AUTUMN'S CHILD
By Tom Smith

Characters:  Momma 50, a strong Iowa farmwoman
Chloe 24, her daughter

Time/Place: The time is present in Momma and Chloe's house in Iowa.

Running time: 25 minutes.There is a 10-minute version available.

AUTUMN'S CHILD is a drama in one-act. It is an October morning and Momma is taking down the "Congratulations" banner she has hung to celebrate the birth of her first grandchild.Unfortunately, the baby was stillborn and died at birth. She shares her concerns with her bedridden husband, who is in the next room.

A few minutes later, her daughter Chloe returns home from the hospital, quickly hiding a small bundle in her room. Chloe was not yet supposed to have been discharged, and Momma questions her about this.Chloe admits she did not like the hospital, and snuck out.

Later that morning, Momma receives a call from the hospital. It seems that Chloe has kidnapped another woman's baby from the hospital. Momma confronts her about this, but Chloe maintains that the baby she has is her own, brought back to life by love.

With the police closing in, Momma receives another phone call from the hospital.The missing baby has turned up, and Chloe has indeed left with her baby: however, the baby is not alive. An argument ensues, and Chloe reveals that the husband Momma talks to has been dead for years, and she above all else should understand the importance of hanging on to your loved ones.

Chloe, confused and betrayed by her mother's insistence to go back to the hospital, leaves Momma, who is left contemplating the issues of love, life, and what constitutes living.