"WHAT'S the key to being a great dad? That's a tough one."

"Giving them the freedom to be whatever they want to be. Whether that's a painter, a poet, a pilot, a president... of a company or of a country."

"Patience."

"Well, be their buddy. And stay in school. And don't do drugs. Just give me the answer!"

"Still thinking"

NAOMI was lounging in the living room, wishing she could un-hear the conversation her dad and Gloria just had in the kitchen. It was the weekend, therefore her day off from school. It was the once in a while thing for her to have both the day off of school and work, so while Manny was going to Disneyland with his father and Jay and Gloria were off to wine country, she was going to have the quietest, most relaxing day she could.

Jay's voice boomed over the sound of her music as he walked to the front door, "I'll get Matteo to come over and help. He's a good kid, he can help Manny."

She paused her music, and sighed.

"MATTEO is a good person." Naomi sat in front of the camera, "I don't know if I'd consider him a friend. Technically he's just the kid next door who goes to my school and who my dad makes help out a lot, which makes him at my house a lot — so not really a friend." She sighed, "But then it became more than just seeing him at my house or at school. The first day he came into the store I work at I thought, 'he's just buying clothes'. But then he didn't buy any clothes."

"My dad maybe likes him too much, and I think it could've gotten to Matteo's head. Like, if my dad keeps saying stuff about how great he is, maybe Matteo thinks my dad wants him and I to be together." She shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know anything anymore." And facepalmed.

JAY was knelt on the floor of Manny's room, Manny sitting on his bed next to Matteo, "Okay, let's do this."

Manny opened the instruction manual for the fan, "Okay, but I need to be done by 3:00. That's when my dad's picking me up." He smiled to Jay.

"Hey, if we're not done by 3:00 I'm gonna tie a noose on this thing."

Gloria knocked at Manny's door, making all 3 of them look to her, "Matteo, these two can handle a simple fan. How about you come downstairs and try some of the cookies I made?" She looked specifically at the boy she mentioned, beckoning him with her outstretched hand. Matteo stood up hesitantly, following Gloria down the stairs.

"In Colombia there is a saying; If you have two burros who don't like each other, tie them to the same cart. The ceiling fan is the cart." She kept looking ahead as she spoke, making her way to the kitchen.

In the kitchen, Naomi was grabbing herself a cookie she had helped Gloria make. She had tried grabbing it quickly when she heard two sets of feet coming down the stairs, but wasn't quick enough as she heard Gloria say, "There you are, Naomi!" Gloria spoke to the girl as if Matteo wasn't there, "When me and your father get back I want to take you to this bathing suit store. I saw one in the window that I think would look beautiful on you!"

Matteo, who took a seat on one of the bar stools, stifled a laugh when he saw how flushed her face went.

Naomi, on the other hand, lowered her voice to Gloria, "I would love to, but right now I must be going." She turned around, cookie in hand, and let to go to the backyard.

Gloria, slightly confused, turned around after grabbing both herself and Matteo a cookie, "So, how is your mother?"

"UH, dad. Did Javier cancel or something? Why is Manny sitting on the sidewalk? It's almost 4." After lounging by the pool for the past two hours, Naomi decided to come in and get a drink. What she was not expecting to see was a) Matteo still at her house and b) Manny sitting on the sidewalk with his backpack of clothes beside him.

"What?" Jay, who had been talking to Matteo as the boy helped him bring their bags to the door, opened the front door and saw Manny. He shut it and picked up the phone at the bar, dialling.

After a few moments of waiting, he spoke, "Hey, Javier. Quick question, why has Manny not been picked up yet? Do you know it's almost 4 o'clock?"

Matteo looked to Naomi and she did the same, both wondering what Jay was going to do. She looked back to her father, the boy gazing at her a few moments longer.

"Hold that thought," Jay started downing the drink he had poured before placing it and the phone in the table and exiting the house.

Less than a minute later he came back in and looked to Naomi, "Go pack your bags, kiddo. We're going to Disney."

"OKAY, the key to being a good dad? Look, sometimes things work out just the way you want. Sometimes they don't. You gotta hang in there. Because when all is said and done, 90% of being a dad is just showing up."