In the Stewarts' home one evening. Marilyn Stewart is singing a popular lullaby to her baby, Max. | |
Marilyn: | Rock-a-bye, baby, on the tree top, When the wind blows, The cradle will rock. When the bough breaks, The cradle will fall, And down will come baby, Cradle and all. |
Later that night. Marilyn is in the living room. She is looking at the fashion designs she has drawn. Richard enters. | |
Richard: | Hi, Marilyn. What are you doing? |
Marilyn: | Just sketching. I've been thinking a lot about our responsibilities in the past few weeks. |
Richard: | I never stop thinking about them. |
Marilyn: | I've been wrestling with the question of whether I go back to work or not. |
Richard: | I see. |
Marilyn: | And I'm torn. I really want to go back to work, use my talents, and pursue my career in fashion design like we always thought I would. But now ... I want to be with Max as a full-time mother, especially when he's a baby. |
Richard: | I really understand, Marilyn. But you never have to worry about Max. There's Mother and Grandpa ... and I can always arrange my photo schedule around your schedule, if that will help. |
Marilyn: | It's not the same, Richard. |
Richard: | Have you discussed going back to work with your boss? |
Marilyn: | Rita Mae called yesterday. |
Richard: | Ah! That's what's got you thinking, isn't it? |
Marilyn: | She wants to know when I think I'll be returning to the boutique. |
Richard: | And you said ... ? |
Marilyn: | I said I'd give her an answer in a few days ... that I wasn't sure. |
Richard: | I'm sure Rita Mae will understand and wait until you're ready to go back to work. |
Marilyn: | Well, maybe she will, and maybe she won't. Who knows? If I don't accept her offer, maybe she'll find someone else in the meantime, and when I'm ready to go back, there won't be a job for me. |
Richard: | That's something to consider. You've got yourself to think about, too. |
Marilyn: | But I am thinking about myself. Don't you see? |
Richard: | What do you mean? |
Marilyn: | It's not just the job. It's also my career as Max's mother. That's the way I look at it. I have two career opportunities at the same time. My career as a fashion designer and my career as mother. |
Richard: | I never really thought about being a mother as a career. I guess you do have two career opportunities and a decision to make. [They hear the baby cry.] |
Marilyn: | I hear Max. |
Richard: | I'll go to him. |
Marilyn: | No, that's OK. I'll do it. |