modern family | vanessa delgado

Up All Night

What's the most irritating thing my parents ever say to me?

'You'll understand someday.'

What if I still don't understand it when that someday comes? Why can't adults speak well on what they're explaining about? I can fully understand as a sixteen year old. 

Another irritating thing that my parents say is:

'I promise.'

No one can ever really keep their promise if that person truly means it.

Today, Jay has a surprise for us and I'm actually curious to know what it is. I'm just texting to my friends on my phone as we get into his car.

"Come on! Let's go! Let's go!" Jay bosses us.

"Manny, it's inappropriate because she's your teacher." Mom reprimands Manny about his gross crush on his much older than him teacher.

"What's the big deal anyway?" Manny asks.

"It's a surprise, you'll see." Jay answers, but I think the question might've been directed at Mom.

The sound of Manny's "Oh my god!" Immediately gets my attention and I look up to see what's happening. To mine, Manny's, and Mom's shock and surprise, someone is pulling into the driveway with a speedboat.

A grin spreads across my face as I put my phone into my purse and run up to the boat. Manny gets inside and I admire the beauty of it. I think Jay is talking about some restaurant.

I hear someone clap their hands, so I turn around to see who it is and...woah! 

It's my father!

"Dad!" Manny happily exclaims.

"There's my boy!" Dad laughs as they hug. "Where's my little girl?"

As much as I don't want to go near him, I do it anyway because I miss him so much. After getting over my shock, I smile and run up to him for a hug. His other free arm wraps around me for the embrace as he has Manny in his other arm. It's been so long since I've seen my father. I can't believe he's actually here.

Yesterday, he was supposed to be here to pick Manny and I up and we'd hang out. But as usual, he doesn't keep his promise because he's a such a flake. What's even worse, he made Manny cry and I had to be the strong, older sibling to not cry too. But when he wasn't around, that's when I let the tears come. Jay had to even see me cry like that and I hate it because it's embarrassing and I still don't kinda like him. 

But at least he was there and comforted me while I cried.

"Dad, I can't believe you're here!" I squeal. "Is that actually your boat?"

"It's for a friend." He answers. 

"This is so cool!" Manny grins, looking at it.

We help Dad to get his bags and stuff inside the house.

"So, I would have called, but while I was buying this boat for a friend, I got chased out to sea by another boat."

"Were they pirates?" Manny asks curiously.

"I didn't stop to ask."

"It's not hard to tell. Did they have curvy swords and sing songs about how fun it is to be a pirate?" Jay jokes, making Dad laugh.

"Wow, Jay, such a beautiful house, huh?" He compliments.

"So, we were just headed out to dinner..."

"What, you think I show up empty-handed? I brought dinner -- lobsters!" Dad takes out two lobsters from his bag.

"Did you catch them with your bare hands?" Manny asks. He's always so starstruck by our father, believing that he can do no wrong, but I can see him for who he really is.