Little Man / Scene 5
The vigil
Names with a dotted underline open a card. Story guide ↗
Location: Nursery, 3 AM, soft nightlight
Marcus: Sleeping newborn
David: New father, overwhelmed, alone with his thoughts
Mostly silent scene, but David's whispered monologue:
DAVID: (barely audible) Look at you. Perfect little fingers. Perfect little toes.
Long pause, just watching
DAVID: I don't know what I'm doing, little man. Nobody gave me a manual for this.
Another pause
DAVID: Your mom says I worry too much. Maybe she's right. But you're so... small. The world's so big.
Shifts in chair, careful not to wake baby
DAVID: I'm going to mess up. I know I am. I'm going to lose my temper when you're a teenager. I'm going to embarrass you in front of your friends. I'm going to worry when you start driving, and dating, and making your own decisions.
Voice getting emotional
DAVID: But I promise you this - I will love you every single day of your life. When you're proud of me, when you're ashamed of me, when you think I don't understand... I will love you.
Final pause, just the sound of breathing
DAVID: Sweet dreams, son. We're going to figure this out together.