Decisions (Modern Family)

"MANNY! VAMANOS! We're going to be late for your game!" In what seemed like a daily occurrence Gloria's shout cut through the house from the kitchen.

"Remind me again, why am I being dragged along to this?" Vincente asked, sitting on the table eating his breakfast.

"Cause, you love your brother." Gloria said without missing a beat, as she set three more pancakes on his plate.

"And what's wrong with loving him from home? You know, where I can be sitting… watching Dragon Ball Z… uninterrupted?"

Jay lowered his newspaper and deadpanned at Vince, "Because I love my house. And the last time we left you alone, you invited your friends over and turned my orchids into an episode of Bill Nye the Science Guy."

Vince waved him off.

Manny entered the kitchen area wearing his football cleats, shorts and jersey with an interesting addition on, "Mom, do you think this scarf goes with my jersey?" he asked as he held his orange scarf up for Gloria to see.

Gloria freezes mid-pancake flip in confusion, "Manny… are you planning to play soccer…or cheering?"

"Kid, the scarf says, "I have asthma, but make it fashion."" came Jay's dry reply.

Vince snorts with laughter, nearly choking on his pancake.

"You know what? Forget it. Clearly, this house doesn't appreciate sophistication." Manny dramatically tosses the scarf over his shoulder and exits the kitchen. 

Gloria sighs, "Everybody in the car—now!"

[Cutaway Jay & Gloria]

Jay and Gloria sat on the couch as Gloria spoke, "Hmmm, We're very different." pointing at herself and Jay.

"Jay's from the city, he has big business. I come from a small village, very poor but very, very beautiful. It's the number one village in all of Colombia for all the…eh…What's the word?" She turned to Jay and asked.

"Murders."

She smilingly turned towards the camera and said, "Yes, Murders."

"Mis Hijos? Ayy Mis Hermosos Hijos!" 

Jay shook his head, recognizing the long expose that was about to happen.

"I have two very beautiful children, both from the same man. JAVIER. Crazy guy, All the time spent with him felt like in the middle of storm, I am here-I am there-I am here-ther"

"Gloria, I think they only asked about Manny and Vincente specifically?" Jay interrupted her before she could say more.

She settled down a bit, "Si, Si, Ahh Let's see, Oh, Manny and Vincente… our two little stars. They are… how do you say it? Like night and day."

Jay nodded, " Yeah, if night was reading poetry in a silk scarf and day was trying to build a rocket in my garage with a stolen leaf blower."

Gloria laughed and turned to Jay, "Ay, Jay! Don't act like you don't love it."

Jay raised an eyebrow, "Oh sure, nothing brings me more joy than realizing my expensive golf clubs have been turned into part of a trebuchet."

"A What?" Gloria was confused.

Jay shook his head, "Nothing, You go on."

Gloria also shook her head, glaring at Jay but then gave a bright smile, "Manny… oh, he's so sensitive, so artistic. He writes poetry, and he even knows how to fold napkins into little swans."

Jay waved it off, "Yeah, if we ever open a restaurant for birds, he's our guy."

Gloria playfully slapped Jay's arm, "And Vincente—ay, Vincente! That boy is like our little Juanes and Bill Gates."

Jay turned towards her surprised, "Wait… how do you know who Bill Gates is?"

Gloria, offended, raised her voice, "Jay, please! I'm not some little village girl who doesn't know anything!"

A moment passed and Gloria asked with a low voice, "…He's the one with the apples, right?"

Jay deadpanned, "Close enough."

Gloria waved him off, "Anyway, He's like a little… how do you say it? Wunderkind!"

Jay nodded along, he replied sarcastically, "Yeah, and I'm like a little Wunderguy for surviving it all."

Gloria slapped his arm again.

[Cutaway End]

[Dunphy House]

"Kids! Breakfast!" Claire's shout carried through the house. "Kids!?"

She turned towards Phil who was playing with his gameboy by the counter, "Phil, would you get them?"

"Yeah, just a sec."

She rushed on making breakfast while Phil was pretty focused on something else, he opened the fridge and took something out to drink, leaving the fridge open.

"Kids!" Claire once more yelled and bumped into the fridge's door spilling the food on the ground, "Phil!"

Startled Phil said, "That is totaled." 

Seeing Claire's frustrated expression he yelled, "Kids! Get down here!"

Haley came in at the exact moment, her eyes focused on the phone, "Why are you yelling, when we are way upstairs? Just text me." She pocketed her phone.

