"I wish I could stay home with you and fly toy airplanes" Manny said as Jay assembled a toy airplane.

"Me too" I agreed.

"These aren't toy airplanes, Manny and Y/N." Jay spoke, looking down at the airplane, "These are models, and they're very complicated. You wanna fly one of these, you gotta be familiar with airfoil, drag, lift and thrust— and these are all principles of aerodynamics."

"The box says '12' and up" Manny told him.

Jay looked up at us, "What?"
Manny pointed at the box. Jay put the airplane down and looks at the box. His eyebrows furrowed together.

"You both can fly toy planes with Jay next time." Gloria said to us. "Today you have to spend time with Luke."

"Okay." I shrug.

"Why?" Manny complained.

"Because his mother invited you, so you go." Gloria told us, "Family needs to be close. Right, Jay?"

"I'm pretty sure this is a typo." Jay said, pointing at the box. Gloria frowned and shook her head.

——

We had arrived at the Dunphy house about a minute ago. We were currently in the kitchen. Manny had brought his favourite board game with him. "Manny, brought his favourite game to play with Luke." Gloria said to Claire as Manny our the box onto the kitchen counter.

"It's called empire." Manny said told Claire, "You use strategy to expand territories and take over the world."

"Luke is gonna love that." Claire smiled, " He's out back playing." Manny looked outside and made a confused face. "So, Y/N, what are you gonna do?" Claire asked me, to which I replied with a shrug.

"I dunno, I'll probably play with Manny and Luke, or talk to Alex" I said.

"Do you need me to get you something while I'm out shopping?" Gloria asked Claire.

"That's such a nice offer, but I think we're good. Thanks." Claire said. I noticed Luke playing outside. He was on the trampoline with a cardboard box on his head.

"Okay." Alex began as she walked into the kitchen, " What about this?" She shows off a blue shirt.

"You don't even say 'Hello' to Gloria, Manny, And Y/N?" Claire asked her,m.

"Hi, Gloria, Manny, And Y/N." Alex smiled and waved, she then turned back to her mum, "Okay, mum, what about this?"

Claire turned to look st Alex, "No. You're wearing a dress."

"Mum, come on."

"What? It's gonna kill you to look like a girl for one afternoon?"

"But it's a wedding for some friend of yours I never even heard of."

"It's non-negotiable. You can borrow a dress of Haley's again."

"No. That sends an ugly message— that I'm Haley. You know, instead of trying to force me to wear a dress, why don't you worry about getting Luke to wear some pants?" Alex said.

"What?" Claire asks, confused.
She turned around and noticed Luke. "Why does he do this?" She asks while walking to the Glass Door. She bangs in the door, gaining Luke's attention, "Luke! Pants! Come on!"

"Alex, why don't you come shopping with me?" Gloria suggested, "Maybe I can help you find something that you like."

"That's a really nice offer, but it's not really her thing." Claire said, walking back over to us.

"Actually, I'd love to go." Alex gave Gloria a smile. She then turned to look st Claire, "See, you don't know what my thing is. You have no idea what my thing is."

"I know what your thing is. Your thing is to provoke, just like your sister's thing..." Claire paused to think, "is to never come out of her room, and your brothers thing— Well there's your brothers thing" she said, walking to the glass door, again.
"Luke! Put 'em on! Mm-hmm"

——

"Those cookies smell like heaven." Manny complemented Claire as we both walked into the kitchen, "Your own recipe?" Manny asked Claire.

"No, I just throw 'em in the oven." Claire said, taking her oven glove off.

"And added the secret ingredient of caring?" Manny added, sitting on a stool at the kitchen island.

Claire took a second to reply. "Sure. So, Y/N, and Manny, you having a good time with Luke?"

"I don't know. He won't come out of his box." Manny said. I nod. "Maybe I'll stay here and spend some time with my sister."

"With Y/N?" Claire asked.

"No, I see Y/N as a cousin." He said.

"Oh, right. I guess technically I would be your stepsister." Claire nodded.

"My mother says we are never to use the word 'step' because it means 'not real' And we are a real family." Manny told her.

"Mmm" Claire hummed. She was uninterested in the whole conversation.

"So What is the matter, Claire?" Manny asked, leaning closer to Claire, whom was putting cookies on a rack.

"What?" She asked, confused by the sudden change.

"You seem sad."

"It's just stuff with Alex. You know, kid stuff."

Manny scoffed, "Kids. You don't have to tell me. My school is full of them." Manny shook his head. I looked at him, my eyebrow raised. Claire does the same as me. I get up from the Kitchen Island, and make my way outside. Even if Luke doesn't talk to me, it's better than listening to Claire have 'therapy.'

"Oh... Hi, Y/N." Luke says as I made my way over to the trampoline. Luke was still sat on the trampoline, the box still on his head.

"Hi, Luke." I say, getting on the trampoline and sat down.

"Why're you here, instead of inside, with Manny?" He asks. "I thought you was gonna play Empire, or something."

"We was. But he's giving your mum therapy." I told him, he gave me a confused look before shrugging it off.

"Okay... what do you want to do then?"

"We can just play on the trampoline, or something." I suggest.

"Sure."
Luke And I played on the trampoline for awhile, we then talked when we were down. I had never been that close with Luke. We'd talk sometimes; sometimes meaning when Gloria and Claire would force us to. But it was nice.

"Y/N!" Gloria shouts. I turn to look at her.

"Yeah?" I shout back.

"It's time to go!" She shouts.

I got up. "Bye Luke." I say, getting off of the trampoline.

