JAY-JAY POV
It was evening, and Section E was already creating chaos in my living room. Why am I even surprised?
"Mama!" Keth called, his little voice cutting through the noise.
"What do you want, hon?" I asked, bracing myself.
"Let's get ready! We have to go to the amusement park!" he said, bouncing on his toes, sneakers flashing with every step.
Everyone nodded instantly, like Keth had just declared law.
"Fine," I sighed, shaking my head with a smile. "Let's get you showered and cleaned up first."
Keth groaned dramatically. "But Mamaaa, I'm already clean!"
Ci-N snorted from the couch. "Kid, you've got chocolate on your cheek. That's not clean, that's evidence."
The boys laughed. Mayo shouted, "First one ready gets the front seat!" while Percy argued, "Front seat privileges are earned, not stolen."
Keifer chuckled, scooping Keth up. "Come on, buddy. Let's get you ready. You don't want to smell like pancakes at the amusement park."
Keth giggled, clinging to him. "Papa, you smell like pancakes too!"
The room erupted again, and I couldn't help but smile. Chaos. Always chaos. But tonight, it was the kind that felt like family.
I reached for Keth, but Keifer stopped me. "I'll shower him today," he said firmly.
"Are you sure?" I asked, raising a brow.
They both nodded in perfect sync, like they'd already conspired against me.
I leaned down to Keth's ear and whispered, "Give your Papa a very hard time."
Keth's mischievous grin spread instantly.
Keifer narrowed his eyes. "What did you just say?"
"Nothing," I replied innocently.
Keth giggled, already plotting. "Papa, I want bubbles. Lots of bubbles. And my dinosaur has to shower too!"
"Sure, bud," Keifer said, smiling as he carried Keth toward the bathroom.
He had no idea.
The second the water turned on, I heard it.
"Papa! More bubbles! No, MORE!" Keth's voice echoed like a tiny dictator giving orders.
Keifer's muffled groan followed. "Keth, this is enough bubbles—"
"NO! Dinosaur needs his own bubble bath!"
I covered my mouth, trying not to laugh as the boys outside leaned in to listen. Ci-N grinned ear to ear. "Place your bets, gentlemen. Five minutes before Keifer comes out soaked."
"Three," Percy corrected, smirking.
A loud splash erupted.
"Papa! You're wet now too!" Keth giggled.
Keifer's voice came out strained. "Jay! What did you tell him?!"
I leaned against the wall, smirking. "Nothing!" I called back sweetly.
The door cracked open. Keifer's shirt was plastered to his chest, his hair dripping, and Keth sat in the tub with bubbles piled so high they nearly covered his head.
"Mama, look!" Keth waved proudly. "Papa's taking a bath too!"
The hallway exploded with laughter. Mayo was on the floor wheezing, Blaster was already making up a song about Papa the Bubble King, and even David was chuckling under his breath.
And me? Arms crossed, smirking. Told you so.
The door burst open, and there stood Keifer — soaked, dripping, bubbles clinging to him like he'd just fought Poseidon.
"You think this is funny?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Extremely," I said, biting back laughter.
Without warning, he scooped me up in bridal style.
"Keifer!" I shrieked, flailing as bubbles flew everywhere. "Put me down!"
Keth squealed from the tub, clapping his hands. "Mama's here! Mama, join the bubble war!"
Keifer finally set me down, still grinning like he'd won a championship. "I can't be the only one having fun," he said, rubbing foam into my hair.
I froze. "You did not just—"
"Oh, I did alright," Keifer shot back, smug as ever.
Keth gasped dramatically. "Mama, you look like a ghost with a crown!"
The hallway erupted.
Ci-N nearly fell over laughing,
Mayo shouted, "All hail the Bubble Ghost Queen!" and
Blaster immediately started humming a spooky theme song.
I shoved foam onto Keifer's head. "Here, have a crown."
Without wasting time, he scooped up a massive handful of bubbles and slammed them onto mine. "There. Now you're the Bubble Queen."
Keth squealed, clapping. "Papa vs Mama! Bubble battle round two!"
Outside, Section E were chanting like it was a championship match. "Bubble Queen! Bubble King! Bubble Dragon!"
Kuya Angelo yelled, "You're going to flood the bathroom!" but even he was chuckling.
The bathroom turned into chaos again —
foam flying, laughter echoing, bubbles sticking to the mirror, the floor slippery like an ice rink.
Keifer grinned at me, eyes gleaming with mischief. "You're not getting out of this alive."
"Oh, please," I shot back, scooping a massive handful of suds. "You're going down."
I launched the foam straight at his face.
He sputtered, laughing, then retaliated by rubbing his bubble‑covered head against mine like a cat marking territory.
"Keifer!" I shrieked, dripping and foamy.
Keth was laughing so hard he nearly toppled over in the tub. "Mama looks like a ghost! Papa looks like a monster! Bubble Dragon wins!"
The hallway erupted again. Mayo: "Round two goes to the Dragon!" Ci-N: "This is better than pay‑per‑view!" Blaster: beatboxing like it was a rap battle.
Keifer lunged, scooping me up bridal style again, spinning me around in the foam storm. "Victory lap!" he shouted, laughing so hard he nearly slipped.
I shoved bubbles into his hair. "Here, have another crown!"
He grinned, leaning close, forehead resting against mine. "You're impossible."
"And you're soaked," I shot back, both of us laughing so hard we could barely breathe.
It happened too fast.
One second we were fighting over foam.
The next, I was kissing him — lip on lip, messy, soap‑tasting, and way too long for an accident.
We didn't stop until—
"Mama and Papa, you're eating each other!" Keth squealed, wide‑eyed, clapping his hands like he'd just discovered a new species.
Keifer froze.
His eyes widened, and he put me down so fast I nearly slipped on the wet floor.
The hallway went dead silent.
Section E were stunned.
Ci-N's jaw dropped.
Mayo dropped his water gun.
Blaster stopped mid‑beatbox.
Percy blinked like his brain had crashed.
Even Kuya Angelo muttered, "You're going to flood the bathroom… and yourselves apparently," but he was chuckling.
Then chaos exploded again.
Mayo screamed, "KISS OF THE BUBBLE KING!"
Blaster immediately turned it into a dramatic ballad.
Ci-N groaned, "Romance in the middle of war? Disgusting."
David just smiled softly. "At least they're happy."
Meanwhile, Keth was still giggling in the tub, bubbles piled high like a crown.
"Mama and Papa are Bubble Parents forever!" he declared proudly.
I buried my face in my hands, cheeks burning, while Keifer rubbed the back of his neck, dripping and embarrassed.
But even through the laughter, the teasing, and the chaos, I couldn't help but smile.
Because somehow, in the middle of a ridiculous bubble war, we'd stumbled into something real.