Set during Season 8
Slamming the door and throwing her backpack was a definitely sign to Lisa that Georgie had had a bad day at school. Coupling that with the fact she didn't grab a fresh out of the oven chocolate chip cookie before flinging herself onto the couch told Lisa it must be really bad. So, Lisa wiped her hands, as she was still making cookies, and wandered into the living room to find out the problem.
"Hi," she said with a bit of an attitude herself as she rounded the couch and sat in the chair by the fireplace, crossing her arms. Something told her to not tiptoe around Georgie and address this head on. "That was a dramatic entrance, and you aren't even interested in the drama club."
Georgie looked at her and sighed loudly, rolling her eyes and head. Lisa knew these early pre-teen and teen years were interesting with moods changing at the drop of hat. "Sorry," she huffed, and Lisa wanted to laugh because it sounded like anything but an apology.
"What's the problem, and don't tell me nothing," Lisa eyed her, lowering her head to meet Georgie's sullen face.
Georgie sat there a moment, contemplating what she wanted to say. Finally, she threw up her hands, "I have to do this stupid project for school."
Lisa nodded, pursing her lips, "Ahh, I see that can make you this mad. Okay," she tried not to chuckle and respect Georgie's frustration. She schooled her features and put her hands on her lap, nodding at Georgie. "What's the project? What project can be that terrible to get you this upset?"
"It's this dumb tree project!" Georgie exclaimed, grunting and rolling her head from side to side as she groaned. "I hate this. It's just a stupid project. Everyone on the bus was talking about theirs and how they would get all this extra credit. I'm just not going to do it."
"I'm sure your parents would fully support you just not doing your work while they are both out of town," Lisa nodded, closing her eyes. "Yes, that will be a good conversation to have." She started to stand and gestured toward the kitchen. "I'll just grab my phone, and we can start by calling Lou to tell her you aren't going to do this one, you know, just so she's prepared."
"I'm not going to tell them," she huffed. "I'll just get a zero. Whatever. I don't even care."
Lisa, now standing rolled her eyes at Georgie, "You don't care about it, but you stormed in here, ignored the cookies I made, your favorite ones by the way," she said with a nod while making a face at Georgie, "and obviously, by this display," she pointed to Georgie there stewing about this, "you do seem to care about it because if you didn't, you wouldn't be acting like this. So, if you aren't going to do the project on my watch, you're going to have to call your parents to tell them. End of story."
She sat there for a few moments, again thinking through her options. Finally, she threw up her hands, "Fine, I'll do it, but it won't be anything that the teacher asked. I'll just put my own name on it and leave it like that. That's my family tree."
"That's the project?" Lisa asked, raising her eyebrows.
"Yeah," Georgie huffed. "We are studying about the early settlers and all, and we have to create our own family tree. I'm not doing it. My tree died!"
Lisa had to hold back a laugh, only because of the way Georgie said it. She did feel for her, but this was a great chance to work with Georgie and develop this very intricate family tree.
"Well," Lisa said, gesturing, and trying to keep from laughing a little, met Georgie's face and gave her a small, sympathetic smile. Georgie was really worked up about this, and she did understand a little of that, but this project was far from terrible. She could see how it would be frustrating for Georgie, but she could definitely help her through it.
"Well," she said again and nodded, "yes, maybe one branch of your tree has some death in it, but wouldn't all family trees?" She gave a hopeful look to Georgie and shrugged.
"I don't want to have to explain all that, I mean, I want to tell them about my parents, but I don't want all these questions about why I live here."
"Tell you what," Lisa hooked her hand over her shoulder, "why don't you come out to the kitchen and have a couple of cookies and a glass of milk. I'll help you with your project. When is it due?"
"Tomorrow," Georgie told her, and Lisa's eyes widened.
"Tomorrow? Sweetheart, when was it assigned?" Lisa asked.
Georgie shrugged, "I don't know. I mean, I guess sometime last week." Lisa took a deep breath and looked up not wanting to get mad at Georgie for hiding this project, but at the same time wanting to strangle her. She collected herself and flashed her a smile.
"Okay, well, it sounds like we are going to knock this out before dinner. So," she now pointed, dropping the casual suggestion, "table now. We're going to plan this out for you. Do you have to put it on a poster board or something?"
