Tuesday, October 20th 2020

It is afternoon, after “school” in the homestead. Daddy is home from work taking his afternoon rest. Mom is spent from her various efforts today, sitting up on the other side of the bed, operating her laptop. The kitten Darth Snowflake is curled up at their feet. ClaraJane is in a one-on-one meet with a specialist online, telling her about the animals –kitten in particular– while walking around the house on her Chromebook. She walks past the open bedroom door while chatting on the meet.

DAD: Whew. I’m just glad we didn’t end up in her Zoom call just now!

MOM: Me too! Welcome to my reality all day every school day, never sure when I’m showing up in somebody’s class.

BOTH: [Chuckle.]

CJ: [Having spotted kitten, comes back to the door, looks inquisitvely.]

MOM & DAD: Aw gawd, no baby [waving her off]. Sorry, no. We don’t want to be in a Zoom meet right now.

CJ: Aww! OK fine. [Turns and walks away, talking to the teacher in the Chromebook.] My parents don’t want to be on camera. They’re in bed right now!

MOM & DAD: Oh no! Wait, baby! Come back! Come back. Turn it around. [Dad sits up.] Go on. Let’s see it.

CJ: [Turns Chromebook camera to face parents in bed.]

PARENTS: [Wave to teacher on the Chromebook screen.].

DAD: [Waving.]. Hiiii.

MOM: [Waving.] Here we are! Not what it sounds like. We’re just exhausted. How are you?

TEACHER: Hiii.

ALL: [Laugh awkwardly.]

CJ: [Walks Chromebook back out of the room.]

MOM: [Shakes head, closes eyes.] Oh my god.

DAD: [Facepalms.]

BOTH: [Hold hands & laugh. Die a little inside.]

SCENE.

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