Michaela sat on her sofa and watched her mother pace back and forth in her living room. She offered her some coffee, but Elizabeth refused.

Sully left shortly after Elizabeth arrived, even though the sun wasn't up yet, and it was still dark out. He helped her carry in all of her suitcases first, but decided it wasn't wise to stay. Elizabeth was clearly upset when she saw him there that morning, and since he didn't know her, he thought it was best to allow Michaela time to talk with her mother.

"Who was that hippy?" Elizabeth asked Michaela with an angry tone.

"His name is Sully," Michaela said, "He's a friend of mine."

"A friend?" Elizabeth questioned suspiciously.

Michaela hadn't told Elizabeth about kissing him. She knew her mother could tell that he'd slept on the couch, but her mother didn't know that she had been sleeping in his arms for the last few hours. She didn't have to share those things with Elizabeth, but at the same time she felt her bond with Sully was strengthening, and her relationship with Sully was moving past just a friendship.

"Yes," Michaela said, "He's a friend and a single parent. We've been spending a lot of time together. When he returns, we're going to cook Thanksgiving dinner together."

"A friend?" Elizabeth questioned again.

"I suppose we are closer than mere friends and are on the verge of a romance…" Michaela began.

"A romance, that's what I thought," Elizabeth mumbled as her daughter was speaking.

"... but we haven't declared anything. We haven't decided to exclusively date each other, and each other only," Michaela finished her statement about Sully and then asked, "What are you doing here, Mother?"

"Didn't you tell me that I was invited to come when I want and could stay as long as I want?" Elizabeth asked, "What better time to come than Thanksgiving?"

"Yes," Michaela answered, "I didn't expect you to come unannounced."

"Surprise," Elizabeth said with a straight face and unenthusiastically.

"Mother," Michaela said, "If you'd called ahead of time, I would've warned you not to come now because there is a big storm headed our way. It will be here tomorrow or the day after."

"I'm not afraid of a little rain," Elizabeth mocked.

Michaela had never been through a storm in Colorado Springs, so she didn't know what to say to her mother. She assumed since Sully insisted on boarding up her windows that the storm would be more than just a little rain.

"You actually live here?" asked Elizabeth, looking around the house in disgust, "You promised me you weren't living in squalor."

"What's wrong with my home?" Michaela asked, trying not to roll her eyes. She knew her mother would have a problem with her home.

"You have plywood in your windows where the glass should be," said Elizabeth

"The plywood is over the windows because the storm is coming, Mother," Michaela explained, "The gentleman, Sully, that you met this morning was kind enough to board up my windows, so they won't get broken."

"Gentleman?" Elizabeth questioned. She didn't know the sleeping arrangements that Michaela made with Sully, but she took a guess and wanted to know if she was right, "You mean the hippy that you spent the night with?"

"Stop making it sound so salacious!" Michaela yelled, "It wasn't like that at all, and even if it were, I'm 34-years-old, and I live in my own home. It's my decision!"

"Oh and what a decision to make," Elizabeth ridiculed, "Tell me Michaela, should I be expecting my next grandchild in a few months? That is exactly what happened the last time that you made a decision to spend the night with a man you weren't married to."

"So we're back to that?" Michaela questioned, hurt that Elizabeth threw her past in her face, "Why don't you just call me a slut, Mother? That way you can just say how you feel, directly, instead of dancing around it."

"I don't think you're a slut," Elizabeth said, realizing her mistake. She had never name-called any of her daughters. She didn't believe Michaela to be promiscuous in nature, but that didn't change the fact that Michaela was the one who'd become pregnant and then had to get married. It was a real shock to her system because of all her daughters, Michaela, who'd always been shy around boys and men since she was old enough to have a boyfriend, was the last one that she ever expected that kind of behavior from, "I do think you are capable of making bad decisions. These are bad decisions that lead to life altering mistakes."

"I don't consider my children to be mistakes, Mother," Michaela seethed, and stood up from her spot on the couch, She was becoming irate. She knew that Elizabeth loved being a grandmother, so how could she call the children mistakes?

"I didn't say that," Elizabeth said, noting her daughter's anger.

"You certainly implied it," Michaela said, crossing her arms.

"I meant the marriage, Dear. I love my grandchildren very much. They are not just a silver lining, they are a golden lining in an otherwise regretful situation." she said, trying to get her daughter to calm down.