"Yeah," she shrugged, "so it's fine I don't do it. Whatever. I don't have poster board or anything and don't have time to get it."
"Oh," Lisa grinned brightly, secretly wanting to crush Georgie's plan, "that's no problem." She waved her hand and walked over to the desk area in the kitchen where she pointed to it. "That last science project you had to do, I bought extra, and," she pulled out the board from behind the desk, "here you go. I bought extra then in case you made any mistakes and needed it. How lucky are you, ehh, that I have just what you need?" Lisa flashed a bright smile, and she knew it was fake. She really wanted to laugh because at every move, she was killing Georgie's plan to evade this project.
Georgie's facial expression turned to pure horror, and Lisa tried to pretend she didn't notice it by putting it on the dining room table. She gestured for Georgie to join her, "We can finish this before dinner if we get started now."
"Umm, sure, fine," Georgie sighed loudly, now clearly irritated but unable to complain to Lisa. She huffed off the couch and dragged her feet to the table. Lisa had to hold back a chuckle as Georgie threw herself down in Jack's chair to work. She patted Georgie's shoulder.
"Tell you what-you get your markers, pencil, whatever you need. I'll get you a snack, and we can work on this together. We'll have it done in no time."
"Can't wait," Georgie said sarcastically, frowning as she sulked away from the table."
Why Lisa was getting Georgie a snack, Jack popped back into the house with the mail, "Hey, Lise," he called from the door. "Could you please grab this mail? I've got mud all over my boots and need to go back to the barn."
"Sure," she said, heading to the door with a warm smile to greet him. She had her hand behind her back as she sauntered up to him. He gave her a quizzical look and flashed a grin.
"Whatcha up to?"
She whipped out a cookie for him, and he closed his eyes, chuckling, as he nodded in appreciation. "Oh, I smell them now," he continued to nod. "Thank you," he said with a quick peck on her cheek. She grinned as she handed him the cookie.
"Should get your through until dinner."
"I saw Georgie throwing her backpack down the driveway as she got off the bus. Everything okay?"
Lisa rolled her eyes, "She and I are going to sit down and complete a project she has due. She's not exactly thrilled about it."
He raised his eyebrows, "All that attitude out there I saw for a project?" He chuckled and shook his head, "Oh, I don't envy you. What's the project?"
"Family tree, due tomorrow," she stated with a firm nod. Jack groaned, closed his eyes, and shook his head.
"I'm guessing it wasn't assigned today?"
"Your guess would be correct," Lisa flashed a smile. "We'll get it done, between a balance of tough love and a little compassion, but with her attitude right now," she winked, "probably more of the tough love approach."
"You're a saint," he said, leaning in this time to give her a kiss. "I do need to finish in the barn, but if you need help later-"
She shook her head, "We'll be fine. I'll help her get creative with this one. You can see the completed tree at dinner."
"Okay," he chuckled and with that, he took a bite of the cookie as he stepped back outside. Lisa put the mail on the counter and went back to the dining room table just as Georgie was reappearing with her supplies.
"Let's get started," Lisa said, pointing to the table where she had a cookie for each of them and a glass of milk for Georgie. Georgie sat down with her supplies and also threw down her crumpled up assignment sheet detailing all of the required information. Lisa raised an eyebrow at Georgie but didn't comment. She only smoothed out the assignment rubric so she could make sure everything was included.
"So, I mean, how am I supposed to do this tree if I have like two trees? It's weird to only put Jeff and my parents because I don't even remember them, but they are my parents, but it's weird if I don't put Lou, Peter, and everyone because this is my family now. I don't want to do either."
"We'll do both, all in one," Lisa said with a smile. "Your tree will just be one that has really flourished in its environment with many branches. Let me show you what I'm thinking."
A half hour later, Lisa was extremely impressed with her creativity. With no creative bone in her body, this project had surprised her. The two had been mapping things out on a sheet of notebook paper, Lisa suggesting this before putting it onto the only poster board she had left in the house. Now, the two looked at the tree, making sure its layout was what Georgie wanted before she put it all onto the poster board.
"So, you think that having Jeff and my parents coming off this side is okay?"
