Between there and lunch, I head to the library to pick up the book I ordered on interlibrary loan — something to help me with design ideas for the English country estate set. Elliot’s play, The World Over, is about an alien engineered to look exactly like a human, only he’s programmed to forget he was ever an alien when he’s sent to Earth, and so for decades he searches the planet for a place where he feels comfortable, a place to call home. It’s actually a really cool story, but it’s a pain for set design. Too many different places, countries, and times. And, of course, no budget. My mom will be useful, though. She’s a curator at the Pittock Mansion, so she knows a lot about period design (and sometimes is a lifesaver at sourcing props from estate sales and her various connections — she found us some great dusty old books and a beautiful chess set for Enemy). She’ll probably be happy to help find something for that English country scene. I sometimes wonder if part of why she loves her work is for the same reason I love set design: it’s the canvas our house can never be for beautiful and treasured possessions. But does she ever feel the way I sometimes do, that choosing all these nice pieces is like window-shopping at expensive stores, where you can look with longing but you can’t have?

My thoughts go to Sam’s painting, which will be pivotal. I can’t wait to show it to Elliot and to share the set ideas it gave me for the dream-sequence scene.

I wish I could use the one with the castle and the dragon, even though it’s wrong for the play. It reminds me so much of Princess Safirina and Her Dragon, my favorite story when I was little. A princess runs away from her father, a tyrannical king, and is rescued by the dragon the king had ordered his knights to slay. The dragon, Murgatroid, turns out to be very elegant and refined, and he makes her delicious stews and cakes and teaches her Latin. The princess sends a message to her father that she is holding herself hostage, and the cost of her return will be a home for Murgatroid at the castle. Her father agrees, and Murgatroid becomes the castle’s greatest protector while continuing to tutor Princess Safirina — and supervise the castle chef’s cooking.

Looking at Sam’s painting brings all that back in one great, intense, nostalgic rush.

While I’m at the library picking up my book, a message comes from my mom: Sweetie, can you call me when you have a minute?