It's Not the End of the World

Karen has one grandparent, her dad’s father, and she calls him “Garfa.” Only Debbie knows that Karen calls him that. Garfa started the furniture store that Bill runs. Since retirement, Garfa has lived in Las Vegas. Garfa comes to visit. He tells Ellie that there hasn’t been a divorce in the Newman family. He offers to pay for a vacation for her and Bill to work out their problems. Ellie shakes her head and runs upstairs.

While setting the table for dinner, Karen finds some old cocktail napkins with her parents’ names on them. She puts them out on the table since they “might as well use them up” (51). Ellie mashes them into a ball and throws them away.

Bill and Garfa take the kids out to a steakhouse. Garfa tries to convince Bill to take him up on the vacation offer, but Bill refuses. Garfa is disappointed about not getting Bill and Ellie back together. Karen asks if she should try, too. Garfa tells her that it wouldn’t hurt. Garfa asks her to keep him posted and claims that she reminds him of Grandmother Newman.