Wedding (tt - ch 16)

The scene unfolds with a quick blur of VHS static and then the sharp image of a beautiful, sun-drenched exterior of what appears to be a tropical hotel—maybe in Cabo, maybe in Florida. All that matters is it’s not like anything that has come before,…

ACT III

The Performance

The Invitation (tt - ch 15)

Most days, my aunt stayed indoors in her south-facing sunroom with golden oak floors and wainscot paneling. She had a Bible beside her lounge chair and blankets so that even on the warmest spring days she could cover her legs. She had good days and…

Writing Vows (tt - ch 14)

That night, I spent another seemingly fruitless evening working on my vows. Who knew marriage vows could be so complicated? There were about ten lines, give or take, and I could change them how I wanted—that would be basically a twist on the…

Therapy (tt - ch 13)

“And when your parents said that, how did you react?” “Not well,” I said. “And this was after my grandmother said her piece. So I was feeling really alone.” “I can imagine that must have been stressful for you.” The therapist jotted some notes on…

Radical Transparency (tt - ch 12)

He found me in the bathroom in an uncharacteristically bad mood. Picking up on that, he slowly wrapped his arms around me while leaning his chin on my shoulder. It’s one of the best things about having a partner: when you’re feeling alone, he’s…

Tough Nut to Crack (tt - ch 11)

Establishing shot of YOUNG MAN in a now familiar kitchen, staring at his hands. Zoom in until shaky. CAMERAMAN: “What are you doing?” YOUNG MAN, jumps : “What?” CAMERAMAN: “What are you thinking about? You’re in deep.” YOUNG MAN, smiling under the…

After Revelation (tt - ch 10)

“So you’re leaving?” he asked when we stepped foot in his kitchen after returning from the party. Had it even been a party? It sure didn’t feel like it. I had known this day would come—and that I should have initiated it, rather than fate, sooner…

Revelation (tt - ch 9)

Camera is slightly out of focus in a well-kept living room. YOUNG MAN with brown hair is out of center of the frame. YOUNG MAN begins a monologue by settling back into the seat and then staring straight into the camera: “When you see this, I’m so…

Market (tt - ch 8)

A grainy static and a new scene begins. The scene is a familiar dining room. Record player along the far wall hooked into the sound system. Song is playing mid-verse: “Any Way That You Want Me” by Evie Sands. YOUNG MAN with his back to camera and…

The Band (tt - ch 7)

Camera zooms in from across a living room into an open-floorplan kitchen. The leather sofa exits the lower frame. The camera shakes as the zoom reaches its limits, focusing on a MAN with wavy brown hair in a bedhead tangle, holding a paper coffee…

ACT II

Faking It