"Thanks, Elma," he said with a small smile.

Sheldon, meanwhile, was eyeing his mom's jewelry with big, sparkly eyes. "Mommy, your necklace and earrings are so pretty! Did Daddy give them to you?"

Tilda smiled, glancing at Lyndon, her gaze softer now. "Yes, he did."

A moment ago, she'd questioned the thought behind the gift. But now she recognized his genuine concern for her.

"So... do all girls really like these shiny things?" Sheldon asked aloud, mostly to himself, while eyeing the jewelry on his mom's neck.

Lyndon glanced at him with a smirk. "What, did some little girl at school flash her jewelry at you too?"

Sheldon nodded with a hum. "A classmate showed me her favorite necklace today. Then she said she wanted to give it to me."

Tilda, mid-sip of her soup, nearly choked.

She set the bowl down and coughed lightly. "Why would she want to give it to you?"

Sheldon frowned. "I dunno why. I don't even like necklaces."

Lyndon leaned back, drawing out his words in that calm tone of his. "Well, if a girl wants to give you her favorite thing... chances are, she likes you."

The table went quiet.

"Wow, Sheldon! You've got a little admirer already? Is she cute?" Elma leaned in.

Sheldon gave her a suspicious look. "Elma... what are you really trying to say?"

"Oh, I'm just making conversation." Elma, mindful of Sheldon's sensitivity, chuckled and dismissed it casually.

Tilda grinned and dabbed at her mouth with a napkin. "What Elma means is-if the girl's cute, maybe you should be nice to her. You never know-—childhood sweethearts are a thing."

"Exactly!" Elma jumped in enthusiastically. Sheldon's cheeks turned pink. "Mom!"

Lyndon chuckled and set down his spoon. "No need to get flustered, son. Having admirers just means you've got natural charm."

"Yes!" Tilda chimed in with a teasing smile. "By the time you graduate kindergarten, you might have your own little fan club."

Lyndon leaned in playfully. "We'll have to screen all the candidates. Make sure they're good enough."

The two of them were in sync, tossing jokes back and forth like pros.

Sheldon was caught in the middle, red-faced and exasperated. "I shouldn't have done that!" he muttered.

Tilda Laughed. "What do you mean?"

He crossed his arms. "Getting Dad to come home and cheer you up! Now you're both teaming up to mess with me!"