Scene 2: [ Shelby, her sister Fae, and her mother in a hospital room. Fae is hooked up to machines, Shelby is on her left side]

Fae

Thank you guys for being here for me.

Mom

Of course, now you don't worry about a thing, I've known Doctor Henders my whole life, he'll take good care of you.

Shelby

You'll be golden, you've always been the better half.

Fae

And you're the lesser half, hence why you're on the left side and I'm on the right. [She laughs which turns into a violent cough]

Nurse

Alright, Miss Fae, Doctor Henders is waiting for you in surgery. I've set up a room for you two just down the hall, I'll notify you when she gets out or sooner.

Mom

Why would it be sooner?

Nurse

Miss Calits, can you wheel Miss Fae down to Doctor Henders in operating room three?

[another nurse walks into the room and wheels Fae out]

Nurse

I'm sorry ahead of time, I know I'm not the best nurse to help with people's emotions but I try to tell the truth. I've seen cases like Fae's too many times, and lied to too many parents and families. A surgery like Fae's is hard enough already, and with the wait with your fight over insurance and with your husband's passing ...

Mom

Ex-husband.

Nurse

Ex-husband's passing, Fae may have a difficult time going through surgery and there may be complications. I'm not saying that miracles don't happen but I'm just telling you the truth. And Mrs Marks please make sure you try to stay close in the proximity of your lounge, as Fae's mother you have the call over her health in case we need to apply certain drugs. Before we go in, is there anything that your daughter is allergic to, specifically medicine?

Mom

Morphine, Doctor Henders has already set up alternatives.

[The nurse nods her head and takes them to a lounge area leaving them be.]

Mom

Before you go on how we should be holding our hopes for Fae please tell me what has happened that your eyes have been wondering around space for?

Shelby

It's nothing mom.

Mom

Don't give me that, I'm your mother and you know I know better than that.

Shelby

Please not now Mom.

Mom

You won't tell me now, you won't tell me then. Now just come out with it sweetheart, you know I won't get upset. Do I have to go send one of your brothers on Arthur? Did he hurt you? If he did that little twat is going to pay for it. [Stand up ferociously]

Shelby

He proposed.

Mom

[completely ecstatic] Congratulations my little one! I just knew he was the one for you, he treats you so nice and there isn't a mean bone in his body.

Shelby

I said no.

Mom

[shocked and yelling] What?! Why would you do that?!

Shelby

I told you, now can we please just stop talking about it?

Mom

Definitely not! Why would you do that? Just last week you were telling your father all about him and how much .... oh, this isn't about Arthur is it?

[Shelby nods with tears in her eyes]

Mom

Honey, your father tried to fight to stay with you. You know he did. I'm sorry you weren't there to say goodbye because of the traffic jam, but Arthur was. Your father's last words was giving Arthur his blessing to marry you.

Shelby

Than why did you act so surprised when I told you?

Mom

Arthur said in his heritage it's custom to wait six months after the blessing has been made, that way to allow time to truly process your life. I didn't expect him to ask so soon.

Shelby

I can't marry him.

Mom

Why not? He cares about you. He wants to be with you. He broke his family's traditions just because he loves you, and you know how much his family means to him.

Shelby

I can't do it without dad. [starts sobbing]

Mom

Sweetheart, it's okay [pulls Shelby into her] Myles or I could walk you down the aisle.

Shelby

It's not the same.

Mom

I know it's not sweetie, but you can't reverse his death. If your father were here would you have said yes to Arthur.

Shelby

Without a doubt, I love him.

Mom

Then don't let your father's passing be in the way. He wouldn't want you to be miserable because he's gone. He'd want you to celebrate him, he took his last breathe telling Arthur he could marry you, that should mean something. Even if he can't hand you off at the alter, he's already handed you off through his blessing. Don't throw Arthur away.

Shelby

I thought you didn't like Arthur?

Mom

I don't like that he comes from a wealthy family. I don't like his parents. I don't like the way he dresses like he's going to a fancy ball even at his own house. I don't like how his nose twitches when he eats. I don't like his black hair being plastered like concrete against his head. I hate the way he talks. I ...

Shelby

I think we get the point now.

Mom

The point is he makes you happy, that's what your father cared about. And I can look over his many, many flaws as long as he treats you well.

Shelby

He took me in a gondola under the moon, after I rejected him I jumped out and swam towards shore.

Mom

Well that's not fright, leaving you to swim all the way back instead of taking you back himself.

Shelby

I jumped out of the boat. How is he going to want to take me back after I told him I don't love him.

Mom

Now why would you do that?

[Shelby sits up]

Shelby

I was trying to convince myself, tell myself that I was making the right choice.

Mom

If you need to tell yourself that you know it's the wrong choice.

Shelby

How do I fix this?

[Arthur appears in the doorway with a bouquet of roses]

Arthur

You don't have to, Shelby I should have waited. You're still grieving over the loss of your father, your twin is in surgery. It wasn't fair of me to push the decision on you so soon.

Mom

Uggg, why do you have to speak like that? It makes me noxious.

Shelby

Mom!

Mom

Sorry, I'll let you guys have some privacy.

[mom steps out of the room and closes the door, her silhouette still visible in the doors clouded window]

Arthur

I'll follow my custom this time, that way we both have time. I'm sorry if I upset your through this, and I'm sorry I made you swim away from me like that.

Shelby

No, you didn't. It was all me and I know it. I don't know what I was thinking that night, I'm sorry. And I really do love you.

[kiss]

Shelby

I promise I won't say no to you again.

Arthur

Then let me do this the right way this time, [gets down on one knee] Shelby Marks, would you do me the honor of ...

Mom

Shelby come quick, it's Fae.

[Shelby runs out of the room leaving Arthur there still on one knee]