The Watson house. Sunday morning. Breakfast.
Keifer sat at the table, phone in hand, staring at his messages with Jay from last night. He'd read them twelve times already.
"You're doing it again," Keigan said, shoving cereal in his mouth.
"Doing what?"
"Smiling at your phone. It's weird."
"I'm not smiling."
"You're literally smiling."
Keiren climbed onto the chair next to Keifer. "Kuya, is that the pretty girl? The one you gave your jacket to?"
Keifer put his phone down. "Eat your breakfast."
"I want pancakes."
"You have cereal."
"I want PANCAKES."
Keizer walked in, loud as always. "Who wants pancakes? Daddy will make pancakes!"
Keiren cheered. Keigan rolled his eyes. Keifer rubbed his temples.
Serina glided in, calm and graceful, placing coffee on the table. "Keifer, honey, put your phone away. You've been glued to it all weekend."
"It's work."
"It's Jasper Jean Mariano."
Keifer's head snapped up. "How did you—"
"Mother's intuition." She smiled sweetly. "Also, Honey told me."
"That woman talks too much."
"She talks just enough." Serina sat beside him. "So? What happened? You gave her flowers? You texted at midnight?"
Keifer groaned. "Mom."
"Don't 'Mom' me. I've waited nineteen years for you to like someone. I need details."
Keigan leaned in. "Yeah, details. This is better than TV."
Keifer glared at both of them. "There's nothing to tell. We're working together. That's it."
Keizer yelled from the kitchen, "THAT'S NOT WHAT HONEY SAID!"
Keifer put his head on the table.
Keiren patted his back. "It's okay, Kuya. Girls are confusing. I'm five and I know this."
Keifer lifted his head. "You're five. What do you know?"
"I know you like her because your ears turn red when she talks."
Keigan burst out laughing. "HE'S RIGHT. YOUR EARS DO TURN RED."
Serina smiled proudly at her youngest. "Very observant, baby."
Keizer came in with a plate of pancakes. "Alright, family meeting. Topic: Keifer and Jay."
"We're not having a family meeting about this."
"We're HAVING a family meeting about this." Keizer sat down. "Now. What's the problem? You like her. She likes you. Honey says she talks about you all the time."
"She DOES?" Keifer tried to play it cool. "I mean. She doesn't. She hates me."
"Hate is passion," Serina said. "Passion is love."
"That's what I've been SAYING!" Keizer high-fived his wife.
Keigan raised his hand. "Question. Have you actually TOLD her you like her?"
Keifer stared at his brother. "I told her I don't like what I see. Twice."
Everyone went silent.
Then Keizer spoke. "Son. That's... that's the opposite of what you should say."
"I know that NOW."
Serina sighed. "Baby. You have to be honest with her. Tell her how you feel."
"I don't know how I feel."
"Yes you do," Keiren said, stealing a pancake. "You like her. Your ears are red again."
Keifer touched his ears. They were warm.
He hated that a five-year-old knew him better than he knew himself.
Across town, the Mariano house was chaos.
Jay sat on the couch, hiding behind a pillow. Aries stood over her, arms crossed. Percy leaned against the wall, grinning. Ella sat nearby, eating popcorn like it was a movie.
Mama Reycee was in the kitchen, pretending to cook but definitely listening.
Jasfer walked in. "What's going on? Why is everyone standing around?"
"Intervention," Aries said.
"Intervention for WHAT?"
"Jay's love life."
Jay threw the pillow. "I DON'T HAVE A LOVE LIFE."
"You texted Keifer at midnight," Percy said.
"So?"
"You smiled at your phone for twenty minutes after."
"SO?"
"You saved his messages. Honey told me."
Jay stood up. "Honey needs to mind her own business."
"Honey IS my business. Which means your business is my business."
"That doesn't even make sense."
Percy shrugged. "Love doesn't make sense."
Jasfer sat down, confused but interested. "Wait. You like the Watson boy? The cold one?"
"I don't LIKE him. I just... tolerate him. Sometimes."
Aries laughed. "You told me he was hot. You said, and I quote, 'a hot idiot.'"
"When did you say this?" Jasfer asked.
"Last week. After he gave her flowers."
"HE GAVE YOU FLOWERS?" Mama Reycee ran in from the kitchen. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because it's NOTHING."
"Flowers are not nothing!" Reycee grabbed Jay's hands. "What kind? What did the card say?"
Jay's face burned. "White roses. The card said... something stupid."
"WHAT DID IT SAY?"
"Something about liking me too much."
The room went silent.
Then everyone screamed.
"HE SAID HE LIKES YOU?" Aries yelled.
"TOO MUCH!" Percy added.
"THAT'S SO ROMANTIC!" Ella clapped.
Jasfer stood up. "Wait wait wait. The Watson boy. The CEO. The one who never smiles. He said he likes my daughter too much?"
"Yes," everyone said.
Jasfer blinked. Then slowly, a grin spread across his face. "I like him."
"DAD."
"What? The boy has taste."
Mama Reycee was already on her phone. "I'm texting Serina. We need to plan."
"PLAN WHAT?" Jay yelled.
"The wedding."
"WE'RE NOT GETTING MARRIED."
"Not yet." Reycee winked. "But soon."
Jay grabbed her pillow and ran to her room.
Percy called after her, "TELL KEIFER I SAY HI!"
"SHUT UP!"
The door slammed.
Everyone looked at each other.
Then they all smiled.
"He's perfect for her," Aries said.
"Absolutely," Jasfer agreed.
"Those kids are gonna have beautiful babies," Mama Reycee added.
Ella raised her hand. "Can I be the godmother?"
"Get in line," Percy said.
Later that night, Jay's phone buzzed.
Keifer: My family just had a meeting about you.
Jay stared at the message. Then typed back:
Jay: Mine too. About you.
Keifer: They're insane.
Jay: Completely.
Keifer: Yours or mine?
Jay: Both.
Keifer: Agreed.
A pause. Then:
Keifer: For the record. I didn't tell them to do that.
Jay: Same. My stepmom is already planning the wedding.
Keifer: ...Wedding?
Jay: I KNOW. It's crazy.
Keifer: What color scheme?
Jay blinked. Then laughed.
Jay: Really? That's your question?
Keifer: Just curious.
Jay: White and gold. Obviously.
Keifer: Good choice.
Jay: Shut up.
Keifer: Make me.
Jay's heart stopped.
Then raced.
Jay: Goodnight, Keifer.
Keifer: Goodnight, Jay. Sweet dreams.
She put the phone down. Stared at the ceiling.
Her room was quiet. But her mind was loud.
Make me.
What did that mean?
Why did she want to?
She grabbed the pillow and screamed into it.
Downstairs, Percy was on the phone with Honey.
"They're texting right now," he whispered.
"How do you know?" Honey asked.
"I heard her scream."
"That's... cute?"
"It's disgusting. But also cute." Percy paused. "Hey. When this is over and they finally get together, we should double date."
Honey laughed. "You're already planning double dates?"
"I'm a planner."
"You're something."
"Yours, hopefully."
Honey went quiet. Then soft. "Yeah. Hopefully."
Percy grinned in the dark.
Love was in the air.
Even if the two main idiots hadn't figured it out yet.