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After Mike and the two girls went back to continue their card game, George and Herschel were over at the Cooper house, enjoying a little drink.
Maybe it was all the frustration from being cooped up at home, but it didn't take long for Herschel to get a bit tipsy.
"You know, my only dream is to run a small farm out in the country and live a comfortable, rural life. But Brenda? She doesn't support me one bit..." Now a little buzzed, Herschel couldn't help but complain about his home life.
Like a true Texan, Herschel's dream was to own his own piece of land and live a leisurely country life.
Raising chickens, fishing—just thinking about it sounded wonderful.
However, Brenda, who was allergic to animals, strongly resisted moving to the countryside with her husband.
In her eyes, the small town offered far better healthcare, educational resources, and living facilities than some tiny rural backwater.
So, thinking long-term, Brenda would rather struggle a bit in town than move to the country where she saw no future.
It was a fundamental difference in life philosophy.
As a result, Herschel and his wife had argued about this many times at home.
George, whose home life wasn't exactly a bed of roses either, felt a pang of sympathy for Herschel's situation.
The two middle-aged men were in very similar boats. Both were blocked by their strong-willed wives—one couldn't live his dream country life, and the other had lost a golden opportunity to coach college football.
So, with George chiming in every now and then, the two disappointed middle-aged men drank more and more.
The drinking session lasted until after five in the afternoon. It wasn't until Billy came over looking for him that Herschel stumbled home with his son.
"I had no idea... Herschel was talking, and I thought the Sparks family was so happy..." Mary, who had been listening to Herschel complain from the side room all afternoon, walked out with a slightly gloating expression.
Clearly, she hadn't forgotten the unpleasantness she had with Brenda last time.
Knowing that her "rival" wasn't doing well made Mary feel surprisingly good.
As the saying goes: Happiness is all about comparison.
"It's their family business, let's not discuss it," George said, frowning slightly at his wife's gossipy look. "I need to go rest. Don't disturb me before dinner."
"Honestly, why did you drink so much with Herschel when you had nothing better to do..." Seeing her husband heading to the bedroom reeking of alcohol, Mary scolded him unhappily while cleaning up the mess he left behind.
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Over the next little while, Little George, having earned Herschel's approval, started leaving early and coming home late, learning how to fix cars at the auto shop.
One evening before dinner, when Mike sent the two girls off and came over to the Cooper house, he found the atmosphere at the dinner table a bit off.
"What happened?" Mike asked.
"It's Herschel... he divorced Brenda. He's already taken his daughter and moved to the country..." Little George, who couldn't keep a secret, blurted out.
Apparently, longing for the leisurely country life, Herschel had abandoned his wife and son for his dream.
And because it happened so suddenly, Little George lost his guarantor, and consequently, his apprenticeship at the auto shop.
Normally, without someone to vouch for you, learning the trade at a shop meant doing heavy manual labor and paying a tuition fee.
Because of this, the Cooper family discussed it and decided to scrap the plan for Little George to continue learning auto repair.
Little George, who had finally found something he was passionate about, was bummed out about his current situation.
"Georgie, school starts in a few days..." Seeing his eldest son looking down, George tried to comfort him. "It's good that you're not going to the shop. You can use this time to prepare for your classes."
From a parent's perspective, a student's main job was studying.
However, compared to studying—which he wasn't good at—Little George obviously preferred working as a mechanic.
After all, with his natural talent for hands-on work, fixing cars was the only time he felt he was just as good as anyone else.
That sense of satisfaction was enough to hook any young person.
Unfortunately, Little George didn't get enough validation at home.
Hearing his father's words, the light in his eyes faded, and he lowered his head in silence.
The truth was, the eldest son's feelings didn't shock George and Mary nearly as much as the Sparks' divorce did.
Mary, whose compassion was overflowing, had previously disliked Brenda after their conflict.
But knowing that she had been divorced and would have to struggle to raise her son alone, Mary started to pity her.
"George, if you're free tomorrow, go check on Brenda. See if there's anything you can help with," Mary urged.
Brenda's wages at the bowling alley weren't high, and she had a nine-year-old son to raise. Her future life was going to be tough, no doubt about it.
"I don't think that's necessary. Brenda seems like a tough woman; she should be able to handle things herself," George demurred.
Although he sympathized with Brenda's situation, his aversion to trouble made him reluctant to get too involved with a newly divorced woman.
You could say George's family values were still intact; he didn't want to disrupt his current peaceful life over something unusual.
"Go help Brenda. I remember she's allergic to animals, so the chicken coop at her place will definitely need tending to," Meemaw Connie, who had more life experience, understood the hardships of a single mother better.
So, she added, "I'll go with you tomorrow."
As neighbors and fellow bowling enthusiasts, Meemaw Connie and Brenda had always had a decent relationship.
Meemaw genuinely wanted to help Brenda out within her means.
"Alright, I'll go over there tomorrow," George agreed, giving in to the two women's requests.
With Brenda's situation settled, Meemaw Connie, now relaxed, seemed to remember another important matter.
She turned to Mike and said, "About Paige transferring to Medford High, her parents have already worked it out with the school. The little girl will be coming to live here tomorrow. You look out for her for me."
"That fast?" Mike knew a bit about Paige wanting to transfer to Medford, but he didn't expect it to happen so quickly.
But it made sense. Paige was a super genius; having her transfer to Medford was an honor for the school.
Under these circumstances, bending the rules a little for a genius wasn't a big deal.
"Alright, I'll take good care of Paige," Mike promised, understanding the situation.
With Mike's assurance, Meemaw Connie smiled and didn't say anything more.
The next day, George, now free, dragged his idle eldest son along to accompany Meemaw Connie to Brenda's house.
The arrival of the three of them was a big help to the overwhelmed Brenda.
"Connie, George, thank you for coming to help," said Brenda, who had just gone through a divorce and was emotionally fragile. Having people come to help not only relieved her stress but also touched her deeply.
"As a thank you, I want to give you the chicken coop in the yard..." Brenda said. "You know I'm allergic to animals. I can't take care of it if it stays here."
"No, no, no, we appreciate the thought, but we can't take the coop," Meemaw Connie firmly refused.
As a single mother, Brenda's life was going to be hard.
Keeping a small chicken coop meant she could at least sell eggs later, which would ease her financial burden a bit.
"Yeah, Brenda. We can't take the coop..." George softened. "How about this? When Georgie and I have time, we'll come over and help you manage the coop. You don't have to worry about the allergies."
"Thank you so much," Brenda said. She had been impulsive earlier, but now that she had calmed down, she realized her situation.
She still had a child to take care of, and life had to go on.
Besides personal preferences, selling eggs was a decent side gig.
So, after calming down and considering everything, Brenda proposed giving half the eggs to George and his son as payment for their help.
After all, favors fade, but mutual benefit lasts.
After declining twice, George agreed to the compensation to put Brenda at ease.
Meanwhile, Barry and his wife were driving a large pickup truck full of luggage, arriving at Meemaw Connie's door with their daughter.