“Okay, well, you can think about that, and just for conversation’s sake, we’ll say you knock on her door, but it’s not her house. It’s a door that’s out in a field. Neutral territory.”

He nodded.

“So I knock, as you, and you open the door.” Using the puppet, she pretended to knock on the door, and his puppet pretended to open it.

“You,” he said accusatorily with the puppet, and pretended to slam the door in Madigan’s puppet’s face.

Madigan’s puppet was quick to catch the door and peer around it. “Carrie, wait, please. I just want to talk.”

“I have nothing to say to you.”

“Then just listen, please. I’m sorry. I wish I hadn’t punched Kevin. I wish I had known what was happening to you, and more than anything, I wish I knew how to fix things between us.”

He swallowed hard. “You can’t fix it. You killed the man I loved, and I hate you for it.” He turned his puppet away from hers.

“Wait. I know I can’t bring him back, and I’ll carry that guilt for the rest of my life. But can we please try to talk? I miss you. I want to get to know your daughter.”

He shook his puppet’s head and pretended to turn and slam the door.

Madigan sighed. “She might do that, but she might not, and I could have been totally off with what you’d say. Let’s try swapping puppets.” They traded puppets, and she hoped now he’d be able to really tell her what he felt. “You knock on the door.”

His puppet stared at the space where Madigan had pretended to knock on the door for a minute before finally knocking. Madigan pretended to open the door. “Tobias…?” she said cautiously.

“Hi, Carrie.” He swallowed hard.

“What are you doing here?”

“I needed to see you.”

Madigan wanted more than anything to play out only a positive situation, but she didn’t think Tobias would continue playing along if she made it too easy, and she needed to get there. To hear his worries. “I told you to leave us alone.”

“I know, and I’m sorry. I’ll only take a minute of your time. I just want you to know how sorry I am that I messed up your life. I’m sorry I killed Kevin. I’m so fucking sorry for everything, and I don’t expect you to forgive me.” His voice cracked. “But I miss you, Care. I miss you so much it hurts, and all I want is to make things better.”