Elliot felt a surge of relief and then finally he smiled, shoulders sagging a bit and only then did he even realize how tense they had been.

"My parents...my dad's dead and well my mom, not that she liked me much when she was well, but she's not well anymore," Elliot shrugged, leaving it at that. "You'll meet Darlene whether I want you to or not. So, I don't mind skipping the whole meet the parents thing."