By Cierra Justiniano
FADE IN:
1 INT. CAMILLA'S LIVING ROOM - DAY
CAMILLA, a 42 year old woman walks into her house wearing
scrubs after a busy day of work. She throws her bag on the
ground and plops onto the couch. She SIGHS as her back leans
against the cushion. Suddenly her phone begins to BUZZ.
Camilla takes her phone out of her pocket and reads the
alert. “Mami's Birthday.”
CAMILLA
Oh, shoot!
Camilla quickly jumps off the couch and rushes into the
kitchen.
2 INT. CAMILLA'S KITCHEN - DAY
CAMILLA
How could I forget Mami's
birthday?!
Camilla races around the kitchen looking for ingredients.
She grabs some spices and throws them on the counter, then
runs to open the fridge.
CAMILLA (CONT'D)
I need... rosemary...some
peppers... and... yes!
Camilla grabs parsley and adds the food to her pile on the
counter. Camilla starts chopping up the ingredients and
tosses them in the food processor. She presses the pulse
button and everything is mixed together.
Camilla smiles as she opens the food processor, picks up a
spoon, and gives it a taste. Her smile fades.
CAMILLA (CONT'D)
That doesn't taste right.
Camilla looks around the kitchen.
CAMILLA (CONT'D)
Where's that recipe book?
Camilla rummages through her cabinets. All of a sudden she
stops as she realizes where it is.
CAMILLA (CONT'D)
Oh, no.
Camilla races back into the living room.
3 INT. CAMILLA'S LIVING ROOM - DAY
She grabs her keys from her bag and walks out the front door.
4 EXT. DRIVEWAY - DAY
Camilla hops into her car and turns the ignition on before
she quickly pulls out of her driveway.
5 EXT. BROWN HOUSE - DAY
Camilla slowly pulls up to a brown house. Just after passing
it, she parks on the side of the road. She turns off her car
and opens the door to hop out. Camilla looks at the brown
house for a moment then discreetly walks down the driveway.
Camilla creeps up to the windows of the brown house and
notices an OLDER WOMAN walking up the staircase. Instead of
going up to the front door, Camilla passes the window and
sneaks towards the back of the house.
6 INT. CAMILLA'S LIVINGROOM - DAY
Two kids barge into the house. MILLIE, Camilla's seven-year-
old daughter and MYLES, Camilla's five-year-old son. They
throw their backpacks on the floor. AARON, Camilla's
husband, walks through the front door right behind them,
carrying their youngest son MATTEO by the handle of his baby
car seat.
Aaron sets Matteo's car seat down. He notices Camilla's bag
thrown on the floor.
AARON
Camilla? Hello?
There is no answer.
AARON (CONT'D)
Camilla? Are you home?
Aaron walks into the kitchen.
7 INT. CAMILLA'S KITCHEN - DAY
Aaron turns on the light and sees Myles standing there with
his fingers in the food processor.
AARON
Myles! What are you doing?!
He rushes over to his son.
MYLES
What's Mommy making? It's good!
AARON
Get your hands out of there before
they get sliced off!
Aaron wipes Myles's hands off with a nearby towel.
MYLES
Where's Mommy?
AARON
I don't know.
MYLES
Can I have a snack?
AARON
Not right now. Why don't you go
play with your sister in the living room?
Myles pouts and walks out of the kitchen. Aaron looks at the
green combination of herbs in the food processor bowl. He
curiously sticks his finger in the mix to taste it.
AARON (CONT'D)
Oh? Oh no, no, no, no, no.
Aaron rushes back into the living room.
8 INT. CAMILLA'S LIVING ROOM - DAY
AARON
Kids, grab your things. We're
getting back in the car!
MILLIE/MYLES
Awwwww.
9 EXT. BROWN HOUSE BACKYARD - DAY
Camilla sneaks into the back yard and slowly approaches the
back door leading into the kitchen. She passes the
collection of garden gnomes but leans down to the small one
with the blue hat and picks it up. Underneath she spots a
silver key.
