EXT. DECK OF HILLSIDE HOUSE - DAY
Barbara, John and Jan, dressed as previously, play scrabble at a table on the cedar or redwood deck shaded by oak trees, view through which to down-the-hill neighbors. Tiles on the board show a game near completion. Jan is keeping score with pencil and yellow legal pad. Scrabble dictionary, bottle of white wine and each with a glass half-empty. Jan's and Barbara's eyes on the board, John rearranges the tiles in his tray in search of a word, stops.
JOHN: Yahtzee.
JAN/BARBARA: Oh no.
John plays NIBLICK, uses the S of another word to pluralize.
JAN/BARBARA: Shit.
JOHN: Lest it not be apparent, seven-letter word and triple-word points.
JAN/BARBARA: It's apparent.
JAN: And I know you've already done the math.
JOHN: My calculation comes out to ninety-three. But please do verify.
JAN: Verified.
Jan adds score to John's column.
BARBARA: Niblick.
JOHN: Niblicksss.
BARBARA: Yes, dad.
JOHN: Speaking of which, did Brian get his driver yet?
BARBARA: Yesterday. He's at the range right now.
JAN: When is his son coming up?
BARBARA: Next Saturday.
JAN: Nervous?
BARBARA: Yes.
JOHN: Have you checked his social media footprint?
BARBARA: Cursory glance. A lot of Cuesta baseball.
JAN: He's a pitcher?
BARBARA: Catcher.
JAN: Catcher.
BARBARA: And a kind of blog about the restoration of that El Camino I might have told you Bran got him.
JOHN/JAN: You did.
JOHN: Which brings up Chloe's birthday.
BARBARA: Which reminds me to tell you that Hunter's going to call you about that. I guess you've already talked about a car?
JOHN: A brief email exchange in which he brought it up.
Barbara picks up when her PHONE RINGTONES TYPEWRITER SOUND.
JAN: Right on cue.
BARBARA: Ears burning?
Dad and I were just talking about Chloe's birthday and the car thing.
She's here.
(Barbara listens awhile, her face expresses surprise. She looks at John and Jan looking at her.)
I'm here. Speechless.
Well, Hunter, I'm going to defer to you.
(Jan and John look at each other.)
My immediate gut feeling is that I trust yours.
I'll be waiting for her call.
Alright. Oh, Hunter, maybe take a picture?
Bye.
(Barbara sets phone down.)
JAN/JOHN: Drumroll.
BARBARA: Tom Walker from Texas is at Hunter's house. He's spending the night. Chloe will call before she goes to bed.Stunned Silence.
JOHN: A middle name would be helpful..
BARBARA: Check.
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