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Original Airdate: 09/27/97
Lucy is in the kitchen with Annie going over her homework assignment – planning the meals for a family for four weeks on only $75 a week. Annie tells her she should make a list so she can plan things out before she gets to the grocery store. The two have an argument and end up raising their voice at each other. Things settle down and Annie tells Lucy she loves her – but to never use that tone of voice with her again.Matt is at the desk in the family room writing a letter to Heather when he realizes he doesn't have an envelope so he goes to find one elsewhere in the house. Simon and Ruthie are waiting nearby and see their opportunity to catch a peek at the letter he is writing. All of a sudden from behind them they hear Mary who gives them the business about privacy but they return to reading the letter. Matt finds them next and quickly hides so they don't know they have been caught. Suddenly, he gets an idea.
Annie and Lucy go to the grocery store so Lucy can start her homework assignment. Annie tells her about the value of planning ahead so they can save money for better food. She tells Lucy how certain meals can help people remember special events in their lives. She tells her that shopping a spiritual thing for her and that's why she never let's anyone go with her. While wandering the aisles, the two bump into one of Lucy's classmates, Laurie, who is being yelled at by her mother, Carol. Annie offers to help Laurie with her assignment so Carol can take a break and go home. Carol accepts the kind offer.
Back at the house, Matt writes yet another letter and once again leaves it unguarded. Ruthie begs Simon to go down and read that letter as well, but Simon doesn't want to push his luck and refuses to read the new letter.
Mary calls Wilson and says they need to talk, so they make a date for 8PM. She tries to get him to say how much he loves Billy, but Wilson never actually comes out and says it over the phone. Mary is concerned that Wilson and her have been going out for four months now and he has never once said that he loves her.
Eric sits down at the desk Matt was at and finds Matt's open letter to Heather, which is addressed to "Mrs. Matt Camden." The worst runs through his head and he expresses his disbelief that Matt and Heather secretly got married over the summer. He waits for Annie to get home and tells her about the letter. Annie says she doesn't want to invade Matt's privacy by reading the letter, but since he has already read it – he can read it to her. The two don't know what to do and call up Heather's mother Donna to come over for dessert and coffee that night at 8.
Wilson arrives and he and Mary head off to the pool hall to talk. Mary once again tries to get Wilson to say how much he loves Billy. Finally, she puts it all on the table and asks Wilson why he won't say he loves her. Wilson tells her that he has only said he loves one woman all his life – and that was Billy's mom. He tells her it is a big commitment and they haven't known each other long enough to make that much of a promise. Finally getting the answer she's been waiting for, she is both disappointed at not hearing the three words, but also relieved that Wilson cherishes them.
Eric goes over to Laurie's hose since she is going to stay the night and is surprised when an elderly woman barges into the conversation he is having with Carol. The woman expresses her disbelief that her daughter would be so stupid as to let Laurie spend the night at a stranger's house and doesn't believe that Eric is a minister at all. Carol apologizes for her mother and hands Eric Laurie's things. He later tells Annie about Laurie's family and Annie tells him that many times it's a circle of verbal abuse that is passed on.
Heather's mom, Donna, arrives and they all sit in the kitchen to talk. Donna quickly realizes something is up and asks what is going on. Eric hands her the letter Matt wrote and Donna can't believe it either. She says Heather would never do such a thing and she and Annie raise their voices at each other. They move out to the living room where they wait for Matt to get home to explain the letter.
Annie goes upstairs to say goodnight to the kids and says, "I love you" to both Lucy and Laurie. Laurie almost starts to cry and explains to Lucy that nobody – not even her mom – has ever said those words to her. Simon and Ruthie emerge from their rooms and tell the two girls that Matt and Heather got married. Wanting to hear what goes on, all the kids huddle on the stairs and wait for Matt to get home. When he does, they interrogate him about the letter and Matt explains it was all a joke to get back at Simon and Ruthie for reading his mail. They all breathe a sigh of relief while Simon and Ruthie run for their lives.
The next day, Eric takes Laurie home and waits by the car to see what happens. Cautiously, Laurie tells her mom she loves her. Eric continues to watch until finally Carol says she loves Laurie and the two share an emotional embrace. Eric smiles as he gets in the car, knowing that this family has just gotten a little closer.