Act 4, Scene 19: “Perfectly Happy”

C and E sit at the table, enjoying their macaroni and cheese lunch. E turns to TRL. “Daddy, I want to be just like you.”
Finally, after three years, after sleepless nights, near-constant clean-up mode, the illnesses, the arguing, the fits, the loading in cars and taking out, the food preparation, the incalculable energy expenditure, finally, finally, finally… the pay off. The kid wants to be just like his old man.

A warm feeling suffuses TRL. He is in love with his son, in love with parenthood, in love, let’s face it, with himself.

“Daddy, I want to be just like you.” TRL is on cloud nine. He has clearly done something right. Nobody before has ever wanted to be like him.

Certainly not ex girlfriends. In fact, many didn’t even want TRL to be like TRL.

Certainly not S, who loves TRL but certainly sees room for modification and improvement.

Even TRL has his doubts about himself.

Perhaps TRL’s mommy, who is a big fan of TRL, but TRL doesn’t feel like he earned that admiration. More like something he was born into.

But here was a little being who had his heart set on being just like TRL. Because TRL was perfect in his eyes. Physically, emotionally, intellectually. The whole package was there for E. And for this moment in time, at least, it made TRL feel perfect.