After losing his hotel room, Royal claims he has only weeks to live so he can move back in with his estranged family; as the truth unravels, he must find a way to be useful and earn a place in their lives.
- Scenes 1–39
Royal is absent from the children’s adult lives, and their family remains shaped by his betrayals and abandonment.
- Scenes 40–47
Royal wants a path back to Etheline and the children, and claims impending death will give him one.
- Scenes 48–50
He returns to the house and openly asks his children for a chance to make things right.
- Scene 63
Eli tells Richie that Margot is troubled by his love and reminds him that she is his sister, making the relationship an active family conflict.
- Just before
- Scene 84
After Henry says he does not believe Royal is dying, Etheline declines their planned theatre outing and goes back inside.
- Scene 85
Pagoda tells Royal that Etheline will not join Henry that night; Royal says they have him on the ropes.
- Scene 86
Royal taunts Henry until Etheline interrupts; he denies that anything happened and makes himself a peanut-butter sandwich.
- Scene 87
This scene
