After Harvey's abrupt exit, the room fell into an uncomfortable silence. Between Gloria's obvious fury and Jay's unhelpful shrug of helplessness, Vince decided to face the situation head-on and ask her directly what was wrong.
"¿Qué pasa, mamá?" (What's wrong mama?) he asked cautiously, hoping she wouldn't bite his head off in anger.
Gloria turned to him, her eyes blazing, but she didn't utter a single word.
Seeing Gloria's response he then turned towards Jay to get the full picture of the situation, "What happened, Jay?"
Jay let out a tired sigh, rubbing his temples. "Nothing just children's squabble that turned adults into children."
Vince raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "That doesn't tell me much."
Jay exhaled heavily. "When we got to Manny's school, we learned that Luke pushed Manny on the ground and the two knuckleheads were fighting in the playground."
"Luke?" Vince frowned. "But why? He doesn't usually hit people first unless it's his head then it's a different story altogether."
Jay shook his head, chuckling dryly. "Nope, nothing like that. Turns out Manny kept calling himself Luke's uncle over and over, and Luke didn't take it well. Instead of using his words, he shoved Manny down and sat on his chest."
Vince's eyebrows shot up. "Seriously? Just for that? I call him my nephew all the time, and Claire my sister. He usually just laughs and calls me old."
Jay waved him off. "Yeah, well, people can tell when you're joking and when you're serious—at least when you're not in one of your prankster moods."
Vince then turned towards Gloria, an eyebrow raised, "¿De verdad estás enojada con Claire porque Luke y Manny tuvieron una pelea?"(Are you seriously angry with Claire because Luke and Manny had a fight?)
Gloria shook her head stiffly, "No." She said nothing more.
Before Vince could ask for more, Jay interrupted him, "Kid, I don't know what you just asked her but there's more to the story."
Vince gestured for him to go on. "After we dealt with that the principal said something-something and 'Just one kid is a little different.' And they both said 'Yes' at the same time and now she thinks Claire was bad mouthing Manny."
"¡NO LO CREO, LO SÉ! Estaba hablando mal de Manny. ¿Cómo se atreve, cuando su hijo es el que se queda atascado en los muebles a cada rato?"(I don't think. I know she was bad mouthing Manny, How dare she when her kid is the one that gets stuck regularly in the furniture.) Gloria launched into a tirade, "She thinks that I am a bad mother."
Vince held up his hands. "Mamá, I don't think she said that."
Gloria wasn't having it. "¡Sí, lo hizo! (Yes! She did!) Maybe not with words, but with her tone, with her face! I know when someone is judging me."
Jay sighed, clearly exhausted. "Gloria, Claire wasn't judging you."
Gloria whipped around to face him. "Oh, so now you're taking her side?"
Jay groaned. "I'm not taking sides! I'm just saying, maybe we just let this go. What's the point of making a bigger deal out of it?"
"¡NUNCA!"(NEVER) Gloria shot back, springing up from the couch and marching toward the kitchen with determination.
Jay let out a long, tired sigh as Vince stood up, shaking his head. "I'll talk to her." Then, without another word, he followed after Gloria.
"¡Mamá! ¡MAMÁ!" Vince called after her, quickening his pace. He caught up just as she reached the kitchen, her movements sharp with frustration.
Gloria yanked open a cabinet, muttering under her breath in Spanish. Vince placed a gentle hand on her hand. "Mamá, solo respira." (Mamá, just take a breath.)
She spun around, eyes blazing. "No me digas que me calme, Vincente." (Don't tell me to calm down, Vincente.)
Vince held up his hands in surrender. "¡Está bien, está bien! Nada de 'cálmate.' Pero, ¿podemos al menos hablar antes de que declares la guerra a Claire?"(Okay, okay! No 'calm down.' But can we at least talk before you declare war on Claire?)
Gloria huffed, crossing her arms. "Esto no es guerra, Vincente. Esto es justicia." (This is not war, Vincente. This is justice.)
Vince sighed. "Mamá, vamos. Conoces a Claire. ¿De verdad crees que estaba insultando a Manny a propósito?" (Mamá, come on. You know Claire. Do you really think she was insulting Manny on purpose?)
Gloria scoffed. "Si no lo estaba, entonces ¿por qué no lo dijo? ¿Y por qué la estás defendiendo? ¿Te gusta más ella que yo ahora, eso es?" (If she wasn't, then why didn't she say so? And why are you defending her, do you like her more than me now, is that it?)