Claire, still fuming, replied, "A. That's not happening and B. You're not wearing that outfit." handing Haley her plate.

"Why? What's wrong with it?" She came into view in a short skirt.

"Phil, you wanna comment on that?" Claire turned towards Phil, shooting a look.

Phil, oblivious to the look, looked at Haley for a brief moment and went back to the game replying, "Sorry, Oh! Yeah! Looks cute, Honey."

"Oh, Thanks!"

Claire threw her hands up in exasperation.

Alex came from the hallway, "Luke is stuck in the banister again."

"Phil." Claire sighed.

"On it." He hoped over the spilled food, "Do you know where the baby oil is?"

"It's on our bedsi…I don't know. Find it." She set up a plate for Alex.

She turned around to place the milk in the fridge and bumped with the door again which Phil had left open.

"OH! COME ON!"

[Cutaway Phil & Claire]

Phil and Claire were sitting on the couch of their living room.

Phil nodded his head while Claire fidgeted with her fingernails. 

"I was…out of control growing up. There I said it." She sighed it out.

"I just don't want to make the same bad mistakes I made while I was growing up."

Phil snorted, "Talk about yourself."

Claire turned to Phil, glaring. "Excuse me?"

Phil raised his hands defensively, a sheepish grin on his face. "I mean, I wasn't exactly a straight-laced kid either, but you act like you were some kind of rebel. What's the worst thing you did—double-park at the mall?"

Claire's eyes narrowed. "I'll have you know I once stayed out past curfew to toilet paper the principal's house."

Phil gasped, feigning shock. "Claire! What a wild child!"

"I'm serious!" Claire insisted. "It's just… I don't want Haley, Alex, or Luke making the same mistakes I did."

Phil tilted his head. "Claire, we've met our kids, right? Alex is more likely to get arrested for hacking into NASA than sneaking out, Luke's biggest crime is getting stuck in things, and Haley—well, she's basically you, but with better Wi-Fi."

Claire sighed, slumping back into the couch. "Maybe you're right. I just want them to be responsible."

"And they will be!" Phil reassured her, grinning. "After all, they've got us as role models."

Claire groaned, covering her face. "We're doomed."

[Cutaway End]

"Vamos Manny! Kick it! Kick it!" Gloria shouted, making a kicking motion.

Vincente stood behind her munching on some chips, beside him Jay sat in a foldable chair.

"Gloria, maybe let the kid play the game," Jay muttered, adjusting his sunglasses as he leaned back in his foldable chair.

Vincente crunched on another chip, grinning. "Yeah, at this point, Manny's more scared of your yelling than the other team."

Gloria shot them both a glare but immediately turned back to the field, waving her arms wildly. "¡Vamos, Manny! You're faster than them! Like a gazelle! A graceful, Colombian gazelle!"

Jay groaned, rubbing his temples. "Do gazelles even play soccer?"

"Pretty sure they don't yell this much either," Vincente quipped, earning a smirk from Jay.

"Callarse la boca! Your brother is like Carlos Valderrama."

"Yeah, If Carlos Valderrama was four feet tall and fifty pounds heavier." Vincente quipped back.

Gloria got mad at the statement, she raised her finger and took a step towards the now terrified Vincente.

"VincenteEustacioRafaelSantiagoTomásAlejandroFernandoDelgado, you don't talk about your brother that-"

Thankfully for Vincente, her focus shifted towards what was happening on the field.

On the field, Manny managed to intercept the ball, but instead of kicking it he froze and stared at a girl riding a bicycle on the track.

The kid from the other team took the ball with ease and scored a goal but Manny was still staring in the general direction of the girl.

Seeing that a lady on their side yelled at the coach, "Come on Coach! You've got to take that kid off the field!"

Gloria's ire shifted towards the lady, "How about I take YOU off life?"

The lady scared backpedaled her way back.

"Hey Gloria! Maybe calm down a little, I mean it's a soccer game for kids not whatcha call it FIFA?"

Gloria calmed down a little, muttering under her breath about the woman. "Who does she think she is? Talking bad about my son? I should've thrown my chancla at her!"

The whistle blew, signaling the end of the game, with Manny's team losing spectacularly. Gloria clapped like they'd just won the World Cup. "¡Bravo, Manny! You were amazing!"

Jay shook his head, gathering his chair. "Yeah, amazing at giving the other team the ball."

