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[door opening]
Heeeeeeeeeey, there’s the wonder girl, congratulations!
Aww, thanks! Yeah, it’s a new dress.
Check out the fabric!
I know, right?
I love it, love it, love it!
[pause]
[anxious] Are you sure?
[still anxious] Really? You think so?
It’s not too . . . bold?
[pause]
[relieved] Thanks!
And after all, I am taking your dad out big-time for his birthday tonight!
He so totally deserves it.
Speaking of people who deserve it, did I mention? You’re the wonder girl!
“Salutatorian!”
I’m learning SAT words from you and everything!
Graduating second in your class.
That’s an amazing accomplishment.
I’m so excited to hear your speech.
[pause]
Oh, yes. I’ll be there. With bells on!
And hey, as always . . . if you want help, you know whom to call.
I do a lot of speaking.
I’ve got tips and tricks.
[pause]
Oh, not at all.
I’ve got you covered, wonder girl.
Hey! I know!
You should get a tattoo on your forehead!
“Salutatorian!”
Make sure everyone knows!
[big, hearty laughter]
Then everyone will learn an SAT word!
[more laughter]
Okay, okay, but seriously, I got you something.
To celebrate.
Yes, I did!
[firm] No “buts,” young lady.
Or I’ll kick your butt.
There’s a word they don’t have on the SAT!
Here! This is for you.
Because you’re the wonder girl.
[lighthearted] Yes, you have to take it!
Hush!
No. No, it’s not.
It’s not too much at all.
Not for the . . . class salutatorian!
Seriously, this is for you.
[gentle but firm] Yes, you’re taking it.
You worked so hard for this.
You worked harder than anyone I’ve ever seen.
Enjoy it . . . knowing that you earned it.
[pause]
Look, I sold my company a month ago.
So . . . if you want . . . we can say this is partly to celebrate that, too.
Uh-huh.
Listen, girl: Before long, you’ll be founding your own companies and selling them off.
So just bide your time . . . and pay me back later!
[laughter]
Speaking of biding your time . . . any action with that cute boy you told me about?
[eager] Uh-huh.
Yeah?
Wow, veeeeeeeeeery smooth.
Good move. Well played!
[settling into gossip mode] And so . . . when we say “cute” . . . just how cute is “cute”?
I mean, are we talking . . . super cute?
[startled] Oh!
Hello there!
Um, nothing!
[calm, smooth, totally natural] We were just talking about my dress.
Super cute, don’t you think?
Your daughter thinks so.
[pause]
[delighted] Well, thank you!
[impressed] And I have to say: Wow, that suit.
No . . . Just: “Wow, that suit.”
There’s nothing else to say!
See, girl, did I tell you? I’m taking your dad out big-time tonight.
Thanks for lending him out.
[pause]
[as in, “no”] Uh-uh.
Doesn’t matter how long I’ve known him.
Family comes first.
So thanks . . . for letting me take him out.
I promise to bring him back in good condition!
Well, reasonable condition.
Don’t worry, we’ll both remember that we’re not kids in school any more.
[playful] Like you!
We’re old. We’re just a couple of dinosaurs.
We know our limits.
Okay, bye!
[door closing]
[lighthearted] Well, now I finally have you . . . “dad.”
[giggle]
Wait until you see the first surprise I have waiting for you.
It’s in front of the building.
You’ll see it when we reach the street.
[not gonna tell] It’s a surprise, birthday boy!
I’m so incredibly psyched to go to Sophie’s graduation.
[anxious] I’m definitely your plus one for that, right?
[relieved, playful again] I’d better be!
I can’t wait to see her up on that stage.
Actually giving an address! Speaking!
To the whole school! All the teachers and parents and everyone!
You should be so proud.
And I mean . . . so, so proud.
Not just of her.
Of you.
[gentle but firm] No, no. Don’t you start.
You have done an incredible job raising her.
You’ve poured your whole heart into it.
Just like I poured my whole heart into my company.
But what you’ve accomplished is something much bigger.
Much more important.
[pause]
Well, okay.
I won’t fight you about that.
I am pretty proud of what I’ve accomplished.
But how do you compare that . . . to what you’ve done for Sophie?
And not only that.
You did it through such enormous troubles.
I mean . . . yes, I had obstacles too.
[awkward] But you had . . . [quietly, but very cold] She Whom We Do Not Name.
[venomous] I could strangle her.
[suddenly tender] For everything she did to you.
And you got through it.
You endured.
You took it all.
And you became a hero of a dad.
There are just no words for what you’ve done for Sophie.
Not to mention one other difference: I got rewarded for my work!
I sold my company!
And I ended up . . . pretty well off.
I was in the news and everything!
I know it’s temporary, but . . . for the moment, the whole world is celebrating me.
Who’s celebrating you?
Who points to you and says, “there’s my hero”?
[pause]
Yes, Sophie loves you.
Tremendously.
And you are her hero.
Every time I see her looking at you, that just shines out.
But I know she’s not walking around the house . . . telling you you’re her hero every day.
That’s not how teenage girls work.
Believe me, I should know!
I was one!
