I’ve talked about this with @scribefindegil before, but I fully subscribe to her headcanon that at some point during his time at Backupsmore Ford spent a Thanksgiving with Fiddleford’s family and had a really eye-opening experience seeing what a healthy, loving, non-abusive family dynamic could be like.

One particular experience that I think stuck with him was watching Fidds get into an argument with his father about politics. Fidds was kind of a hippie while his dad was more conservative and they got into at least one heated argument.

Ford was just watching, frozen in horror as they got louder and louder, waiting for the inevitable explosion. Absolutely shocked to hear Fidds say things like “ah, you don’t know what you’re talking about!” to his father. Terrified for what he was certain would happen to his friend at any moment.

And then…there was no explosion. Fidds’s aunt told the two of them to settle down and come to the table. Fidds’s dad ruffled his hair and made a joke about him having to come to terms with his son voting for Carter. It was like the whole thing had never happened.

Ford wasn’t really sure how to put his thoughts into words until later, of course. But he did eventually talk to Fidds about it, who helped him understand his home life wasn’t normal.