webnovel

Decisions (Modern Family)

"AY! PAPITO, HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU NOT TO CLIMB THERE? COME DOWN! RIGHT NOW!" A woman shouted at the little cretin up on the tree. Follow the journey of someone who gained more knowledge than they are privy to. patreon.com/Darkonhard All the original works belong to their respective owners. I am just exercising my creativity. Thank you!

Darkonhard · 电视同人
分數不夠
11 Chs

Ch 5

In the dining room, Jay clapped his hands, commanding attention. "Alright, everyone, grab a plate! Gloria's been cooking all morning, and if I see anyone waste food, you're dead to me. That means you, Luke!"

Luke, who was reaching for an extra bread roll, froze like a deer in headlights. Slowly, he retracted his hand, making intense eye contact with the bread.

"Don't worry, Luke," Phil said, patting his son's shoulder. "You'll meet again… in about five minutes when Grandpa's not looking."

Claire shot Phil a look. "Seriously, Phil?"

"Too soon?" he shrugged.

The family began settling around the long table, plates piling high with Gloria's homemade dishes. Cam was already dramatically fanning his mouth. "Gloria, what is this sauce? My tongue is both alive and afraid!"

"It's just a little spice, Cam," Gloria said with a grin. "You know what they say—if you can't handle the heat…"

"Then Mitch ordered for me!" Cam interrupted, pointing accusingly at his husband.

Mitch raised his hands. "Oh, sure, blame the guy who said, 'Let's not turn dinner into Fear Factor.'"

Haley leaned into Alex. "I give Uncle Cam ten minutes before he's chugging milk straight from the carton."

"Five," Alex corrected confidently.

The conversations flowed, lighter this time—jokes, teasing, and playful banter filling the air as Jay watched over them with a rare, softened smile.

But amidst the laughter and chatter, Alex occasionally stole glances at Vincente. The eight-year-old sat calmly next to Gloria, animatedly chatting with Manny about something she couldn't quite hear.

His little stunt earlier had piqued her interest.

Haley leaned over slightly, her voice low but dripping with mischief. "Still thinking about him?"

Without thinking, Alex breathed out, "Yeah."

Haley's eyes sparkled as if she'd just uncovered a secret treasure chest. "Oh my God, you have your first crush!" she whispered dramatically, clutching her chest. "I never thought I'd see this day. Alex Dunphy, interested in something that's not a periodic table or a sad documentary about bees."

Alex shot her a withering glare, but Haley wasn't done. Her voice quivered as she fanned her face with her hand. "You're finally going to be interesting!"

"Are you crying right now?" Alex deadpanned, her voice flat as her fork hovered mid-air.

"It's just—" Haley sniffled theatrically, her eyes glistening. "They grow up so fast."

Alex turned to look at her, her face a perfect combination of deadpan disbelief and annoyance. "Are you an idiot?"

Haley just grinned, unfazed, but Alex wasn't done. She leaned slightly to the side, subtly tilting her head toward Manny, who was very clearly staring dreamily at Haley from across the table while holding a breadstick like it was a bouquet of roses.

"Right. And I'm the one with the embarrassing crush here," Alex said flatly, raising her eyebrows and gesturing subtly in Manny's direction.

Haley followed Alex's gaze and froze mid-bite. Manny, realizing he'd been caught, quickly stuffed the breadstick in his mouth and looked away, cheeks burning red.

"Oh no," Haley whispered, eyes wide with horror as she turned back to Alex.

Alex smirked triumphantly, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms. "Yeah. Enjoy that reality, Haley."

Haley groaned and covered her face with her hands. "Why do you always have to win?"

"Because you make it too easy," Alex replied, grabbing her fork and diving back into her food with a victorious smile.

As the dinner reached its end, Gloria suddenly stood up, startling Jay, who nearly dropped his wine glass.

"Since this is a happy time, I'm going to sing a song!" she announced with dramatic flair, her arms wide as if she were about to perform on a grand stage.

Jay stared at her in bewilderment for a moment, then, realizing resistance was futile, clapped along with the rest of the family. Phil and Cam cheered enthusiastically, Phil even letting out an overzealous, "¡Olé!"

Gloria basked in the applause, her chest puffed out proudly. But right next to her, two very different reactions were playing out.

Manny was gripping the edge of the table, his face a mix of horror and dread. "Mom, no… please. Not 'Bésame Mucho' again…" he muttered under his breath.

Next to him, Vincente leaned slightly closer, his voice low but confident. "I can fix this."

Manny turned to him, eyes wide with hope. "You would do that for me?"

"Anything to avoid… that." Vincente gestured vaguely at Gloria, who was now dramatically clearing her throat and preparing her stance.