Vincente patted Manny on the back as they walked off the field. "Don't worry, Manny. You've got plenty of time to improve. Just maybe next time, leave the romance for after the game, huh?"

Jay had gone to take the car out of the parking lot.

As they approached the car, Manny with a defeated sigh declared, "I'm quitting soccer. It's a game for children."

"Shocker!" Vincente commented from the side.

Gloria glared at him before continuing in a soft tone, "No, You're not quitting. You would have stopped that goal, if you were not busy staring at that little girl."

"She is not a girl. She is a woman." Manny said indignantly

Vincente almost choked on his chips, bursting into laughter. "A woman, Manny? She was riding a pink bike with tassels on the handles!"

Gloria gave Vincente another glare before turning to Manny. "Manny, you are eleven! She is a girl! And one day, you will meet plenty of women, but today, you focus on the game!"

Manny crossed his arms, his face serious. "Mom, you don't understand. She had… depth. There was something in her eyes. A story. A sadness, maybe."

Vincente doubled over, laughing. "Sadness? Manny, she was probably sad because her training wheels fell off last week!"

Gloria swatted Vincente on the arm. "¡Basta ya! Stop teasing your brother!"

Jay pulled up in the car, rolling down the window. "What's the holdup? Let's go before someone calls security on Gloria for threatening that poor lady."

Gloria gasped. "She deserved it, Jay! She insulted our son!"

Jay raised an eyebrow. "She wasn't wrong, though. The kid froze like a deer in headlights."

Gloria ignored him and ushered the boys into the car. As they drove off, Manny stared wistfully out the window.

With a resolute voice, Manny declared, "I wanna tell Brenda Feldman I love her."

"Oh, Geez." Jay sighed along with every other occupant in the car except Manny who was picturing his non-existent future.

"Manny, she's sixteen." Gloria tried to implore.

"Oh! It's okay for you to take an older lover?"

The car went dead silent.

Gloria's jaw dropped as she tried to form words. Jay asked, his eyes wide. "What did you just say?"

Manny sighed dramatically. "You just don't get it. None of you understand the complexity of love."

Vincente threw a chip at him. "The only thing complex here is how you managed to lose the ball to a kid half your size."

Manny ignored him and said, "I heard she works at the mall, I will confess my love in the mall but first I wanna get my white shirt, the silk one."

Gloria sighed in the front seat, "Okay, if that's what you really want to do?"

Jay chimed in, "Seriously, not to be the evil-stepdad but if you put on a puffy white shirt and declare your love for a sixteen year old, you're gonna be hanging from the flagpole, in your puffy white underwear."

"And that's them without taking out the puff," said Vincente.

"Stop the car!" Manny yelled suddenly.

"Wh-Where you going?" Gloria asked, startled.

Without answering Manny got out of the car.

Gloria addressed Jay and Vincente, "See, you two hurt his feelings."

Vincente shrugged.

"Yeah well it toughens him up a bit…" Jay sighed by the end of his statement, "Geez, he is picking flowers."

Jay groaned and leaned his head against the steering wheel. "This kid is going to be the death of me."

Vincente leaned out of the window, watching Manny meticulously select flowers from a neighbor's yard. "You think he knows he's technically stealing those?"

Gloria turned to glare at both of them. "They're flowers! It's not stealing; it's romantic! You two have no idea how love works."

Jay shot her a look. "Yeah, Gloria, nothing screams 'romance' like a trespassing charge."

Manny approached the car, cradling a bundle of mismatched flowers like a bouquet, his face glowing with determination. "These will do. Brenda Feldman deserves the best."

Vincente snorted. "Yeah, nothing says 'I love you' like some half-dead daisies and weeds from old man Jenkins' yard."

Gloria clapped her hands together, beaming. "¡Qué lindo, Manny! So passionate!"

Jay started the car again, muttering under his breath, "This is going to end in tears. Probably mine."

As they pulled into the driveway, Manny leapt out, running inside to grab his silk shirt.

Vincente turned to Gloria and Jay, shaking his head. "I give it five minutes before she either laughs him out of the mall or calls mall security."

Jay snorted at the statement.

Gloria glared at both of them, pointing a finger. "You two are terrible! Let the boy follow his heart!"

Jay parked the car and sighed, stepping out. "Fine. But when his heart gets stomped on, I'm not paying for therapy."

Manny reappeared in the doorway, his white silk shirt tucked into his pants, looking like a miniature telenovela star. "Alright. To the mall!"

