Maureen calling.
Link answers immediately.

MAUREEN (V.O.)
Sorry, sweetheart, we were in the middle of bath time.

Link softens instantly.

LINK
No, I’m sorry…
I wanted to call sooner but… 

Maureen doesn’t wait. The question’s been sitting with her all day.

MAUREEN (V.O.)
How did it go today?
How’s Jo?

LINK
It’s been… pretty intense.
She was able to hold them…
(a beat)
She’s okay, but…
Yeah. It was a lot.
She’s sleeping now.

MAUREEN (V.O)
I can imagine... 
Oh, son, we thought about you all day…
(A softer beat)
I’m so glad she finally got to see them.

LINK
Yeah…
(almost to himself)
That was… a lot.

A small silence.

MAUREEN (V.O.)
And now…
Can you finally tell us their names?

Link shifts.
Uneasy.

LINK
I—
(A beat)
I wish Jo was the one to tell you.

MAUREEN (V.O.)
Oh, son…
We’ve been waiting all week.
The babies are seven days old now.
 
A flicker in Link.
He exhales.

LINK
I just don’t want to take something else away from her.

A beat. 

On the other end, Maureen exhales, caught between understanding and anticipation.

MAUREEN (V.O.)
The kids won’t let it go.
(a small, almost apologetic beat)
I may have told them they’d know today. 

That lands.

LINK
Mom…

He doesn’t push.
He pivots.

LINK (CONT'D)
Speaking of the kids,
Amelia told me Scout stayed with you.

MAUREEN (V.O.)
Yes. 
They didn’t want to split up.
(a softer beat)
Luna broke down in tears.
(lighter)
Those two… they’re inseparable. 

LINK
(soft)
Yeah.

MAUREEN (V.O.)
And honestly?
Luna’s been… lighter with Scout around.
It’s been a bit easier on your dad and me.

That lands.
A quiet release in him.

LINK
(relieved)
Good.
(a beat)
Listen, Mom… if you need a break, Amelia can take the kids for a few days. 
Just so you and Dad can catch a breath.

MAUREEN (V.O.)
A break from them?
I don’t think that’s what they need right now.

LINK
I’m serious.
You’ve been helping us more than we could’ve imagined.
It’d be okay to take a day. Or two. 
(a beat)
Amelia’s Scout’s mom. 
Luna knows her well. 
She’s got them.
 
MAUREEN (V.O.)
I don’t doubt that… 
I just don’t want to leave them when they need me the most. 

LINK
You’re not leaving them.
You’d just… get some air. 
Come back better.
(a beat)
We all need it sometimes.
Think about it.

MAUREEN (V.O.)
And what would we even do?

LINK 
(smiles faintly)
I don’t know.
Go to the spa. 
I’ll pay.

MAUREEN (V.O.) 
No, you won’t. 

LINK
I’ll talk to Dad.

MAUREEN (V.O.)
(giving in, a little)
Alright… I’ll think about it. 

LINK
(soft)
Okay…
Don’t think too much.
Next weekend, okay?

MAUREEN (V.O.)
(nodding reluctantly)
We’ll see.

A small beat.

LINK
So where are they?

MAUREEN
Downstairs with your father. 
Playing board games. Very serious business.
(a distracted beat)
I’m still upstairs, trying to fix their room.
I don’t know what they do in there.
They were in for ten minutes… you should see the mess.

A small, real smile breaks through on Link’s face.

LINK
I ask myself that every day.
 
ERIC (O.S.)
Hey! no cheating! I saw that!

MAUREEN (V.O.)
Hold on. I’ll go downstairs and put you on video.

Movement.
Footsteps.

The phone shifts.
The call switches to video.
Shaky at first. Then steadies.

MAUREEN (V.O.)
Kids.
It’s your dad. 

Immediate chaos.

LUNA (ON VIDEO)
Daddy!!

SCOUT (ON VIDEO)
Dad!!

Their faces fill the screen.
Talking over each other already.
 
SCOUT
Did you see the babies—

LUNA
Are you with Mommy—

SCOUT
What are their names—

LUNA
Granny said you’d tell us—

LINK
Hey— hey—
(laughing softly)
One at a time.

They don’t listen.

