Archie turns off the water and dries off as best he can before getting dressed. His hair still feels slightly damp, but it's not too bad. He walks out of the bathroom and down the hall to the rec room, where Carl, Sofia, and Carol are already there. Carl and Sofia are playing checkers and Carol continues to read, as she had been doing.
Carol looks up when Archie enters the room and smiles at him. He nods in return and makes his way over to Mellody, who is lying on the floor next to Carl and Sofia.
"What you doin'?" Archie asks, approaching Mellody and squatting down next to her.
She looks up at him, excited to show off what she's been working on. "Making bracelet!" she declares enthusiastically, holding up her wrist to show him the bracelet she's been working on.
Archie hums in acknowledgement, not quite the same level of enthusiasm as Mellody, but he recognizes her excitement and effort. He sits down on the other side of the couch, content to simply observe her while she continues to work.
Mellody looks up from the bracelet she's working on and over at Sofia and Carl who are still playing checkers. "Hey Sofia, are you winning?" she asks, trying to strike up a conversation despite not knowing the rules of the game.
Sofia looks over at her, smiling slightly, "No," she says, her voice still soft and reserved but not quite as shy as she was when her father first died.
Lori enters the room, a glass of wine in her hand, looking relaxed and happy. They all smile when they see Lori approach, and they can see she's enjoying the quiet moment just as much as they are.
Archie asks, "Have a good shower?"
"Best shower I have ever had," Lori responds, a small chuckle escaping her lips.
"Any good books?" Lori asks, looking around for something to read.
"Uh-huh," Carol mutters, closing her book. "Enough to keep us busy for years. Alright, kids, it's bedtime," she adds, looking over at Sofia, Carl, and Mellody.
"Sure, honey," Lori responds, smiling as she makes her way over to the bookshelf. "Come on, baby, go say your prayers. I'm gonna browse a bit," she adds, heading over to the bookshelf.
"Come on," Carol says, her voice kind but firm.
"This is the first night we might actually get some real sleep," Carol says, looking over at Lori with a smile.
Lori hums in agreement as she looks over the books, her eyes scanning the covers and spines for something to catch her interest.
"It really is," Carol adds, turning to Sofia and giving her a warm smile. "A real miracle.”
"Are you coming?" Sofia asked Mellody. Mellody nods and starts cleaning up the beads, eager to follow Sofia.
"Go ahead, I'll be there in a bit," Archie says, shooing Mellody away with his hand.
Carol taps Sophia on the nose, a playful gesture, and then takes her hand and leads her and Sofia out of the rec room and down the hall to their bedrooms.
"Hey, uh, sorry for what my dad called you," Archie says, hesitantly stepping forward. He's not good at apologizing, but he knows his father's behavior was unacceptable.
Lori looks at him, slightly confused at first, but then her expression softens and she smiles. She knows how hard it is for Archie to say something like this and she appreciates the sentiment.
"It's alright," she says, I know he can be a bit... eccentric at times."
Archie looks at her, his eyes wide with surprise. This is the first time he's ever heard Lori say anything even slightly negative about his father,
