JON: You were a little girl—

TESS: I think we didn’t talk more because if we started talking, we would end up talking about him.

JON (Level): You can talk about him now.

(Silence.)

I saw Bruce and Rosa at the market. They were asking after you.

TESS: Bruce was?

JON: Well, Rosa.

TESS: I have a feeling I’ve worn Bruce out. (A beat. Then, prompting him) “No, Tess, you’re a delight to be around Tess.”

JON (Rote): “No, Tess, you’re a delight to be around.” There, did that help?

TESS (Sheepish): A little.

JON: Rosa thought we could check out the new Indian place. Next to the movie theater?

TESS: They put so much butter in things. Ghee. They make you think, “Spinach: healthy,” but it’s more ghee than anything.

You see? Bruce is right.

JON: Baby, Bruce didn’t say anything. You made this whole thing up yourself: damning words from our friend Bruce who likes everyone, who plays with model trains, who even if he thought anything bad about you probably wouldn’t even tell Rosa much less me.

TESS: So you think he’s cursing me in private.

JON: Tess.

TESS: I was joking!

(Short pause.)

JON: Don’t be mad, but did you think any more about the therapist?

TESS: What? We were just talking about ghee / and suddenly—

JON: We weren’t talking about ghee—

TESS: And suddenly you’re asking about / the therapist—

JON: Just to see if it helps to talk to someone.

TESS: We’re West Coast Wasps, we don’t do therapy.

JON: That seems a little . . . easy.

(Beat.)

At least you’re talking to her.

(She looks at him.)

I know you’re talking to Marjorie Prime.

TESS: I know you know.

JON: How?

TESS: She knew about the collie.

JON: I thought it was “it.”

TESS: What?

JON: You always call it “it,” but you just said “she.”

TESS (“Congratulations, Sherlock”): “Oh.”

JON: You don’t have to be embarrassed.

TESS: I’m not embarrassed.

JON: Then why are you talking to her under cover of night?

TESS: Fine—I’m embarrassed. I’ve been a skeptic. I’m still a skeptic. That doesn’t mean I can’t be curious.

JON: Of course.

(Short pause.)

TESS: It’s weird—sometimes it feels like it cares more than Mom did.

JON: You know that’s not / true—

TESS: I just mean how with people, you can tell when they’re really interested, because sometimes they’re not. But the Prime, it’s a backboard. It can’t be interested or not interested. It’s programmed to appear interested. So you can get . . . fooled.

JON: Except that we’re in it.

TESS: ?

JON: She’s made of the things we say to her, right? So how can you be sure that we don’t make it in there somewhere. The human part.

TESS: Then I might as well just talk to you.