Catalina:

Daddy.   Daddy.

Jim:

(waking up) Hmm? What?

Catalina:

Daddy. Are you asleep?

Jim:

Daddy? (sees Catalina) Whoa! Who are you!

Catalina:

Daddy, please don’t be mad.

Jim:

What are you doing in here, kid? Where did you come from?

Catalina:

I’ve been looking for you, Daddy.

Jim:

I don’t know who you are, or where you came from, but I’m not your daddy.

Catalina:

Daddy, it’s me, Catalina.

Jim:

Loretta!

Catalina:

Mommy’s not here right now. She left, remember?

Jim:

Look, you need to leave! I don’t know what this is, but you need to leave!

Catalina:

So it’s true then, you really don’t love me.

Jim:

I don’t even KNOW you! I don’t even have any kids!

Catalina:

What about him? (points to a picture on the night stand)

Jim:

That’s my son, Stephen, but he’s 27 now. I don’t have any kids.

Catalina:

But you did have me – once, didn’t you?

Jim:

Loretta and I, we never had a daughter –

Catalina:

No. No you didn’t. Not long enough to see her face, anyway.

Jim:

Catalina? Catalina. This is impossible – you don’t even exist.

Catalina:

(very angry) Yes I do too, Daddy! I do too exist!

Jim:

Catalina, if you are who you say you are, you’ve been dead for 20 years.

Catalina:

I’m dead. (crying) I’m dead! You killed me, Daddy! I’m dead! You killed me!

Jim:

I didn’t! You need to understand, your mother was dying.

Catalina:

Mommy didn’t want this. She wanted me.

Jim:

I’m sorry, Catalina. I had a choice to make. It wasn’t easy.

Catalina:

No you didn’t! You didn’t have to choose, Daddy!

Jim:

It was the doctor, he just set the pills on the counter. He said they would save her.

Catalina:

And what else did he say, Daddy? What else did he say!

Jim:

(realizing) That we would lose the baby…

Catalina:

You didn’t choose me! Why did you kill me, Daddy?

Jim:

Catalina, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I’m so, so sorry. Pure. That’s what your name means, you know. Catalina – pure and perfect. You were gonna be our first. We wanted you to be perfect. You were. I remember when Loretta first showed me the ultra-sound photos. I was so thrilled.

Catalina:

And then you killed me.

Jim:

There’s no excuse. I panicked. I didn’t want my wife to die, but I was wrong – so wrong. Catalina, can you ever forgive me?

Catalina:

I only ever wanted you to love me, Daddy. That’s all. I don’t care that I’m dead. I just am sorry I never got to see you, or Mommy. I just miss you. I miss you so much.

Jim:

I miss you too, Catalina. My precious, beautiful girl. I miss you too.

Catalina vanishes leaving Jim softly crying on the bed.

 

END SCENE