Mildred Effinger 'Hattie' Jones passes away in her sleep, leaving behind her gruff, crusty husband of 75 years who forcibly stays at the Fishers' even before the brothers can see him, and stubbornly insists they can't embalm his wife despite a 2-day wait on the service. Ruth introduces David to Hiram, which naturally doesn't go well, and seeks a job at the family's flower shop, whose owner seems jealous of her relationship with Hiram. Nate looks through old business records and discovers Nathaniel respected his decision to leave, and took pay for certain funerals in odd ways - like buying drugs, or renting a private apartment haven for free.
Referenced in
Valerie (2002) (V)