Before Gloria could launch into her first note, Vincente stood up abruptly, his small frame commanding surprising attention. "Señora Gloria! I'm so inspired by your beautiful energy. Would you… allow me to sing something instead?"

The table fell silent, and everyone turned to Vincente in surprise. Even Gloria froze mid-breath, one hand clutching her chest. "Oh! Oh, of course, Vincente! Please!"

Manny let out an audible sigh of relief, sagging into his chair like he'd been saved from certain doom.

Vincente gave a small, charming bow and began to sing.

{"Beautiful Girls" by Sean Kingston}

"You're way too beautiful, girl… that's why it'll never work…"

"You have me suicidal, suicidal… When you say it's over…"

His hands started tapping the wood of the table in a simplistic beat, his smile lighting up the space.

Phil leaned toward Claire, whispering, "Is it weird that I feel like I'm at a concert right now?"

Gloria clutched her chest dramatically. "He's my angel!"

Vincente continued, his voice smooth and confident.

"Damn all these beautiful girls… they only wanna do your dirt…"

Cam was already dabbing his eyes with a napkin. "It's just… so pure."

"See, it started at the park, used to chill after the dark"

"Oh, when you took my heart, that's when we fell apart"

Luke and Phil were bobbing their heads up and down with the song.

Cam was shaking his body and waving his arms, Mitchell was judging Cam.

Jay, nodding his head slightly to the beat, muttered, "Kid's got chops."

"You're way too beautiful, girl… that's why it'll never work…"

"You have me suicidal, suicidal… When you say it's over…"

Haley, wide-eyed, muttered, "Okay, why is he cooler than literally anyone I know?"

Alex, arms crossed but clearly intrigued, said under her breath, "Statistically speaking, that shouldn't even be possible."

Vincente glanced at her with his charming smile, winked at her.

Alex's cheeks turned a shade of light pink. Claire raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, when I went away for doin' my first crime"

"And I never thought that we was gonna see each other"

"And then I came out, Miami moved me down south"

Manny, meanwhile, had relaxed back into his chair, finally able to breathe now that Gloria wasn't preparing for an impromptu opera recital. He glanced at Vincente with genuine gratitude.

As Vincente reached the chorus, his voice carrying with startling clarity, the family couldn't help but join in.

"Damn all these beautiful girls… they only wanna do your dirt…"

Phil, Cam, and even Luke chimed in on the word "dirt," their enthusiasm wildly outpacing their vocal skills.

"You're way too beautiful, girl… that's why it'll never work…"

"You have me suicidal, suicidal…"

As the final chorus faded out, Vincente gave one last rhythmic tap on the table, then lifted his hands in a modest little bow.

The table erupted into applause.

"Bravo! Bravo!" Gloria cheered, clapping enthusiastically.

Gloria clasped her hands together, swaying slightly to the beat. "Oh, my little Vincente! You have such a gift!"

Cam had his hand over his heart, whispering, "He's like a tiny Justin Timberlake."

Phil, eyes wide with admiration, leaned toward Claire. "Did you hear this? I mean, really hear this? It's like having a baby Bruno Mars at our dinner table!"

Claire gave him a sidelong look. "Phil, stop collecting child prodigies in your head."

Cam dabbed his eyes with a napkin. "He's eight. Eight! I can't even get Mitch to harmonize with me on road trips."

Mitch rolled his eyes. "Oh sure, let me just casually follow this act."

Jay raised his wine glass. "Alright, kid, you saved lunch. You've officially earned a spot at this table anytime."

As everyone raised their glasses—whether wine, soda, or juice—in Vincente's honor, Gloria beamed with pride. Manny gave Vincente a little nod of respect, and even Alex caught herself smiling.

Haley leaned over to Alex with a smirk. "Yup. Still cooler than you."

Alex didn't even bother with a comeback this time. Instead, she quietly clapped along with the rest of her family, her curiosity about Vincente only growing stronger.

As the applause for Vincente's impromptu performance faded, Jay clapped his hands, commanding attention. "Alright, everyone! Lunch is over! Now help Gloria clean up before you get going."

"Jay!" Gloria snapped, pointing at him before sweeping into the kitchen with a stack of plates. Everyone else began to rise, shuffling around to help or, in Luke's case, sneak another dessert.

Alex lingered at the table, her eyes following Vincente as he helped Manny clear the dishes. The kid's earlier performance, combined with his calm confidence, had gotten under her skin—not in an annoying way, but in a way she couldn't quite figure out. Finally, she turned to Jay, who was pouring himself another glass of wine.

"Grandpa?" Alex began, trying to sound casual.

Jay looked up, one eyebrow raised. "What is it now? Need advice on how to win a debate club match?"