Camilla grabs the key and puts it in the door lock. She
slowly turns the knob so it doesn't make a noise and slips
into the house.
10 INT. BROWN HOUSE KITCHEN - DAY
The lights are off. Camilla turns on her phone's flashlight
and quietly begins to rummage through the cabinets.
CAMILLA
(whispers)
Where are you?
She hears FOOTSTEPS walking down the stairs. Camilla quickly
turns off her phone’s light. She opens the door to the walk
in pantry and shoves herself inside before closing the door
behind her.
The FOOTSTEPS walk into the kitchen. A light turns on, and
can be seen from under the door frame. There is MURMURING. A
WOMAN LAUGHS.
The sound of the FOOTSTEPS begins to fade away. Once the
sound is gone, Camilla comes out of the pantry and turns her
phone’s light back on to begin her search again.
Suddenly, the lights flicker on.
Standing there is the older woman, Camilla's REALTOR, and a
young MAN and WOMAN.
REALTOR
Mrs. Rivera? What are you doing
here?
CAMILLA
Nothing really, I was
just...looking for something.
REALTOR
You could've used the front door.
CAMILLA
I didn't want to get in the way of
the tours.
REALTOR
Okay, well, we'll leave you to it.
The Realtor redirects the man and woman.
REALTOR (CONT'D)
Why don't we take a look at the
living room then.
WOMAN
You have a lovely house, Mrs.
Rivera.
CAMILLA
Thank you.
The Realtor, the man, and the woman leave the kitchen.
CAMILLA (CONT'D)
(whispers to herself)
It should've been here.
Camilla looks down and notices a strip of paper on the
ground. It's torn up, but she recognizes the words written in
crayon that read “Mami’s book.” Camilla works to put the
pieces together on the floor.
There is the sound of the living room door open in the other
room and a sound of children enter the house.
MILLIE (O.S.)
Wow! It's so clean in here.
MYLES (O.S)
It smells funny!
Camilla’s children's voices trail off as they race up the
stairs. Camilla hears loud footsteps enter the kitchen.
Aaron is standing there with the handles of the baby seat
still around his arm. He sets the baby seat on the counter.
AARON
What happened?
CAMILLA
It's gone. All of her recipes.
They're gone.
Camilla starts to choke on her words.
CAMILLA (CONT'D)
We used to make it together all the
time, and now I can't remember any
of it. What's wrong with me?
Aaron kneels down to comfort her.
AARON
Nothing.
11 EXT. DRIVEWAY - NIGHT
The car pulls into their driveway. Camilla and Aaron get
their kids out of the car.
12 INT. CAMILLA'S LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
Their children race into the house. Aaron takes Matteo out of
his car seat.
AARON
I'll get the baby changed.
CAMILLA
Okay, thank you.
Myles leads the way into the kitchen as Millie follows him.
Camilla follows her children.
13 INT. CAMILLA'S KITCHEN - NIGHT
Myles leads Millie to the food processor, and they both stick
their fingers in it to taste it. Camilla looks up at them.
CAMILLA
Hey don't put your fingers in
there!
She rushes over to her kids.
MILLIE
Mmmmmmm! Mommy, what are you
making? It's sooooo good!
Camilla sticks a spoon in the food processor, and tastes the
mixture. She smiles.
CAMILLA
Yeah, I guess it's not too bad.
She pauses.
CAMILLA (CONT'D)
Do you want to help me cook?
MILLIE/MYLES
Yeah!
Camilla hands Millie a spoon and Millie drags the green
mixture from the food processor into a bowl. Myles takes his
spoon and scoops a spoonful of it and puts it in his mouth.
14 INT. CAMILLA'S LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
Camilla, Aaron, Millie, and Myles are sitting on the couch
eating a plate of rice, tostones, and chicken as they watch
a movie. Camilla looks over at Matteo who is sound asleep in
his baby swing.
Camilla looks up and smiles.
CAMILLA
(whispers)
Happy Birthday, Mami.
FADE TO BLACK.
