"I suppose we'll just have to abort Jason and Theresa, won't we?"

The whitsun bride; a procession of children in a village street during Whitsun

Scene
Upscale house on Hamptons estate.
Players: Attractive middle-aged mother and father, parents of six children, having a glass of wine in the solarium.  She dressed in a gossamer silk dressing gown, he in casual dress, with cravat and smoking jacket.
About 8 PM, late spring with light, cool breeze ruffling the curtains.
Resuming an earlier conversation.



Mother: I suppose we'll just have to abort Jason and Theresa.

Father:  Well, we've had time to think it over since we last talked.  I agree.

Mother: With Theresa, of course, time is running short.  When she turns eighteen we'll be breaking the Rules, and we'd be taking a hit on Social Credits.  We don't want to be embarrassed, do we?  And  besides, tuition at Yale is just ungodly now.  Not to mention what it costs to get her in.

Father:  If the bloody market hadn't tanked, we wouldn't have to be talking about this.

Mother:  Well, it is what it is.  And we really don't have any good alternatives.  We talked about selling the boat, but then there'd no more big cruises.  Fact is, we just can't afford to do that.  Too many important connections.

Father: Mmm.  And we agreed that staff cutbacks are out of the question.  No way we could keep this place up without 'em.  We'd have to move to some tract house with seedy neighbors.  Just wouldn't do for entertaining.

Mother:  OK, we're settled on Theresa.  What about Jason?

Father:  We're agreed on that too.  He doesn't show much promise, compared with the rest of the lot.  And he doesn't show any respect at all for the Party.  A little rebellion can be expected in late adolescence, but the way he's going he'll end up in trouble and ding our Credits profile.  Not hard to decide about him.

Mother:  Well....  You do get used to seeing your kids around, and sometimes they're even fun.  But you have to draw the line somewhere.  And something else, we could use the bedroom space for overnight guests.  We could get rid of all that rubbish they've accumulated and redecorate.  That would be great fun, wouldn't it?

Father:  How about the practical side of things?

Mother:  Not to worry.  I've ordered the pills from Planned Parenthood and they'll make arrangements for a quiet farewell.  They use those flower trucks for removal, and no one will even notice.  They take care of everything and even attend to the Disappearance Certificates.  All within the Rules.
Oh, and one more little fillip; they said that despite the dip in stocks, the organ market has never been more robust.  That would even be enough to cover Yale.  A shame, but they're mutually exclusive, aren't they?

Father:  Well, it's settled, isn't it?  Shall I open another bottle of wine?