LUNA
Are you with Mommy?

LINK
Yeah.
But she’s sleeping right now.
(softer)
She’s really tired.

SCOUT
Where is she?

LINK
Just right behind me.

Link glances back toward the room.
Jo is asleep. Still.
He doesn’t turn the phone toward her.

LUNA (V.O.)
Did she see the babies?

LINK
(soft)
Yeah.
(a beat) 
She got to meet them for the first time today.

SCOUT
(confused)
Why the first time?
(a beat, thinking)
Didn’t they come out of her belly?

Link freezes for half a second.
Caught off guard.

LINK
Yeah… they did. 
(a beat)
But she was asleep when they were born.
 
Scout and Luna process that. 
Quickly.
Then move on.

SCOUT
Did they cry a lot?

LINK
No.
They were pretty calm.

SCOUT
(trying to make sense of it)
Then why is she tired?

That lands.

LINK
(soft, choosing simple words)
Because her body needs to rest. 
You know… she grew two babies in her belly.
(a beat)
That’s a pretty big superpower. 
But it takes a lot of energy.

On screen, Luna and Scout go still.
Eyes widening.

SCOUT
Whoa…

LUNA
(soft)
Like a real superpower…

A quiet beat.

LUNA
Are they still really tiny?

SCOUT
(turning to her)
Like Luna’s doll?

Link exhales softly.

LINK
Yeah.
They’re still tiny.
(a beat)
But they’re getting stronger.

A tiny pause, and it comes back, sharper now.

SCOUT
(coming back to it)
Daddy,  what are their names?

Link freezes.

LUNA
Granny said you’d tell us!

SCOUT
Tell us!

LUNA
Tell us— tell us— tell us—

They start chanting over each other.

SCOUT / LUNA (OVERLAPPING)
What’s her name—
What’s the other one—
Tell us—

MAUREEN (O.S)
I told you they wouldn’t let it go…

Link exhales.
Cornered.

He hesitates.
Just a second.

LINK
(soft, giving in)
Okay…

They go instantly quiet.

LINK (CONT’D)
Peyton.
And Hattie.

A beat.

LUNA
Peyton…
Just like Emily's big sister.

SCOUT
I like Hattie!

LUNA
Peyton’s pretty…

They’re already moving on.

ERIC (O.S.)
Beautiful names, son.

MAUREEN (O.S.)
Peyton and Hattie.
Oh, I love it. 

A flicker crosses Link’s face.

SCOUT
When can they talk?

LINK
Not yet.
They’re still too little.

SCOUT
Okay.
But I’ll teach them.

Luna leans closer to the camera.

LUNA
When can we see them?

Link hears the shift immediately.

LINK
Soon. I promise.

A small silence.
Truth is: he doesn’t know. 
He pivots.

LINK (CONT’D)
So… I heard Scout’s staying tonight?

LUNA
(beaming)
Yes!!

SCOUT
We made our fort!
Under the stairs!
We’re gonna sleep in it!

MAUREEN (O.S.)
I didn’t say yes!

Luna and Scout burst into laughter.

ERIC (O.S.)
It’s not a fort, it’s a safety hazard!

Link laughs. Real this time.

LUNA
You want to see it, Daddy?

LINK
I’ll check it out later.
When I get home.

LUNA
Tonight?

There it is.

LINK
Yeah.
Tonight.

A pause.

LUNA
Okay, Daddy.

Calm now.
It’s not the same Luna.

LINK
I’ll see you in a bit, okay?

LUNA
Okay.

SCOUT
Bye Dad!
 
MAUREEN (O.S.)
Take your time.
We’ve got them.

LINK
(soft)
Thank you.

He hangs up.

Silence again.
But different now.

He stays there a moment.

Phone still in his hand.
Between two worlds.

A flicker of something.

He said the names. 
He exhales.
   
He turns toward Jo’s room.
Through the doorway, she’s still asleep.
Unmoving.

A beat.

Nothing to fix.
Nothing to do.

His phone buzzes in his hand.

A reminder.
PT.

He closes his eyes briefly.

Not now.

But he knows he has to go.

He looks back at her once more.
Then turns.

Starts down the hallway instead.

FADE OUT.