The latest episode of House of Payne keeps the tension simmering between Laura and Ella, who clearly need to have that conversation. Things kick off with the two finally getting a moment alone—but don’t get too comfortable just yet.

The B-story brings in Lisa’s mother, Deena, who pops by to chat with Janine for reasons that are...unclear at first. Deena is a lot to handle, so Malik and CJ use news of her arrival as their cue to make a swift exit. We later find out Deena has been dating Malik’s boss, Councilman Dustman, and while things are going well, she’s looking for advice on how to keep things smooth with Malik—she doesn’t want to make it weird. Janine tells her it’s all about keeping the lines of communication open, which Deena appreciates. But then Deena pivots and asks how to lock things down with the councilman, saying that if Janine landed a good man like CJ, surely she’s got some tips. That convo is definitely to be continued.

Back to Ella and Laura.

Their chat starts off promising, with both women maturely expressing their sides. Laura admits she felt unwelcome, which made her defensive. Ella tries to be diplomatic—until Curtis unknowingly walks into the living room mid-conversation, assuming it's just Ella there. He blurts out that he doesn't trust Laura and wanted to be there during their talk—oops. That slip sets things back a bit.

Now that Curtis is officially in the mix, he adds his perspective. He tells Laura he doesn’t like the tension she’s brought into the house and how it’s been affecting Ella. Laura hears him and offers a sincere apology. Curtis and Ella accept. But when Laura explains her behavior was in response to the cold vibe she picked up on, Ella claps back that they were just reacting to her antics. When Ella asks why Laura is so upset, Laura shuts down again, unable to articulate her feelings—and walks out, clearly frustrated.

Things were going well... until they weren’t.

Meanwhile, the episode ends on a lighter note with Deena and Janine. Janine tries to teach Deena a few etiquette tips—a fun and funny moment that gives us a breather from the tension.

The state of Laura’s relationship with Calvin’s family? Still in limbo. But we’ll see what next week brings.