𝐷𝑅𝐸𝐴𝑀𝐼𝑁𝐺 𝑂𝐹 𝑌𝑂𝑈 | 𝐽. 𝑃𝑂𝑂𝐿𝐸

𝐶𝐻𝐴𝑃𝑇𝐸𝑅 𝐸𝐼𝐺𝐻𝑇𝐸𝐸𝑁

Third Person POV.
The Perez Family Household...

Laughter echoed through the room as Angelo and Aria's voices rose in a heated exchange over a game of Monopoly, a staple of the Perez family game nights.

"I HATE YOU!" Aria's frustration boiled over, her hand coming down hard against the board.

"OH?" Angelo retorted with equal frustration. "WELL, NEXT TIME, DON'T STEAL MY MONOPOLY!"

Amidst the chaos, Angelica, attempting to be the voice of reason, pinched the bridge of her nose and intervened. "Angelo...give Aria her $200. You landed on her property..."

Angelo's response was immediate and incredulous. "What the—?! No! She's in jail! I'm not gonna give money to a criminal!"

"THAT'S. NOT. HOW. YOU. PLAY!" Aria countered, her voice peaking with indignation.

The room burst into further laughter as the siblings' argument escalated, their banter becoming the evening's entertainment.

"Uh...why is Aria screaming?" Mateo, oblivious to the earlier commotion, re-entered the living room.

Mariana, thoroughly entertained and not wanting to miss a moment, dismissed him with a wave. "Shut up, Mateo. It's getting good."

As Mateo shrugged and found a spot to sit, the game continued with heightened stakes and emotions running high. The room was filled with the competitive spirit of the Perez family, each member eagerly awaiting their turn, yet equally engaged in the ongoing dispute between Angelo and Aria.

"Bro, give me my money!" Aria shouted. "I'm not playing!"

"You'll have to pry it from my hands!" Angelo says, flipping her the middle finger.

Aria lunged forward, quickly held back by Luna and Christian.

"Woah! Let's remember that this is a GAME NIGHT! Not WWE Smackdown!" Luna says.

"You put the two most competitive people in this family in this game," Xiomara says as Julian climbed into her lap. "Y'all knew what y'all were doing."

Christian chuckled, gently easing Aria back into her seat, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Exactly. It's all about the thrill of the game, right? But let's keep it friendly."

Aria, still bristling but calming down under Luna and Christian's intervention, shot Angelo a glare. "Fine, but I'm winning this, fair and square."

Angelo, undeterred, flashed a mischievous grin. "Bring it on. But let's keep it to the board, huh?"

The room erupted into laughter, the earlier tension melting away under the shared understanding that, at the end of the day, family and love trumped any game night rivalry.

Xiomara's comment about the competitive nature of Aria and Angelo had everyone nodding in agreement. Julian, sensing the shift in atmosphere from tense to jovial, clapped his little hands, enjoying the laughter surrounding him.

"Alright, let's reset. Aria, here's your $200 for passing Go. And Angelo, no more accusing people of being criminals unless they're actually stealing your hotels," Luna declared, taking on the role of peacemaker with a smile.

***

As the Monopoly game drew to a close, Aria, with a triumphant gleam in her eyes, strategically placed her last house on Boardwalk, completing her set of properties. She leaned back with a satisfied grin, surveying the board like a conquering general.

"I WIN! TAKE THAT, ANGELO!" Aria shouted, her victory cry echoing through the room.

Angelo, conceding defeat with a dramatic sigh, leaned back in his chair, lifting his hands in mock surrender. "Fine, fine. You win this time."

The room erupted in cheers and applause, celebrating Aria's hard-fought victory. Angelica rolled her eyes playfully. "Well, at least now we can end this without anyone flipping the board."

As they collected the game pieces, Luna and Jordan shared a significant look, then faced their family.

"We need to discuss something with you all," Jordan said, trying to keep the atmosphere light.

Aria's eyebrow went up. "Are you pregnant?"

"No!" Luna burst out, a bit flustered.

Xiomara sighed. "Why is pregnancy always your go-to guess?"

"Well, it was right when you were pregnant, so now I figure it's a safe bet," Aria replied with an easy shrug.

Mariana frowned. "Nobody is getting down in the bedroom, Aria."

Aria snorted. "They definitely are. Don't sit here and lie."

"No, I'm not pregnant," Luna giggled. "But, we were thinking about it, you know after the touring, but that's not what we're announcing."

Angelica frowned in confusion. "Then what are you talking about?"

"The wedding. We want it to be in the next two months." Jordan says.

Aria's eyes widened, "Wait, what?"

Luna nodded, "I know it's sudden, but with the tour coming up, we thought it would be best to get it done before things get too hectic."

Xiomara grinned, "Well, we better get into wedding planning mode then!"

"And another thing..." Luna says. "I want all my sisters to be my bridesmaids, and I want Mateo to walk me down the aisle."

Mateo's eyes lit up. "Wait—Really? What about Dad?"

"You're my triplet. I want you to be the one to give me away," Luna says with a soft smile.

Jordan joined in, "And I want all my boys to be my groomsmen. That means Mateo and Angelo, Ralen, Corey, Kyle, J2..."

Angelo's face lit up. "I'm down!"

"Oh this is gonna be the wedding to rival all weddings!" Angelica exclaimed. "I'm so excited!"

"Aria, if it's not too much, I want you to bake the cake," Luna says. "And Angelica, I'd love if you'd do my hair a-and makeup! Mariana and Xio, you're on music."

Aria grinned, her face lighting up with excitement. "Bake your wedding cake? Oh, I'm definitely in."

Angelica, with a gentle smile, nodded. "And I'll make sure you look absolutely stunning, Luna. Your hair and makeup will be perfect."

Mariana chuckled, "Music? Oh, we've got this."

Xiomara grinned, "Absolutely. We'll make sure the playlist keeps everyone on the dance floor all night."

The family's enthusiasm filled the room, each member already buzzing with ideas and plans, united in making Luna and Jordan's wedding day unforgettable.

___________

END OF CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

- I know this was a short chapter, but what did you guys think?

COUNTDOWN: 5 chapters left...