(Claire is in the dining room of her parents’ house. The caroling figures are still in the same place, but the stacks of boxes are starting to get smaller. There are a few boxes that are unmarked, then there are three distinct boxes: one labeled “CLAIRE,” one “JULIA,” and one “STEVE.” Claire is sitting at the dining room table, wine glass half empty, and she is on the phone. The snowflake is on the table near her wine glass.)
CLAIRE
I can’t believe you, Patrick! Why would you think that I have time to pick up Jack after his scrimmage? We are desperately trying to get this house packed up before the closing on Tuesday. . . . Yes. TUESDAY. I told you that last night. . . . Patrick, I did so! . . . I can’t help it if you were paying attention to something else. I told you— . . . Look. You need to go get him. . . . I don’t care what’s on going on at work. I have to do this last sort with Julia and Steve. . . . She’s better. . . . She’s starting to accept it all. . . . I told her that. . . . .I don’t think she really cares about it. . . . . I just know. Jesus Christ, she’s my sister! I know what she’s thinking about all of this! . . . I’ll stop yelling if you stop asking me so many damned questions about all of it. . . . . Yes, I promise I will call you if we need help. . . . . No, Steve is not going to—. . . . (She takes a drink of her wine.) Oh, for the love of God just go get Jack, and I’ll be home in a couple of hours. . . . Don’t worry about dinner for me. I’ll find something here or on the way home. . . . Yes. That would be nice. He likes that Italian place. Now just go FIND HIM!
(She hangs up the phone and finishes the end of the wine in her glass. She picks up a bottle from the table and fills her glass. Drinks again. Sets it down. Goes to one of the boxes and starts rummaging through it. Three more photo albums come out of the box. Steve and Claire are heard offstage coming in the front door of the house. They are arguing as they enter, Julia leading a bag of groceries and Steve following with the purchase from the last scene.)
STEVE
I told you that we didn’t need any more wine, but you insist on spending more money.
JULIA
I’m not going to go through all of this stuff without some liquid lubrication. I can’t deal with all of it.
STEVE
You shouldn’t be self-medicating that way. It’s not healthy.
JULIA
Would you cut the crap about self-medicating and wellness and blah, blah, blah. You’re making me sick with all of this kumbaya bang the tambourine bullshit therapy stuff. I don’t want to hear anymore about what your shrink says or what your meditation instructor says or any of it. It’s all bullshit that you keep spending all your money on, so stop saying you’re so poor. Maybe if you stopped paying other people to tell you how to feel about everything, you’d have some money to yourself.
STEVE
I’m making an investment in my health, Julia.
JULIA (unpacking four bottles of wine from the grocery bag)
Yeah, so am I.
CLAIRE
Good thinking, Julia. I think this is the last bottle. What do I owe you?
JULIA
Nothing. It’s fine.
CLAIRE
But—
JULIA
Just get the next batch when we need it.
STEVE
You’re going to need more before Tuesday?
JULIA
Five days is a long time.
CLAIRE
Definitely.
STEVE
You two are a mess.
(Julia has found a wine glass and emptied the contents of the wine bottle into her glass.)
JULIA (holding up the bottle)
Kicked. (to her sister, holding out her glass) To being a mess.
CLAIRE (holding out her glass)
To messiness.
(The two sisters clink glasses and drink. Steven tries to ignore them and looks at the snowflake. He takes his container out of the bag, sets it down on the table, takes off the lid, picks up the snowflake gingerly and places it into the container. It fits.)
STEVE
It fits!
CLAIRE
What fits?
JULIA
Whoopee… (she drinks again)
STEVE
I wanted to protect the snowflake from getting lost again, so I got a container for it.
JULIA
We looked at every possibility at the store. That’s why we were gone so long.
STEVE
It took so long because Julia just kept fighting with me about it.
JULIA
You looked at every size three times!
STEVE
It’s an important piece of our family history!
JULIA
IT’S A CHEAP PIECE OF GLASS!
STEVE
THAT IS NOT TRUE!
(Steve slams his hand down on the table. The snowflake container jumps. The three carolers start to glow again.)
CLAIRE
THAT’S ENOUGH! My God, it sounds like we’re in this dining room 30 years ago. Why are you two always, for all eternity, fighting about stupid stuff?
STEVE
It’s not stupid.
JULIA
It is stupid. She’s right. You know how much I hate saying that, but she’s totally right. That stupid snowflake and your stupid container are—
CLAIRE
It doesn’t help that you’re such a bitch to him all the time.
JULIA
Excuse me?
CLAIRE
It doesn’t help that you’re such a bitch to him all the time.
(Julia just looks at her.)
CLAIRE
It’s true. You are always at him. Just leave him alone.