We’re not built that way.
You deserve to be celebrated.
You deserve to have someone in your life . . . take you aside and tell you how amazing you are.
Tell you that you’re her hero.
Speaking of which . . .
[door opening]
Ta da!
Yes! I sprung for a limo!
Because we are going out big-time tonight!
[laughter]
No, no!
I did pretty well, but not that well!
It’s not mine.
I just rented it for the evening.
To celebrate.
[tenderly] To celebrate you.
And that’s just the beginning.
More surprises await!
[lighthearted] By the end of the evening tonight . . . I intend to be less well off than I was!
But this limo, and this night out . . . come with one rule.
[getting a little romantic now] You have to obey the rule. It’s required.
When you get in this limo, you are no longer Mr. Busy Dad.
You are Mr. Birthday Boy.
And you stay Mr. Birthday Boy for the rest of the evening with me.
[tender] I just see you spending all your energy . . . taking care of Sophie.
And she’s totally worth it!
But you need to take care of yourself, too.
[very tender] Tonight, you’re taking care of yourself.
Okay?
[car door opening]
[romantic] Why, thank you!
[car door closing]
[possibly add “on the road” white noise in background]
Wait ‘till you see where we’re going.
We’re going to have such a night tonight.
I’ve got us all set up to – hey!
[gently but firmly] Will you quit looking back?
Join me here in the limo, please?
She’s graduating high school!
She can be on her own for an evening.
You literally just promised to be Mr. Birthday Boy for me.
Remember?
Wait, hang on.
[sound of car partition rolling up]
There.
The driver doesn’t need to hear this.
Listen, taking care of yourself is a skill set.
There’s a learning curve.
You have to learn how to do it.
Believe me, I had to!
Running my own company!
But I was lucky.
I had a mentor.
She taught me how to make sure I took care of myself.
So tonight . . . I’m going to be that for you.
[tender] I’m taking care of you now.
I want you to do something for me. Okay?
Close your eyes.
Yes, close your eyes!
Okay, now repeat after me.
“Tonight, I am Mr. Birthday Boy.”
[giggles]
[lighthearted] Oh, no you don’t!
You have to say it.
[joking] I will seriously turn this limo around!
[calm] Here. Give me your hand.
[gently] Just give it here.
[very gently] Come on, now.
“I am Mr. Birthday Boy.”
[pause]
“I am my own person.”
[pause]
[gently] Go on.
[pause]
One more time. “I am my own person.”
[pause]
[firm] “I matter.”
[pause]
[encouraging] Come on, with conviction.
“I matter!”
[pause]
[affectionate] “I am beautiful.”
Yes, you are!
You so are.
[sincere] You are the most beautiful person I know.
[coaxing] Come on.
[emphatic] “I . . . am . . . BEAUTIFUL.”
[pause]
“I am so beautiful.”
[pause]
Yes, you have to.
“I . . . am . . . SO . . . beautiful.”
[pause]
[quietly] “I am loved.”
[pause]
[awkward] There now.
[more awkward] Was that so hard?
[confident again] Now look out the window.
[pause]
Yeah, isn’t it gorgeous?
I asked him to drive us this way.
So we could see the sunset on the water.
[pause]
Isn’t that amazing?
[pause]
[softly] That’s how beautiful you are.
[gently] Hush.
No more words.
Just look out there with me . . . and see how beautiful you are.
[long enough pause to indicate a change of scene; background noise fading out can also indicate change of scene]
[car door opens]
Here we are!
Yes!
This is the place!
[playful] Yes, here!
Yes, it’s on me!
And no, you don’t get to protest!
Listen . . . there’s a bottle of champagne already waiting for us.
At our reserved table.
It’s too late not to order it!
Either we go in there and drink it . . . or it goes to waste!
[pause]
Sounds good to me, Mr. Birthday Boy!
Lead the way!
[long enough pause to indicate a change of scene]
Wow, the food here is amazing.
I go out to these business things, you know? And they think they eat well.
But this . . . this is the real thing.
And this champagne?
[delicious anticipation] Mmmm!
[drinking]
[exhaling after the drink] Oh!
Oh, my!
[a bit tipsy] That is really something!
[pause]
You aren’t feeling it yet?
[rousing] Well, drink up!
You will soon!
It really goes to your head.
[romantic] But being here with you is going to my head even more.
[still a bit tipsy] You are . . . so . . . beautiful.
[warm, gentle] A toast to you.
Mr. Birthday Boy!
[glasses clink]
[drinking]
[exhaling after the drink] Ooooooh.
[so happy] Oh . . . my.
[tender] Listen . . . I told you it was a night of surprises.
I have one more.
And . . . this one . . . I didn’t want to share . . . until we both had plenty of champagne in us.
[giggle]
[with effort, getting serious] So . . . here goes.
You’ve been through so much.
[gentle] The three years of hell . . . which we won’t talk about.
And then all these years of raising Sophie.
[tender] And I worry about you.
[awkward] I care about you!
I’m allowed to worry a bit.
What will you do?
Now that she’s off to college?
I mean, obviously she won’t just . . . vanish from your life.