Vince was baffled.
"¿Qué? ¡Mamá, no digas tonterías!" (What? Mom, don't be ridiculous!") He ran a hand through his hair, exasperated. "No se trata de elegir bandos. Solo estoy diciendo que tal vez esto fue un malentendido." (This isn't about choosing sides. I'm just saying maybe this was a misunderstanding.)
Gloria folded her arms, unimpressed. "Ajá, ¿y por qué siempre soy yo la que 'malinterpreta' todo?" (Oh, and why am I always the one who 'misunderstands' everything?)
Vince exhaled, knowing he had to tread carefully. "Ok, digamos—hipotéticamente—que Claire estaba siendo un poco juzgona. ¿Cuál es tu objetivo aquí? ¿Vas a hacer que confiese bajo interrogatorio? ¿Organizarás un juicio familiar?" (Okay, let's say—hypothetically—that Claire was being a little judgy. What's your endgame here? You gonna make her confess under interrogation? Hold a family trial?)
Gloria tilted her chin up. "Ella se explicará y se disculpará." (She will explain herself, and she will apologize.)
Vince chuckled. "Claro. Porque nada dice 'Te respeto como madre' como ser obligado a disculparte a punta de cuchillo." (Right. Because nothing says 'I respect you as a mother' like being forced to apologize at knifepoint.)
Gloria pointed a stern finger at him. "¿Crees que esto es gracioso?" (You think this is funny?)
Vince held back a grin. "Un poco, sí." (A little, yeah.)
.
Jay was lounging on the couch, watching TV, when Vince walked in and dropped down beside him.
He glanced over, raising an eyebrow. "No luck, huh?"
Vince let out a dramatic sigh, sinking deeper into the couch. "Depends on what you mean by 'luck.' If you mean convincing her to let this go? Then no. If you mean getting her even more fired up? Huge success."
Jay groaned, rubbing his temples. "Great. Just what I needed—another full-blown family feud."
Vince smirked. "Look on the bright side—at least this month's drama kicked off early. Or wait… are we on a weekly schedule now?"
Jay shot him a look. "Keep it up, smartass, and you'll be the next one caught in the crossfire."
Vince chuckled, leaning back against the couch. "Please, I've been dodging family drama since I could crawl. It builds character."
Jay shook his head, sighing. "Yeah, well, good luck with that. Gloria's on a warpath, and if Claire so much as blinks wrong, we're all doomed."
Vince hummed in thought. "I'll talk to Claire, see if I can smooth things over."
Jay scoffed. "Yeah? And what's your strategy? Bribery? Blackmail? A heartfelt speech about family unity?"
Vince grinned. "You joke, but I was actually thinking of a well-timed guilt trip. Works like a charm."
Jay sighed, reaching for the remote. "Kid, you worry me sometimes."
Vince stretched his hands. "That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me."
"Speaking of that, why did you choose Claire?" Jay asked, "I am not saying she is a bad choice but why?"
Vince paused mid-stretch, raising an eyebrow at Jay. "You mean as CEO?"
Jay nodded. "Yeah. I mean, don't get me wrong—Claire's sharp, but she's also... well, Claire. She can be a bit much."
Vince stroked his chin, "Well as I said before she has got a degree-"
"Which she didn't finish." Jay interjected.
"Ah, well she can finish it later." Vince waved him off.
Jay looked at him pointedly. "Give it to me straight, kid. I'm not asking for the résumé version."
Vince leaned back, resting his hands behind his head. "Alright, fine. Claire's smart, she's driven, and—let's be honest—she's been itching to run something for years. She's got that fire."
Jay scoffed. "Yeah, and that fire has burned through a lot of PTA meetings and birthday parties."
Vince smirked. "Exactly. Imagine what she can do when she actually has real power."
Jay sighed, shaking his head. "You're playing with fire."
Vince grinned. "And you married a woman who throws it. Guess it runs in the family."
Suddenly, he jumped up from the couch. "Oh! I just got an idea."
Jay barely looked away from the TV. "Yeah? What is it?"
"Later. But you're going to help me with it at family dinner." Vince shot him a mischievous grin.
Jay's head snapped toward him. "What?! No way—I can't help you at family dinner!"
Vince frowned. "Why not?"
Jay gestured at the TV, as if the answer was obvious. "Because it's game day!"
Vince blinked. "And?"
Jay groaned. "Because. It's. Game. Day!"
