Ch.14

As time flew by Mother's Day approached, with my Dad buying my Mom a few gifts. While helping my sister make something using her tiny baby hands. While I tried to think about what to do for it. With my Dad's help, I had a photo shoot done with my sister and me. While wearing different matching outfits, like my sister wearing a dress, with me wearing a tux. Or my sister wearing a girly sailor outfit with my wearing a 'normal' one. Things like that, once the photo shoot was done and I got the pictures printed and framed all that waited was the Day to come.

"Gabe! ¡Vamos de excursión con Gloria, Claire y sus hijos!" (Gabe! We are going hiking with Gloria, Claire, and their kids!) Mom says to me right as I was coming downstairs with her Mother's Day gift.

"Ok," I say while handing her the gift with the framed photos inside.

"¡Para mí!" (For me!) Mom says more like a statement than a question. As I just nod my head.

"¡Oh, son hermosos! ¡Mirad a los dos!" (Oh, they are beautiful! Look at the two of you!) Mom says while giving me a hug and kiss, then running over to Olivia who was in her highchair while showering her with kisses.

Shortly after eating breakfast and getting ready for the hike with the others, we leave to meet them at the place we will be hiking. There we met the others who already looked like they wanted to die. As the kids just didn't want to be there, with Gloria and Claire becoming increasingly annoyed at their kids' complaints.

While walking Alex and Haley were complaining about the hiking, with Luke messing around with anything and everything he could get his hands on. While Manny was following behind his Mom without complaint. My Mom walked next to Gloria while pushing my sister in her stroller on the hike.

"What is the point of this?!" Haley says complaining once again.

"To enjoy nature and spend time with me on Mother's Day," Claire says without turning back to look at Haley who huffs in annoyance.

"How is this spending time with you? If all we are doing is walking while you three gossip about the husbands from school?" Haley says as I try to hold back a laugh, while Claire shoots Haley an annoyed look.

"I'm having fun," Manny says as Gloria smiles at him.

"Shut up Manny!" Luke says being bored too now since his attention span is very short.

"Yeah, I'm not even sure what this is supposed to do for Mother's Day," Alex says as the three women become increasingly annoyed.

"Fine! Then you all can stay here!" Claire says quickly walking away with Gloria right with her.

"Just follow the trail, we'll wait for you at the top," my Mom says quickly following after them. Then Manny scrambles after his Mom, without any of the women noticing.

"Did you guys really need to do that?" I say with a sigh as they all look at me. I know what it is like to grow up parentless and alone. I would do anything to not have that again.

"Gabe, I could be doing other things than walking around doing nothing!" Haley says very annoyed having been dragged out here against her will.

Even Alex was nodding her head since she wanted to be studying rather than 'doing nothing' out here. Luke somehow agreed with his two sisters which means for the first time in history the three Dunphy kids all agreed on something. At least the first time I witnessed it.

"Fine, you could be doing something else. Though, let me ask you. How many times do you really spend time with your Mom? One day you will no longer have her in your life, that Day could come at any point. I'm not trying to make you freak out that she is dying, but everyone dies. So all I am saying is why not appreciate what you have while you have it?" I say to them as Alex looks down guilty and Luke does too. Even Haley mules over my words feeling the guilt.

"You're right, Gabe," Alex says as we all begin walking to reach the top of the hiking trail.

Upon reaching it, we see Gloria is trying to apologize to Manny for saying or doing whatever it was we missed. While Claire and my Mom are trying to help her win Manny's forgiveness.

"Manny, sometimes you just have to hear the harsh truth. That way you can grow a bit and take the occasional criticism so you can grow and not be a coddled adult," Claire says which Manny seems to understand and accept.

"Manny you will always be my baby boy! I've never even thought about hitting you as Claire has with her kids," Gloria says as my eyes widen while face palming internally.

Haley, Alex, and Luke all have horrified and angered looks. The once guilty feeling they had for not wanting to spend time with their Mom is now gone, replaced by anger. As Claire noticed we arrived and heard what Gloria said.

"Guys… I–" Claire says while looking guilty at her kids who all are staring at her in anger.

'This is gotta be the worst Mother's Day, anyone has had,' I think to myself while sighing internally.

The car ride back to their house was probably very awkward, though I wouldn't know as I went home with my Mom and sister.

"Gabe, quiero que sepas–" (Gabe, I want you to know–) Mom starts to say to me.

