Decisions (Modern Family)

"Mom, who are we meeting?" a nine-year-old Manny asked, trailing behind his mom with his little brother.

"Ayy, Manny, I said it was a surprise, no?" Gloria spoke as she navigated the bustling street, keeping a close eye on both of her children.

"But Mom, you know I don't like surprises. They make me anxious." Manny clutched his little leather satchel tighter, his brows furrowed with concern.

"Mi amor, not all surprises are bad, okay? Sometimes, they're the best things in the world," Gloria said, flashing him a bright smile over her shoulder.

After a couple of shops later, they stopped in front of an elegant café with outdoor seating. Gloria hesitated for a moment before taking a deep breath and walking towards one of the corner tables.

Seated there was a man in his early 60s, wearing a crisp button-down shirt and sunglasses. He stood up when he saw them approach, slipping his sunglasses off and tucking them into his pocket.

"Manny, Vincente, this is Jay," Gloria said gently, her voice softer than usual.

"Hello, boys," Jay said, offering a small, reserved smile.

Manny's eyes widened a little, his lips parting as if he wanted to say something but couldn't find the words. Beside him, little Vincente took a step forward, his tiny hand reaching out confidently.

"Hola, Mister!" Vincente said, his voice clear but tentative, his hand still outstretched.

Jay hesitated for just a moment before taking the small hand in his larger one, giving it a firm but gentle shake. "Well, aren't you a brave one?" he said softly, his gruff voice carrying a hint of warmth.

Manny shifted his weight from one foot to the other, clutching the strap of his backpack. "Are… are you my mom's friend?" he finally asked.

Jay glanced up at Gloria, who stood a little behind them, her expression unreadable but her eyes sharp. He looked back at Manny and gave a slow nod. "Yeah, kid. You could say that."

Gloria stepped forward, placing a hand gently on Manny's shoulder. "Boys, this is Jay. He's… someone important."

Vincente's head tilted slightly as he studied Jay with his big, curious eyes. "Do you like cake?" he asked suddenly, breaking the tension with childlike innocence.

Jay let out a surprised chuckle, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. "You know what, kid? I do. I like cake a lot."

[Vincente's POV]

So, that is Jay Pritchett, he looks younger than what I had seen.I remember when they first met. Mama was waitressing back then while Manny and I sat in one of the corner booths after school.

Jay had walked in, looking all serious and important, and Mama was the one who took his order. Manny hadn't noticed because he was busy scribbling a love letter to his teacher.

Well, to put it simply: Mama took the order. Jay was mesmerized. Jay tried to charm her. Mama took an interest. And… the rest is history.

[Vincente's Commentary]

Sitting on a chair in front of the cafe with his family blurred in the background was Vincente.

"Oh I get one of these? Hola, now you must be wondering how I know of Jay." leaning forward conspiratorially "You remember the foreshadowing last chapter? So, I have the memories of another person from… let's call it a different reality. How? No clue. Miracle of God, probably."

"In those memories, there was this seventeen-year-old kid. Smart. Súper inteligente. He had a scholarship, studied Computer Science, and spent most of his life glued to textbooks and a laptop."

Vincente's brows furrow slightly. "His parents didn't have much, but they gave him everything they could. They gave everything so he could have a better future. And he saw that. He felt that.. So, he worked. Hard. Like, really hard. No friends, no hobbies, no extra-curricular activities. Just books, exams, and endless studying. Computer Science. Always studying. That was his world."

Vincente looks down for a moment before continuing.

"He didn't really keep up with what was happening outside his textbooks. Just the big stuff—the scandals, the celebrity meltdowns, you know, the things that make headlines. But at some point, he hit burnout. And during that tiny break, he found this show—Modern Family. He didn't watch much, just a handful of episodes, but enough to know the characters. Enough to know Jay Pritchett. Enough to know about this family."

"Before… well, before things ended, he was working on an AI. Trying to build something that could help people. Something importante."

He pauses, his eyes briefly looking downward. "Todavía pienso en sus padres a veces. Cada noche, le pido a Dios por ellos. Que tengan salud, suerte, y una buena vida." (I still think about his parents sometimes. Every night, I pray to God for them. May they have health, luck, and a good life.)

"But you know what? I've been reading a Computer Science book from the library. And I know many apps and games from his memories. Once I get my hands on a laptop, oh-it's on." He grins proudly.

