212. Three Chances - Leslie

• FADE IN:


• INT. ETHIOPIAN RESTAURANT - NIGHT


• JACOB and MARY VANCE sit cross legged on the floor, a low table covered with food separating them.


• Mary tears a piece of bread and dips it into the stew in front of her.


• Jacob fidgets with his napkin.


• JACOB
• I, uh, I wanted to talk to you about something.


• Mary glances up, then continues to eat.


• JACOB
• Mary.


• She stops.


• MARY
• Yes, honey?


• JACOB
• I've been working on a way of saying this for years now...


• Mary freezes and waits.


• JACOB
• Any way I say this is just going to be strange. I don't know exactly how to start.


• MARY
• Just say it.


• JACOB
• I've always felt wrong...twisted, no, that's not the right word...conflicted. I realized what the problem was years ago, but I've been fighting it for a while. I'm in the wrong body. I wasn't supposed to be a man. I guess that's the easiest way to say it. And I can't go on walking in this lie.


• MARY
• I know.


• JACOB
• Know what?


• MARY
• I've known for a while. Maybe longer than I want to admit.


• JACOB
• Where do we go from here?


• MARY
• I don't know. But let's do it together.


• INT. ETHIOPIAN RESTAURANT - NIGHT


• JACOB and MARY VANCE sit cross legged on the floor, a low table covered with food separating them.


• Mary tears a piece of bread and dips it into the stew in front of her.


• Jacob fidgets with his napkin.


• JACOB
• I, uh, I wanted to talk to you about something.


• Mary glances up, then continues to eat.


• JACOB
• Mary.


• She stops.


• MARY
• Yes, honey?


• JACOB
• I've been trying to say this for years, but never found the right way...so, I'm going to try now; I'm so sorry.


• MARY
• What is it, baby?


• JACOB
• I'm a woman living in a man's body?


• MARY
• You're gay?


• JACOB
• Shhh.


• MARY
• Don't shh me.


• JACOB
• Not gay, I was never supposed to be a man, I need to have surgery.


• Mary stands up knocking food off the table.


• MARY
• You're sick! You're going to ruin 15 years of marriage, screw my children up forever for some twisted fantasy of yours?


• Patrons look around uncomfortably.


• JACOB
• Honey, please.


• MARY
• Don't you dare "honey" me. You stay away from the kids you hear?


• She storms away, leaving Jacob sitting in tears.


• INT. ETHIOPIAN RESTAURANT - NIGHT


• JACOB and MARY VANCE sit cross legged on the floor, a low table covered with food separating them.


• Mary tears a piece of bread and dips it into the stew in front of her.


• Jacob fidgets with his napkin.


• JACOB
• I, uh, I wanted to talk to you about something.


• Mary glances up, then continues to eat.


• JACOB
• Mary.


• She stops.


• MARY
• Yes, honey?


• JACOB
• Goodness, I'm really scared.


• Mary reaches across the table.


• MARY
• It's ok, babe.


• JACOB
• I've always felt like I was more a woman than a man, like I was in the wrong person...or body...I'm the right person, just everything else was wrong. I've been fighting it for years, but I can't keep it up. I need to get out of this body.


• Mary starts smiling and lets out a deep breath.


• JACOB
• Is that funny?


• MARY
• No, no babe. I, uh...how do I say this? Me too.


• JACOB
• What?


• MARY
• I'm in the same boat. If you'd waited another two months, I would have been the one taking you out to dinner.


• They look at each other for a moment.


• Mary still holds his hand.


• He starts smiling and she bursts into laughter.


• They sit at the table, lost in mirth as other customers turn to stare.


• FADE TO BLACK.