Vincente stared at him, deadpan. "You forgot the sword."

"What sword?" Manny asked, confused.

"The one you're supposed to fall on after this all goes horribly wrong," Vincente said, walking past him into the house. "Oh man, Manny, you're really setting the bar for cringe here."

Manny huffed, clutching his bouquet. "You'll see. One day, you'll all see."

Gloria kissed Manny on the forehead. "Good luck, mi amor. And don't listen to them. You're perfect."

As Manny marched off to prepare his grand declaration of love, Jay poured himself a drink and sat down. "Well, this ought to be fun to clean up. Should we film it for future blackmail?"

Vincente smirked. "Now you're thinking like a Delgado."

[Tucker-Pritchett Household]

A car pulls into the driveway. Cam gets out first, opening Mitch's door, as Mitch carefully steps out holding Lily in her car seat. Cam beams, holding a video camera, narrating every move.

"And here we are—two fathers, one precious angel, and a lifetime of memories ahead of us!"

Mitchell groaned at Cam's hovering, "Cam, can we not document every second? I'm trying to keep her head from wobbling."

Cam ignored Mitchell's groan, "You're doing great, Daddy! Look at him, so natural. Like a mother swan."

Mitch rolled his eyes, "Swan dads, Cam. Swan dads."

The front door opens. Mitch enters first, holding the baby carrier like it's made of glass. Cam follows, still filming.

"And here we are, Lily Tucker-Pritchett, setting foot in her first home!"

"Cam, do you still have to be filming?"

"Wha-You know what, Mitchell? Yes, I do or else when Lily grows up and asks for this particular tape then what are you gonna tell her?" Cam asked with one hand holding the camera and one on his waist.

Mitchell rolled his eyes.

Cam steadied his camera once again, "Now, follow me to Lily's nursery, I wanna record hers and your reaction to the painting I commissioned."

He led them to Lily's nursery and the only reaction he caught was Lily crying and Mitchell's horror.

[Cutaway Cam & Mitchell]

Cam with a beaming smile said, "We wanted Lily to have a nursery that inspired her. Something… grand. Something breathtaking."

Mitchell, sitting beside him, silently mouthed, "Oh… my… God."

Cam without looking ushered, "Exactly! It's art, Mitchell. Timeless!"

Mitchell groaned, "Cam, that is… that is not a nursery mural! This is something you'd see painted on the ceiling of a very confused Italian restaurant!"

Cam crossed his arms, "Well, excuse me for trying to give our daughter culture, Mitchell! You're welcome, Lily."

Mitchell threw his hands up, "Oh, Yeah, Welcome home, Lily. Sorry about the… celestial trauma."

[Cutaway End]

"I still cannot believe you did this to me?" Mitchell opened the door carrying a tray of food.

Cam followed behind him carrying more food, "Would you get into the spirit of things? It's a celebration."

Ding-Dong

They both looked at the door.

Cam ushered Mitchell to open the door while he went to get Lily.

Mitchell opened the door to the Dunphy family's cheer. "Hey!"

Claire gave Mitchell a hug as they came in.

"Hey! Phil." Mitchell Greeted Phil as he was given a wine bottle from Phil.

"Don't Hey! Phil. Open it, I saw dad just right behind us." Claire said as she placed the cake on the table.

Just at the moment there was a knock, "Hey! Hey! We're here! Coming in!"

Jay popped his head in, Mitchell awkwardly waved at him, "Hey Dad, Nothing Gay going on here."

He gave Jay an once over, "May I take your bejeweled cap and multicolored coat."

"Yeah."

Gloria and kids followed behind him. Claire went to give Gloria a hug awkwardly while Phil held up a fist to bump, Manny looked confused and met it with an open palm, much to Phil's disappointment, while Vincente gave an excited fist-bump to Phil.

"Hell yeah, Vin. Up top" He gave Vin a high-five.

Phil greeted Gloria with a hug, "Hey Gloria, How are you? What a beautiful dress."

Gloria thanked him, "Ah, Thank you, Phil."

Phil awkwardly tried to touch her dress before Claire snatched his hand and guided him away, "Phil, that's how she says 'Phil', not 'Feel'. 'Phil'"

They sat down on one of the couches.

Jay, making a drink, asked, "So, how was your trip to 'Nam?"

Mitchell, now surrounded by his family, stood before them like he was facing a panel of judges.

