ELEANOR wants her daughter, DENISE, to visit her father at home . . .

 

ELEANOR: I’ve been waiting . . . Your father’s been waiting.  Denise, he’s been dying to see you.  He missed you so much.  I’ve told him that all this was difficult for you.  (Pause.)  I know he understands, honey.  But . . .

 

DENISE: What do you want, Mom?  You want me to come over and pretend it’s all like nothing ever happened?  The trash, the calls, the people standing outside that night?

 

ELEANOR: Oh, honey.  You can’t erase the past.  But we can start over. Your father and I, we’ve started over.  Your father’s trying, Denise.  He’s . . . been away, he’s paid for what he did. He deserves a second chance.

 

 

DOUGLAS visits his daughter, DENISE

 

DENISE: Just tell me one thing.

 

DOUGLAS:  Sure, baby.  Ask me anything.

 

DENISE: Tell me why?

 

DOUGLAS:  Why what?

 

DENISE: Tell me why you did what you did . . .

 

 

DOUGLAS talks to his best friend, BOB

 

DOUGLAS:  We’ve talked about getting a lawyer, taking it to court.  But we’re really just trying for a little normalcy here, Bob.  You know, the kind of life where you get up in the morning, go to work at a regular job . . .

 

BOB:  Must be hard. 

 

DOUGLAS:  Yeah, it’s hard.  The getting a job part is real hard.  (Pause.) So, want to help me fight all this public notification crap?  Know a good lawyer, Bob? 

 

 

ELEANOR talks to her best friend, PHYLLIS

 

PHYLLIS: How can you stand it?  What they keep doing to your house.  Those awful phone calls – are they still?  The signs outside.  That picture and everything on the Township web site? 

 

ELEANOR: It’s awful, Phyl.  I don’t know what to do. You're a good friend.