Oh, no. I don’t know anything about architecture, actually. But I’m just an administrator there.

DAPHNA

Oh ok. Cool.

Beat.

I’m sorry, I’m confused. You studied opera, but you’re working at—

MELODY

At CHS, I know! I don’t know, you know? I love opera, and I love to sing, but when I thought about trying to make a living doing that, it was just kind of so unappealing to me? And like, depressing? Just waiting so a million different people can tell you you’re not good enough. It wasn’t for me. And I tried. I did the whole audition thing. I went on, like three. Or two. Two auditions, maybe? It was awful. So I decided to do something else, but I got this tattoo, so I would always remember how important music is to me.

DAPHNA

Did you think otherwise you’d forget?

MELODY

I mean, I just wanted—

DAPHNA

Cause you always have your name, right? To remind you.

MELODY

It was really more symbolic, really, more than anything I guess.

DAPHNA

Symbolic of what?

MELODY

Of, uhm—

DAPHNA

Yeah that’s so interesting to me because I just have the total opposite philosophy.

MELODY

On what?

DAPHNA

Tattoos. Or the need to like brandish yourself.

MELODY

It really doesn’t hurt as much as you might think it—

DAPHNA

I don’t want to think about it, I don’t like thinking about pain.

MELODY

No but it’s fun, they have all these designs you can—

DAPHNA

Melody. I can’t get a tattoo.

I’m Jewish?

It’s against Jewish law.

MELODY

I know a Jewish person with tattoos.

DAPHNA

Well they’re wrong.

MELODY

Oh.

DAPHNA

Yeah. Jewish law prohibits tattoos of any kind but even if it didn’t that wouldn’t be a problem for me because just for like me personally, when I like step back and reflect on all the things that had to occur in the universe over billions of years so that I could be alive, in my body, right now, like, we’re made of the same things as stardust, that’s how connected we are, to everything, so to be like, who cares about the natural, larger-than-life mysterious universal reasons why my body was designed the way it is, like, screw that, I’m just gonna permanently etch this doodle onto my body which is composed of the same things that are in stars!?!?

Poppy had a tattoo, but that was different, obviously. That wasn’t by choice.

B-14312. I memorized it. I used to— when I was little, I would trace it with my … he’d hold out his arm and I would— while he talked to my parents or watched …

I actually, actually, uhm, no.

Beat.

So, Liam. Liam, Liam, Liam. Has Liam ever told you his Hebrew name?

MELODY

His Hebrew …

DAPHNA

Yeah, his Hebrew name?

MELODY

I don’t think so.

DAPHNA

Oh my god, you are gonna …

Shlomo. I’m not kidding. He like freaks out if you call him that, I’ve seen him go completely ape-shit, but …