A second tear falls on the tattered, discolored note from ten years ago. A wave comes crashing like a fist to the shore at the driver’s feet. As the note is folded back up a sunflower tattoo on the back of the right hand is revealed.

Amy
(To the ocean, between sniffs and sobs)
I made a promise. Ten years is a long time. I thought the things I did and saw would be forgotten by now. It might as well have been yesterday. I tried to find out what happened, but my parents made it so hard. I’ve looked for you on the internet, in public records, and every year I sit on this beach searching faces thinking you will just walk up and say hello. Seeing I haven’t found anything out about you I guess this is as close to talking to you as I was every going to get once you were…taken away.
So here I am…a wife and a mother. (long pause to fight the tears) a wife and a mother because of you. Every day I think about what would be different if you hadn’t been here.
And every day I wish I could just say thank you. If I did that maybe I wouldn’t feel as guilty as I do. Maybe I wouldn’t be sick with the thought of the last time I saw you. I should have told you then. I’ll never forget what happened here, on the flats.

Music Cue: Oceans (Pearl Jam) “…You don't have to stray the oceans away. Waves roll in my thoughts. Hold tight the ring. The sea will rise please stand by the shore. I will be, I will be there once more….”


Amy stands up after gathering herself. Looking out at the ocean she takes another deep breath. As she turns to walk back up the jetty a man is standing on the beach in a hooded sweatshirt with his hands in his pockets. Amy doesn’t move. She can’t move. A million things are going through her head. She takes three steps and stops again. She can see him no better, but her legs are too weak to take a fourth step.
The man hasn’t moved, and he hasn’t stopped looking at Amy. She gathers the strength and takes four more steps. She opens her mouth to speak, but has no idea what to say.

The man takes his hands out of his pocket nervously. He is about to speak when two girls a thousand feet down the beach talking loudly to each other realize what they are seeing and stop dead.
The man turns back to Amy who has never taken her eyes off him.

The Man
Hello Butterfly.

End