“And then she swam on a penguin to Alaska.”

“I said tomorrow.”

“What, again?”

“Where the penguin took her to live in a colony full with penguins.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“What do you think?  Again means again.”

“And they lived on an iceberg there in Alaska, floating in the sea.”

“So do you want to be the one to do this instead if me?  Because you always could have.”

“Don’t put this on me.  That was always your responsibility.”

“Where every day they would swim in the sea, and she would swim, too.”

“My responsibility?  What about yours?  At least I’m not complaining about responsibility.”

“Oh, listen to you.”

“Flapping around in the waves, they taught her how to hold her breath, and how to swim warm in the water, and how to dive sleek like them.”

“Listen to you.  What about yourself?  Name something that you’ve ever finished.”

“I shouldn’t have to.  I’m the one who finishes everything here.”

“At first it was hard, but they were nice to her, the penguins.”

“Like what?  Name what.  Name one thing.”

“Everything.”

“And her life with the penguins was pretty because they lived on an iceberg that was pretty when it was warm and which they could hide inside when it was cold.  Like an igloo.”

“That’s not even glib.  That’s just lazy.”

“So how about you?  Why don’t you name one thing that you’ve ever done?”

“And her favorite time was at night, when the stars came out.”

“This house, for one.”

“Oh, please.”

“And the penguins taught her the names of the constellations, which were different from people-constellations, because they named all their constellations after penguins.”

“And our life, too.”

“And you heard me, too:  please.”

“And they made more sense, too.  They were easier to remember.”

“What please?  What is that?”

“You know damn well.”

“Because when they named their constellations they didn’t name them just after any penguins but only after penguins they knew.”

“No, I don’t.  Spell it out.  For once in your life, say what you mean.”

“Without the help of my family we would have never made the down payment.”

“But then disaster struck.”

“Hey, I put in, too.  And who’s been keeping up with the payments?”

“With my help, too.  Now who’s been forgetting who’s been helping?”

“The iceberg started to melt from global melting.”

“And I do the lion’s share.”

“Of what?  Of writing a check?  What a wonderful effort.”

“So the penguins had to crowd together tighter.”

“I’ve never heard you complaining about how much I write a check.”

“How about some real effort?”

“Because the iceberg was melting smaller and smaller.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Effort — effort.  You know the word, even if you don’t do it.”

“Until one day it all melted and her and the penguins had to swim to shore.”

“Effort toward what?  Come out and say it.”

“Effort toward us.  Toward your own family.  Put out for your own family.  For chrissakes.  For once in your life.”

“Where they had to finish their living on the rocks, which they had to share with walruses and bears and seagulls.”

“Effort toward you, more like.”

“Fuck you.  That’s not true and you know it.”

“Who didn’t want to share the beach with her and the penguins because the rest of them were already there.”

“Don’t put that on me.  All I ever see is you shying away toward your own circle of friends.”

“What?  Are you saying I can’t have any friends?”

“So she was sad, but she was still okay with the penguins.”

“I’m saying you’re a fine one to talk about effort when you’re the one who’s supposed to be here spending time with us instead of out circling with friends.”

“So that’s what you want.  The truth becomes clear.  You never want me to step out past this life.”

“Who treated her like a regular penguin, except when it was very cold.”

“Did I say that?  Did you hear me say that?”

“I hear what you think.”

“When they huddled their flippers around her because they understood she wasn’t completely a penguin.”

“Oh, you do, do you?  The only reason you say that is because that’s what you want yourself.”

“Oh?  So you know what I want?  Why don’t you tell me what I want?”

“So it was all right, even up on the rocks with the walruses and bears and seagulls.”

“To step past this life.  Isn’t that right?”

“That’s a lie.  For once in your life, why don’t you say something true.”

“Who all got used to the penguins eventually, even though they never liked the penguins enough to ever start to mingle with them.”