"I suppose I can agree with that," Michaela admitted.

"Where are my grandchildren?" Elizabeth asked, "I'd like to see them."

"They're still asleep," Michaela said, "They fell asleep in the basement watching a movie."

"Oh. Then show me to the basement," Elizabeth told her daughter.

"They aren't alone down there," she warned.

"What does that mean?" Elizabeth inquired, "Who is down there with them?"

"Sully's children," Michaela informed her, "He has two. They all fell asleep last night while Sully and I were preparing for today."

"I see," Elizabeth said, noting that this undeclared romance that her daughter had with that hippy was more serious than Michaela let on. Michaela could also be obtuse when it came to men and relationships in general, so perhaps Michaela didn't quite understand the serious nature of what was going on. Based on what she heard so far, Michaela appeared to believe that this was a dinner between two friends that both happen to have children. Even though Michaela said herself that she understood that the relationship was moving past friendship, she didn't seem to understand what the reality was. This Thanksgiving dinner was not just two friends that both happen to have children having dinner, this was a family dinner. Michaela and the hippy were behaving like a family.

"Can I get you a cup of coffee now, Mother?" Michaela offered. When Elizabeth nodded, Michaela said, "Then let's sit down and you can tell me about your flight. Perhaps you want to rest for a while after."

Elizabeth smiled and kissed her daughter's cheek. Then she realized that this was the first time she'd seen Michaela in months and she hadn't even hugged her yet. She embraced her daughter and said, "I've missed you, and the children."

"We've missed you too," Michaela said, hugging her back.

It was now 7:00 am, and Sully was driving in his truck to pick up Hanna's can of cranberry sauce. After he retrieved the can, his plan was to return to Michaela's house, so he'd be there when the kids woke up. He was going to call Grace and ask if he could pick the pie up earlier than noon, but changed his mind, so he would have a reason to escape later. He still wanted to cook and have fun like they'd planned. He hoped that Michaela's mother would be more congenial as the day went on.

He'd been home already and packed a change of clothes for each of his kids to wear for the day. He showered, changed his clothes, and opted to shave. By the looks of Michaela's mother, who he was now spending Thanksgiving with too, she seemed like the type of woman who would prefer him to be clean shaven. He nearly put his hair in a low ponytail that morning, but in the end, decided against it. He simply brushed his hair and put in a little gel, so it looked neater than usual.

He had not expected to meet Michaela's mother that morning or anytime soon. He wasn't sure that he made the best first impression. He did also wonder if it was possible for him to make a good first impression. When that woman looked at him, he felt that she saw him as a piece of discarded bubble gum that she'd accidentally stepped in.

He wasn't sure how this day would go, but he also noted that they had already spent one holiday with his mother, and everything turned out alright. He had no reason to believe that this day would be any different.

He turned down Third Street and drove past Loren's store and saw him through the front window. Loren usually opened the store on Thanksgiving morning because he made a lot of money from people coming in to purchase last minute items that they'd forgotten to buy.

Sully's plan had been to run into Safeway to get the can, but he thought about it for a minute. Cranberry sauce was something that Loren carried. Perhaps Sully could buy the can from Loren instead. It would give him the opportunity to reach out again, though he had reached out several times already. It would also give him the chance to talk to Loren about Dorothy. It would be the perfect time for this, because Loren was always in a better mood when he was making money.

He made a quick U-turn and drove back to Loren's store. He parked in front, took a few deep breaths, and got out of his truck and made his way to the front door.

Elizabeth sat on Michaela's sofa and periodically sipped her coffee while Michaela was upstairs showering and getting ready for the day. She had her reading glasses on and her embroidery hoop in her hands as she worked on completing a cross stitch pattern that she brought with her on the plane. In her ears were her Apple Airpods that one of her grandsons had gifted to her for her last birthday. She was listening to her favorite morning news program.

As she was finding out what was going on in the world on this Thanksgiving morning, Brian came toddling into the living room. He was half asleep and looking for his mother.

"Good morning, my dear!" Elizabeth greeted him with a large smile on her face.

"Gamma?" Brian questioned, wondering if it was really her.

"Thank heavens! You still remember me," Elizabeth said. She put down her cross stitch and took out her Airpods. She went to Brian and scooped him up in her arms, "I was worried most about you." She hugged Brian close to her body.

