Scene opens with the four women at the breakfast table. Each has a pill holder open in front of them. All have glasses of orange juice.

JEAN: A toast to friendship.

She raises her glass and clinks it against the other raised glasses, then swallows a couple of pills. She slowly closes the empty pill compartment.

MARGIE: Toast to warm and pleasant memories.

HESTER: To past loves and significant others, and long dead husbands.

Jean: Here, here. (She winks at the scowling Margie.)

ALICE: Toast to living everyday to the fullest.

Hester and Margie wipe at their eyes. Jean places her empty glass down and drums her fingernails on the table in front of her.

JEAN: Alice, when were you going to tell us?

To her surprise, Alice laughs.

ALICE: I honestly never thought Hester could keep a secret.

HESTER: Hey.

ALICE: I was going to tell ya'll, I just didn't want this to be a pity party.

JEAN: We won't make this a pity party. But we are going to have the best damned weekend of our lives.


Scene II

Alice and Jean are sitting in Adirondack chairs on the deck over looking the ocean. Alice is relaxed, head back against the chair.

ALICE: I want you to promise me something.

JEAN: What's that?

ALICE: That you girls will come back next year and bring me with you. Scatter my ashes in the ocean.

JEAN (Sits up and shifts to look at Alice.): Won't your girls want to do something like that?

ALICE: I've talked to my girls and both are okay with it. They know how much this means to me.

Jean sits back and reaches over covering Alice's hand with her own. Both women sit in a comfortable silence for several minutes.

JEAN (Eyes closed and in a voice barley above a whisper): Consider it done.

TO BE CONTINUED...