“And action,” Nate said.

Suddenly David transformed, contorting his face and smacking himself. “I didn’t want to be different! I just wanted to fit in!”

“Dude, are you kidding me?” Nate said, deadpan.

“What is wrong with me?” David said, his hands shaking with drama.

Nate stopped the recording. “That’s a cut.”

David laughed, then got back into character. “I’m so emotional right now . . .” Then he doubled over with laughter.

“You’re such a diva,” Nate said, moving to the other side of the room. “We’ll take five.”

David called downstairs, “Hey, do we have any ice cream in the freezer?”

“We do,” his mom said. “I’ll bring some up.”

By the look on Nate’s face, he was pleased with the idea. Behind him, David heard an alert and turned to his computer. He sat at his desk and found the message.

“It’s Brian’s wife. My birth father’s wife.”

Nate became animated and stood. “Okay, hold on, let me get this.” He moved the tripod and set it up behind David, then told him he was rolling.

David read the message. “‘This is a lot for Brian to process. He wants to take it slow. I’m sorry if this isn’t what you were hoping for.’”

“How does that make you feel?” Nate said.

David sat back. “He doesn’t want to talk.”

Nate’s shoulders slumped. “Dude?”

“Oh, sorry.” David contorted his face. “He doesn’t want to talk to me!”

“Are you serious? That was terrible.”

“Well, we can go again if you want.”

David’s mom arrived with two bowls of ice cream. “Are you guys okay?”

“No, I’m trying to get some emotion out of this heart of stone,” Nate said.

“Oh, bless you, honey,” she said to Nate.

David took the bowl and turned back to the computer. Something caught his eye. “No way.”

“What is it?” David’s mom said.

“I just got a message back from Melissa.”

“Just now?”

“Yeah.”

“What did she say?”

“She wants to meet.”

“Really?” his mom said.

“Yeah. Okay, wait, I didn’t think we were going to meet in person.”

“Well, does that make you feel uncomfortable?” his mom said.

David glanced at Nate and saw he had started the recording. His mom realized it at the same time. “Oh, sorry. I’ll leave you guys to it.”

“Bye, Mrs. C.,” Nate said, his mouth full of ice cream. When she was gone, Nate said, “Let’s take it from the top. I want to build off of what just happened here. That was a sweet moment. Can we try that? Take it from the top?”

Susan dumped the clothes and linens on the bed in front of her. Jimmy grabbed a towel and began folding it.

“I just wish he’d open up to me more,” Susan said.

“Do you think you might be prying a little?”