"Mama?" Brian asked. He wanted his mother, he usually saw her when he first woke up in the morning.

"Mommy will be down in a little while," Elizabeth said to Brian, "You just sit with Grandma for a little while."

"I wet," Brian told her.

"Are you still in a diaper?" Elizabeth asked. Brian was young, but he was old enough to be potty trained. She wondered if Michaela even had the time to start doing that with him, "I suppose it's good that you can tell us when you need to be changed."

"Pull-up!" Brian corrected her, "I big boy."

"You are a big boy!" Elizabeth said. She could feel that Brian was much bigger and heavier now than when he left, "Are your Pull-ups upstairs?"

Brian nodded and pointed to the stairs.

"Let's go get them," Elizabeth said and walked toward the staircase with Brian on her hip. As she walked towards the staircase, Elizabeth heard a sound that stopped her in her tracks.

"Daddy?" A little girl said as she toddled into the living room.

Elizabeth didn't recognize the little girl but assumed that she belonged to that hippy.

"He's not here right now," Elizabeth said.

When Hanna saw Elizabeth, her eyes grew with fear. To her, this woman was a stranger and Sully was nowhere around to make her feel safe.

"There is no reason to be afraid," Elizabeth said, "He'll be back."

"I want my daddy!" Hanna said and began to cry.

"Right now, so do I," Elizabeth muttered under her breath when Hanna started to cry, "There, there…um, Child. There is no reason to cry."

Hanna didn't listen to her and kept crying, and then started to walk to the front door.

"Child," Elizabeth said, "You may not go out that door."

Hanna didn't listen to that either and ran to the door.

Elizabeth had no other choice. She had to set down Brian and run to the door to stop Hanna from going outside. She shut the door after Hanna had opened it, just a crack, and locked the deadbolt. Then she locked the chain lock that was far too high for Hanna to reach.

Hanna just looked up at her and cried harder.

"I told you that you can't go outside," Elizabeth tried to reason, "I also told you that your father will be right back. Neither you nor I can do anything about this now, so you might as well stop crying."

"No cwy, Hanna," Brian said sweetly. Then he toddled up to her and gave her a hug, "No cwy. My gamma."

"Is that your name?" Elizabeth asked, smiling sweetly at the two babies hugging, "Hanna?"

Hanna nodded at her and started to calm down after Brian hugged her. She said one more time, "I want my daddy."

"He will be back shortly," Elizabeth said, "I'm sure my daughter has some kind of oatmeal in this house. Perhaps I can make you something to eat in the meantime."

"Not yet," Hanna said, shaking her head.

"Not yet?" Elizabeth questioned, "Then what can I do for you now that will placate you until your father returns?"

Hanna didn't know what the word placate meant. Since Brian said this strange woman was his grandmother, Hanna believed that she could help. She confessed to Elizabeth, "I wet."

"Oh dear," Elizabeth said aloud.

While Sully was shopping in the store, he tried to stay focused on what he was doing and ignore the fact that his father-in-law was staring him down from the front of the store. He swore that Loren hadn't taken his eyes off him since he entered.

When Sully was done shopping, he set his items on the counter. Loren was still scowling at him, but like Sully had originally thought, Loren was perfectly happy accepting his money.

Along with the can of cranberry sauce, Sully also picked up a couple bouquets of flowers. He opted for a mix of fall colored dahlias and Persian buttercups for Mrs. Quinn. For Michaela, he decided on a very romantic bouquet of dark red roses. He once read that dark red roses conveyed a message of commitment and passion. Since that's where he wanted their relationship to go, he hoped the flowers would help get that message across to her.

"Mornin', Loren," Sully said apprehensively.

"No need to sound scared now," Loren remarked, "You clearly have some set-a-balls, just walkin' in here."

Sully ignored his commentary and got to the point. He wanted to get out what he needed to say while Loren was still calm, "I need to talk to ya 'bout Dorothy."

"What about her?" Loren asked. He wanted to yell and scream at Sully. He still felt his anger deep inside him, ready to bubble over at any moment. However, his curiosity trumped his anger at that moment.

"I think Marcus is drinkin' again," Sully said.

Loren's face fell, and he immediately became very concerned for Dorothy, "What makes ya say that?"

"I saw her the other day with a big bruise on her arm," Sully informed him.

Loren groaned under his breath, and then closed his eyes and shook his head.