"It was good, Good. Actually…" he nervously replied, looking for Cam, "But about that, I have something I need to tell you guys…Uhm"

He looked back to check for Cam, "We didn't just go to Vietnam just for pleasure. We-we kind of have some big news."

Jay interrupted his speech, "Oh God! If Cam comes out here with boobs, then I am leaving." Earning him a slap on the arm from Gloria.

"Dad." Claire admonished him.

"I hope he didn't embarrass you, Mom!" came Haley's snide remark.

"Oh, Don't mind her. Haley had her first boy over today and Phil shot him."

"Dude, Rad." Vin held up a fistbump which Phil bumped awkwardly.

Mitchell looked at Phil a beat before waving it off, "Anyway, so ab-about a year ago, Cam and I started feeling this longing, you know, for someth-something more like, uh, maybe like a baby."

"Whoa, that's a bad idea." Jay interjected.

Mitchell, offended, asked, "What do you mean, 'bad idea'?"

"Well, kids need a mother. I mean, if you guys were so bored, get a dog."

With hands on his hips, Mitchell replied, "Okay, we are not bored, Dad."

Gloria chimed in, "I support you Mitchell, Even though you are not my son." throwing shade at Jay.

Claire interjected, pointing at Jay, "I think, What Dad is trying to say is that Mitchell, you're a little uptight. Kids bring chaos, and you handle it well."

Mitchell gasped, more offended he said, "That's what dad is saying. That's what you are saying." He gestured at her whole body, "And that's insulting in a whole different way."

"Okay, people. Let's all chillax." Phil tried to ease the tension in the room."

"Hey, Where's Uncle Cam?" Alex suddenly asked, looking around.

"Thank you, Thank you. Somebody who is not insulting me notices he is not here." Mitchell pointed at Alex.

"Oh! That's the Big news you two broke up." Mitchell was flabbergasted at Jay's deduction "Well a baby was not gonna help that anyway. And let me tell you, you're better off without him, he was a bit of a drama queen."

Mitchell was having trouble putting his thoughts into words, "No, No, No, No. Stop. Stop. You come into my house and you insult me and my boyfriend, by the way who is not that dramatic…"

As he said that the light in the room dimmed and 'The Circle of life' started playing loudly.

Cam came into the living room wearing a colorful robe carrying a small bundle. He held up a baby who was looking around like 'You lot have nothing better to do?'.

Mitchell sighed and turned towards his family, gesturing at the baby, "We adopted a baby. Her name is Lily."

The family was blown away, the girls squealed while the boys cheered.

"Just turn it off." Mitchell asked Cam.

Cam hugged Lily and in a pouting tone said, "I just can't turn it off. It's who I am."

Mitchell sighed, "The music Cam. The music."

"Oh, Oh, yes the music." Cam hurriedly turned off the music.

The family excitedly surrounded Cam to look at Lily.

"A little princess." "She's so cute." "Let me see her. Let me see her."

"Lily? Isn't it going to be hard for her to say that?" One guess who said that.

Jay stood on the side looking at the family with guilty eyes, Gloria noticing that gestured for him to come.

"Excuse me," Jay shuffled a bit, "Okay, I know I said that this was a bad idea. But what do I know? I mean it's not like I wrote a book on Fatherhood. I've been trying all my life to get it right. Hell, I'm still screwing it up. Right, Manny?"

"I wrote a sonnet about it in the car."

"Of course you did." He said as he glanced at Vincente who gave him a thumbs up. "Anyway, You should know I am Happy for you and I am not here to spit in your face, I'm here to blow at your back."

"I don't know what that means."

"I don't understand."

"It's supposed to sound better in spanish."

Vincente translated at family's confusión, ""Empujar de tu espalda." It means... like, 'I'm here to give you a push forward, not hold you back.'"

"Thank you," Cam said genuinely "You wanna hold her?"

"Can I?"

"Here." Cam gently transferred Lily in Vincente's embrace, "Support her head."

Lily, now in Vincente's embrace, giggled heartily.

"Awww, so cute," Vincente carefully held Lily. "You know I just thought of something because of you." 

"Oh My God! Is it a song? Did you make a new song?" Cam squealed.

Vincente grinned, "Actually, yeah. Holding Lily just gave me this idea."

Cam excitedly clapped, "Sing it! Sing it now!"

"Well then, give me your guitar." Vincente said as he gave Lily to Gloria who was excited to hold the baby.

Cam came back with the guitar, Vincente sat down on the couch and strummed a few notes trying to find something.

"Ah, here we go."

