Ch 9

Vincente shot up from his bed with an unusual burst of energy for someone who famously despised early mornings. His hair was a chaotic mess, sticking out in every direction, but his grin was wide and his eyes sparkled with anticipation.

Throwing off his blanket dramatically, he hopped out of bed and started humming a cheerful tune under his breath as he shuffled across the room in his mismatched socks.

"¡Hoy es el día!" (Today is the day!) he whispered excitedly to himself, grabbing a hoodie and pulling it over his head.

He descended the stairs two at a time, arms flailing for balance, his face glowing with excitement.

As he reached the bottom step, he was greeted by the warm smell of breakfast. In the kitchen, Gloria was at the stove, humming a soft tune as she flipped something in a frying pan. Jay was seated at the dining table, his reading glasses perched low on his nose, sipping coffee while flipping through the morning newspaper.

"¡Buenos días, familia!" Vincente declared, spreading his arms wide.

Gloria turned her head slightly, a smile already forming on her lips. "¡Feliz cumpleaños, mi amor!" (Happy birthday, my love!)

Jay lowered his newspaper and gave a small nod, his signature gruffness softened by a hint of a smile. "Morning, birthday boy. You're up early… suspiciously early."

Vincente gasped, clutching his chest dramatically. "Jay! How dare you imply that I don't rise with the sun every day?"

Gloria let out a light laugh while plating breakfast. "Come sit down, mi cielo. I made your favorite—arepas with eggs and a little extra cheese."

Vincente practically floated over to the table, plopping into his chair. "I knew today was going to be perfect."

Jay smirked behind his coffee mug. "It's barely 7 AM, kid. Let's see if you still think that after Manny starts his poetry recital at the breakfast table."

From upstairs, they heard Manny's muffled voice, "I heard that!"

They then heard him come downstairs, "And I hate the fact that no one has a feel for finer things in life, especially you Jay, considering…"

Manny appeared in the doorway, wearing an oversized robe and holding a leather-bound journal close to his chest, "…that you have lived long enough to have experienced multiple literary eras firsthand."

Jay lowered his coffee mug slowly, his expression deadpan. "Well, good morning to you too, Edgar Allan Moan."

Vincente snorted into his orange juice, nearly choking as Gloria swatted Jay lightly on the arm with her spatula. "¡Jay! Be nice; it's Vincente's birthday!"

Manny walked over to the table and took a seat with an exaggerated sigh, opening his journal. "Fine, fine. Today is not about me or the lack of artistic appreciation in this house. Today is about celebrating Vincente—our little star, our bundle of charm and… questionable fashion choices."

Vincente gasped, dramatically clutching the mismatched socks on his feet. "¡Oye! These socks tell a story, Manny. A story of creativity, chaos, and… whatever was clean."

Gloria chuckled as she set plates of breakfast in front of the boys. "Enough, you two. Eat before your food gets cold. Today is going to be a long day, and I want my birthday boy to have plenty of energy."

Jay leaned back in his chair, muttering with a smirk, "Yeah, energy to survive whatever performance Manny has planned for later."

Vincente raised a questioning eyebrow, his fork halfway to his mouth. "Why, what are we doing today?"

Gloria turned around from the stove, her face lighting up with a mysterious smile. "Oh, mi amor, today is going to be very special. But it's a surprise, so no more questions."

Vincente squinted at her, then glanced at Jay, who was trying to hide a smirk behind his coffee mug. "Why do I feel like you two are in on something… something big?"

Manny cleared his throat dramatically, setting down his journal. "All I will say, Vincente, is that true art thrives on mystery. And today, mystery shall be your companion."

Jay rolled his eyes. "Translation: Manny's going to perform something weird in public, and we all have to clap and pretend it was intentional."

"¡Jay!" Gloria scolded, pointing her spatula at him. "Don't ruin the surprise!"

Vincente leaned back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest, a sly grin spreading across his face. "Alright, alright… I'll play along. But just so you all know, if this 'surprise' involves me wearing a bow tie and pretending to enjoy birdwatching, I'm out."

Manny gasped. "But bow ties are timeless!"

"Yeah, timelessly uncomfortable," Vincente shot back.

Gloria shook her head fondly as she set another plate on the table. "Enough, niños. Eat your breakfast, and no more questions. Today is going to be perfect."

But the boys weren't listening. Vincente had snatched Manny's journal and was now sprinting around the house with Manny hot on his heels, shouting dramatic threats about poetic justice.

Jay and Gloria exchanged amused glances.

Leaning closer to Jay, Gloria whispered, "Do you think Claire and Phil will be ready this evening?"

Jay smirked, sipping his coffee. "Honey, how many times have you met my daughter? With how high-strung she is, I'd be surprised if she hasn't already planned Vincente's next ten birthday parties."

