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SCENE 1 — BROOKE DEMANDS THAT LARRY BRING BETHANY BACK

The house is unusually quiet. Brooke paces through the living room while Larry sits on the couch, hoping to avoid another argument.

BROOKE

Dad, you need to go and bring Bethany back home.

LARRY

Brooke, we’ve already talked about this. I’m not going to chase after Bethany every time she decides to leave.

Brooke stops and looks at him in disbelief.

BROOKE

She’s not just anybody, Dad. She’s your wife! You can’t act like it doesn’t matter that she’s gone.

LARRY

I never said it didn’t matter. But Bethany made her own decision to leave, and I’m not going to force her to come back.

BROOKE

Nobody is asking you to force her! I’m asking you to go there, talk to her, and bring her home.

Larry rubs his forehead, growing frustrated.

LARRY

You don’t understand everything that’s happening between me and Bethany. Things aren’t that simple anymore.

BROOKE

Then make them simple! You always have an excuse whenever someone asks you to fix something in this family.

Brooke’s voice trembles. She fears that her family is falling apart.

BROOKE

Dad, please. Just go and talk to her. At least try.

Larry looks at his daughter before finally reaching for his keys.

LARRY

Fine. I’ll go see her. But I’m not promising she’ll come with me.

BROOKE

That’s all I’m asking. Just bring her home, Dad.

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SCENE 2 — LARRY ARRIVES AND FINDS CHARLOTTE

Larry drives to the house where Bethany is staying. He rehearses what he will say, hoping to convince her to return home.

When he reaches the house, he knocks on the front door. Charlotte opens it, and her expression immediately hardens.

CHARLOTTE

Larry? What are you doing here?

LARRY

I’m here to see Bethany.

CHARLOTTE

Why? Bethany has already left your house. She made the decision to walk away, and now you suddenly want to come here?

LARRY

I’m her husband. I think I have a right to talk to her.

CHARLOTTE

Being her husband doesn’t mean you can show up whenever you want and expect everything to go your way.

LARRY

Look, I’m not here to argue with you. Brooke asked me to come and bring Bethany home.

Charlotte raises her eyebrows, surprised by his explanation.

CHARLOTTE

Oh, so Brooke sent you?

LARRY

She wants Bethany back. She keeps asking me to bring her home, and I finally agreed to come.

CHARLOTTE

And what about what Bethany wants, Larry? Has anybody actually stopped to ask her what she wants?

Larry pauses, struggling to respond.

LARRY

That’s why I’m here. I want to talk to her and find out where we stand.

CHARLOTTE

She has already made it clear that she needed to leave. You cannot keep expecting her to return just because you decide it’s time.

LARRY

I’m not expecting anything. I just want an opportunity to speak with my wife.

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SCENE 3 — CHARLOTTE REFUSES TO LET LARRY SEE BETHANY

Larry grows increasingly frustrated. He came expecting to speak directly with Bethany, but Charlotte refuses to move aside.

LARRY

You can’t make that decision for Bethany. If she doesn’t want to see me, she can tell me herself.

CHARLOTTE

And if she doesn’t want you here, why should I let you walk inside and disturb her peace?

LARRY

You’re assuming the worst about me before I’ve even spoken to her!

CHARLOTTE

Bethany finally leaves a situation that has been making her unhappy, and you show up expecting to take her straight back.

LARRY

That’s not what I’m doing!

CHARLOTTE

Then what are you doing, Larry? Are you here because you genuinely want to work things out, or because Brooke won’t stop pressuring you?

The question catches Larry off guard. He remembers Brooke’s insistence, but he knows he made his own decision to come.

LARRY

I came because I want to talk to Bethany. Whatever problems we have, we should be able to discuss them ourselves.

CHARLOTTE

Maybe I don’t know every detail. But I know Bethany deserves to make her own decisions without being pressured into returning somewhere she doesn’t want to be.

LARRY

Can you please tell her I’m here?

CHARLOTTE

No, Larry. Not today.

Larry looks past her toward the hallway, hoping Bethany might hear him.

LARRY

Bethany! If you can hear me, I just want to talk!

CHARLOTTE

Stop. You’re not going to stand here shouting for her. This visit is over.

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SCENE 4 — CHARLOTTE THROWS LARRY OUT

Larry remains at the entrance, hoping Charlotte will reconsider. He does not want to return home empty-handed after promising Brooke that he would try.

LARRY

Charlotte, please. Just give me five minutes with her. That’s all I’m asking.

CHARLOTTE

No. You have already made this uncomfortable, and I’m not letting it continue.

LARRY

You can’t keep me away from my own wife forever.

CHARLOTTE

I’m not keeping you away forever. I’m telling you to respect her space right now.

Larry shakes his head, unable to believe how the visit has turned out.

LARRY

This is ridiculous. I came here peacefully, and you’re treating me like I did something wrong.

CHARLOTTE

Then leave peacefully.

Charlotte opens the door wider and gestures toward the outside. When Larry hesitates, she firmly tells him to go.

CHARLOTTE

Larry, get out. Bethany is not going anywhere with you today.

LARRY

So that’s it? You won’t even let me speak to her?

CHARLOTTE

That’s it. You need to go.

Charlotte directs Larry away from the entrance and closes the door behind him. He stands on the porch, stunned and frustrated.

LARRY

I can’t believe this just happened.

He walks to his car, knowing he must now explain to Brooke why he failed to bring Bethany home.

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SCENE 5 — BROOKE HEARS THE BAD NEWS

Larry sits inside his car without starting the engine. His phone begins ringing. Brooke’s name appears on the screen.

BROOKE

Dad? Did you get Bethany? Are you bringing her home?

LARRY

No, Brooke. I’m not bringing her home.

BROOKE

What? Why not? Didn’t you talk to her?

LARRY

I couldn’t. Charlotte was there, and she wouldn’t let me speak to Bethany.

BROOKE

What do you mean she wouldn’t let you? You went all the way there!

LARRY

I know where I went, Brooke. Charlotte told me Bethany wasn’t going anywhere with me, and then she made me leave.

Brooke falls silent, struggling to accept that her plan has failed.

BROOKE

So you’re just coming home without her?

LARRY

What else was I supposed to do? Break down the door?

BROOKE

Dad, this is getting worse. If Bethany doesn’t come back, what happens to our family?

LARRY

I don’t know, Brooke. Maybe it’s time we stopped trying to decide what Bethany should do and actually listened to what she wants.

BROOKE

But what if she never comes back?

Larry has no answer. He ends the call and stares through the windshield, worried about what comes next.

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SCENE 6 — BETHANY MUST MAKE A DECISION

Inside the house, Charlotte finds Bethany preparing to settle in for the evening. She explains that Larry came looking for her but has now left.

BETHANY

Larry came here?

CHARLOTTE

Yes. He said Brooke wanted him to bring you home.

BETHANY

And what did you tell him?

CHARLOTTE

I told him you weren’t going anywhere with him unless that was what you wanted. He wasn’t happy about it, but I asked him to leave.

Bethany takes a slow breath. She is relieved that she avoided another difficult confrontation, but she still wonders why Larry came.

BETHANY

I don’t know what I’m supposed to do anymore, Charlotte.

CHARLOTTE

You don’t have to figure everything out tonight. Take your time and decide what you really want.

Bethany stares toward the window, thinking about Larry, Brooke, and everything that brought her to this point.

Will Bethany eventually agree to return home, or will she decide that leaving was the best choice for her? And when Larry returns home without her, how will Brooke react?