Episode Report Card Niki: A | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Two Makes a Home
By Niki | Season 3 | Episode 16 | Aired on 03.24.2002
Once inside, Aaron makes the introductions, mentioning that Miriam is his better half. As Miriam extinguishes her butt in her Big Gulp, Aaron leans in and whispers to Grace, "Can you tell me what that means?" Before Grace can answer, Zoe appears on the stairs. Zoe gets one look at Miriam and thinks twice, but Grace introduces them, so Zoe descends. Miriam belts out an enthusiastic "Hey Zoe!" while Grace explains to Aaron that she's not sure what the expression means, although she thinks it means men are the worse half. Overhearing this gem of wisdom, Miriam exclaims with glee and laughs knowingly. Lily, aroused by the ruckus, appears at the top of the stairs. "Aaron?" she asks, surprised. Aaron tells her that he and Miriam "came to mix on a social level." Lily asks whether the people at the group home know where they are. Miriam widens her eyes, cracking the black crust, and lies that they do. Aaron quickly follows her lead. Miriam steps forward and hands Lily a huge plastic bag, saying, "Have candy, Lily." Lily thanks her and then asks how the two of them got there. Miriam explains that they "took the bus -- [they] get free bus-riding lessons -- and sometimes [she's] Rosa Parks, except [she] doesn't let it get around, and the driver was Ralph Kramden today, and that [she] was Alice, his wife --" Aaron hugs himself and fidgets, sensing the discomfort of the others in the foyer. He places a hand on Miriam's shoulder to quiet her. "Okay," Lily says, forcing a smile. She offers to take their coats.
Time passes, and we cut to the bunch of them in the living room, where Aaron and Miriam are snuggling on the couch. Lily carries in a tray of tea and asks Grace to grab the cups. Setting down the tray on the coffee table, she exclaims in dismay, "What are these doing here? Grace?" The camera cuts to a handful (no pun intended) of Playgirls. Miriam pipes up that they're a "hostess gift." Zoe peeks over Lily's shoulder and looks as if she's been goosed. She runs from the magazines. As Lily stares disbelievingly at the porn, Miriam says matter-of-factly, "There's some great studs in there. Yeah, some of them were my husbands and some were my wives and..." She trails off, seeing the displeasure on Lily's face. She tries again: "And you have a very nice house and garden. Sorry." She buries her face in Aaron's shoulder. Lily assures her that it's okay. Grace returns with the cups, and Miriam chimes in importantly, "Oh, [Aaron] likes mostly milk and just a little bit of tea." Lily's hackles raise. She says she knows. "I want to be with Miriam, Lily," Aaron blurts. Lily gently says she knows; he already told her. "We ran away," he announces. Lily didn't see that one coming. Aaron rambles that the board-and-care wouldn't let them be together, and that he has to be with Miriam. "I have to have shoe trees," he adds. I can relate to that. He continues, "And vacuum cleaners and coffee cups and --" Lily cuts him off with a firm "Aaron!" Miriam glances up at him and whispers that he should get out his list. Lily watches sadly as he unfolds the well-worn page.