MELODY

I don’t want to have an argument.

DAPHNA

This isn’t an argument, what are— we’re talking.

MELODY

It doesn’t feel like talking.

DAPHNA

We’re talking. I’m just getting to know you, where you come from. I find it interesting. Really. Tell me.

MELODY

My Mom, I think my Mom is like, Dutch-Irish, maybe, and my Dad’s side is German. And there’s a little Scottish or Welsh in there too, I think.

DAPHNA

You think?

MELODY

But my family’s— we’re just American.

DAPHNA

Just American. Ok.

MELODY

But I really don’t see why any of it matters, you know? Where people come from? People are just people.

DAPHNA

People are just people?

MELODY

Yes. People are people. It doesn’t matter that you’re Jewish or I’m—

DAPHNA

It doesn’t matter that I’m Jewish?

MELODY

No.

DAPHNA

It doesn’t matter?

MELODY

No.

DAPHNA

Well it matters to me.

MELODY

Ok.

DAPHNA

It matters to me very much.

MELODY

Right, but—

DAPHNA

And it’s mattered to hundreds of generations of my family.

MELODY

I know—

DAPHNA

But to you: meaningless.

MELODY

I wasn’t—

DAPHNA

5,000-plus years of mattering, but not to you!

MELODY

That’s not what I—

DAPHNA

And it really mattered to Poppy. I don’t know what Liam told you, but it mattered to Poppy. A lot. He was—

MELODY

Can I— I’m thirsty. Is there, can I have something to drink?

DAPHNA

There’s water.

MELODY

Ok.

MELODY starts to move to the kitchen.

DAPHNA

No, sit. I got it.

DAPHNA goes to the kitchen area. MELODY takes out her cell phone. DAPHNA returns with two glasses of water, and hands one to MELODY.

MELODY

Thank you. I just have a voicemail I have to, should—

DAPHNA

Of course. Go ahead. You’re lucky your phone survived the ski lift.

MELODY goes to the kitchen and pretends to listen to a voicemail, turned away from DAPHNA, who sips her water, slightly amused. After a Moment, the boys appear in the hall. JONAH’s about to open the door …

LIAM

Wait.

JONAH

What?

LIAM

I just need a second more to not be in there.

Don’t look at me like that.

JONAH

I’m not looking at you like any—

LIAM

Like, I told you so.

JONAH

Well, I did.

LIAM

Whatever. It was worth a shot. How Mom could ever think putting me in the same room with Diana would even remotely—

JONAH

There really isn’t another option—

LIAM

Can you not, like, jump to everyone else’s defense over me whenever I say anything? It’s really annoying.

Beat.

JONAH

She was asking about Poppy’s chai.

LIAM

What?

JONAH

Daphna asked me about it.

LIAM

Don’t call her that.

JONAH

She asked me about it.

LIAM

When?

JONAH

Before you got here.

LIAM

Fuck. She’s gonna make this a thing, isn’t she?

JONAH

I don’t know.

LIAM

What’d she say? Fuck.

JONAH

She wants it.

A Moment, while LIAM allows himself to feel the weight of this future fight.

LIAM

What’d she say?

JONAH

She wants it.