(Eva stops at a shoe case in her living room, first unwinding her scarf, and then taking off her coat and then bends down to take off her shoes.)

(A stylish looking girl comes in through an entrance, wearing an unusual ensemble)

Natalie: (sees the girl bending down to get slippers and a large, warm grin appears on her face) Hi, sissy.
Natalie: (Twirls around, her puffy skirt billowing as she spins around flamboyantly) What do you think? I have to say I’ve outdone myself this…

(Natalie stops spinning mid-sentence as Eva lifts her head to look at her with a sad expression on her face.)

Natalie: (Still staring at Eva, asks hesitantly) You OK?

(Still by the shoe case, Eva drops her eyes to the ground to avoid her sister’s gaze and pushes herself off the ground)

Eva: (Monotone) I’m fine.

(Natalie looks in disbelief.)

Natalie: What happened?

Eva: (Tries to walk past her sister without looking her in the eyes) I’m fine. I just have some homework to do.

Natalie: (Grabs her shoulder, though not forcefully as she tries to get her sister to look at her.) What’s wrong? Tell me.

(Eva angrily yanks her arm out of the sister’s grip and tries to move away)

(But Natalie doesn’t back away. She steps forward to hold Eva’s shoulder)
Natalie: (Retaliating) Say something.

Eva: (Quietly shrugs Natalie’s hand off. Almost inaudibly, like a whisper) I wish…

Natalie: What are you trying to say?

Eva: (Looks her sister in the face, and meekly smiles, on the verge of tears)

(Eva is sitting by herself on a large couch, staring blankly at the window. Suddenly she looks up as she hears the sound of Natalie approaching. Natalie appears, coming through an entranceway holding a wineglass in each hand, with some kind of white liquid. Eva looks at the glasses with curious surprise)
Eva: (Points to the glass) Is that…?

(Natalie sits down beside Eva. She hands one glass to her sister. Natalie takes a long, slow slip from the glass, like a connoisseur relishing a lovely wine)

Natalie: Drink. Rainy days aren’t for tears. They’re for Billie Holiday and warm milk.

(Eva takes a small sip, closing her eyes. After the milk, she gently smiles)

Eva: Thanks.

(Eva stares at the window.)

Eva: Why are some raindrops louder than others? (Says this speaking to the window)

(Natalie stars curiously out the window, trying to see what her sister sees.)

(The girl puts down her glass on a nearby table, and lays her head on folded arms, as if too heavy to hold)

Eva: Why do I feel so stupid?

Natalie: (Sighs) Listen, that putz broke your heart. It was real and unfair. But that doesn’t mean you’re stupid.

(Beat)

Eva: It’s not that unfair. I mean Hurricane Sandy was unfair. People lost their lives in that storm. And others… others lost their umbrellas, their change… roofs, dogs, homes, families and loves in that storm. Considering everything, I’m pretty lucky.

(Smiles faintly)

Eva: I guess I do feel better, though.

Eva: (Lets out a deep breath) The thing is I don’t think he broke my heart. Besides the small lump on my chest, everything still feels the same. (Beat) The milk still tastes sweet and warm. And the rain’s still fresh. I guess it’s just me.

Eva: (Serious) I guess the thing that I was really sad about was…

Both: The boots.
(They look at each other and laugh.)

Eva: Was it so foolish, putting so much hope into those boots?

(Natalie ponders for a moment, before giving her answer.)
Natalie: Yes… but it’s natural.

Natalie: Remember that time in Greenwich. Love, Loss, and What I Wore.

Eva: (smiles) Yeah. I remember. It was a good play.

Natalie: Well, clothing has that ability, you know. You can put a piece of your life into a scarf or a dress, and that piece of clothing becomes an irrefutable part of your past. An entire closest can become a memoir.

(Natalie runs her hair quickly through her short hair.)

Natalie: (Says truthfully, yet kindly) That guy just wasn’t big enough to fill those boots.

Eva: (Looks up at her sister’s face) It just hurts that he didn’t know.

Natalie: (Sadly serious) Most boys always do.

Eva: (Sarcastically) Oh, the joys of being a girl.

Natalie: (Agrees in a non-sarcastic way) Yeah They are. Joys… that is.

Eva: Don’t worry. I know what you mean.