"Bye Y/N." Luke said before I started walking towards the house. Just as I got back inside Jay And Phil enter the house.

"Clear the way." Jay said, guiding Phil towards the sofa. Phil had a bloody nose, and a bloodstained tissue in his hand.

"Ow!" Phil complained.

"Coming through."

"Ow!"

"Easy. Easy, fella"
"Ow!"

"You're fine."

"I need to rest my face."

"You'll be alright. Come on."

Claire, Gloria, Manny, Alex, And I walked into the hallway. "What— Oh my god!" I said when I saw Phil.

"Oh my god!" Claire exclaimed.

"Get the door." Jay said.

"Ah!" Phil continued to moan in main.

"Dad?" Claire says, wanting an explanation.

"Little accident. Nothing big." Jay shrugged.

"Nothing big?" I ask as Jay brings Phil to the sofa.

"I was in a place crash" Phil over-exaggerated.

"What happened?" Claire asked Jay.

"We were threading the needle, and somebody moved." Jay told Claire.

"No, I didn't. You did it on purpose." Phil said, holding the tissue up to his nose.

"That's the painkiller talking." Jay said. Phil was now resting on the sofa. "He's a little loopy" Jay looked at Phil. Phil groaned.

"How bad is it?" Gloria asked, moving her hair out of her eyes.

"Well, the wing is cracked," Jay began, "the propellers bent, but I can— I can—" J

"I mean Phil." Gloria said, cutting Jay off. She shook her head at him before looking back down at Phil.

"I was in a plane crash."

"Thanks, Dad." Claire nodded, looking at Jay.

"I didn't ask him to be there. He insisted." Jay said, "He took a chance. This is what happened."

"Kind of like the time you ran over his foot?" Claire put her hand on her hip.

"You ran over his foot?" Manny and I asked in unison.

"That was an accident." Jay looked at Claire, Manny, and I.

"You know, Dad, you did it on purpose. We all saw the tire marks on the lawn." Claire shook her head at him.

"I had just quit smoking."
Phil groans in pain, once again.

"See, you're upsetting your husband." Jay said to Claire.

"Water." Phil groaned, moving the tissue away from his nose.

"I'll get it." Claire said, and then left. Gloria signals Jay to go after Claire, So he did.

"Ay. You okay?" Gloria asks Phil. She looked down at him and moved her hair out of her eyes.

"Gloria! Thank god you're here." Phil smiled.

"Don't worry. We're here too." Manny said, resting a hand on Phil's shoulder.

"Who are they?" Phil asked after looking at us for a second. Manny and I looked at each other. Claire came back with the water. Gloria and Jay wakes it I the hallway to talk about something, but I didn't listen. Claire found a piece of Jays plane in Phil's hair, she took it out of his hair and walked over to Jay.

"Dad, thank you so much for bringing Phil home." She said, "I found one of your little flaps in his hair. So—"

"Actually," Jay began, taking the little flap out of Claire's hand, "this is called an Aileron. It controls the horizontal—"

"Unbelievable" I whispered to myself.

"Because that's what matters right now." Claire said, cutting Jay off. She walked to the front door and opened it, then she looked at Jay. "Bye, Dad."

Jay doesn't walk to the front door, but instead he walks to Phil. "Hey, Phil."

"Jay." Phil said. Claire closed the door and walks over to the sofa. Jay picks up Phil's legs, making him groan.

"What are you, made of china?" Jay sits down. "Phil, I just want you to know I'm sorry. And whether I, uh, missed or you moved—"

"I didn't."

"Either way. I just want to say that I like you."

"Really?"

"Yeah." Jay said, nodding. He was about to get up before Phil asked him something.

"What do you like about me?" Phil asks.
Jay sat back down, and thought for a moment.

"You're a nice guy. Try real hard."

"I do."

"And you're a good dad."

"Hey, I'm a good dad." Phil smiled, "Come here. Come here, you." Phil hugged Jay. Jay hesitantly hugged him back. "This feels so right." Phil said, but groaned again. The door opens, and Cam, and Mitch enter the house.

"What's going on?" Cam asked.

"There was a little accident, but Jay's telling Phil how much he loves him." Gloria told them.

"Oh. Well, that's nice for Phil." Cam said, looking at Mitch. Mitch looked at Cam as well.

"That's great, since he's never said anything like that about my boyfriend." Mitch said, looking at Jay.

"Let it go." Cam said to Mitch.

"No, it's not okay." Mitch said to Cam.

"No, Mitch is right." Gloria began, "Go in there too, Cam. Come on."

"You're kidding." Jay said in his grumpy tone.

"Okay." Cam said, walking over to Phil and Jay.

"I'm gonna get this." Cam said, grabbing a camera out of his bag.

"Come on in, Cam." Jay said.

"Just a little hug." Cam says, as he joins the hug.

"Say it! Say it!" Gloria And Claire chanted.

"I like you too, Cam." Jay said, making Gloria and Claire aw.

"What do you like about him?" Phil asks.

"Oh, geez." Jay shook his head.

"Where did you get that camera?" Gloria asks Mitch.

"Only the greatest store on earth." Mitch replied, which made Gloria laugh. Claire walked over to Jay and whispered a 'Thank You.'

"Manny, Y/N, pictures. Get in there too." Gloria said to us, so Manny and I joined the hug.

"Get In here, mi amigos." Phil said to us.

"Stay still. Say 'cheese'" Gloria said before taking a photo.

"Cheese!" We all said, looking at Gloria, whom was taking a picture on her phone.

"Doesn't it feel like these arms could go around the world?" Phil said.