----Location: Suburbanized area of Philadelphia, PA----

:::I arrive at my parent's and after stepping out of the car, take a moment to inhale the beauty and nostalgia of the property:::

:::Mom inherited this house from MomMom years ago. Hard to believe I grew up in such an old house. It's over 50 years old but the condition it's in is amazing:::
:::The front door flies open before I even get to it and joyous laughter from the world's sweetest woman flows out:::

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Name: Brenda Smyth/Age: 58/Occupation in Life: College English Professor --Retired

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MOM
Oh, my little girl is here!

:::She grips me up in a tight hug. Being around the same height and built, her hugs hurt:::

DANI
God, Mom. You're gonna kill me.

:::She tightens her grip which I truly did not know was possible and smacks my ass:::

DANI
Ow!

MOM
Don't use the Lord's name like that.

DANI
Okay, okay I'm sorry. But seriously. I'm starting to see spots.

:::She lets me go with a laugh and a push in the arm:::

MOM
Alright, ya stringbean. Maybe if you ate more you could handle me. That Thomas boy not feeding you?

DANI
I missed you too, Mom.

:::She places a wet kiss on my cheek then shoves me towards the house:::

MOM
Don't go leaving me with all this sugar to get fat alone. Get in there and go make your Father a diabetic. He's in the den, his natural habitat.

:::The love my parents share is truly one of a kind:::
:::I head inside lugging one bag and she follows close behind with the other. She drops it down in the foyer and slams the front door shut while I head down the hall towards the den:::

MOM
And when you're done get back here and deal with these bags. This ain't a Hilton. Your old bedroom is wide open and still looks the same.

:::I give a wave of acknowledgement and continue following the sounds of a football game. If I remember correctly, the den should be up here on the right:::

----Location: Family den----

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:::My Father sat with his back to me on the couch facing a large flat screen on the wall. But from his hunched position I could tell he wasn't happy about the score displaying brightly on the screen:::

DANI
Spoiler alert, the Eagles lose. Just completely wiped from the face of the Earth.

:::At the sound of my voice Dad perks up and stands to face me with a goofy smile. I hadn't seen him in so long my eyes water:::

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Name: Arnold Smyth/ Age: 63/ Occupation in Life: Chief of Police --Retired

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DANI
Daddy!

:::I hop over to him with outreached arms and he meets halfway. His tall stature envelops me in a bear hug that swings me from left to right:::

DAD
My baby! Look at you. These damn phones today don't do you any justice. It feels like I haven't seen you in years.

WOMAN
That's because technically it has been years. You haven't seen her since she was 21.

:::Fuck me, I'd know that voice anywhere:::
:::When Dad and I part, my assumptions are very much confirmed:::

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Name: Katherine "Kat" Smyth/ Age: 33/ Occupation in Life: Pediatrician at CHOP

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:::She has her hands on her hips and a pouty face but it quickly dissolves into a smile:::

DANI
Kat!

KAT
Hey you.

:::We run up to one another and squeeze hard enough to constrict our breathing. Once we let go she takes my hand and spins me around:::

KAT
Look at you, little sis. Looking like a straight model with that bod. New York's done you good.

DANI
No way. Seriously, you're the one who was actually offered a modeling career.

KAT
Yeah. Until Mr. Dud over there turned all RoboCop and rampaged about that bathing suit shoot.

:::She points a thumb in Dad's direction who'd repositioned himself back in front of the TV. He responds without turning around:::

DAD
You should think about getting over that, Kat. You were 14 in a two piece surrounded by men well into their 30s. Goddamn pedophiles.

KAT
No I can clearly see I have the Father casted in this little dungeon story. And while you call that pedophilia, I call it making friends.

DAD
It was pedophilia, Katherine. One of them stalked you for six months and two  of 'em teamed up to try and break into your trailer stark naked.

:::Kat waves a dismissive hand:::

KAT
Bah, Todd was harmless. And those other two did jail time and got put on the sex offender's list miles away from here. 

DAD
Yeah well if it were up to me, they'd of had the barrel of my gun down their throats first.

DANI
Dad, that can't be your solution for everything. Even if it did work those two times back in high school.

KAT
She's right, Daddy. With Dani in New York and myself here in Philly, we're used to sickos. Besides, all that was years ago. Those dudes are totally legit now.

:::Dad grunts out a response but nothing else. A good idea to give up. Kat can be relentless:::

:::She grins and claps her hands together but then she dials it down to smug:::

KAT
So. Are you ready?

DANI
For dinner? Hell yeah it smells amazing.

:::Her spirals swish from side to side as she shakes her head and before she can answer, the doorbell rings. I shoot a look to Kat who's wearing the strangest smile and that draws uneasiness from within me:::

DANI
Uh, Kat. Mom mentioned you invited someone for dinner but she never gave me a name. Who did you say it was again? 

KAT
Oh I didn't.

:::Eyeing the evil glint in her brown bowls my heart starts to race:::
:::Shit. What did she do? Being back in my hometown she could've invited anyone:::
:::The doorbell rings again and Mom heads towards it wiping her hands on a dish towel. I latch onto Kat's wrist and tug her to the back corner of the den and away from Dad's ears:::

DANI
Kat, you have that look in your eye. Tell me what's going on. Now.

KAT
God you've gotten pushy. Is that the new New York attitude or is Thomas still not putting it down right?

DANI
Kat!

KAT
Alright, fine.

:::A commotion starts by the front door and Mom calls Dad over. He grunts but is still fast to leave:::
:::What the hell is happening?:::

KAT
Okay, so. Mom told me Thomas bailed. Again.

DANI
Christ.

KAT
And since you love my surprises-

DANI
I hate your surprises.

KAT
I just thought this might help you tie up some loose ends before you go any further with Thomas.

:::Another uproar ensues followed by footsteps and voices leading from the front door to us:::

DANI
Loose ends? What loose ends?

KAT
Just keep an open mind.

DANI
An open mind about what? About who?

:::Mom and Dad step back into the room with equally bright smiles. Someone is trailing far behind as Mom opens up with a song in her voice:::

MOM
Dani, we have a surprise for you.

:::For me? Why only for me?:::
:::She and Dad part simultaneously, revealing a statuesque figure in a biker's jacket, stupidly beautiful hair and a shit-eating grin:::

MAN
Hey, Red. Miss me?

:::Holy Mother of God:::