"Mamá, está bien. Te amo y espero que sigas teniendo un buen día de la madre," (Mom, it's fine. I love you and hope you are still having a good Mother's Day) I say to my Mom before she can apologize for whatever it is she thinks she needs to apologize for.

"Yo también te amo, mi pequeño. Y tu tambien mi princesita," (I love you too, my little boy. And you too my little princess) Mom says to me then looks in the rearview mirror to Olivia who is sitting next to me in her car seat in the back. Olivia just giggles in response to my Mom's statement.

Later I found out from Alex, that Jay was found crying since he missed his Mom. Which made everyone remember what I said, as they forgave their Mom. With everyone making up with one another and just enjoying being a family again.

The school reached its end with high school on the horizon once again. I was the valedictorian of my class which means little to nothing since it is just middle school. I was never one to give speeches, though I was asked to give one.

So thankfully I remembered the speech Alex gave when she was the valedictorian from the show in my other life. I just stole the whole speech taking it for myself, that way I didn't have to make one from scratch.

"I find it ironic that I'm up here representing my classmates when...they're so...awesome, they should be up here themselves. But I'm up here, and I'm saying stuff because everybody's got their...stuff...whether you're popular, or a drama geek, or a cheerleader, or a nerd like me. We all have our insecurities; we're all just trying to figure out who we are. I guess what I'm trying to say is don't...stop...believing...and get this party started!" I say as I take the stage with everyone clapping as the kids throw their hats up as they see in the movies.

"That was a great speech!" Alex says to me as our families were sitting with one another.

"Thanks…" I say while feeling slightly guilty as I stole it from her so to speak.

Once everyone took pictures of us in our graduation uniforms and whatnot, we all headed to my house where my family was hosting a graduation party. Where my cousin, his and my friends, along with Alex and her family came. As everyone was eating, talking and just enjoying themselves my cousin came over to me.

"So you and Alex have been dating for awhile now. I remember back when I first noticed it and you denied it," Carlos says to me with a smirk on his face as I just look at him.

"Is this going anywhere?" I ask him as he nods his head.

"Since we are all going to the same high school, I assume you guys will stay together," Carlos says to me as I nod my head while giving him a confused look.

"Yeah… so?" I say and then he looks around to make sure no one is paying attention to us.

"Well, her sister goes to the same high school we will be going to right?" Carlos says to me as I nod my head, then realize where this is going.

"Are you asking me, to ask Alex to see if her sister would be interested in you?" I say to Carlos who just nods his head a bit embarrassed about the situation.

"Uh…sure I can ask Alex. Though to be honest man, I don't think Haley would be interested. Only because you are a few years younger than her," I say to Carlos who sighs nodding his head.

"True, though it doesn't hurt to try," Carlos says to me and I shrug.

"Ok, I'll ask. Want me to do it now?" I say to him as his eyes widen, with him thinking about it.

"Uh… Sure why not," Carlos says as I nod my head and walk over to Alex who is talking with Haley about high school. Haley is giving Alex all the gossip and warnings she learned during her time there currently.

"Hey guys, can I walk to Alex?" I say while walking up to them with Haley and Alex nodding their heads.

"What's up, Gabe?" Alex says to me as I look between her and Haley.

"I want to show you something," I say to Alex who gives me a confused look but nods her head and then follows me.

"What did you want to show me?" Alex says as we walk inside my house since everyone is in my backyard where the party was set up.

"Carlos was asking me about Haley… he is interested in her and wants to know if she is interested in him?" I say to Alex pulling the bandaid off as Alex's eyes widen at the revelation.

"Uhm… I can ask her. Though I'm not sure," Alex says to me as I nod my head in understanding.

"I figured, but yeah if you could just ask her. I would appreciate that," I say to Alex who nods her head.

"So should I do it now?" Alex says while I shrug.

"Maybe later… that way if she says no, then it won't make the party awkward for everyone. Like when you guys get home and you can text me what she says," I say to Alex who agrees with my statement.

"Ok, I'll let you know… Though no one seems to notice we are missing from the party," Alex says while giving me a look, as I look outside and we sneak into my room. While celebrating our graduation for a little bit with just the two of us.

Then we return to the party with no one the wiser, at least almost no one. Haley and Carlos knew about our disappearance with both seeming to understand what we where actually doing during that time. Though I told Carlos the plan Alex and I came up with, as I would tell him later once Alex asked Haley about it.

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AN: No chapter tomorrow, as some things came up. Will see you all Friday, enjoy the next couple of days.