"Mom, Dad, and everyone..."
Hearing the commotion, the young man turned around with a smile, revealing a face familiar to everyone.
"Georgie?!!"
George Sr., seeing the young man clearly, spoke with a mix of happiness and confusion.
The expressions of the rest of the Cooper family were quite similar to George Sr.'s.
It had only been a little over four months, but the changes in Georgie standing before them were so drastic they were almost unbelievable.
First, physically, he had grown about three or four inches taller. He was now over six feet tall, and his overall build looked much sturdier and more muscular.
Secondly, his temperament had changed. With his hair cut shorter, Georgie's features looked more defined and rugged. Overall, he looked like a reliable adult.
"Georgie, is that really you? That is so cool!!!"
Missy, who always appreciated good looks, walked up to her brother, clicking her tongue in wonder.
Georgie, having fully filled out, was indeed much more handsome.
Soon after, George Sr., Mary, and Meemaw Connie also approached Georgie, re-evaluating this family member of theirs.
"Muscles are pretty solid~"
Meemaw Connie went straight in and squeezed Georgie's arm, giving a satisfied evaluation.
As for Mary, she seemed to have forgotten all the previous unpleasantness.
For a moment, the scene turned into a heartwarming family reunion.
"Alright, Georgie and his friend just got back. Let's save the talk for inside the house."
George Sr. noticed the beautiful girl his son had brought back, and a look of relief and gratification appeared on his face.
Subsequently, the large group filed into the house and sat in the living room.
George Sr. and Mary had too many questions about their eldest son's four months of independent living.
"This is my girlfriend, Mandy. We met in Oklahoma. Mandy used to live in New York and was a model..."
Georgie first introduced the beautiful girl beside him to everyone.
Mandy was over five foot seven, with blonde hair, big eyes, and a great figure—a standard American sweetheart look.
Then Georgie introduced his family to Mandy.
Both sides greeted each other amicably.
It was evident that Georgie's girlfriend had a very cheerful personality, which made George Sr. and Mary very satisfied with her.
"We ran a food truck together, and worked odd jobs at supermarkets and car washes..."
Georgie spoke with a touch of emotion about his and Mandy's life over the past few months.
There was a hint of romance amidst the mundanity.
It turned out that not long after Georgie "ran away from home," he met Mandy, who was also out clearing her head.
It was love at first sight. Georgie then started his entrepreneurial journey, converting an RV into a food truck.
Unfortunately, this venture wasn't successful. Georgie, having invested his entire life savings into the food truck, ultimately failed due to poor management.
The only good news was that during this failed attempt, Mandy stayed by Georgie's side, never abandoning him.
Their relationship had withstood the test of life's hardships.
"It's okay, Georgie. You're not even eighteen yet. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future..."
After listening to his eldest son's story, George Sr. comforted him from the perspective of someone who had been there.
Yes, in George Sr.'s view, the fact that his eldest son dared to try was already excellent performance.
Any father would be happy to see his child's growth.
"You're not even eighteen?"
Mandy, who had been somewhat reserved on the side, suddenly interrupted the father-son conversation, staring at Georgie with disbelief.
"Yeah, if Georgie hadn't dropped out, he should be in twelfth grade right now."
George Sr., not realizing the gravity of the situation, explained on behalf of his son, "But don't worry, Georgie's mother and I are very open-minded. We won't interfere with his dating life."
You could say that seeing his eldest son find such a beautiful girlfriend, George Sr. was actually quite proud of him.
"You liar! You said you were twenty-seven! If I knew you were this young, I never would have dated you..."
Mandy's expression became complicated, teetering on the edge of an explosion.
The girl had suspected Georgie's age before, but after Georgie's assurances, she just assumed he had a baby face.
However, at this moment, she realized Georgie didn't just look young; he had grown up too fast.
A teenager with the face of a twenty-something.
Of course, it was precisely because of this that Georgie was able to fool the girl into dating him.
"What's going on? What twenty-seven?"
Seeing the girl's agitation, George Sr. realized something was wrong.
