Annie: fidgeting with rings Hey, been a while. Missed you, ya know?
Stranger
smiling Yeah, I missed you too, sis. Let's catch up, huh?
crosses arms, impatiently Alright, fine. Let's get this over with. Got places to be, things to do. So, what's the deal?
Stranger
leans back, smirking The deal? Just asking how you've been, Annie. You seem a bit... different lately.
rolls eyes Oh, yeah, I've been "different" alright. Life's got a funny way of kicking you in the ass when you least expect it. But hey, that's why we're here, right?
Stranger
laughs lightly True, sis. True. So, what's this big idea you had?
grinning mischievously Big idea? Well, remember how I used to be that theater geek? Yeah, well, I've got this brilliant plan to bring a little drama back into our lives.
Stranger
chuckles Theater geek, huh? This should be good. What's your plan, Annie?
excitedly Alright, so here's the deal. We're gonna put on the most spectacular theater production this town has ever seen!
Stranger
leans forward, intrigued A theater production? That sounds... ambitious. And what's your role in all this?
smirks proudly Oh, I'm the mastermind behind the whole operation. Director, producer, the whole shebang.
Stranger
raising an eyebrow Well, I'll be damned. Looks like I'm investing in a Broadway show then. When do we start?
claps hands together That's the spirit! We start by finding the perfect script. Something dramatic, something that'll tug at people's heartstrings.
Stranger
nods Sure, a heartwarming story sounds great. Any ideas on where we can find a script like that?
grabs a stack of scripts from her bag Oh, you betcha! I've already done some research and found some real tear-jerkers.
Stranger
smirks Tear-jerking stories, huh? Sounds like a winner. Let's take a look at these then.
flipping through the scripts Alright, let's see... ah, here's one called "The Last Letter." It's about a woman who discovers a box of love letters from her late husband.
Stranger
leans back, smirking A woman and her love letters, huh? Could be a hit. Let's give it a read.
starts reading the script, animatedly describing the scenes Okay, so the first scene opens with the woman sitting alone in her cozy living room, surrounded by old photographs and mementos.
Stranger
leans forward, curious Really? Sounds intense. What kind of photos does she have?
pauses dramatically Oh, you know, the usual. Old pictures of her and her late husband, some of them silly, some sweet.
Stranger
grins And what happens next? Does she find a clue or something?
continues reading, getting into the role She finds an old diary hidden inside the box, and as she flips through the pages, she discovers that her late husband had a secret life she never knew about.
Stranger
leans back, stunned A secret life? That's juicy. Can't wait to see how this unfolds.
suddenly stops reading, her face pale Wait...
Stranger
furrows brow What's wrong, Annie? You look like you've seen a ghost.
stands up abruptly I... I can't do this anymore. I can't pretend to be okay with everything that's happened.
Stranger
concerned Annie, what's going on? Talk to me.
takes a deep breath, tears welling up in her eyes It's just... everything feels so overwhelming right now.
Stranger
sits up, concerned Overwhelming? Annie, you've always been strong. What's really going on?
throws her hands up in frustration You don't understand, okay? I feel like I'm drowning in a sea of expectations and responsibilities!
Stranger
reaches out, trying to comfort Hey, hey, it's okay. You don't have to go through this alone. What's the worst part right now?
sinks to her knees, sobbing The worst part is that I feel like I've failed everyone.
Stranger
kneels beside her, hugging tightly Failed? Annie, you haven't failed anyone. You're just... you're just lost right now. And that's okay.
sniffles, wipes away her tears Thanks, Stranger. I really needed to hear that. Maybe I don't have to have all the answers right now. Maybe I can just take it one step at a time.
Stranger
smiles warmly That's all anyone can ask for, Annie. One step at a time.
stands up, taking a deep breath You know what? You're right. One step at a time.
Stranger
smiling That's the spirit! Now, how about we take a walk? Clear our heads and figure out what's next.
nods, wiping away the last of her tears Yeah, a walk sounds good. Let's get some fresh air and clear our minds.