"Michael! Thank God you're home," Susan cried, rushing over to the kitchen entrance.
"Why, have you decided to let me go to Paris now?" Michael asked.
"Ah yes, about that. Well later, your father wants to have a little chat with you, just about life, and adulthood..."
"Okay," Michael replied in a questioning tone, "Why?"
"No reason." Susan lied and turned back to her cooking.
"You know, I could go without your permission, just take off one day, and you would never see me again."
"You would never do that, you would need someone to do your laundry for you, tidy your room, drive your girlfriends away…"
"I never asked you to tell Izzy to leave, I easily could have done it myself," Michael looked away from Susan's glare.
"Oh yes, that's why you kept kicking me across the table!" Susan replied knowingly.
The front door suddenly slams shut.
"Hello dear, I have a surprise for you," called Susan from the kitchen.
"It isn't the 'surprise' you promised earlier is it?" Ben asked.
"Even better," Susan called smugly.
Ben walks through the kitchen door.
"I present to you your son!" Susan makes rapid arms gestures to Michael, who skims away.
"And? What am I supposed to read into that?" Ben replied.
"Remember what you said earlier, about you changing your ways, and becoming a better person?"
"I think I must have been sleep-talking at that point darling." Ben sniffed. "Hello Mikey, my boy!" Michael glared at Ben. "Yes, Michael."
Ben walked over to the liquor cabinet; "you won't believe what Roger was doing today. He expected me to take on some of his patients. Why can't he take responsibility? It was him who wanted to be a dentist, so he has to deal with it; or leave the area."
"Yes, and you are very good at telling people these sort of things," Susan leaned on to his shoulder, and looked into Ben's eyes angelically.
"Michael, can you pass me the scotch?" Ben asked.
Michael walked out the room, with bemusement on his face.
"So that is your idea of responsibility? Getting your son to pass you booze?" Susan said, looking ready to throw her 'cooking surprise' over Ben.
"You know what, that might not actually be so bad. I can just get them to run errands. That would give them responsibility," Ben said, with 'would be' wisdom in his voice.
"Yes, and keep you as the lazy slob you've always been."
Ben left, trying to keep his dignity in tact.