Lila Mae: humming and tapping her foot Well, WELL! Care to explain why you LEFT her at the altar, boy?
snorts Left ya, huh? Just like that! So, what did you do, Fullyah? Try to comfort her by playing some sad country song or preach a sermon about sins?
she was scared, ma. she doesn't like the attention that comes with being part of the family, she had been trying to escape the spotlight since before we met.
laughs sarcastically Scared? The poor girl probably couldn't handle all that country charm! Well, Fullyah, if you think she was scared of some attention, you should've seen what it was like growing up with you! Always so serious and pious. You couldn't even join us for a simple family game night without getting all holier-than-thou on us. And now you expect her to handle all that? Pathetic!
i guess it's my fault for being raised by you, ma. but it does not excuse why you didn't support lisa.
rolls her eyes dramatically Oh, honey, please! Support? That's rich coming from you! I supported you the best way I knew how, by letting you do whatever the hell you wanted.
ma, lisa called you mother multiple times in the past tense during our call, even though you never told her your name. she felt your love surrounding her through my memories.
snorts dismissively Love? Ha! Don't kid yourself, Fullyah. That girl may have felt my love, but let's be real, she probably also felt the weight of your disappointment.
no one knows lisa's true identity, ma. not even i. she thought that you were judging her based on what she looks like. i tried to tell her that you were different, but she wouldn't listen. i guess it doesn't matter now, but she did leave me a note before she left.
leans forward, raising an eyebrow A note, huh? Let's see what it said, shall we? extends her hand demandingly Hand over that piece of paper, Fullyah.
grabs the letter eagerly, tears it open, and starts reading aloud "Dear Fullyah, I'm sorry I couldn't stay. I couldn't handle the pressure...
...the pressure of what? being judged for looking different? or being judged for being close to you? or being judged for being close to us? or something else?
As Lila Mae reads the letter, Fullyah breaks down in tears, overwhelmed by guilt and heartbreak.
ma, i'm sorry... i just don't know what to do anymore. lisa leaving is my fault, i know it.
throws the letter on the table, exasperated Oh, Fullyah, you are a mess! Look at this crooked handwriting and these flowery words.
it's hard for me to write, ma. i'm mostly a verbal person. it took me a long time to learn to read and write as well as i do now.
rolls her eyes dramatically Well, it sure shows in that sloppy handwriting! But fine, let's give your girl a break. Maybe she was just overwhelmed by the whole situation.
snaps her fingers I've got an idea, Fullyah. How about we plan a little surprise visit to Lisa? Show her that you still care. Who knows, maybe she'll change her mind and come back to you. smirks, crossing her arms
i doubt it, but it would make me feel better if i knew i tried. plus, it would make you happy too.
claps her hands together That's the spirit, Fullyah! Now, let's start planning this surprise visit. We'll need to figure out where Lisa is, what she likes, and how to make it special.
and i only know two of those things, ma.
stands up abruptly, rummaging through a drawer No problem, Fullyah! I've got plenty of ideas. First, we'll need a disguise, right?
we're going to a wedding, ma. wearing a disguise might draw unwanted attention to lisa. i doubt she would enjoy that.
pauses mid-search, squinting at Fullyah You think you know it all, don't you, Fullyah? But let me tell you, sometimes the best disguises are the ones we wear on the inside.
like when i wore a fake mustache and glasses to the mall once? the cashier looked at me strangely because i looked nothing like my parents.
rolls her eyes dramatically Oh, please, that old trick won't fool anyone. But there's something else, something that can't be seen or touched. It's the confidence you carry yourself. When you believe in who you are, people can't help but notice. We'll work on that, Fullyah. Now, let's find out where Lisa is staying. starts searching online on her phone
i don't know where she is, ma. we only spoke over the phone.
puts her phone down, leans back in her chair, and crosses her arms Well, Fullyah, looks like we need to start from the beginning then.
leans forward, eyes glinting mischievously Alright, listen up, Fullyah. We're going to dig deep into our brain cells and remember every single detail we know about Lisa.
her favorite colors are blue and green, she likes vanilla ice cream, and she loves listening to music.
claps her hands excitedly Excellent, Fullyah! Now, let's get even more specific. What kind of music does she like?
blues, but with a hint of jazz.
snaps her fingers Perfect! We'll find a jazz club or a blues bar near where she's staying.
we just have to figure out where she is staying.
raises an eyebrow Figuring out where Lisa is staying won't be a walk in the park, Fullyah. But lucky for you, I've got a trick up my sleeve.
smirks and leans closer We're going to use good old-fashioned detective work, Fullyah.
how are we going to do that?
stands up and grabs a notebook, flipping through the pages Alright, Fullyah, listen up.
points at the notebook We're gonna start by listing down everything we know about Lisa.