"I missed your stupid face." Liz's sweet, sweet younger sister, Evelyn, says, wrapping her in a hug.

"My stupid face looks just like your stupid face." Liz shoots back, grinning at her twin. She's the more put together sibling while Liz does whatever the hell she wants.

"Oh shut up." Liz follows Lyn into their childhood home in Plano, Texas. She hasn't been home since she left for Texarkana with her ex-boyfriend, Hank. He had gotten a job he couldn't pass up out there working on an oil rig and she moved with him.

That was three years ago.

Lyn links her arm with her older sister as they walk to the door. "Mamaw's real pissed at you for not comin' home in a few years."

"Well, I'm here now." She mumbles, tossing her purse on the door side table, her boots underneath it before she heads to the heart of the house; the kitchen. "Hey y'all!"

"Elizabeth!" Her father, Walter, says, standing to give his oldest daughter a hug.

Liz and Walt have a special relationship. Some would say she's a daddy's girl but who needs a label. He's the kind of dad that would rip off his arm if that meant his kids would be okay. Walt keeps saying he doesn't have a favorite but it's apparent that Liz fits the bill.

"Hey Daddy." She smiles, sinking against her father's embrace. "I missed you."

The two make their way out to the back deck where Lyn and their grandmother, Queenie, are sat at the patio table. "Hey baby!" Queenie grins.

"Mamaw." Liz smiles back, leaning over to give her a quick kiss on the cheek. "You look so beautiful, mamaw."

"You can't butter me up, sweetheart. I'm still mad at you for ignorin' me." There's a tease laced in her words. "You hungry? I'm sure it was a long drive in." She doesn't wait for a response as she gets to her bare feet and hobbles her way inside, Liz and Lyn trailing behind.

"How's Hank doin'?" Mamaw asks, cooking up some chili.

"They broke up a while ago, Mamaw." Lyn answers, helping chop up some onions and celery.

"Really? I'm sorry to hear that. I liked him."

"Yeah, it is what it is."

"I also liked that Dylan fella, God rest his soul." Liz nods, the conversation she had with Michael still somewhat fresh in her mind. "What've you been up to? I feel like we ain't see ya in years."

"Three years." Lyn comments, looking over at her twin. "We missed you. You should think 'bout movin' back home."

"Lyn-"

"What? You got some fella waitin' for you in Texarkana?" There's a blush that colors her face. "Ooh!" Lyn giggles. "Who?"

"I met him in Nashville and we've been talkin' ever since." She shrugs, snapping the tips off some fresh homegrown green beans.

"What's his name?" Mamaw asks, the same smile her mom had on her face.

"Michael." She shakes her head, trying to hide another blush. "Long distance is really killin' me."

"Me and your Papaw was long distance when he was servin' in Vietnam. We got married as soon as he stepped foot back in the states." Mamaw smiles.

"Really? How old were you?"

"I was sixteen and he was eighteen. When he got back, I was eighteen and we got hitched."

"Awe." Lyn giggles. "I know love because of you and papaw."

Liz and Lyn's mother passed when they were six from breast cancer. It tore their father apart so Queenie and Stanley moved in to help him and his little girls out.

"I wanna meet this Michael that's interested my little girl." Walt says from the table.

"But daddy-"

"No buts, Elizabeth! If you're talkin' to a boy, I gotta meet him."

"Fine." She laughs, setting the table. "I will call him and talk to him later, okay?"

"Works for me, baby."

+++

"Your family sounds like a lot of fun." Michael smiles, looking at her grainy image on his phone screen while laying in his bed.

"They want to meet you and by they, I mean mostly my daddy." She responds from the other side of her phone while she's tucked away in her bed.

"Can't wait to meet 'em." Liz's face lights up at his words and he grins back. "If they're anythin' like you, they're gonna love me." She laughs, shaking her head.