Jay gestured wildly at the TV, exasperated. "You don't get it, kid. It's game day. I already have to deal with people coming over and now you wanna rope me into some scheme."
Vince crossed his arms. "Those 'people' are your family, you know."
"Not today, they're not." Jay shot back. "Look, I love my family—I really do—but they already buzz around messing up the vibe. Now you want me to voluntarily step into the mud. What am I a Boy Scout?"
Vince's smirk faded, and he straightened up, his voice dropping to a quieter, more deliberate tone—eerily calm for a nine-year-old. "Jay…since you are not going to help upright, I am going to make you a deal."
Jay frowned, glancing at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Well," Vince said smoothly, "I'm willing to let you enjoy your game—no interruptions, no unexpected disasters, no sudden family interventions." He tilted his head, his tone light but unmistakably firm. "In exchange, you help me during the break or half-time or whatever."
Jay narrowed his eyes. "And if I say no?"
Vince exhaled dramatically, shaking his head. "Then I can't guarantee certain people won't start poking around. Maybe Claire suddenly needs to have a serious conversation with you. Maybe mama decides she wants to 'bond.'" He let the words settle before flashing a small, knowing smile. "Maybe… Phil sits next to you the whole game, asking questions about football."
Jay's jaw tightened. "You wouldn't."
Vince shrugged. "I wouldn't have to. I'd just… let nature take its course."
Jay stared at him for a long moment before muttering, "Fine."
Vince's smile widened ever so slightly, a glint of victory in his eyes. "Smart choice, Jay."
Jay sighed, running a hand down his face. "Yeah, yeah. But just so we're clear—I help you at dinner, and in return, I get to watch my game in peace. No distractions, no chaos, and definitely no Phil trying to learn the rules from me."
Vince placed a hand over his heart. "You have my word."
Jay eyed him warily. "Your word means nothing to me."
Vince grinned. "That's fair."
A brief silence settled between them as they turned their attention to the TV. On the screen, a tiger prowled, cornering a frantic boar before sinking its teeth into its prey.
After a while, curiosity got the better of Jay. He glanced at Vince and asked, "You know they would've made up eventually. Why are you going out of your way to get involved?"
Vince turned to Jay, studying his face for a moment before letting out a small sigh. "You know, Mama comes from a big family, but when she moved to America, it was just her, Manny, and little ol' me."
Vince leaned back against the couch, his voice softer now, more thoughtful. "She never really said it out loud, but I could tell—she missed them. Her parents, her cousins, the chaos of it all. She used to tell me stories about growing up, how every Sunday, the whole family would cram into her abuela's house, how there was never a quiet moment, how you could always count on someone laughing, arguing, or cooking something that smelled amazing."
He glanced at the TV, watching as the tiger dragged its prey into the underbrush. "When she married you, it wasn't just about love—it was about belonging. She was stepping into a family again, a big, loud, sometimes crazy family, just like the one she left behind. And she takes that seriously, Jay. She doesn't just see you all as 'in-laws' or people she has to tolerate at Thanksgiving. She sees you as her people. Her family."
Vince shifted, resting his elbow on the arm of the couch. "That's why she tries so hard with Claire, even when they butt heads. That's why she always makes an effort with Mitchell, with Phil, with everyone. It's why she pushes me and Manny to do the same. Because to her, family isn't something you let drift apart over some dumb fight. It's something you fight for, even when it's a pain in the ass."
He looked back at Jay, eyes steady. "So yeah, they'd probably make up eventually. But why wait for 'eventually' when I can make sure it happens now? Why let things sit and fester when I can nudge them back together?"
Jay exhaled through his nose, rubbing a hand over his face. He hated to admit it, but the kid had a point.
He glanced at Vince, who was watching him expectantly, a knowing glint in his eyes. The kid was sharp—too sharp for a nine-year-old. "You know sometime it's really hard to tell that you are a nine year old, I mean the genius thing aside, your emotional matur-"
Before he could finish, Vince suddenly sprang to his feet. "And when they make up, Claire can be CEO, and I can buy an ice cream parlor! Then I can eat all the ice cream I want, and I'll invent my own flavor, and then I'll open more ice cream shops! And soon, everyone will know my flavor, and I'll be the Ice Cream King! And then… I'LL TAKE OVER THE WORLD! Mwahaha mwahaHA MWAHAHAHA!"
Jay blinked, watching as Vince threw his arms out dramatically, completely lost in his sugar-fueled fantasy.
After a moment, Jay let out a small chuckle, shaking his head. "Yeah… there it is."
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