On the West Bay

The thing I wanted to tell you is
Nobody expects you
To be okay

Really, nobody

I mean, if you wanna, I don't know
Shave your head
Or chew your hair
Or, like, run away a few times
That'd be okay

I mean, I'd like it if you didn't do that
But nobody's expecting--this

What you're doing right now
Being all cooperative
And serene and shit

Nobody's really expecting that
And to be honest
I think it's starting to unnerve people

I mean, somebody died
Like, not your Mom or anything
Not me, but still
Somebody you were--

Were you dating the kid?

Okay, a date
But you're fifteen
So that's like
What?
Twelve years of marriage?

I mean, I know it was natural
Heart disorder, I mean
But it still sucks
It's still okay to feel like it sucks
Because it does
Even if it's natural

Natural things can suck
Like, you know, hail
That really sucks

Earthquakes, head lice, that kinda shit
It all sucks
And it's, like, totally okay
To wanna, you know, bitch about it

God, I'm terrible at this

I mean, I'm not some wise old sage
I'm thirty-five
You're not expected to be wise
At thirty-five anymore

You should have had one of those old dads
Who, like, had you after years and years of thought and consideration
So that when you turned fifteen
And your whatever-maybe-boyfriend died suddenly
He'd have some really awesome advice for you
Instead of just 'things suck'

I took you here
Because, I don't
The West Bay
It's--

It's peaceful
And I thought--?

Maybe if you were in a peaceful place
You'd be able to, like, soak up the peace
Or something

Don't ask me why I think my daughter
Is a giant sponge
But that's what I thought

You know, when your grandmother died
I came out here
And I couldn't take my dad with me
Because he was just, like, sitting in this chair
His soul just kind of
Dripping out of him
Like a leaky grieving faucet

So I came here
And I looked at the water
To see if I could
I don't know
Understand something

And then eventually
I just sort of felt like--

Like it was time to go home

You have me
For whatever that's worth
Maybe not much
But, just so you know
I'm willing to stay here
Until the water tells you
It's okay to go

And if this whole thing is a bust
And you actually are totally fine
And this is just incredibly awkward
And we're looking at people fishing for nothing
Then you call me that too
And we'll leave

I just wanted you to know
That I know
That all of this...

...That I know

I wanted you to know
That I know

And, you know
I love you and shit
So...

So we'll wait
We'll watch the water
And when you're ready

I'll take you home

Okay?