After another wild night, Mike looked around the chaotic mess in Cady's house and suggested they clean up together. Their "activities" over the past week certainly hadn't been limited to just one room.
If Cady's parents came home and saw the house in its current state, it would be a disaster.
Keep in mind, Cady's dad is a field researcher—which means the man is authorized to carry some serious firepower.
So, for the sake of everyone's physical and mental well-being, Mike and Cady spent the entire morning doing a deep clean, scrubbing away every trace of their week-long "battle."
By noon, Mike looked around the sparkling clean house, satisfied, and said his goodbyes to Cady.
According to the update from her parents, they were due back around midday.
Sure enough, not long after Mike left, a Jeep pulled into Cady's driveway. Covered in dust from their travels, Cady's parents, Chip Heron and Anna Gasteyer, stepped out of the vehicle.
The moment they walked in the door, Cady's mom, Anna, launched into an interrogation. "Cady, what did you do at school? Why did the principal call us all the way out here?"
The whole reason they had rushed back was that phone call.
Although the person on the other end hadn't given specifics, Anna could tell from their tone that Cady had messed up big time.
Anna already carried a lot of guilt for raising her daughter in the remote African bush. The thought that her lack of supervision might have turned Cady into a "bad girl" broke her heart. She desperately wanted to be a good mother, but her sudden concern was coming at a terrible time.
Cady had just started feeling better after Mike comforted her the night before. But now, facing her mother's grilling, the guilt over what she did to Ms. Sharon came rushing back.
"I..." Cady hesitated, looking at her mother's stern face. She didn't know if she should confess.
She knew that telling the truth would only disappoint her mother even more.
Seeing her daughter hesitate only made Anna more agitated. Just as she was about to push for an answer, her husband stepped in.
"Alright, Anna, that's enough. She's growing up; she's going to have her own thoughts," Chip said, soothing his wife.
To prove his point, he walked over to a cabinet and swiped his finger across it. "Look. We've been gone a week, and she's taken great care of the house."
Since Mike and Cady had just wiped it down, it was obviously spotless.
Seeing how clean and tidy the house was, Anna finally relaxed.
"Okay..." Anna calmed down and looked at her daughter. "Can you promise me you can handle this school situation yourself?"
"I can," Cady nodded firmly.
---
Meanwhile, Mike made it to the Cooper house just before lunch.
"Well, look who's back," Meemaw stood up and gave Mike a hug, whispering, "You holding up okay?"
Even though Mike had called Meemaw every day during his week away, she had still been worried.
"I'm great," Mike replied with a smile.
Just then, Mary walked out of the kitchen. "Mike, perfect timing. Wash up, we're about to eat."
Shortly after, little Sheldon and Georgie came out of their rooms. They were both happy to see Mike.
Sheldon, in particular, thanked Mike for getting rid of "Kimmet," who had apparently been a huge nuisance.
Mike was also surprised to spot Dan hanging out at the Cooper house.
Noticing Mike looking at him, Dan awkwardly stepped forward to say hello.
"Mike, did you know? Dan brought over a very fascinating game. We can play it this afternoon..." Sheldon chimed in, saving Dan from the awkward silence.
"Is that so? I'm looking forward to it," Mike smiled.
Once everyone was gathered, they headed to the dining table.
George Sr., the head of the household, was working at the sporting goods store and couldn't get away for lunch.
As for the little sweetheart, Missy, she was over at the Sparks' house playing with Billy, so she wouldn't be back for lunch either.
Once everyone was seated, Meemaw studied Mike's face seriously and said, "Mike, have you lost weight?"
Mike was a bit speechless. With his passive "Moonlight" ability constantly improving his physique, it was physically impossible for him to lose weight.
But he understood Meemaw's mindset. It's the classic grandmother trope: no matter how you look, if you've been away, you're obviously starving and wasting away.
Just as Mike was about to argue, Meemaw leaned in. "If I'd known you were coming back today, I would have thawed out those Rocky Mountain Oysters I've been saving. Good for your... vitality."
Meemaw's tone got a little suggestive.
Everyone else might be in the dark about what Mike had been up to for the last week, but Meemaw knew exactly what was going on.
"No thanks, I really don't need that," Mike shook his head, declining politely. "Save them for someone who needs the boost."
"Fine, lucky George then," Meemaw joked, glancing at Mary.
Sheldon, completely lost, raised his hand. "Do Rocky Mountain Oysters have special chemical properties? Why would George specifically need them?"
Hearing her son's innocent question, Mary gasped and cut him off immediately. "Shelly, you are too young for that conversation."
After shushing her son, Mary shot a glare at Meemaw, silently scolding her for bringing up inappropriate topics.
While Sheldon didn't get it, Georgie and Dan understood the implication perfectly. They looked at Mike with pure envy.
But then, glancing at Mike's handsome face, they both felt a wave of defeat and silently hung their heads.
"Alright, let's say grace!" Mary clapped her hands, breaking the increasingly awkward atmosphere.
After a hearty lunch, Sheldon brought out Dungeons & Dragons. He set it up in the living room to play with Mike, Dan, and Georgie.
Bored, Mary dragged Meemaw over to watch them play.
Dungeons & Dragons is an adventure board game with a massive lore background. The characters are generally divided into three alignments: Evil, Neutral, and Good.
The game was surprisingly high quality, with realistic artwork on every card.
"I want to be the Big Boss," Sheldon immediately grabbed the Demon Lord card.
Seeing the hideous, demonic image on the card made Mary, a devout Christian, visibly uncomfortable.
"You guys pick first," Mike said, not really caring what role he played.
"I'll be the Hero..."
"I'll take the Elven Ranger..."
Georgie and Dan went with their guts and picked the two coolest-looking cards.
"Guess I'll be the Dragon then," Mike said casually, picking up a card featuring a fire-breathing dragon.
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