Last Man Standing: Season 6 Episodes 6 & 8
Everyone in this story is at least eighteen years of age when having sexual relations.
Eve made a decision about her future. One morning. she entered the kitchen and announced to her parents that she's quitting her job at Outdoor Man.
Mike was upset, his favorite daughter was breaking ranks and leaving the place he built up over the years. He twisted his hands, to keep from strangling her, "You want to quit working at Outdoor Man?"
She stared back at him, "No. I am quitting. You made it, "want to quit" so we could have this discussion."
She tried walking away, but he stopped her, "This is crazy. You're making good money, It's a great experience. You want to cop a few fishing lures, I'll look the other way."
Vanessa came over to get into the discussion, "Uh, honey, why are you quitting?"
Mike corrected her, "No, no, no, she wants to quit. She's considering it. It's not a done deal."
She shook her head, "I found something else I want to do."
"You have another offer? I'll match it."
"I'm gonna volunteer at Take Shelter Denver. They build houses for the homeless."
"You volunteer, you're not making nothing. I'll double that. What are you gonna use for money? They don't pay you at the coffee shop for singing, so you're already working for nothing there."
"I still have graduation money."
"Oh, perfect, that's one week. What do you do for money next week?"
"I'll figure it out, Dad. It's not like I have a lot of expenses. I mean, isn't that the whole point of this gap year-- to figure out how I fit into the world?"
He groaned out, "Fit into the real world, which is about making money, buying food, football."
"She turned back to him, "Dad, it's my life, and it's my year, or maybe even longer, I don't know, but I will figure that out, Dad." She turned and left the room.
He looked to Vanessa and she shrugged, "She wants to do charity. How is that so bad?"
"Did you hear that?"
She nodded, "Yeah."
He threw up his arms, "Maybe even longer" She's not going to college. She quit her job. You know where this ends up? Cardboard box under a bridge. Is that where you want to say hello to your grand kids?"
She rolled her eyes, "Okay, you know, look, I understand. You're upset because you won't be taking your little buddy to work anymore."
"Oh, stop! That has nothing to do with it. I'm upset because Eve doesn't know how the world works, but thank God she's got an amazing father who cares enough about her to get her a lovely, loving kick on the ass." He turned and stormed out of the room too.
The next morning, Mike put his plan to work. He made Eve a very nice breakfast. He came over to the table, "You want another pancake?"
She looked up, "Yeah they're great."
He leaned over, "All right, there you go." He walked over to the counter.
She looked over at him, "Dad, are we, uh--are we cool?"
He looked to her, "Sure, why wouldn't we be?"
"Oh, okay, I just want you to understand that doing charity is really important to me, and Take Shelter Denver is a really good organization."
He leaned over the counter and wrote out something on a piece of paper, "It's a great organization. You know, your mom and I give quite a bit of money to them."
She smiled back at him, "Oh, really? That is so cool. Maybe I'll wind up using a hammer you guys brought or something."
He stepped over to the table, tore off what he wrote and handed it to her, "And wouldn't that be great."
She cut into her last pancake, "Yeah."
"There you go."
She stared up at him, "What's this?"
"That's a bill for what you had, pancakes, bacon and a coffee. Eight bucks."
She was shocked, "You're charging me for breakfast?"
He sighed and tore off another sheet of paper, "And rent! Congratulations, The hammer just came down." He turned and walked back to the counter.
"You're charging me rent in my family home? That's insane, Dad."
"No, I'm charging you way below market value. That's insane."
She came over with her plate, "But I'm your favorite, the one who goes to the gun range with you and the batting cages Even to Ronald Reagan's birthplace, where I was so moved, I wept at age 6. And you're telling me that's all worth nothing? NOTHING?!"
He shook his head, "I didn't charge you for the juice." He turned and put the eggs back in the fridge, "Listen, I just want you to know how the world works, Eve."
"I know how it works, Dad."
"No, you don't! I think you live in a bubble. Not a real one, because that would be very fragile and offer no real protection"
"So, you are charging me for this lecture, too? Because, I don't see it here on the bill."
"This paradise you live in is not real, all right? Unless you get that through your head, Take Shelter Denver's gonna be building you a house someday."
She stared at the bills, "So basically, I'm being punished for trying to get the most out of my gap year."
"Honey, I think you've lost focus. And I'm doing whatever I can to help you regain that, that's all."
Eve pulled her money out of her jeans pocket and counted it out, "Well, you know what?" She planted the money hard on the counter, ""Fine, count it, old man. No tip!" She turned and stormed out of the kitchen.
That afternoon, Eve came to his office at Outdoor man. He looked up, "Oh, hi, Eve, I didn't see you standing there. What's up?"
She walked in and stood before him, "Oh, I just thought about what you said about the "real world" and paying rent."
He smiled up at her, "And you came to your senses."
She glared at him, "I'm moving out!" She turned and stormed out again.
He got home and Vanessa was all over him, "What the hell is going on? Eve told me she's moving out. This is your fault. You started charging her for breakfast? Which is ridiculous because you always under cook the bacon. I mean, it's like I got a pig in my mouth."
He turned to her, "Want to get a glass of wine, and talk about this?'
She threw up her hand, "Oh, yeah, so you can charge me for that, too?"
"If I ran a tab for the wine you drink, you'd have to get a second job. "
She groaned out, "Stop it!"
"She's not going anywhere, okay?"
"Yeah, well, she sounded pretty serious to me, Mike."
"Yeah, well, she can't afford an apartment. How is she gonna afford her first and last month's rent? Sing them a song?"
She blurted out, "Yeah, yeah, I think that's better than money."
He was confused, "What?"
She backed off, "Well, I could see how a landlord wouldn't."
"What's she gonna put on the employment application? First job-volunteer?"
She nodded, "Oh, that's true, and she has no credit. I just don't want my little girl to move out."
He nodded, "I got it, got it. Apology accepted. Although, you might have to apologize again for that senseless attack on bacon."
Just them Mandy came down the stairs with a big box, "Where do you guys want me to store Eve's stuff? Because the sooner she's clearing out, the sooner I can knock down that wall, turn her room into my dream closet." She turned to Vanessa, "Oh, by the way, I'm turning her room into my dream closet."
"Mike yelled out, "Yeah, yeah, that's not gonna happen."
Vanessa snickered, "It doesn't look like Eve is moving out quite yet."