"Uh, I'll explain that to you later..."
Facing his family's probing gazes, Georgie offered a guilty, perfunctory response. Then he looked at Mandy and said deeply, "You should know how I feel. Age isn't a problem for us. I don't mind that you're older~"
"But I mind! Oh my God, I'm dating a guy twelve years younger than me. You're not even eighteen, this is a crime..."
Mandy, knowing the truth, got more agitated as she spoke, unable to control her emotions: "Sorry, I need to be alone to calm down!"
To preserve her last shred of dignity, the girl got up and walked out before completely losing control.
The Cooper family, stunned by the news the girl dropped, didn't react in time to stop her.
"Twelve years older? That means Mandy is twenty-nine. Georgie, you really have grown up."
Not long after, Meemaw Connie, the first to react, looked at Georgie with a half-smile.
"I need an explanation, Georgie."
Mary, also snapping out of it, had a very ugly expression on her face.
As a mother, Mary was obviously very dissatisfied with her eldest son finding an "old" woman to date.
Even if she was very beautiful.
"Mandy is a good girl. She is the one I want to spend my life with."
Georgie had indeed grown a lot during this time and possessed a man's sense of responsibility. He immediately stated his stance.
Of course, for Georgie, there were benefits to being older—she knew how to take care of people.
Mandy's mature temperament was exactly what attracted him the most.
"That's still not okay. She is a full twelve years older than you. You two are not suitable at all..."
Mary also stated her attitude.
Beside her, George Sr. nodded slightly. After knowing the girl's age, he no longer looked favorably on the match either.
"Mandy is pregnant. The child is mine..."
Seeing his family's disapproval, Georgie dropped another bombshell.
"Oh ho, am I going to be a great-grandmother?~"
The fun-loving Meemaw Connie smiled and gave Georgie a thumbs up.
Among the three elders in the room, perhaps only the most open-minded Meemaw Connie really didn't mind the age gap between the couple.
She even thought it was pretty cool.
"Georgie! Do you know what you are saying?"
However, as a devout Christian, Mary obviously couldn't accept her eldest son's absurd life choices.
"Of course I know..." Georgie said seriously, "Mandy is pregnant, we went for a check-up. I brought her back this time to share this news with you. I hope to get your blessing."
Actually, as she got older, Mandy was no longer suitable for modeling. Her trip out to clear her head was also to find a new life.
From this point of view, she and Georgie were quite a match.
Georgie obviously knew this too.
On the other side, George Sr., who had fallen into deep thought because of his eldest son's personal affairs, saw that his wife's expression was wrong and quickly spoke up first: "No matter what, as a man of the Cooper family, you have to be responsible for your actions. Georgie, go find Mandy and bring her back now. We can discuss the rest slowly later."
The mild-tempered George Sr. softened his attitude after knowing the woman was pregnant.
"I'm going right now~"
Hearing his father's instruction, Georgie immediately got up and rushed out.
You have to remember, Mandy was a stranger in a strange place here, so Georgie was quite worried about her. If he hadn't needed to appease his parents, he would have chased after her long ago.
---
"Lord have mercy! I knew nothing good would come with Georgie..."
After the eldest son left, Mary's expression was still very unpleasant.
"Alright Mary, it's too late to say these things now. Mandy is also a 'victim.' When she comes back later, be a little gentler with her."
George Sr., having adjusted his mindset, patiently persuaded his wife.
If you really count it up, Mandy was indeed the one who got the short end of the stick.
"I know that."
After the initial anger, Mary gradually calmed down.
She was trying to convince herself to accept Mandy.
Being able to work in the modeling industry meant Mandy was very beautiful. Plus, with proper maintenance, the girl didn't look like someone approaching thirty.
If age wasn't considered, Georgie seemed more like the one "punching above his weight."
"I'll go prepare dinner. George, you come help too."
Although she hadn't admitted it verbally, Mary had gradually accepted Mandy as a "daughter-in-law."
Today was essentially the girl's first visit.
Mary planned to cook a big meal to treat her well.