GIUSEPPE: You were marvelous!

YOUNG MARIA: I was, wasn’t I?

GIUSEPPE: And brave! And forthright!

YOUNG MARIA: It wasn’t easy.

GIUSEPPE: Allow me to shake your hand.

She holds out her hand. He takes it and draws her close and kisses her fully on the mouth. After a moment she pulls away. A beat of silence.

GIUSEPPE: Don’t be angry. I don’t know what came over me. I’m just trying to be marvelous, brave and forthright too.

He laughs, embarrassed, but now it’s her turn to initiate the kiss. It becomes quite passionate, until they both, breathless, break it off before things go too far.

GIUSEPPE: That’s one lesson they don’t teach you in medical school.

YOUNG MARIA: Though some of the professors would like to have tried.

GIUSEPPE: Oh dear. I don’t like to think about that.

She smiles. He smiles. A beat.

YOUNG MARIA: Til tomorrow.

GIUSEPPE: Til tomorrow.

They part. Each is alone in a light.

YOUNG MARIA: THERE’S A SAYING AND AS SAYINGS GO / THERE IS NO WAY ANYONE CAN KNOW / IF LOVE WILL ALWAYS STAY / FOREVER AND A DAY!

AND ON THAT DAY, AT THE END OF TIME, / IT WOULD BE SUCH A HOPEFUL RHYME / IF YOU AND I COULD SIMPLY SAY, / “LOVE YOU FOREVER AND A DAY!”

AND TO HOLD YOU / AND TO KNOW YOU’RE THERE / ONE MORE DAY!

IF FOREVER IS A PLACE WE KNEW, / AND I HAD THAT DAY, ONE MORE DAY WITH YOU, WHAT MORE WOULD I SAY? / “LOVE YOU FOREVER AND A DAY!”

GIUSEPPE: AND ON THAT DAY, AT THE END OF TIME,/ IT WOULD BE SUCH AN ETERNAL RHYME / IF YOU WOULD SIMPLY SAY, / “LOVE YOU FOREVER AND A DAY!”

IF FOREVER IS A PLACE WE KNEW, / AND I HAD THAT TIME TO SHARE WITH YOU, / WHAT MORE WOULD I SAY? / “LOVE YOU FOREVER AND A DAY!”

YOUNG MARIA / GIUSEPPE: AND ON THAT DAY, AT THE END OF TIME, / IT WOULD BE SUCH AN ETERNAL RHYME / IF YOU WOULD ONLY SAY, / “LOVE YOU FOREVER AND A DAY!”