Lights Up:

A living room, filled with rose petals, candles and champagne, the lights are dimmed. Madeline enters in a fancy dress and looks around surprised. Thomas enters in a tuxedo and puts the car keys on a table.

Thomas: Sorry about all this.

Madeline: Oh, it’s okay.

Thomas: Yeah just don’t-don’t mind it.

Madeline: Okay.

Thomas: Are you gonna… (he motions to the living room) Stay?

Madeline: I don’t know…Let me at least put on something else.

She exits. Thomas takes off his jacket and loosens his tie. He turns the lights all the way up and starts blowing out some of the candles and picking up the rose petals he shoves them in the trash.

Thomas: (To himself) Goddamn idiot

Madeline re-renters in a more comfortable outfit.

Madeline: This is all really nice.

Thomas laughs

Madeline: No really, It’s really thoughtful.

Thomas: (reluctantly) Thanks. (Beat) So what’s your plan?

Madeline: I don’t know-

Her phone rings

Madeline: Ah…It’s my Mom.

Thomas: Ah…

Madeline: I’m assuming you told her?

Thomas: Yeah.

Madeline: (exhales) Ok. Well I’m gonna…

Thomas gestures “Ok” with his hands and walks to the kitchen and opens two beers. 

Madeline answers the phone.

Madeline: (clears throat) Hey Mom,… Yeah the party was great. … Um no big news to share actually … Yes he’s here (she looks at Thomas and points the phone towards him)

Thomas: (from the kitchen) Hi Carol

(Madeline puts the phone back up to her ear)

Madeline(looking at Thomas) no he asked … Yeah… Ok Mom calm down… I don’t know we’re talking about that now…Mom…Mom… (to Thomas) She says sorry about me.

Thomas laughs. He sits down and pours the beer into the empty champagne glasses.

Madeline: (Still on phone) Uh-huh (She lowers the phone) (To Thomas) She hates me.

Thomas: No she doesn’t. She just really likes me. (off her look) No look she’s just…surprised.

Madeline: You mean disappointed.

Thomas: Yeah, but not in you, in … the whole situation.

Madeline: (to the phone) Ok mom I can’t understand you when you’re yelling. I’m just gonna let you figure this out for yourself. Ok love you bye. (She quickly hangs up the phone)

(Thomas puts his hands in his pockets, realizes what’s in them, and pulls out a small box. And opens it to see a diamond ring. Madeline stares at it.)

Thomas: I’m pretty sure they said no refunds. I wasn’t really paying attention to that part.

Madeline: Thomas, I’m so sorry-

Thomas: Just…it’s fine. I just… misjudged I guess.

Madeline: No you didn’t.

(Thomas looks at her. Madeline is silent. Thomas gets a text. He looks at his phone.)

Madeline: Who is it?

Thomas: My brother. “How’d it go?” … with a whole lot of question marks.

Madeline: Are you going to call him? 

Thomas: (texting) I’ll tell him later. (off Madeline’s look) Hey he’ll be fine. He would’ve made one hell of a bridesmaid though. 

(Madeline laughs, Thomas smiles)

Thomas (cntd.): Yeah I mean hey, on the brightside we don’t have to hear my dad try to make a speech. 

Madeline: Or my cousin Angela get really drunk and try to breakdance.

Thomas: (chuckling) Oh my god I remember that. At Emily’s wedding.

Madeline: (also chuckling) Yeah I think she sprained her ankle.

Thomas: She did?

Madeline: Oh yeah but she didn’t care. She was like (imitating her) come on everybody! Who wants to see me get crazy!

(Thomas imitates a crowd cheering. Madeline starts dancing while pretending to be drunk. Slowly both of them stop. Madeline sees Thomas’s eyes shift to the ring on the table.)

Thomas: …Why not?

Madeline: What?

Thomas: (laughs) Oh come on. Why not?

Madeline: Thomas…

Thomas: Hey I already messed up tonight I might as well dig a bit deeper.

Madeline: I’m not ready.

Thomas: Ok, you’re right we can talk about it later. I guess there’s no rush.

Madeline: No, Thomas…I’m not ready.

Thomas: (realizes) Wait, Not ready for this? What do you mean? What are you not ready for?

Madeline: I don’t know.

Thomas: I mean, we already live together, we already spend every second together, god, I’ve even heard you use my last name by mistake so just – (he realizes he’s getting worked up) I’m sorry, I’m just trying to understand. Cause you said I didn’t misjudge anything but there has to be something that I’m not getting.

Madeline: It’s my parents.

Thomas: What? Your parents signed off. I asked them.

Madeline: No it’s not that.

Thomas: So then what do they have to – (realizes) Oh come on you don’t really think we’re gonna be like them do you?

Madeline: I don’t know.

Thomas: What do you mean you don’t know? Maddie, you think we’re gonna get divorced just because your parents did?

Madeline: You know much pain they caused me when they split up. You know that. I just have to think about that.

(Thomas is silent. Hurt)

Thomas: Yes Maddie I know. I know they messed your life up. I know you were in pain, and I’m sorry. But are you telling me that when I was down on my knee, telling you how much I love you and asking you to marry me… you were just thinking about how we might get divorced one day?

Madeline: Thomas you don’t understand, that’s what marriage was for me. It was the thing that led to divorce. It was the thing that was good for a while and then blew up in your face. 

Thomas: And through all of this I wasn’t able to change your mind?

(Madeline is silent)

Thomas: (desperate) Babe we’re not supposed to think about this. We’re supposed to be here and be happy and drink champagne and dance around the room. We’re just supposed to be dumb and in love. Why can’t you do that?

Madeline: Thomas I am in love with you, I’m so in love with you. I’m just not dumb.

Thomas: Then what do you want? 

Madeline: I want you.

Thomas: That doesn’t answer my question. You’ve kinda messed with my sense of what we are. If you don’t want to marry me then what do you want?

Madeline: Thomas we don’t need marriage. What’s marriage? It’s a piece of paper and a party? I don’t need those things to know how much I love you. Our love is here right now, not in some stupid church a year from now. Ok?

Thomas: Ok…

Madeline: (Sitting down to him and hugging him) Yeah. It’s ok.

(Thomas starts to hug back then pulls himself away)

Thomas: I don’t know.. I just – I don’t know. 

(She gets up, pulls out her phone, and heads towards the door. She suddenly stops and presses play on her phone. The Night We Met begins playing on their speakers. She reaches out her hand. Thomas looks conflicted. Madeline starts to dance while still holding out her hand. Thomas is still at first but then begins to walk toward her. He takes her hand. They are still for a moment and make eye contact. They begin to dance. Slow and real. As the music winds down they stop and stare at each other. They kiss.)

Lights fade out

End of Play