But raising her has been . . . what you’ve put your whole life into.
For so many years.
And now . . . you’ll have your life back.
And . . .
You give so much.
Who gives to you?
[pause]
And I’m kind of in the same place, in a way.
I’ve been thinking about what comes next for me.
I mean, you’ve known me forever.
You know how important the hustle is for me.
And I’ve loved it!
I really have.
But it really is a huge strain.
There’s just no describing it if you haven’t been there.
It’s day and night.
It’s moving heaven and earth . . . all the time.
And it’s one thing to do that . . . for a season of your life.
It’s another thing to let that hustle become your life.
So many entrepreneurs . . . just can’t quit the hustle.
Your company is your baby.
When you sell . . . you’re letting go of your baby.
It’s really hard, you know?
I mean . . . I guess you do.
[awkward] Sorry!
You know what I mean.
You get paid when you sell . . . but you give up something, too.
Something bigger.
Money’s great, but money can’t fill your heart.
It’s about building something.
And when you let go of your baby . . . you suddenly feel like . . . now you have to create the next big thing.
If you don’t . . . you feel like you’re not contributing anything.
You feel like you’re worthless.
And so . . . people destroy their lives.
Trying again and again . . . grinding themselves down.
They do it over and over.
Not me.
I’m actually planning to take it easy for a while.
I mean, I’m not going to loaf around!
I’m doing some consulting work.
And I’m talking to a company that needs a division head.
It would be good, interesting work . . . but not crazy.
I may do that. Or I may find something else.
Anyway, I’m proud of what I’ve built.
But I gave myself to it, and now . . .
Now I’m taking myself back.
I can do that.
I’m lucky to be able to do it.
[pause]
No, not the money.
[intense] I’m lucky because I had a dad like you.
[pause to let that sink in]
My dad taught me . . . that I was beautiful.
He taught me that I was loved.
[intense] Just like Sophie’s dad does for her.
[pause]
So . . . the hustle is great.
I’ve enjoyed it.
But I don’t need it.
I know who I am.
I know that I’m loved.
I know there are lots of ways I can contribute . . . and be productive.
I don’t have to prove myself.
I think that’s something everyone needs.
To know that you don’t have to prove yourself.
To know that someone sees . . . how beautiful you are.
To know that you’re loved.
[very tender] And . . . I know that you’ve never had that.
Not from your parents.
Definitely not from She Whom We Do Not Name.
And you’ve given so much of yourself . . . to be the dad for your daughter . . . that you never had.
And that?
That is beautiful.
You’re breaking a cycle.
A cycle that goes back . . . who knows how far?
Parents not loving their kids . . . who grow up to be parents who don’t love their kids.
You’re standing in the gap.
You’re taking all the emotional pain.
So your daughter never has to carry it.
And neither will her kids.
And their kids.
And who knows how many generations after?
[tender] But . . . I do wonder if you yourself . . . are getting trapped.
If you need the hustle . . . of being a better dad for her than you had.
[very tender] I think . . . you need to say to yourself . . . the things you’ve been saying to Sophie.
That you’re beautiful.
That you’re loved.
And you know one thing I’ve learned?
It’s a whole lot easier to say things to yourself . . . if you have someone in your life who says them to you.
That’s why it’s so important you’ve said them for Sophie.
[pause]
[awkward] And . . . I want to say them to you.
[vulnerable] I want to tell them to you every day.
That you’re beautiful.
That you’re loved.
[intense] I want to treat you right.
The more I think about what comes next for me . . . the more I see your beautiful face.
[pause]
[gentle] Yes.
[pause]
Yes.
[pause]
That’s right.
[pause]
[sincere] I don’t know, to be honest.
Until last month . . . my whole life was the company.
I could barely think about anything else.
Like . . . my heart.
Like how my feelings for my best friend . . . were changing.
[pause]
[gentle] Look, I don’t expect anything from you.
[sincere] I mean that!
I know this is totally unfair to drop this on you.
And yes, I shamelessly spent a lot of money tonight . . . to give myself the best possible setup.
[vulnerable] For this big romantic moment.
[joking] I mean . . . I sure hope that champagne is kicking in by now.
[suddenly lots of laughter]
I’m kidding!
You know I am!
[warmly] But think about it.
[romantic] What could be more right?
We both put our whole lives . . . into taking care of things we created.
Things that really mattered.
Things that were worth it.
And now?
We’ve both crossed the finish line!
What do we take care of now?
[intense] Let’s take care of each other.
Let’s treat each other right.
You’ve carried so much.
And no one has treated you right.
No one has ever treated you right.
I want to treat you right.
That’s all I want now.
And . . . again, I know this is unfair.
You don’t have to –
[she is interrupted by a kiss – one big, single, pure kiss]
[during the kiss] Mmmmmmmmpf….
[end of kiss]
[overwhelmed] Wow.
Wow.
[giggling] That champagne sure packs a punch, huh?
[laughter]
Cheers, Mr. Birthday Boy!
[a single, loud clink of the glasses]
[like Bogey in Casablanca] Here’s looking at you, kid!