mom.(This dialogue is very dramatic, almost to the point of shouting)

Grandma: Allie listen to me. Mommy’s car got hit by a man who made a bad decision…

Allie: Grandma, STOP LYING. Mommy is alive and she is coming back. She is supposed to be back tonight and she is going to take me home. And then she will tuck me in my bed and she will kiss me goodnight. Mommy is going to be in the room right next to mine. If I need her I know that she will be there. If I have a bad dream she will come and let me sleep with her. On the school mornings she will wake me up and make me pancakes with orange juice. She is going to come back and we are going to go to the store and get that doll I’ve been wanting. Mommy can’t be gone. (beginning to cry)

Grandma: I know sweetie. But it’s going to be alright…

(Black out as they embrace) (Lights up on a boy and a girl together sitting on ground)

Allie: James. I really, really like you. I am so glad that we are together. But I want you to meet someone that is very important to me in my life. James. Will you meet my mom?

James: Of course I will. If she is half as amazing as you I know that I will love her.-

Allie: James I don’t think that you can even understand how much this means to me.

James: Allie, I would do anything for you. Meeting your mom… a piece of cake.

(Blackout as James and Allie embrace)

James: Allie, I don’t know if I can do this.

Allie: It’s just my mom James. Do you really think that she is going to be some evil witch that is going to lock you in some dusty dungeon?

James: Allie, its not that, it’s just you are such an amazing girl. I never want to lose you. I’m afraid that your mom won’t like me. I don’t want anything to come between us. Allie I want to be with you forever. I love you.

Allie: James, I love you too and I know my mom is going to love you. There is no doubt in my mind. Just don’t worry.

James: I just want to let you know that you are so special to me, and no matter what your mom says nothing will change that.

Allie: Thank you so much James. I am so glad I am with you, but… are you ready?

James: I have never been more ready in my life.

( The couple walks through the doorway and Allie looks around breathing deeply) (The audience doesn’t know but she hasn’t been back to her mother’s house since her death)

Allie: Wow. I miss this house.

James: It’s ok Al. So where is this beautiful mother of yours?

Allie: (Ignores question) Oh my goodness, over there is the table I used to sit at every day, my mom would make me pancakes and a huge glass of orange juice to go with it. And over there is the cabinets. I remember my mom was so proud of them. When we moved in my dad wasn’t there to help us fix up the house so she had to fix them. They were all crooked, squeaky, and the needed to be stained. But she made sure they were the best looking cabinets in the whole state of New Hampshire.

James: Al, are you sure your mother is here?

Allie: (Ignores question) Then over there, oh, that was my mother’s chair. Every night we would sit together in this chair. We would turn on the television and she would brush my hair while we would watch the news. And every night when she would turn off the T.V. and tell me that it was time for bed I would pretend to be asleep, and I would snore so loud, just so that I could hear her laugh.

James: Allie, I don’t think you mother is here. Should we go?

Allie: (Ignores question) And out there. That was my tire swing. Every morning when we would get ready she would let me go out there and swing on the tire swing. I would beg and beg her to come out and give me a jumbo push and everyday she would tell me that she was too busy. Yet everyday she still would come out. And we would laugh and laugh because I told her that if I flew off she would have to catch me, but she said because I was such a big girl I would squash her.

James: Allie. It doesn’t look like anyone has lived here in a long time.

Allie: (Ignoring James) Oh my gosh. (Picks up teddy) This was Tucker. My mom and dad got it for me when I was born, when everything was alright. Every night my mom would tuck us into my bed and kiss us both on the forehead. I remember that when I thought there were monsters in my bed I would squeeze him as tight as I could, and I knew that he would protect me.

James: Allie. There is no one here. From the looks of the house no one has lived here in years. Allie what is going on? I thought I was coming to meet your mom.

Allie: James, this is my mom. This is all that I have left of my mom. I lived in this house. My mom died when I was only ten years old. I had no dad and then all of a sudden my mom went on a business trip and bam she was gone too. I had to live with my half deaf grandmother who honestly didn’t seem to give a damn about me. My grandma was not the mom I needed. I never had a mom who could help me do my hair on prom night, or sew my favorite outfit when it ripped the day school started. Hell, I didn’t even have a mom to argue with. James. I had no one there for me, I was forced to grow up faster then anyone in my grade. Cooking dinner for my grandma and me when I was only in 5th grade.

James: Allie… I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.

Allie: It wasn’t for you to know… at least not then. Bringing you here was kind of like me telling you because I couldn’t tell you to your face. I miss my mom so much. But coming here is like you meeting her. I can tell that she really would’ve liked you. My mom can be in peace knowing that there is someone that is going to take care of me. I just wish I could hug her one more time. Let her know that I love her so much and I will never forget her.

(Blackout)