Liz's tired eyes shift to her alarm clock on her nightstand. "Oh, shit. I gotta get to bed. Gotta get up early tomorrow and go to the bank before I pull a double. Anna's sick."

"Sounds like a busy day. I'll let you go then."

"Okay. Bye."

"Night, baby."

She giggles to herself as she hangs up. Liz is beyond head over heels for this boy and she's totally okay with it.

Michael hasn't felt this way about a girl before.

He might be in love.

+++

Michael made his way back to Texarkana a few days ago. Since he stepped foot in Liz's house, he feels like he belongs with her. The way they flow, it feels like it's meant to be, those two.

Currently, Liz is standing at the stove in nothing but his Hail State shirt and a pair of panties while he's leaning back against the kitchen counter in his shorts. He reaches over and turns her radio on, a smile forming on his face at the music that comes on. He takes her hand away from the pot handle and pulls her against him, dancing with her. She laughs, her head against his shoulder.

Those words of affirmation are dancing on their tongues but both are too chicken to actually say it. Sure they've been dating for almost a year but it's still a big deal.

He says fuck it.

"I'm fallin' in love with you." He whispers, her smaller hand wrapped up in his larger one as they slow dance in the middle of her kitchen.

She looks up at him and smiles that million dollar, heart stopping grin. "I'm fallin' in love with you too."

His nervousness melts away at her words, his embrace becoming tighter around her frame as he lifts her and spins her around.

She giggles as she kisses him, her legs wrapping around his waist. She pulls back and rests her forehead against his. "Bout time." She teases, slipping down to her feet.

He blushes and rolls his eyes, grabbing a handful of her ass before smacking it. He knows she likes that, middle of sex or not. She bites her lip, keeping her attention on the pot in front of her. His hand goes to her hip, sneaking under her borrowed t-shirt. Her head falls back against his shoulder, her eyes fluttering closed and lips parting before he suddenly pulls away making her scowl at him.

He bites back a smirk at her expression. "When do we leave for Plano?"

Liz looks up at her childhood home, a grin forming on her face. "Looks like Mamaw, Papaw, and Daddy are home."

Hearing that makes him nervous. Meeting his girlfriend's family is a big deal. She's said it before; she'd die for her family. She loves them more that she could ever comprehend.

"Okay." He grabs her hand and walks with her across the driveway to the front door.

Liz opens it and takes her shoes off, Michael does too and follows her into the kitchen. "Hey y'all!"

"Elizabeth!" Papaw says, standing. He steadies himself with his old, calloused hand on the table. He wraps his oldest granddaughter in a hug, a huge smile on his face that quickly disappears when he sees Michael awkwardly standing behind her. "Who's that?"

"This is Michael." She says, her arm around his back and a hand on his chest. "Michael, this is Queenie, Stanley and Walt."

"Call me Mamaw." Queenie smiles, being the first to hug Michael. It catches him off guard at first but he hugs her back. "Y'all hungry?"

Liz smiles at her grandmother before she gives Michael's shoulders a squeeze. "Sit down and don't be awkward." She mumbles to him then pats his shoulders. She turns on her heel and follows Mamaw into the kitchen to help make them lunch.

He sits across from Papaw and Walt, wiping his sweaty hands on his shorts. "So, Michael," Walt starts.

"Yessir?"

"What do you do?"

He chuckles nervously. "I'm a musician."

Walt and Papaw's eyebrows might as well be in their hairlines. They weren't expecting that. The other boys Liz has brought home were- well Dylan and Hank. Dylan was president of FFA, wanted to take over his grandfathers farm when he graduated and Hank is as blue collar as it gets.

"Really." Papaw says, looking between his son in law and his granddaughter's boyfriend. "Wasn't expectin' that."

"I actually have a degree in songwriting."

"I didn't know you could study that." He chuckles. "I didn't go to college."

"And I was too busy shootin' people in 'Nam." Papaw laughs. "How'd you meet Liz?"