[ Dunphy House]

Dunphy household, where chaos is already in full swing. Claire is pacing the living room, gripping a clipboard covered in sticky notes. Phil is crouched over a balloon arch, tangled in streamers, with a balloon pump awkwardly wedged under his arm.

"Phil! The balloon arch was supposed to be blue and gold! Why are there pink balloons in here?!" Claire's voice climbed an octave with every word.

Phil squinted at the upside-down instruction manual. "Honey, it said 'festive assorted colors.' Pink is festive! Maybe… maybe the balloons are trying to express Vincente's inner spirit."

"Phil!" Claire snapped, exasperated.

"Right, no balloon philosophy today." Phil started pumping another balloon just as Luke walked in, wearing three balloons twisted into a hat that defied both gravity and fashion.

"Mom, Dad, why do we have, like, fifty cupcakes? There's no way Vincente can eat all those… right?" Luke asked, eyeing them suspiciously.

"They're for everyone, Luke!" Claire barked. "Where's Alex? She was supposed to check the playlist!"

From the corner, Alex's voice drifted in, monotone and unimpressed. "It's already done, Mom. I sent it to your email. Twice. But sure, let's keep pretending Yahoo is a real email service."

Claire froze, her eye twitching slightly. "Not today, Alex. Not. Today."

Haley strolled into the living room, wearing sunglasses indoors and casually inspecting a confetti popper. "Okay, let's all just admit that I'm the cool one and call it a day."

Phil beamed at her. "You are cool, sweetie!"

Claire inhaled sharply, clapping her hands to regain control. "Alright! Focus, people! This is a family-only party, which means fewer moving parts and less room for disaster. I have checked the guest list, the decorations, and the cake delivery. Nothing—and I mean nothing—is going to ruin Vincente's birthday today!"

At that exact moment, a loud POP echoed as one of the balloons burst in Phil's hand. Everyone froze.

Phil slowly raised his finger. "That one… was defective."

Claire pinched the bridge of her nose, muttering, "It's fine. Everything's fine. We've got this."

Luke casually tosses one of his balloon hat appendages over his shoulder, Alex scrolls through her phone, completely unfazed, and Haley snaps a selfie with her confetti popper, pouting into the camera. Meanwhile, Phil eyes another balloon with suspicion, pump still in hand.

Claire throws her clipboard onto the coffee table with a sigh, rubbing her temples. "I mean, the only reason I'm in charge of this party is because Dad and Gloria will be too busy distracting Vincente all day, and Dad thinks Cam and Mitchell's party would be—what was his exact wording?—'too gay for a nine-year-old boy.'"

Phil gasps softly, shaking his head. "Classic Jay."

Claire continues, her voice rising slightly. "And I am already on thin ice with Gloria after the Great Flan Debacle. Plus, Vincente still hasn't forgiven me for calling his Mama that."

Phil nods solemnly. "He really didn't take that well."

Claire grabs Phil by the shoulders, her eyes wide with urgency. "Phil, please, please help me. I need this party to be perfect. Not just Claire Dunphy perfect, but Gloria Delgado special day perfect."

Phil puts a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Honey, you are Claire Dunphy. You've survived PTA fundraisers, school plays, and three children's birthday parties in one weekend. You've got this!"

Claire stares at him for a beat, her expression softening. "You really think so?"

Phil grins. "Absolutely. And hey, if all else fails…" He picks up a rogue pink balloon and lets it deflate loudly with a squeaky fart noise.

Claire can't help but crack a smile, shaking her head. "Why did I marry you?"

Phil raises his eyebrows and strikes a superhero pose. "Because I'm fun, festive, and great at balloon-based comedy."

They come together in a warm hug, Phil squeezing Claire tightly.

Smothered against his chest, Claire's muffled voice said, "Did you pick up the gift?"

Phil freezes mid-squeeze, his face going blank. "Um… sort of? What was the gift again?"

Claire pulls away sharply, her eyes narrowing as she stares him down. "Phil… tell me you didn't forget the gift."

Phil offers a sheepish smile, holding up a half-inflated balloon like it's a peace offering. "In my defense… I got really into balloon logistics this morning."

Claire smacks him lightly on the chest with her clipboard. "PHIL!"

Phil jumps back slightly, still holding the balloon. "Okay! Okay! I'll fix this. I'll go get something amazing—something thoughtful—um…I will get him a PSP or PS3. Yeah that's a good idea. See, honey there was no need to panic."

Luke wanders by with his balloon hat still wobbling on his head. "He already has one of those."

"What?"

"Yeah Dad! Grandpa bought it for him, how did you not notice, you were also being beaten by Vincente."