[Vincente's commentary end]

The server arrived, setting down a few glasses of water. Jay ordered coffee, while Gloria asked for tea. Manny requested a small orange juice, and Vincente, with all the seriousness of a businessman at a meeting, said:

"Milk. Warm. Please and thank you."

Jay smirked at the confident delivery, shaking his head slightly.

"So, boys," Jay started, clearing his throat, "what do you like to do for fun?"

Manny blinked and opened his mouth before closing it again. "Uh… I like poetry. And classical music. And… chess."

Jay raised his eyebrows, clearly not expecting that answer. "Huh. Well, that's… impressive, kid. Smart hobbies."

Manny smiled awkwardly, glancing at his mother for reassurance. Gloria gave him an encouraging nod.

Jay addressed the younger brother, "And you kid, what do you like to do?"

Vincente smiled proudly, "I like singing and dancing but I also like Maths and Computer science."

Jay raised his eyebrows, he looked at Gloria to see her nodding, "Singing, dancing, and computer science? That's quite the combo, kid." his tone clearly impressed.

Vincente beamed, puffing out his small chest proudly. "Sí, Señor Jay! I want to be a famous singer and dancer, like Enrique Iglesias, Justin Timberlake or Shakira. Pero también… I want to build something cool with computers, like a robot or maybe an app. Something grande!"

Gloria chuckled softly, her eyes full of warmth as she watched her youngest son talk with such enthusiasm, "He's very talented, my Vincente. He gets it from mí, of course. His school has been pushing me to get him to uh…. What was it called?"

Vincente, seeing her struggling, supplied, "Accelerated Education."

"Yeah, that."

Jay smirked at her playful bragging. "Of course," he said with a small nod before looking back at Vincente. "Well, you've got big dreams, kid. And let me tell you something—dreams are good. But they take work. A lot of work."

Vincente nodded seriously, as if he were taking mental notes. "I know, Señor Jay. Mama says, 'El que persevera, alcanza.'"

Jay's lips quirked up into a small smile. "What does that mean?"

"It means, 'He who perseveres, achieves,'" Vincente translated proudly.

Jay let out a soft chuckle, shaking his head slightly. "You're a sharp one, aren't you?"

Manny shifted uncomfortably in his seat, glancing between Jay and his mom. "So… are you really just my mom's… friend?"

The question hung in the air, and Gloria's smile faltered slightly. Jay looked at her briefly before speaking.

"Yeah, Manny. I'm your mom's friend. And, hopefully, I'll get to be your friend too. Both of you."

Silence.

Gloria glanced between her children and Jay before breaking the silence.

"Jay, why don't you tell the boys about your family? Your kids, your grandkids…"

Jay's expression softened as he looked at the two curious faces staring back at him.

"Well, I've got two kids—Claire and Mitchell. Claire's the oldest, and Mitchell is the youngest. Claire has three kids with her husband, my grandkids, Haley, Alex and Luke," Jay said, looking over at Manny. "He's your age, maybe you two could be friends."

From there on the conversations continued smoothly, Jay offered to take them around the city which they graciously accepted.

They visited multiple places and ate multiple things which Jay insisted on paying for.

After a whole day of fun Jay escorted them to their home.

Opening the door, Gloria came in supporting Manny who looked ready to pass out. "Ayy Manny, I told you not to eat that many? Now look at you."

"Uauuhghh" Manny let out an indescribable groan.

Gloria guided Manny towards the bedroom, "Vincente, you change too. Time to sleep." and disappeared in the bedroom.

"Si, Mama," Vincente responded, glancing at Jay, who was standing by the door, watching them, he approached him.

Seeing Vincente approach, Jay raised an eyebrow. "Shouldn't you be getting changed into your pajamas, kid?"

Vincente stood still for a moment, staring at Jay. His voice was soft, but sincere when he finally spoke. "You're a good guy, Jay. Mama doesn't cry anymore at night since she met you."

Without waiting for a reply, Vincente quickly scampered off toward the bedroom.

Jay stood in silence for a few moments, absorbing Vincente's words. He hadn't expected such a candid statement from the young boy. A soft, genuine smile crept onto his face as he stood in the doorway, watching Vincente disappear into the bedroom.

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The fourth-wall breaking won't happen too often, maybe once or twice more but not many.

Thank you for reading!!!