(Moment of full “silence”)

Eva: But thanks. It makes me feel a little relieved, that I’m not so materialistic.

Natalie: (Firmly) Never.

Eva: Do you know what he got me for my birthday?

Natalie: (Pauses hesitantly) Do I even want to know?

Eva: (Sad with a hint of bitterness) Chocolates.

Natalie: (Winces) Ouch!

(Then a look of surprised comprehension comes on the sister’s face)

Natalie: So that’s why…? (Pauses)

Natalie: You didn’t speak to me that afternoon, or the day after that.

Eva: (Looks down, ashamed) Sorry.

Natalie: I was kind-of worried, you know. You just ignored me.

Eva: (Hint of irritation) I know.

Nicole: I mean… life is a box of chocolates and everything, but…

Eva: I said I was sorry, okay!

Natalie: (Cheshire cat smile) Knew that would work.

Eva: You! (Sighs) You’re right. I’m sorry.

Natalie: You should stop saying sorry all the time.

Eva: I know. Urrgghh, I just wish I had bought those damn boots before the whole mess even happened. I just thought… (Sighs) I don’t know.

(Beat)


Eva: Remember that day, Dad bought that clear umbrella for Mom.

Natalie: (Nods and smiles) I remember. What were those flowers on it, again?

Eva: Roses. Red ones

Natalie: Right.

Eva: (Continuing) Mom loved it so much. Remember that time when she stood in the rain waiting for us after school; it was like in she in this big beautiful bubble with…

Both: Raindrops on Roses

(The sisters laugh together)

Eva: Things like that. They’re like landmarks, the kind you make for yourself, so that you don’t feel so lost.

Eva: (Laughs sharply) Ha. I gave him so many damn clues, and opportunities. (Sigh) I thought that maybe, one day, he would get them for me.

Natalie: Women can buy their own diamond rings these days. They can make their own promises to themselves.

Eva: (sighs sadly) I know. I forgot.

(Eva looks out the window again)

Eva: Now, I just wish I bought them. I walked by that display window again today, by myself. And… (Pauses painfully. Closes her eyes and takes a deep breathe behind closed hands, so as not to cry)

Eva: They were gone. My beautiful boots were gone. And… (Sigh) Forget it.

Natalie: (Solemnly) You can’t. It’s the first love that got away.

Eva: (Laughs, wiping her palm across her eye) Who falls in love with rubber and latex?

Natalie: (Coyly raises an eyebrow) You’d be surprised.

Eva: (Laughs) Even if I somehow found those boots again, it wouldn’t be the same. I wanted those boots to be… I don’t know, some optimistic, hopeful extension of myself. If I bought them myself now, they’d just be filled with this ugly memory.

Natalie: So you’re saying… that if someone else bought you those boots, you could take them.

(Eva pauses to think and shakes her head)

Eva: No. Not just anyone.

(Beat)

Eva: But who could love me enough, so that they would still be beautiful?

Natalie: (Strange look appears on her face) Wait here.

(Natalie goes into the other room and brings back a box. She sits down on the couch with the box on her lap as Eva stares at it)

Natalie: I was hoping to give you these for your birthday. (Pauses) But, I think you need them now.

(Natalie places the box in front of the girl. Eva briefly hesitates, before lifting the lid off the box. She stares in silence at the box for a moment, before taking out a multicolored rain boot. She gently caresses the boot)

(Eva suddenly hugs her sister. Her sister at first awkward, hugs her back, too. But even a few seconds after the sister lets go, the girl keeps hanging on)

Natalie: (In a joking manner) Sis, if you don’t stop hanging on to me like that, I might have to take those boots back.

(Suddenly Natalie pushes herself off the couch and stands. She turns to Eva)

Natalie: Come on. The rain’s stopped. Let’s go for a walk.

(Eva looks out the window, surprised at the change in the window. After her sister leaves, Eva beams and takes the boots out of the box. She puts on a boot, one at a time. When she’s done, Natalie stands in front of her, smiling, and bending slightly toward her. She holds out her hand to help Eva stand up.)

Natalie: (Feigns impatience) I not going to wait for you, Eva. I want to out of this house before I’m too old and tired to hit you.

(Eva laughs and takes her sister’s hand)


(The last scene closes in on the two glasses, standing closely together on the table)




The End