"We met in Nashville at a bar." He blushes slightly, not knowing if he should tell them what went down or just leave it. "She," He smiles. "She was at the jukebox and picked a song and started dancin' like she was the only one there."

"She's always been outgoin'. Definitely her mother's daughter." Walt matches his smile.

"She's so original and unapologetically herself and it's refreshin'. She doesn't care what people think about her. I love that."

The back door opens and Liz sets plates full of the lunch Mamaw made in front of Papaw and Walt before disappearing into the house. She returns shortly with plates for herself and Michael, sitting across from him instead of next to. He looks confused, glancing at the empty seat next to him then at the girl across from him.

"Mamaw fried up some chicken with garlic for sandwiches." She says, somewhat struggling to meet Michael's eye line.

He looks between Walt and Stanley then back at Liz.

The door opens again and Liz follows Mamaw out to the table. Michael's jaw drops as he looks between his girlfriend and the imposter in front of him. "Uh, what?"

"What's wrong, son?" Walt asks, his forearms pressed against the edge of the table.

"You're a twin?"

"No, we're actually triplets." Liz shoots back sarcastically, sitting next to him.

"Are you really?"

"No!" Lyn laughs, shaking her head. "It's just us."

"You never told me you were a twin."

"What? Is that a deal breaker?"

"Elizabeth." Mamaw says in a warning tone, giving her the hint that this is neither the time nor place to talk about this.

"Pass the pepper." Stanley states to Lyn, pointing at the chicken shaped shaker, his eyes hardened at their guest in a glare.

Michael rolls his lips into his mouth as he keeps his eyes down on his plate, praying he didn't just make her family hate him.

"Are you actually pissed that I didn't tell you I was a twin?" Liz asks. She's got Michael cornered in her childhood bedroom, her arms crossed as she narrows her eyes at him.

"A little heads up would've been nice."

"I thought you knew!"

"You never mentioned being a twin!" He snaps, trying to keep his voice steady so he doesn't accidentally yell at her but he fails.

"Is it really that big of a fucking deal!?"

She can see him clench his jaw as he keeps his hands in his pockets. They've never yelled at each other before. She looks away, rolling her lips in her mouth.

"Sorry." She forces herself to say. It's hard for her to say right now as she's incredibly worked up but she's trying to fix this issue before it spirals into something worse or before it gets too late to apologize. "You're right. We've been datin' for close to a year and I should've told you."

He nods, clearing his throat while running his hand through his hair before sliding his hat back on. "Sorry for, y'know, overreactin'."

She nods back, awkwardly crossing an arm over her chest, holding onto her tattooed upper arm. "Are we okay?"

"Yeah." He takes a few steps toward her, his arm snaking around her waist, hugging her close. She hugs him back, patting his chest before pulling away. "I like your dad and granddad."

"I hope they like you back." She teases, her hand on the door handle. "You mighta lost a few points for freakin' out but I'm sure they'll add em back since we figured things out."

Michael's smile turns into a smirk when he grabs her ass as her back is turned. "Don't start somethin' you can't finish." She mumbles back, biting her lip.

"We'll finish it later, then." He whispers, his breath fanning across her neck. She pulls back and heads down the hallway.

"Now that the shock of bein' a twin has set in, I'm Lyn."

"Nice to meet you." He says, glancing between the two. "I couldn't tell y'all apart-"

"We don't look alike." Liz says, standing next to her sister. "I don't see it." She's joking, obviously. "She's the baby."

"By like two minutes!"

Michael laughs when Liz rolls her eyes. "Blah blah blah, tomato tomahto."

"They want me to move home." Liz whispers to Michael. The two are currently laying back in her bed the following night, facing each other while their fingers are twisted together.

Michael nods. "I don't blame 'em. You looked so comfortable there."

"I want to go back but it's just hard." He nods again, his eyes on their attached fingers. "I don't want to be further away from you."

"You should move in with me."