Lisa nodded, "Absolutely, it shows your family, but then, if you draw this branch here," she pointed, "on your board, you can include this family too. You've got Lou and Peter here, opposite your parents, but on the same branch as them to show you have two sets of parents. You have Katie here, the same spot on the tree as Jeff, to show she's your sister with Lou and Peter. You've marked Amy there with Lou, and then, you have their mom and Tim," she pointed above it. "See how the tree grows higher and higher with the generations?"
"Yeah," she shrugged. "I guess. I mean, I don't know my grandparents, like from my parents. They weren't alive, or they would have taken Jeff and me. That side is done, I guess."
Lisa nodded, "True, but you still have everyone here to add. Now," she folded her hands and looked at Georgie, "You were all upset, saying the kids were getting extra credit. What's the extra credit?"
"Oh," she shrugged, waving it off. "You get extra credit if you can go back like more than your grandparents. She said the most she'd give was like four generations."
Lisa threw up her hands, "Georgie, that's absolutely no problem. You, my dear," she grinned, "are in luck."
"Really?" Georgie asked. "I've never thought about it too much here. I mean, everyone is everyone. Even you pointing out that Tim is like my grandpa," she shook her head. "He's Tim. He's just, I don't know."
Lisa chuckled, letting it slip out so much that Georgie looked at her. Lisa nodded in agreement, "Yes, Tim is Tim, but yes, he's your grandfather. He might not act like it all the time, but he loves you, and hey," she shrugged, "he might not even look like what you envision for a grandpa."
"I mean, I guess that's what I envision when I look at Jack, like he's kind of the old grandpa, but Tim doesn't fit that."
Lisa continued to chuckle, closing her eyes, but she nodded and then patted Georgie's hand, "Well, you can thank Jack at dinner because he scores you some of those extra credit points."
"He does?" Georgie asked. "I mean, I see how everyone fits, but I got kinda lost when my teacher was talking about generations."
"Well, your parents are one generation back," she pointed, "and everyone above that is then a different generation. You, your brother, Katie," she nodded, "all the same generation. Lou, Amy, Peter, all one generation. So, back to this," Lisa pointed, "Lou and your dad are one generation back. Tim and Marion, Lou and Amy's mom, is a second generation back, so when your teacher was talking about extra credit if you knew the third or fourth generation back," Lisa pointed to the next level of the tree where Jack had been listed, Georgie smiled.
"I get it!" Jack's the third generation back.
"Exactly," Lisa nodded. "And, we can list Jack's parents for that fourth generation back, which means, my dear," she leaned in with a big smile, "you should get that extra credit in full. Not only do you have names, you live with some of them."
"Okay, that's kinda cool," Georgie now nodded, and for the first time, Lisa sensed Georgie was excited for her project and not dreading every bit of it. Lisa gave her a warm smile. The poor girl had a lot to grasp and did have a lot of loss, but this project would certainly be unique.
The two talked a little about the design of it, Lisa extremely happy Georgie liked drawing and had some creative ideas. The two worked well together, with Lisa providing the information and pointing out the locations, and then Georgie coming up with the design. They'd put in Jack and even his sister, June, along with Jack's parents, and Georgie looked to Lisa, making a face when Lisa added Lyndy above Lou and Amy.
"Where do you go?" Georgie looked at Lisa with a confused, but determined look on her face.
"Well," Lisa said, making a face, "ahh-"
Georgie cut in again, "Like you have to go on here too," she said pointing next to Jack. I mean, I know she was Lou and Amy's grandma," she pointed to Lyndy's name, "but," she shook her head, "it's weird. She's not my grandma. I never knew her, and not to be mean, but like not even close or whatever. She's not some blood relative like you were explaining, and I don't want to hurt Lou's feelings by saying that, but shouldn't you be next to Jack? I mean, it is so cool you guys got married cause he was not happy before, when you were gone after his heart attack, always mad at everyone."
Lisa held back a laugh again and smiled at Georgie, "Well, thank you. I'm glad we're married too."
"So, like you're like the only grandma I've ever had," and Lisa's eyes widened. Georgie took that as being offensive and shook her head. "I'm sorry. I mean-"
"Georgie," Lisa laughed and patted her hand, "that's very sweet of you. I am very glad to be part of this family, and just like this," she gestured to the table, "I'm glad to help you with your project. I've helped a lot of people here with different things, like your mom when she was getting married to your dad, Aunt Amy when she was still in high school-I loved getting her a dress for a big dance, among other things. Now, though," she pointed to the project, "If I was just your grandmother, I'd have to be married to Tim."
