7

Today was Sunday, and I had a fun week. I made two friends and joined their band, so it was a pretty enjoyable week.

[Dunphy Household]

"Hey, Nana," Haley greeted.

Dede hugged Haley tightly and exclaimed, "Oh, my little comet! Hey! Look at you, all grown up."

"Hmm, tell Mom that," Haley muttered with a hint of frustration in her tone. "She won't even let me go to a concert."

"Overnight with her boyfriend," Claire retorted defensively.

Dede laughed, causing Claire to inquire, "What are you laughing at?"

"Oh, karma's a funny thing, that's all. Remember Ricky?" Dede replied mischievously, a glint in her eyes.

"Oh, god," Claire moaned, clearly displeased with the direction of the conversation.

Haley perked up and asked, "Oh, who's Ricky?"

"No one," Claire quickly dismissed, attempting to change the subject.

But Dede was relentless. "Ricky was your mother's boyfriend, and he looked like Charles Manson. And one night, she didn't come home until 4:00 in the morning."

"4:00? Wow. Wow, Mom, what were you and Ricky doing?" Haley questioned, her curiosity piqued.

"Nothing. We were doing nothing, and he was a very sweet boy, which you might have known if you bothered to get to know him," Claire countered defensively.

"Dylan's a sweet boy," Haley quickly defended her own boyfriend.

Claire scoffed, "Dylan. Dylan is no Ricky. Ricky was a poet."

"Dylan writes songs — awesome songs," Haley said.

Phil chimed in, "Liam also writes songs, and good ones at that."

Dede looked confused. "Who's Liam now?"

"That's not the point now. And maybe you would know that if you 'bothered to get to know Dylan,'" Haley retorted, echoing her mother's earlier words.

Phil chuckled. "Ha!"

"Okay, you know, first of all, I am not my mother. I don't judge people before I get a chance to know them. So, you invite Dylan over to dinner tonight, and if he's as sweet and kind as you say he is, then I have no problem considering letting you go to the concert," Claire proclaimed, attempting to show her fairness.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, Mom. Okay, I'm gonna go call him," Haley exclaimed, elated.

"Can we invite Liam also?" Phil asked.

"It's a family dinner, Phil," Claire responded curtly.

"Well, Dylan is invited, why not Liam?" Phil countered.

"He is Haley's boyfriend," Claire pointed out.

"So you approve of Dylan," Phil inferred.

"No!" Claire snapped.

"So why is he coming and not Liam?" Phil inquired, unrelenting.

Frustrated, Claire finally gave in. "Fine. Invite him too."

[Phil's Commentary]

"And that's how you get your way."

[End]

Phil picked up the phone and dialed the number for Desiree's home. After a couple of rings, a woman's voice came on, "Hello? Cadence Residence, who is this?"

"Desiree, hi! Phil Dunphy here, rising star of the 'dad joke' circuit," he cheerfully announced. "I was hoping to have a quick chat with Liam if he's not too engrossed in the latest video game or something."

Desiree chuckled and called for her son. A brief rustling could be heard before a new voice came on the line. "Hello, Liam here."

[Liam's POV]

"Hey, L-Cad, it's Captain Fun here. I don't know if you're a fan of gourmet delicacies like frozen lasagna and store-bought garlic bread, but we're hosting a bit of a shindig at the Dunphy residence tonight, and your name is shining at the top of the guest list," Phil extended the invitation.

I was taken aback but then chuckled. "I don't know, Mr. Dunphy... I had some plans."

"Plans?" Phil questioned, feigning disbelief. "Well, cancel them! Tonight, we have a chance to create memories that will last a lifetime, or at least until breakfast tomorrow. Plus, Dylan, Haley's boyfriend, will be there. I need someone with me."

There was a pause, then a sigh of surrender. "Alright, Mr. Dunphy. I'll be there."

"Fantastic, Liam! Prepare for a night of mediocre food and unbeatable company. See you at dinner!" Phil concluded, a satisfied grin spreading across his face.

"Where are you going?" my mother asked, her tone soft yet curious.

"Well, Mr. Dunphy is hosting a family dinner of some sort and invited me, but I don't feel like going. You'll be left alone here," I explained, concern filling my voice.

My mother waved away my concerns, saying, "Don't worry about me. It's a good thing he invited you over. I also have some plans tonight. I am going to meet some of my friends and might come a little late, so don't worry about me and enjoy the company."

I smirked a little, teasing her. "Are you sure it's not a date?"

She playfully scolded, "You little rascal."

[Outside Dunphy's House]

I cycled to the front of the Dunphy house, donning a long-sleeved white button-down Oxford shirt, paired with dark blue slim-fit denim jeans and tan suede desert boots. I was holding a bouquet of flowers because my mom couldn't cook anything fancy on such short notice. It's better than nothing.

When I arrived at the door, I saw the same boy I saw with Haley every day in the cafeteria. He had a guitar on his shoulder, and I thought of introducing myself. We had no bad blood between us, and even though Lucas told me about him, I couldn't judge people based on how others perceive them.

"Hello, I am Liam Cadence. I live across the street," I introduced myself.

"Hmm, Dylan, Haley's boyfriend. So, how come you're here? It's a family dinner, I thought," Dylan inquired, a quizzical look on his face.

"Well, the same reason you're here. I was invited, and I was careful enough to bring flowers, unlike someone," I responded, pointing at his empty hands.

"Whatever, man!" Dylan dismissed my comment with a roll of his eyes.

"So why are you standing here?" I questioned, noting his hesitance at the door.

"Well, I texted Haley, she is coming in just a minute," Dylan explained, checking his phone for a reply.

I sighed. "You didn't even ring the doorbell."

I rang the doorbell, and Phil opened the door.

"There he is, L-Cad," Phil remarked as I approached.

Stepping inside, I greeted him. "Hey, Captain Fun. How's it going?"

"You know, kids," Phil replied with a dismissive wave. "Come on in, Dylan. Why are you standing outside?"

I greeted Claire as well. "Hi, Mrs. Dunphy. Sorry for the intrusion. Here are some flowers for you."

"You didn't need to," she replied with a smile. "Come, sit here."

Just then, Haley came running down the stairs, flinging her arms around Dylan. "Hey, everybody, this is Dylan."

"Hey," Dylan responded, returning her embrace.

Cam and Mitchell chimed in. "Hey. Hi."

Phil noticed Dylan's guitar. "So, Dylan, I see you brought the ax."

"Yeah, yeah, I just came from practice," Dylan explained.

"Well, why don't you take a seat with Liam?" Phil suggested.

The doorbell rang again, prompting Claire to announce, "Oh, that's gonna be Dad and Gloria."

"Oh, Mitchell, I know it's silly, but… I'm a little nervous," Dede admitted.

Mitchell replied, his tone understanding yet laced with a hint of amusement, "Oh, no. That's not silly. You should be."

Claire welcomed the new arrivals. "Hey. How are you, Manny?"

I couldn't help but comment on Manny's face. "Nice mustache."

"Thank you," Manny responded graciously.

Dede hesitated as Gloria walked in. "Oh, wait, wait, Gloria…."

I was listening intently to all the drama, and one thing was clear: everyone was confused about the moment and their bonds.

"I'm so sorry," Dede uttered, her voice weak with regret.

Gloria was having none of it. "You don't say 'sorry' anymore! That word means nothing in your mouth!" she retorted, her voice biting with anger.

"I don't know what just happened," Dede confessed, sounding truly baffled.

Intervening in the escalating tension, I declared with certainty, "I do."