Mike and Paige didn't have to wait long before Erica stepped out of the bathroom.
She had washed off the heavy "raccoon-eye" makeup and ditched the studded punk jacket, which made her look a lot more like a regular kid.
"Here, get some water in you," Mike said, his face expressionless as he handed her a glass of ice water.
"Thanks," Erica muttered. The dazed, out-of-it look she had earlier was gone, replaced by a jittery sort of shyness. She seemed to be fully sober now.
Once she finished the water, Mike led the two sisters across the street to the Coopers' house to grab some dinner.
The whole gang was gathered around the table: the Coopers, Meemaw, and Dr. Sturgis.
As Mike walked in with the girls, Meemaw looked up with concern. "You're finally back. Everything go okay?"
She was looking at Mike, but her eyes kept darting toward Erica, the unexpected addition to the group.
"Everything's fine," Mike said, before adding an explanation. "The Barrys are trying to have a 'date night' to work things out, so Erica is going to crash with us for the night."
Meemaw and the Coopers knew enough about the drama at the Barry house not to be too surprised.
"Well, come on in and sit down. Dinner's just about ready," Meemaw said with a smile, knowing now wasn't the time to grill them for details.
"Hey, Erica. Good to see you again." Georgie's eyes lit up the second Erica walked through the door. He'd finally found his opening.
"Hey, Georgie," Erica said with a polite nod.
That was all it took for Georgie to break into a massive grin. He jumped up eagerly. "Sit here! I haven't even touched this silverware yet!"
Erica looked a little overwhelmed by his sudden, poorly timed enthusiasm.
Just then, Mary walked out of the kitchen with three extra place settings. She had caught her oldest son's little performance loud and clear.
"Knock it off, Georgie," Mary said, shooting him a look that told him to sit his butt back down. She then gestured for the two sisters to sit next to Missy.
"Alright, let's say grace," Mary said. She seemed to be in high spirits; she loved it when the house was full of people. To Mary, hospitality was a core virtue.
---
The meal wound down in a relaxed, easy atmosphere.
Mary looked over at the sisters and smiled. "Paige, Erica, did you girls get enough to eat?"
"It was delicious, Mrs. Cooper," Paige said with a sweet, polished smile.
"Better than my mom's cooking..." Erica added, giving a genuine compliment.
"I'm glad you liked it," Mary beamed. As the chef, she was officially won over by their "honesty."
"So, Mike," Mary turned to him. "Where are they staying tonight?"
Being a mom, she was already mentally arranging the logistics.
"Can Paige sleep in my room?" Missy asked eagerly. The two girls were the same age and both adorable; it was a friendship waiting to happen.
"Erica can totally have my room," Georgie chimed in from across the table, giving Erica his best "soulful" look. "I don't mind."
The entire table went dead silent as several people stared at Georgie with varying degrees of "are you kidding me?" expressions. His parents were at the top of that list.
Feeling his mother's death stare, Georgie quickly backpedaled. "I mean! Erica takes my room, and I'll just bunk with Mike!"
"Hard pass," Mike said. He turned to Meemaw for the final word. "The guest room off the side hall is empty. I figured they could stay there."
That room used to be Meemaw's overflow storage, but after the big yard sale, it was basically empty. It wouldn't take much to get it ready.
"That's fine. I was thinking of setting that room up for Paige anyway," Meemaw said. "But Mike, you'll have to help them get settled. I've gotta drive John home."
"No problem," Mike nodded, taking point.
With the sleeping arrangements settled, everyone seemed happy—except for Georgie, who looked like his dog had died.
While Meemaw drove Dr. Sturgis home, Mike took the girls to their room. It was originally a storage space, so it was pretty big—more than enough room for two.
Mike found two sets of fresh linens and some extra padding to make a couple of decent sleeping spots on the floor.
"It's a bit DIY for tonight, but I can help you guys properly organize the place later," Mike said as he finished up and headed for the door. It was getting late.
"Go get some sleep, Mike. We can take it from here," Paige said. The room was still a bit cluttered, but she looked genuinely content.
"Alright. Goodnight, guys," Mike said with a wave before heading out.
Left alone, the room went quiet.
After a long beat, Erica broke the silence. "Mike's a pretty solid guy. Whoever ends up with him is going to be lucky..."
Paige's face darkened instantly. "Don't even think about it," she warned sternly.
"Hey, just stating facts," Erica teased. "Why are you so worked up? Do you have a crush? Too bad you're still a total pipsqueak..."
She grinned as she watched her genius little sister fume. Just like Georgie, Erica lived for the rare moments she could actually get a rise out of her "perfect" sibling.
Paige didn't say a word; she just glared at her sister with enough intensity to melt lead.
"Relax, I'm kidding," Erica sighed, leaning back. "A guy like that is way out of my league anyway. And honestly? I wouldn't hold your breath if I were you."
Erica might be a mess, but her time spent at parties had given her a sharp radar for people. She could tell Mike didn't look at her like that at all. And as for Paige? To him, she was just a kid he was looking out for.
"I don't need your dating advice," Paige snapped, feeling uncomfortable under her sister's gaze.
"Whatever," Erica smirked, letting it drop. She shifted gears. "So, what's the real deal at home? Are Mom and Dad actually going to make it?"
"There's a good chance..." Paige started, and she began to fill her sister in on everything that had happened that day.
---
Meanwhile, Mike was on his way to his room when Meemaw, fresh back from her drive, pulled him into the living room.
"Alright, spill. What's the deal with the other girl?" Meemaw asked. She'd been dying to ask since dinner. She grabbed a beer and sat down, ready for the gossip.
"No 'deal.' Like I said, the Barrys needed some space to talk, so I brought Erica along too," Mike explained.
"That's it? No juicy details?" Meemaw looked disappointed.
"That's it," Mike nodded.
"Ugh, boring," Meemaw grunted, taking a long swig of her beer and sinking into the sofa.
"I'm going to bed. Don't stay up too late drinking," Mike said, used to her antics.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Meemaw waved him off without looking up.