Tiana maintained her composure out of respect and nodded slightly. "Please, have a seat," she said, signaling Cedric to join them.

Marvin chuckled and chimed in, "Cedric, you're different from Mrs. Rhodes here. Your granddaughter Fran is running around just as much as Lauren, but you don't seem to mind it one bit."

Cedric stroked his beard with a content smile. "A little hard work never hurt anyone. Once this medical center gets going, I plan to have Fran here often to lend a hand. Working alongside Dr. Lloyd will be invaluable for improving her medical expertise."

Marvin grinned and glanced at Tiana. "See, Mrs. Rhodes? That's what I call vision. Sure, the girls are hustling around and probably exhausted, but they're happy. And frankly, Mr. Lloyd seems to have that kind of charm, doesn't he?"

Tiana's jaw clenched as she spat through gritted teeth, "Nonsense!"

Both Cedric and Marvin shared an awkward look, knowing how touchy Tiana could be. Despite their equal standing in age