"No," Alex said, rolling her eyes. "It's about Vincente. Manny said he was smart, do you know what he is doing?"

Jay shrugged, swirling his wine in the glass. "Kid's sharp, no doubt about it. Gloria says he's into music and building apps. Some kind of tech prodigy, apparently. He's already got ideas for businesses—apps for musicians, streaming platforms, stuff I don't understand. Plus, you saw the show he just put on. He's got a knack for getting attention."

Alex frowned slightly, processing this. "Music and apps? That's… not what I expected."

Jay smirked. "What were you expecting? Another Manny? Sorry, kid, this one's wired differently."

She hesitated, glancing toward Vincente, who was now chatting animatedly with Manny about something while stacking cups. "He just seems… I don't know. Confident."

"Confidence is one word for it," Jay said with a chuckle. "Ambitious is another. You should talk to him. Might be good for you to meet someone who knows what they want and isn't afraid to go for it."

Alex huffed. "I know what I want."

Jay gave her a knowing look. "Do you?"

Ignoring his comment, Alex walked toward Vincente, She crossed the room toward the kitchen, where Vincente was stacking plates neatly beside the sink. Manny was talking animatedly about some girl, but Vincente seemed only half-listening, humming a soft tune under his breath.

"Hey," Alex said, interrupting.

Both boys looked up. Manny greeted her with a polite smile, but Vincente's face lit up with a natural ease. "Hi, Alex. What's up?"

"It's Alex," she corrected automatically. "And, uh, I just wanted to ask… that song you sang earlier. Did you come up with that?"

Vincente leaned against the counter, his expression calm but confident. "No, that was Sean Kingston. But I do write my own music. I'm working on some songs right now, actually."

Alex crossed her arms, her curiosity piqued. "Seriously? Like, what kind of songs?"

"Pop, mostly. But I like mixing different styles. I think music should be fun, you know?" He tapped the counter lightly, mimicking a drumbeat. "I want to make people feel something when they listen."

Alex shifted awkwardly, not used to initiating conversations. "I heard you're into music and coding. That's… cool."

Vincente wiped his hands on a towel and leaned casually against the counter. "Yeah. I love creating stuff. Music, apps, anything that connects people or makes life easier. Right now, I'm working on a game."

"A Game?" Alex asked, her eyebrows shooting up. "How did you even start something like that?"

"I just learn as I go," Vincente said with a shrug, his tone relaxed but confident. "There are tutorials online, forums, people to ask, And Jay's been a really big help. Coding's fun when you get the hang of it. It's kind of like writing a song—there's a rhythm to it."

Alex nodded slowly, intrigued. "So, what's your goal? Music, tech, or both?"

Vincente grinned. "Not really. I want to build a company where tech and creativity come together. Apps for musicians, tools for artists, stuff that makes it easier for people to follow their passions. And if I can perform music along the way, even better."

Alex blinked, taken aback by his clarity. "That's… a lot for an eight-year-old."

"Almost nine," Vincente corrected with a playful grin. "What about you? What's your thing?"

Alex hesitated, caught off guard. "I guess… school, mostly. Science, academics. I want to do research someday, maybe make a difference in medicine or the environment."

"That's cool!" Vincente said earnestly. "Maybe one day, we'll work together. You'll solve a big problem, and I'll build the app to share it with the world."

Before Alex could respond, Claire's voice rang out from the living room. "Alex! We are going, hurry up if you don't want to spend the night at your grandpa's."

Vincente straightened up, giving Alex a polite nod. "It was nice talking to you, Alex."

As she walked off, Alex found herself watching him again, her mind buzzing. He was so young, but he already had a vision. It was… inspiring, in a way. She wasn't used to meeting someone her age—or younger—who wasn't just coasting.

Haley appeared suddenly at her side, smirking. "What's this? You two bonding over your mutual need to be overachievers?"

Alex scowled at her. "Don't you have something shallow to do?"

Haley flipped her hair dramatically. "Nope. Watching you squirm is much more fun."

As the family began saying their goodbyes and gathering their things, Alex caught one last glimpse of Vincente as he headed out the door with Manny and Gloria. He turned and gave her a small, knowing smile before disappearing down the steps.

For the first time in a long time, Alex felt like she'd met someone who could keep up with her—and she wasn't sure whether to be annoyed or impressed. Either way, she couldn't wait for the next family gathering.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I tried integrating the song with the dialogues. Tell me how did I do and how to improve?

The focus on Alex was because I want their relationship like a brother and sister of the same caliber. Honestly, Alex was pretty much ignored by everyone in the show, so I want to follow up on her. 

Tell me what you think?

Thank you for reading!!!