["Family" by Kygo and The Chainsmokers]

🎵 "I know water that's thicker than love, that's deeper than the ocean."🎵

The room falls silent as Vincente sings, his voice soft but filled with emotion. Lily blinks up at him, almost as if she understands. Cam's hands flew to his chest in excitement.

🎵 "That's deeper than love with my friends.

People come and some people go, and

Some people ride 'til the end"🎵

Lily cooed softly in Gloria's arms, as if enchanted by the melody. Gloria swayed gently, her face glowing with admiration.

🎵 "When I am blind in my mind

I swear they be my rescue, my lifeline

I don't know what I'd do if I, if I'd survive

My brothers and my sisters, in my life

Yeah"🎵

Manny, Haley, Alex and Luke let out sounds of "Awww".

🎵 "I know some people, they would die for me

We run together, they're my family

When I get up, they gon' be high with me

🎵 "I'll say forever my family"🎵

My family

I'll say forever my family

My family

I'll say forever my family"🎵

Cam's eyes were wide, glistening with tears. "It's beautiful! So raw, so real!" he whispered to Mitchell, who nodded in agreement, his own face softening with emotion.

"Is it dusty in here? No? Just me?" Phil sniffled, Claire comforted him, her own eyes a little cloudy.

🎵 "When I am blind in my mind

I swear they be my rescue, my lifeline

I don't know what I'd do if I, if I'd survive

My brothers and my sisters, in my life

Yeah

I know some people, they would die for me 

We run together, they're my family

When I get up, they gon' be high with me 

I'll say forever my family"🎵

As the final chord faded, the room erupted into applause. Cam practically launched himself toward Vincente, arms outstretched. "Oh, Vincente, that was transcendent! You have the voice of an angel, the soul of a poet!"

As the applause subsided, Vincente smiled sheepishly, setting the guitar aside. "Thank you, everyone. I just… felt inspired holding Lily. Family is everything, you know?"

Mitchell stepped forward, his expression warm. "You've managed to turn a regular family gathering into an unforgettable moment. Again!. That's a gift, Vincente."

Haley, still holding her phone, chimed in, "Okay, but can I post this? Like, seriously, my followers will lose their minds. This is viral material."

Phil, his eyes still a little misty, waved his hand dramatically. "Viral? More like legendary! Vincente, you're the real deal. I mean, how often does someone sing about family and actually make people feel it?"

Claire chuckled, patting Phil's back. "That was beautiful, sweetheart. And you're absolutely right—family is everything."

Jay, leaning on the back of a chair, cleared his throat. "Just make sure you don't forget the little people when you're off winning Grammys or whatever."

Cam gasped, taking Lily from Gloria. "Jay! He is a star already. Vincente, you must promise to sing at Lily's first birthday."

"Of course!" Vincente agreed with a grin.

Manny, who had been quietly watching from the sidelines, finally spoke up. "You know, I think you just captured what everyone's been feeling but didn't know how to say. Family is our anchor. You're like a modern-day bard, Vincente."

Luke piped up, pointing at himself. "Does this mean I'm your muse? 'Cause I was sitting right here while you were inspired."

The room burst into laughter, and Haley rolled her eyes. "You're delusional."

As everyone settled back into the warmth of the gathering, the air felt lighter, the bonds stronger. Vincente looked around, taking it all in—this was what he loved most about moments like this. It wasn't just about the music; it was about connection, the feeling of belonging.

As the room buzzed with excitement, Alex, who had been sitting quietly on the arm of the couch, finally spoke up. "You know, not to be the overly analytical one, but that song actually touches on something pretty profound. The idea that family isn't just about blood ties but the people who show up for you—that's a message people need to hear."

Vincente turned to her, his expression thoughtful. "That's exactly what I was trying to say. It's not just about who you're related to—it's about who's there for you, no matter what."

Alex nodded, a rare smile tugging at her lips. "You nailed it. I don't usually get emotional, but even I felt something."

Luke gasped, pointing dramatically at her. "Wait, Alex felt something? This is groundbreaking."

Haley smirked. "Someone better write this down. Alex Dunphy admits she has feelings."

Alex rolled her eyes. "Don't ruin the moment, Haley. I was trying to give him a compliment."

Vincente laughed, holding up his hands. "I'll take it. Coming from you, that's high praise."

Cam clasped his hands together, looking between Alex and Vincente. "See? Your music even moves the toughest critics. You're unstoppable!"