modern family | vanessa delgado

Princess Party

Mom, Manny, and I return home from shopping at the mall to get a birthday present for Lily. She's going to turn one years old. We got her a talking storybook where you record yourself with others while reading it. Sounds like it'll be fun and a cute gift.

"We're home!" Mom announces as we walk into the house.

"Oh, good." Jay says.

"We bought Lily a beautiful birthday gift." 

"Yeah, I was pushing for a cashmere throw." Manny says, making me roll my eyes.

He won't stop bringing up about the cashmere.

Mom set the shopping bags down on the small table to pull out the book we got for Lily. It's called, 'Baby Bear's Big Catch'.

"Look, Jay. It's a talking storybook," Mom shows him. "We record ourselves reading it, and then at night, Lily can hear our voices before she goes to sleep."

"Terrible idea." Of course, Jay disapproves.

"Unlike the timelessness of cashmere." Manny brings up yet again.

"Enough with the stupid cashmere!" I scold at him, losing my patience.

"Why is it a terrible idea?" Mom frowns.

"Don't you remember the answering-machine message?" Jay recalls.

"Oh, yeah," I remember in amusement. I watched them doing the message. Mom was making it difficult because she was about the 'beep' issue. "But that was for two people only. This is a book, so I'm sure all four of us can have way more parts."

"Vanessa is right," Mom agrees with me and then begs him. "Can we please do this Jay?"

"If not for us, think of doing it for your only granddaughter." Even Manny tries to guilt trip him into doing it.

"Alright, fine," Jay grunts, making the three of us happy. "I will do it."

"I call being the narrator!" I excitedly declare first dibs.

"Why can't I do that?" Manny asks, pouting.

"If you have the voice like Morgan Freeman, you could, but you don't so..."

My little brother just gives me an annoyed look.

Later, we're sitting in the living room and gather around, so we can read the story aloud. I'm sitting on the leather chair next to Jay.

"Once upon a time, there lived a family of bears," I read. "There was papa bear..." I trail off as I give the book to Jay. "Your cue, Jay."

Jay suddenly realizes and puts his glass of scotch down on the table. "Ah. Okay. Let's see," He clears his throat. His eyes squint so he can read the words closely, but it's like he's struggling as he pulls the book away to help him out. 

"Do you want her to hold it and stand in the driveway?" Mom asks, rolling her eyes. 

"Holy mackerel, this is good salmon," Jay reads his line then speaks to us. "I feel like they missed an oppor-"

"Shhh!" Mom shushes him and grabs the book. "I don't want to eat the fish. They are my friends!" She says in a very deep and scary voice.

"What the heck was that?" I ask, getting freaked out.

"I am a bear." Mom answers simply.

"That's your impression of a bear?" I raise a doubting eyebrow. 

 "I was gonna get a crucifix." Jay snarks.

"And then the baby bear said..." I give the book to Manny for him to read next.