ERIC Is that right?

TODD That is very right, my friend …

ERIC Yeah, well …

ERIC thinks about this for a moment. Picks up the ball and bounces it. Looks at his friend. Keeps bouncing that ball.

In a perfect world?

TODD What?

ERIC Would I be there … with her … in a perfect world?

TODD You tell me …

ERIC I mean … obviously … I wouldn’t be using that phrase if I thought me being with her was perfect. Then I wouldn’t say that—“perfect world.” I’d just say life with her was … you know … “perfect” and that’d be that. (Beat.) Right?

TODD … I guess …

ERIC Of course I would. (Beat.) Yes.

TODD So … then …?

ERIC Dude.

TODD You started this shit! (Beat.) So …

ERIC I like my job. I like this. Hanging out here … with you. (Beat.) I like it.

TODD Thank you, brother.

ERIC I do. (Beat.) And we got a nice big house … I like my Lexus, that’s a nice car … I love my daughter … BUT; yeah, you’re right, BUT: is this who I am? Where I can see myself in my dream of dreams, whatever-the-fuck that even means? No. Probably not …

TODD So … then … what? (Beat.) Eric?

ERIC I don’t even know …

TODD Bullshit.

ERIC I don’t!

TODD Yes, you do …

ERIC Oh, really?

TODD I mean … probably … if you were honest with yourself …

ERIC …

TODD I’m just saying …

ERIC Huh. (Beat.) And YOU do?

TODD Sure. I got a secret me … a “me” that I’d rather be … ’course I do!

ERIC You do?

TODD Totally.

ERIC And you wanna tell me what that is, or …?

TODD Not in a million goddamn years …

ERIC Of course!

TODD Obviously …

ERIC But you do have one …?

TODD I absolutely do.

ERIC Huh.

TODD Yep.

ERIC Would I be surprised …?

TODD … by …?

ERIC What it is … who you’d be. If you could be that thing …

TODD Probably. (Beat.) I could, though. Any time. Be it.

ERIC Yeah?

TODD Of course. Take me six hours to do it … if I had the balls …

ERIC Jesus.

TODD I mean … that’s probably … a couple days, maybe, but that’s about it.

ERIC Yeah?

TODD Yep.

ERIC And all this time … since I’ve know you and, like … you’ve been married and had kids … all this time you’ve wanted this other thing? This life you don’t live …?

TODD No.

ERIC Oh. So … then …?

TODD Along the way. I figured it out.

ERIC But it’s … what?

TODD You know …

ERIC No, what?

TODD Dude! It’s too late … can’t happen now. (Beat.) So. There.

ERIC Oh.

TODD I made … you know … commitments and shit like that. To be this guy. Who I am now.

ERIC Yeah, but people … they can …