Phil's face goes pale as he clutches the half-inflated balloon tighter. "He already has one? Are you sure? Maybe he has… like… the slim version, and I'll get him the pro version?"

Luke rolls his eyes. "Dad, it's not like you can upgrade losing. He wiped the floor with you in Street Fighter. Twice."

Claire throws her hands in the air. "Great! So now we're back to square one with no gift!"

Haley saunters in, casually inspecting her nails. "Oh, I wouldn't say no gift…"

Claire spins around. "Wait, what do you mean?"

Haley shrugs nonchalantly. "I already got Vincente something."

Phil brightens. "Oh! Perfect! What did you get him, sweetheart?"

Haley smirks. "I got him a pair of limited-edition sunglasses. Super trendy, super expensive."

Claire's face softens slightly. "Okay…that's actually thoughtful. And pricey. Wait…how pricey?"

Haley waves her hand dismissively. "Details, details, Mom."

Before Claire can respond, Alex walks into the room, holding a neatly wrapped gift box with a bow perfectly aligned in the center. "Well, at least someone thought ahead."

Claire's eyebrows lift. "You too?"

Alex adjusts her glasses. "Of course. I got Vincente a book. A very thoughtful book."

Phil claps his hands together. "See, Claire? The kids are crushing it!"

Luke clears his throat, adjusting the balloon hat on his head. "Um…yeah…about that…"

Everyone turns to Luke, who looks both proud and nervous. "I also got Vincente a gift. It's…well, it's in the garage."

Claire's eyes narrow. "Luke…what is it?"

Luke grins mischievously. "A few weeks ago, when Grandpa picked us up because Dad was busy and Mom had a cold, we had to stay with him until dinner. Vincente was super-hyped about a show called Dragon Ball. I asked my friend, and he said there were action figures of the main character selling near his house. So, I had Uncle Mitchell drive me, and I bought one."

There's a brief silence as everyone processes this information.

Claire raises an eyebrow. "How did you get the money?"

Luke's grin falters slightly. "Well, worry not. I have lots of frozen assets."

Phil gasps dramatically. "Luke! That's amazing!"

Claire rubs her temples, trying to stave off an incoming headache. "So, let me get this straight. Haley got him sunglasses, Alex got him a book, and Luke got him an action figure. And Phil…you forgot entirely."

Phil raises the balloon in his hand again as if presenting evidence. "…But I still have this!"

The balloon deflates in his hand with a sad squeak, perfectly punctuating the moment.

Claire takes a deep breath. "Okay. Okay. We can work with this. Phil, you're getting him something else. Something normal."

Phil salutes. "On it, Captain Clipboard!"

Alex adjusts her glasses. "Just…don't embarrass us more than usual, Dad."

[Pritchett-Tucker House]

In the brightly decorated living room of Cam and Mitchell's house, a flurry of activity is underway. Cam is bustling around, arranging an elaborate tower of cupcakes, each topped with intricate fondant decorations. Mitchell stands nearby, holding a clipboard of his own and looking mildly exasperated.

"Cam, do we really need twelve layers of rainbow cupcakes? It's a family party, not Pepper's funeral," Mitchell remarks, eyebrows raised.

Cam gasps, clutching a frosting bag to his chest like it's a priceless artifact. "Mitchell! This is for Vincente! A boy who embodies charm, talent, and flair! He deserves a dessert as fabulous as he is!"

Mitchell sighs, shaking his head. "Okay, but can we at least agree that the fondant roses on the cupcakes don't need to match Gloria's earrings?"

Cam freezes mid-squeeze, then tilts his head thoughtfully. "You're right. I should've gone with emeralds instead of rubies."

Mitchell looked around and groaned. "Are we seriously doing this much for a nine-year-old's birthday? No offense, but Vincente's not even going to care about the cupcake-to-earring color coordination."

Cam spins dramatically, one hand on his hip. "Mitchell, Mitchell, birthdays are about creating memories! Someday, Vincente will look back on this and remember the love and effort we poured into this party."

Mitchell rolled his eyes. "Or he'll just remember the cupcakes and forget who made them."

Cam huffs, pointing his frosting bag at both of them. "Fine, but when Vincente's face lights up, don't come crying to me about how you didn't believe in the magic of themed desserts."

Just then, Gloria bursts into the house, Manny trailing behind her with his leather-bound journal in hand. "¡Hola, familia!" Gloria calls out, her smile radiant. "How are the preparations going?"

Cam beams at her. "Gloria, you are just in time! I've been dying to show you the centerpiece cupcakes—they match your fabulous style!"

Gloria gasps as she approaches the table. "¡Ay, Cam! They're beautiful! Vincente is going to love this."