"She was real upset when I saw the bruise. I had to promise that I wouldn't say anything to him," Sully explained to Loren, "I didn't promise not to tell you."

"You did the right thing," Loren said, hating to admit it, "They went out of town to spend Thanksgivin' with one of the girls. I will take care of it when they come back."

"She's outta town?" Sully asked, making sure he heard that right.

"Yeah," Loren confirmed.

"Miss Olive said that she was going to Texas for Thanksgivin'," Sully said.

"Yes," Loren said, "She got there yesterday. She called me to let me know."

"Then who are you spendin' Thanksgivin' with?" Sully asked, "I know you always open the store in the mornin', but what about later?"

"My plans are to sit in my recliner, eat a Hungry Man T.V. Dinner, and watch the football games," Loren said, starting to become angry with Sully.

"Alone?" Sully asked, not liking the sound of that.

"I'd like to spend the holiday with my grandchildren!" Loren spat, "But their father won't let me see them!"

"That ain't true," Sully said sternly, trying to keep his anger in check, "It's just that every time I try to reach out, it turns into this."

After the scene Loren caused when he ran into Sully at Ice Cream Social, he got a serious tongue-lashing from Dorothy. Not only did she scold him, but told him over and over again that if he wanted to be in his grandchildren's lives, he was going to have to make some effort to at least be civil with Sully. Though his mind was clouded with bitterness and indignation, he still knew that Dorothy was right. On top of that, he was tired of fighting.

"Can I see them, Sully? Please?" he asked, sounding desperate, "This has gone on too long. I know that Zachary was happy to see me the other night."

Sully knew that was true. Zachary missed his grandfather very much, and this had gone on too long. Without thinking about it, just believing it was the right thing, he said, "We're havin' dinner at a friend's house tonight. You wanna come along?"

"Yes," Loren said, happily accepting the invitation.

"Okay," Sully said. He just invited Loren, so he couldn't uninvite him now, but he wondered if he made the right choice to invite him without consulting Michaela first. It was her house and her mother had just dropped by unexpectedly.

"Which friend is it?" Loren asked skeptically and looked down at the flowers.

"It's the one that you called a tramp about ten times the other day," Sully answered with annoyance.

"Oh, your girlfriend that you so quickly replaced my daughter with," Loren mocked; he couldn't help himself, "She must be a special girl to get two bouquets from ya."

With so many hurtful insults wrapped into one, it was all Sully could do to resist the urge to punch his father-in-law in the face, "First of all, no one's gonna replace Abagail. Abagail is her own person, and Michaela is her own person. Since I think you wanna know, Michaela, that's her name, is a single parent and our kids go to the same schools. She's new to town, and we've become good friends."

"You give all your good friends two bouquets?" Loren questioned sarcastically.

"One is for her mother," Sully informed Loren.

"You're meeting her mother already?" Loren asked. Meeting a girlfriend's mother was serious in Loren's book.

"Yes, but it's not what ya think," he answered. He was growing tired of this and said, "If ya wanna come, that's where we'll be. I hate to think of anyone spendin' Thanksgivin' alone, and I'd like ya to see the kids. Come or not, it's your choice. If ya do come, please don't make a scene."

"I wanna come," Loren said clearly. He did. It had been too long since he'd spent time with the children.

"Good," Sully said back. Now he just had to make sure that it was okay with Michaela.

Michaela was out of the shower and had just finished putting on her make-up. She blow-dried her hair, but put it back in a simple bun, so she could cook with Sully, but planned to redo it later before they sat down to dinner. She looked through her wardrobe for what to wear that evening. She found a little black dress that she wanted to wear for Sully later on that night, however, she needed something to wear now. She decided that her best choice was to put on her little black scrubs. She hadn't worn scrubs since her last day of work at the hospital. She thought they were the best option for preparing this meal because they were comfortable, and she wasn't afraid to get them dirty.

She heard her phone ding, indicating that she'd received a text message. The message was from Sully asking her if she minded if he brought his father-in-law for dinner. Michaela was surprised. The last she'd heard; he and his father-in-law weren't on speaking terms. She wasn't crazy about him simply based on their first official meeting, when he called her a tramp. Nevertheless, she didn't think it was a completely terrible idea to have someone her mother's age at dinner that evening. It may make it less awkward.

Michaela told Sully yes, and then put on her nicest set of black scrubs. She left her bedroom and was going to make her way downstairs, when she heard talking coming from the kids' bathroom.

