Alice and Rose

ROSE is seated in her chair, her feet up on another chair, this time piled with pillows. ALICE sits at the radio holding a book in her right hand and absent-mindedly twiddling a knob on the radio her left. ROSE begins shifting uncomfortably in her chair.

ROSE WILLIAMS

I swear I'm having to add a new cushion to this pile everyday, and I still feel like bigfoot!

ALICE FITZGERALD

Hmm?

ROSE WILLIAMS

These fat sausages that used to be my calves. There's no ankle at all now, my legs just seem to flow straight into my feet. Great puffy cumberland sausages, that's what I've got! And this? She indicates her bump. I'm already wearing the biggest uniforms they've got, and I'm spilling out!

ALICE FITZGERALD

(Still absent mindedly reading her book) What about the men's uniforms?

ROSE WILLIAMS

This is a man's shirt.

ALICE FITZGERALD

Oh dear.

A beat

ROSE WILLIAMS

Alice, what's going on?

ALICE FITZGERALD

Hmm?

ROSE WILLIAMS

Well, you've barely spoken to me for the past week, any time anyone brings up the baby you seem to shy away.

ALICE FITZGERALD

(She starts paying attention now)

Sorry, it's a gripping book! Well, when you grow out of the shirts I'll make some new ones for you. I think Bobby found a sewing kit last night.

ROSE WILLIAMS

Thanks.

A beat. ALICE searches for something to say.

ALICE FITZGERALD

So, are you, were you seeing anybody?

ROSE WILLIAMS

Ha! No I'm not.

ALICE FITZGERALD

What about the father?

ROSE WILLIAMS

He's an arse. The end!

ALICE FITZGERALD

You're raising him on your own? That's brave!

ROSE WILLIAMS

Not really. I wasn't going to let my child have a mediocre father. Better none at all. Besides, I'm not going to be alone, I have all of you!

Alice smiles sadly.

ROSE WILLIAMS

What about you and Charlie? Do you want children?

ALICE FITZGERALD

One day maybe.

There is another awkward silence. Alice is deep in thought while Rose looks uncomfortable.

ALICE FITZGERALD

We had a baby, but we lost him.

ROSE WILLIAMS

Oh, Alice...

ALICE FITZGERALD

It was when we were first married. God, we were so excited, Charlie carved a beautiful crib for him, my mother went overboard, knitting 3 separate wardrobes, an androgynous one, a pink one and a blue one. I carried him to term, but he came out feet first, none of the doctors picked up on it. I spent two weeks in hospital, I nearly died too, I just didn't stop bleeding. We kept trying after trying after that, but it just never seemed to happen for us, and now it's too late. Mother Nature's big stupid joke.

ALICE turns her face away, she has begun to cry, but is trying to control it.

ALICE FITZGERALD

That's why I've been avoiding you, Rose. I'm jealous of you. How stupid is that? The doomsday clock's struck midnight, God only knows what's going on above our heads, and I'm jealous of you.

ROSE stands up with difficulty and sits on the floor next to ALICE, and takes her hand.

ROSE WILLIAMS

It's not stupid. I understand. I was jealous of you too. Of you and Charlie, that you have someone to go through this with, I know I've got the baby, but it's not the same.

ALICE FITZGERALD

Rubbish. You've got us, all of us. And you've got me, whatever you need! You don't need a man to help you; they're useless really. I love Charlie, I really do, but I honestly don't think he'd ever survive on his own, he can't even make an omelette!