JULIA
My God, you sound like Mom.
CLAIRE
Well, she was right. You should leave him alone.
STEVE
Claire, I don’t need your help with Julia.
CLAIRE
Sounds you like you do.
STEVE
She’s just a better arguer than I am. Doesn’t mean she’s right.
CLAIRE
She always wins when you two fight.
STEVE
And?
CLAIRE
Maybe you should try a little harder?
STEVE
I don’t really care about winning an argument with her. She’s never going to change.
CLAIRE
That’s the truth.
JULIA
Uh, hello? I’m right here, so don’t talk about me like I’m not.
CLAIRE
Just keep drinking the wine, Julia. It makes it all better.
JULIA
Great advice from the numbed out big sister.
CLAIRE (lifting her glass)
If the shoe fits.
JULIA
Oh, it fits alright.
(Julia and Claire both drink their wine.)
STEVE
When is the closing?
CLAIRE
It’s Tuesday. That’s why we need to finish sorting these things. It’s got to be empty.
STEVE (looking around)
I can’t believe we’re selling this house.
CLAIRE
What do you mean?
STEVE
I just feel like we should have kept it.
JULIA
Why would we keep this house?
STEVE
There’re so many good memories in this house.
JULIA (drinking again)
My God…
STEVE
What?
JULIA
You are so sentimental about everything.
STEVE
And what’s wrong with that? Why are you so cold-hearted about everything?
JULIA
I am not cold-hearted.
STEVE
You are. About everything having to do with Mom and Dad.
JULIA
You know what? Maybe there’s a reason for me to be cold-hearted about Mom and Dad. Did you ever think of that?
STEVE
I can’t believe you.
JULIA
You said that already. Back at the store.
STEVE
Why do you have such a chip on your shoulder? What did they ever do to you but love you?
CLAIRE
Steve, I think—
JULIA
I’m not going to—
STEVE
No. NO! I’m sick and tired of you raking our dead parents over the coals. You’ve been doing it since you got here, and I’m tired of putting up with it. You come back here with your big city attitude and—
JULIA
Omigod, don’t start with this crap about my “big city attitude.” It’s not my problem that you stayed here. It was your choice to stay here, Steve. Not mine. I left when I could, and I had good reasons to go, so shut the fuck up and don’t say another word about my attitude.
STEVE
What good reason? You know all they ever wanted was for us to all be together again. That’s all they wanted, and you could never help that along. You always found a reason not to be here, not to participate. “Too busy with work.” “Have to travel that same time for your job.”
JULIA
I travel a lot for my job, Steve! I can’t help that. What is it that you want me to say? It’s not my problem that your stuck here. You’ll never leave. You’d have stayed in this house forever if we didn’t have to sell it. You don’t remember anything about what it was really like here. You just play pretend, like it was some kind of 1960s television show. Well, I don’t pretend like that. Not anymore.
(As Julia says this last speech, the carolers begin to glow. There’s silence after this exchange. Steve is not sure how to respond.)
STEVE
What happened to you?
(Julia cringes here and takes another gulp of wine. Claire looks at her.)
STEVE
What happened to you when you left here? What has that place done to you?
CLAIRE
Steve, just cool it. OK? Just cut it out. Leave her alone.
STEVE
Why are you siding with her?
CLAIRE
I’m not siding with her. I just think you should leave her alone.
(Steve is completely confused by this.)
CLAIRE (lifting up the albums she pulled from the box at the top of the scene)
Who wants to go through these?
JULIA
What are they?
CLAIRE (reading each label)
“Grand Canyon—1984”, “Maine—1982”, (she pauses before this last one) “Uncle John’s Birthday—1987”
(Julia hears the last title and starts to choke a bit on her wine. The carolers get brighter yet.)
STEVE
Julia?
(She continues to choke.)
CLAIRE
Must have gone down the wrong pipe.
(Julia is heaving a bit, still coughing.)
STEVE
Do you want some water or something?
(Julia shakes her head “no.” She starts to settle down.)
CLAIRE
Are you OK?
(Julia still sputtering nods her head “yes.” She finally calms down.)
JULIA (out of breath)
I think I need to go to bed.
CLAIRE
OK.
STEVE
But I thought we had all of this to do.
CLAIRE
We’ll keep going.
STEVE
Why are you babying her? She’s fine.
CLAIRE
Steve, just let her go to bed.
(Julia exits without saying another word.)
STEVE
Fine. “Whatever Julia wants to do.” That’s how it’s always been.
CLAIRE (looking at Steve)
You have no idea what you’re talking about.
(Steve looks at Claire, completely confused. The carolers glow even more, as the rest of the lights fade on the scene. End of scene.)