Michaela walked down the hall to investigate and couldn't believe what she saw. It was her mother, sitting on the lid of the toilet and giving both Brian and Hanna a bath.

"Mama!" Brian greeted.

"Dr. My!" Hanna greeted her too. It was the first time that Hanna had ever said her name. Michaela loved how she said it. She couldn't quite say Mike, but being Dr. My was fine with her.

"Mother?" Michaela questioned, "What's going on?"

"Going into surgery?" Elizabeth asked sarcastically when she saw what Michaela was wearing.

"Very funny," Michaela commented.

"Would it kill you to put on a dress?" Elizabeth inquired, "I thought you said you liked that hippy. Do you think your choice of attire makes you look attractive?"

Michaela ignored Elizabeth and focused on what she wanted to know, "What is going on here?" she asked again and gestured to the children in the tub.

"They slept all night in wet diapers-" Elizabeth started to say.

"Pull-ups!" Brian shouted, sounding insulted.

"We not babies," Hanna added.

"Forgive me," Elizabeth said sternly, "Pull-ups. However, it is very rude to interrupt your elder while she is speaking to another adult. Next time you two will remember your manners and wait until it's your turn to speak."

Brian and Hanna looked at Elizabeth for a minute and then went back to playing with bath toys.

"They didn't understand a word you said, Mother," Michaela stated, getting slightly irritated.

"They have to learn manners sometime," Elizabeth said, "and why aren't they potty trained yet?"

"I can't speak for Hanna, but Brian is potty trained, "Michaela said, "He wears Pull-ups still because he has accidents, especially when he first wakes up in the morning. I didn't expect you to give them both baths."

"Don't you think it's a little foul to not bathe them after they've slept in urine?" Elizabeth said, cringing a bit.

"I don't mind that you gave Brian a bath," Michaela said, "I don't know if Sully wants you to bathe his daughter. You just met this morning."

"That hippy better be grateful," Elizabeth commented and then turned her attention to the kids, "Alright children, time to get out." Then she lifted both kids out and wrapped them in hooded towels, even though both kids still had dry hair.

"Come here, Hanna," Michaela said and dried her off. She didn't know how Sully would feel about this, but thought it was better if she was the one who took over with Hanna until she was dressed.

Elizabeth picked up Brian and said, "Let's go to Brian's room. I have everything ready there."

Michaela followed Elizabeth to her son's room, carrying Hanna, "Please tell me you didn't leave them alone in the tub while you were getting everything ready."

"Do you take me for some kind of fool?" Elizabeth asked, almost insulted, "Do you think I raised five daughters to adulthood by making stupid mistakes like that?"

"Just checking, Mother," Michaela said, very relieved.

Elizabeth set down Brian and Michaela followed suit with Hanna.

"Here are your Pull-ups," Elizabeth said, careful not to say the word diaper, "You both took your Pull-ups off by yourselves. I expect you to put them on by yourselves."

Brian put his on right away, but Hanna stood looking confused.

"What's wrong, Dear?" Elizabeth asked.

"This not mine," Hanna said, "My Pull-ups pink."

"It's okay, Dear, they do the same job," Elizabeth said.

Hanna nodded and put on the blue Pull-up.

"Come here, Brian," Elizabeth said and began to dress him in an outfit that he went to church in. It was khaki pants, with a white button up shirt, tucked in, and a navy-blue sweater on top. "Her father is bringing her something to wear right?" Elizabeth thought she remembered Michaela saying something about it earlier that morning.

"Yes," Michaela answered.

"In the meantime," Elizabeth said, and handed Michaela a set of Brian's pajamas, and Michaela got to work, dressing Hanna.

"These boys' clothes," Hanna said.

"It's only temporary, Dear," Elizabeth said, "Your father will be here shortly with something for you to wear."

"I'm sorry, Hanna," Michaela said, "I don't have any little girl clothes that are your size. I think you look awfully cute in Brian's pajamas."

To be continued. Please review and tell me your thoughts.

Loren is coming to dinner and will meet Elizabeth. It will be the first time Michaela formally meets him and the first time she sees him again after the Ice Cream Social incident. What do you think will happen?

I think Elizabeth is a natural grandmother, don't you?

Do you think that Michaela will understand Sully's message when he gives her the flowers?

Until next time…