STACEY: Stacey, it’s a family name they give me as a first name.

CORNELIUS: Why?

STACEY: That’s a lo-oong, long story, Pop. You see, my uncle—

CORNELIUS: Don’t tell it right now, huh?

STACEY: Could I, could we—have something t’ drink, Mom?

BELLA: Y’know we been up in Memphis for several days. I was gonna make you some cocoa or hot milk but the milk’s gone sour. [Charlie takes a pint bottle of whiskey out of his trench-coat pocket. Bella gasps.] No, no, not whiskey, son! Charlie’s older brother just died of— [She sobs.]

CORNELIUS: —Terminal—alcoholism, at thirty-one!

CHARLIE: Pop, don’t shout it like that. You’ve upset Mom. Sit down, Mom.

STACEY: Let’s talk about it tomorrow, not tonight.

CORNELIUS: I’m a believer in talkin’ all things out that can be talked out as quick as possible, Miss.

CHARLIE: Stacey.

CORNELIUS: Stacey what?

CHARLIE: T’morrow she is gonna be Stacey McCorkle.

CORNELIUS: Is she?!

CHARLIE: Bright and early tomorrow her last name will be mine.

BELLA: —Oh . . .

CORNELIUS: What d’ya make of that, Bella? Something or nothing?

BELLA: Oh, I’m delighted about that.

CHARLIE: Yes.

STACEY [Crying a little]: Yes. So happy I could die! —Just dieee!

CORNELIUS: I think we could use a little more light in here. [He attempts to turn on light from the over-stuffed chair, topples back and overturns the floor lamp behind him. It hits Bella on the head.]

STACEY: Oh, my! Did that hurtcha, Mom?

BELLA: What?

CHARLIE: Floor lamp hit your haid.

BELLA: —Did it? —No. —No. —I’ll tell you something. A big hurt like we got up there in Memphis, it, it—sort of numbs you to anything else for a while.

CORNELIUS: I expected it sooner. Quart of scotch and a fifth of bourbon a day. Not satisfied with that so he spent his nights out at bars. —I know what kind of bars, I was infawmed of that right here in Pascagoola. —’Swhy I sent him to Memphis.

BELLA: I must’ve done something wrong in his upbringin’.

CHARLIE: Don’t blame yourself all the time. When I had to pick him up and take him home from those bars, well, I didn’t know that scene but I sure did recognize it.

CORNELIUS: So you can see and hear and draw deductions from—

BELLA: Yais, brought Chips up wrong, somehow.

CHARLIE: Mom, Chips had two parents.

CORNELIUS: I made that comment, remember?

CHARLIE [flaring]: Me remember? Nothin’ from you but ridicule and abuse, you mean ole bastard! —Never felt nothin’ for no one under this roof and you know it as well as we did.

CORNELIUS: Git th’ hell out of here with your bright-and-early-bride-to-be tonight!

BELLA: No. —No. —I—

CORNELIUS: I happen to own this house and—

STACEY: I never stay a place where I ain’t welcome. Lucky we didn’t unpack.