Manny clears his throat, clutching his journal dramatically. "I've prepared a poem for Vincente. A heartfelt ode to his wisdom, humor, and... questionable taste in socks."

Mitchell raises an eyebrow. "Questionable taste in socks? That's what we're celebrating now?"

Manny nods solemnly. "Fashion is an expression of the soul, Mitchell. Even if that soul sometimes mismatches."

Cam clasps his hands together. "I love it! Art and dessert coming together to make the perfect celebration!"

Mitchell glances at Gloria, his voice lowered. "Have you heard from Claire? Is everything under control over there?"

Gloria smiles knowingly. "Don't worry, Mitchell. Claire has been preparing for this like it's the Olympics of parties. Vincente's birthday is in good hands."

Mitchell smirks. "So… disaster imminent?"

Gloria chuckled lightly. "I have faith in her. But," she patted her pocket, "I'm keeping my phone close. Just in case."

Mitchell glanced around. "Speaking of disasters waiting to happen… where's the star of the day?"

Before Gloria could answer, Manny swooped in, journal in hand. "He's with Jay. They're out shopping for a computer—well, the parts to build one."

Mitchell's eyebrows shot up. "A computer? Wow, Dad's really pulling out all the stops this year."

Gloria chuckled, adjusting one of the fondant roses on the cupcake tower. "Well, it's not just any computer. Vincente has been talking about building one from scratch, so Jay thought it would be special to take him shopping for the parts. You know how Jay loves any excuse to visit a hardware store—this is just the tech version."

Cam's face lit up with delight. "Oh, that is so sweet! Jay might grumble a lot, but deep down, he's such a softie when it comes to Vincente. Plus it's a wise choice. A computer isn't just a gift; it's an investment in Vincente's genius. It's like handing Michelangelo his first chisel or Beethoven his first piano."

Mitchell glanced at Cam, his expression dry. "And I'm sure your cake is the Sistine Chapel of birthday tributes."

Cam ignored the sarcasm, "Oh, it is. Manny, Why don't you read us a stanza! I'm sure it's as poetic as your soul."

Mitchell groaned. "Cam, don't encourage—"

But Manny was already in full recital mode, his voice deep and dramatic.

"Ode to Vincente, our bright shining star,

A mind so sharp, it leaves us in awe from afar.

In mismatched socks, he strides with pride,

A genius unmatched, a joy worldwide."

There was a brief silence before Cam clapped enthusiastically. "Brava! Manny, that was beautiful!"

Mitchell leaned toward Gloria, muttering, "So, Jay's the tech guy, Manny's the poet, and we're just… the dessert crew?"

Gloria smiled knowingly. "We're the glue that holds it all together, Mitchell. Without us, it's chaos."

Before anyone could say more, Gloria's phone buzzed on the counter. She picked it up, glancing at the screen with a small frown. "Speaking of chaos… Claire's calling. Let's see how the Olympics of parties is going."

She answered the call, putting it on speaker. "¡Hola, Claire! How's everything?"

Claire's voice came through, tight and frantic. "Gloria, I'm trying to stay calm, but Phil forgot the gift, the balloon arch collapsed, and Luke tried to make a party hat out of duct tape. Can you please tell me everything is perfect on your end?"

Gloria exchanged an amused glance with Cam and Mitchell, biting back a laugh. "Everything here is wonderful, Claire. Don't worry. It will all come together."

On the other end of the line, Claire exhaled sharply. "Great. Fantastic. Because if this party isn't perfect, I'm going to—"

Phil's voice interrupted in the background, muffled but cheerful. "Don't worry, honey! I'm picking up the perfect gift right now! Vincente loves puzzles, right? Maybe I'll just grab him a Rubik's Cube!"

"PHIL!" Claire shrieked, and the call abruptly ended as the sound of something crashing echoed in the background.

Cam let out a loud laugh, covering his mouth. "Oh, this is going to be fun."

Mitchell shook his head, smirking. "Sounds like another classic Dunphy meltdown. Poor Vincente doesn't even know what he's walking into."

Gloria smiled fondly, slipping her phone back into her pocket. "Vincente will love it, no matter what. He's surrounded by family, and that's what matters most."

Manny nodded solemnly. "And poetry. Don't forget the poetry."

Mitchell rolled his eyes, and Cam leaned over to adjust the cupcakes again, his expression dreamy. "Well, when all else fails, we'll have cupcakes and dramatic readings to save the day."

"Let's just hope Jay and Vincente make it back before Claire burns down the house," Mitchell quipped as they all burst into laughter.

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I feel like the personalities are a lot closer towards the end of the show than the start. The character traits were immensely exaggerated in the start.

Thank you for reading!!!