Georgie shook her head with a horrified look on her face. Lisa laughed and patted Georgie on the back.
"So," she smiled warmly at her and continued chuckling, "for you to list me with Jack-"
"Who you are saying is my great-grandfather, the extra credit points," she nodded, starting to understand it all. "So, can I add you, next to Jack, like on the other side? Oh," she nodded, "I get it, so like my great-grandmother."
"Yes," Lisa grinned and pointed. "I'd be honored if you wanted to list me too, and I love being your great grandmother."
"Well, yeah," she shrugged, "but you're not like old, like a great grandma is supposed to be. Like that sounds really old. I mean, Stephen said his great grandma and great grandpa are still alive but neither one can walk very well."
Lisa continued to chuckle as she nodded, "Well, thank you very much. I'm glad I'm not an old and immobile great grandmother, definitely not a traditional one at that." She leaned in, "Maybe not mention the old and crippled part to Jack."
Georgie grinned, "He still rides horses and all, definitely not like the other old great-grandfathers. He'll never get that old."
Lisa listened, shook her head from side to side, and nodded to Georgie, "The two of you would be in agreement on that, even though his bones and muscles might say otherwise," she smiled.
Georgie went back to work, adding Lisa, and she grinned brightly, "Maybe I'll get lots of extra credit points with Jack having two wives."
Lisa burst out laughing, "Maybe so, but maybe don't phrase it just like that."
"Two sets of parents, two great grandmothers listed for this family," Georgie rattled off.
"Well, if Tim ever gets remarried, then she would be in that spot, like a grandmother."
"Tim?" Georgie looked to Lisa like she was crazy and shook her head. "No way. I can't even see that. Who would marry Tim?" Both had to laugh at that, Lisa choosing not to comment.
"Hello there, Georgie," Jack boomed, stepping into the dining room and walking up to hug her from behind. Lisa had heard him at the door, but the look of excitement and surprise on Georgie's face told her she'd been so occupied with this project she hadn't heard him.
"Jack, I'm working on a project," Georgie now grinned at the mention of the project, the same project she'd told Lisa she was ready to give up on, the same one she'd been stomping around the house complaining about. Lisa smiled up at Jack.
"Wow, this looks great," he said, starting to look at her work. He pointed a few things to her, "I like how you did this with your parents and all. Nice job. Very good drawing so far."
"I get extra credit too," she added with a smile, and Jack gave her a nod.
"Is that so?" Georgie just nodded at Jack's comment, so Lisa glanced up to him.
"She gets extra credit if she can list any great grandparents or great-great grandparents." She winked at Jack, and he chuckled.
"Well, I see Lisa helped you get everyone listed."
Georgie nodded and smiled again, pointing, "Yeah, I have both of you on here."
"So, sounds like a pretty good project?" Jack asked, noting that Georgie wasn't so sullen anymore. She grinned and looked at Lisa.
Lisa gave Georgie and Jack both a warm smile, meeting Jack's gaze as Georgie work. She shrugged, "I think it turned out to be a pretty great project."
"Oh, I have glitter that I keep hidden from Katie. I'm going to put that on here too," she said as she jumped up to get it from her room. While she was gone, Jack studied it and looked to Lisa.
"You managed to make her complex family tree look somewhat tame or trimmed if I'm speaking trees. Nicely done."
"Thank you," she said with a teasing grin. She nodded to him and pointed to the kitchen, "Would you please hand me my laptop?"
He eyed her, tilting his head with a chuckle, "I'm not guessing you need to look up any additional family?"
"No," she smirked at him, and as he handed it to her, she nodded her thanks and gestured to her computer and then to Georgie's crumpled up paper, "but I am going to email her teacher and gently explain that this is correct. It does look like a lot, especially if you don't know the dynamics, and for Georgie, there are a lot of things in play with this tree."
Jack nodded and then chuckled, "Probably a good idea. Thank you for helping her," he leaned down to kiss her sweetly."
"Sure thing, GREAT grandpa," she winked at him, emphasizing the great as she started to laugh.
He pointed to their names on the family tree and nodded, "Takes one to know one. You married me."