Act 2, Scene 5 Summary

On Christmas Eve, 1987, Heidi comes to a hospital ward for children with AIDS, with a donation of old books and albums. She is preparing to move to the Midwest, where she has accepted a teaching position. She has come to tell Peter goodbye.

Peter is very upset by this and reacts angrily at first. His relationship with a long-time lover just ended, and he has watched too many of his friends die of AIDS. He simply does not want to lose another loved one.

However, Peter is upset, not only by Heidi's goodbye, but also by her explanation for leaving. She feels she has no reason to stay, no life in New York, simply because she does not have a romantic interest here. Peter, on the other hand, thinks of Heidi as one of the few constants in his life, as...