Weekend At Taylor's

Prologue: Friday Night

Past midnight on the TAYLOR porch; wooden, unpainted floors covered in dust, window and door to the kitchen on the right and window to the living room in the rear. Enter RUTH carrying JESSE in a baby carrier. RUTH is also carrying a bottle and, after setting the carrier down, falls clumsily to the floor, leaning against the back wall facing the audience. She sits still with her eyes closed for a few seconds before taking out her cell phone and dialing a number; she shakes her head disdainfully when it goes to voicemail.

RUTH: Hey. You know it's really not a good idea to ignore my calls. I'm sure everything's fine. I mean, if you were dead, at least I'd know about it. Cops would call me on your phone. I'll try and keep my hopes up. (She takes another drink from the bottle and gently rocks the baby carrier). So I've been to figure things out, you know, keep me and our baby alive, and I- I really just cannot believe you're doing this to me again! (She sighs loudly and rubs her forehead). All right, look, if it's something I did, then I'm sorry. Okay? There's my apology. But I don't think it is. I think it's something bigger. I know you, Ethan. And whatever it is, we can work through it together. The worst thing you can do is shut me out. (She takes another drink and looks around the porch). Whatever. Listen, I'm at your parents house right now. I'll probably be here until Sunday, so maybe you could just- stop by. Your mother won't be pleased to see me, but maybe we can all just sit down and deal with it together. At least call me back. (She pauses and gazes longingly at the sleeping JESSE). Just come by sometime. Family's everything, right?

RUTH hangs up the phone, drops it in her lap, and rests against the side of the house, rubbing her forehead. She picks up the bottle, chugs the rest, and stares at it for a still moment; suddenly, her face becomes distorted with anger and she throws the bottle against the front door, where it shatters into a myriad shards of glass on the wooden floor. RUTH slowly begins to pass out while JESSE awakens and begins to cry.