Chapter 41 – Birthday Blues, Family Introductions, and Parental Panic
Two months had passed since Jake's birthday, and in that short time, the world had gone from "Who's Jake Harper?" to "How did this twelve-year-old build the fastest-growing social network on the internet?"
FaceWorld had rocketed past twenty-six million users. Servers were scaled, new staff were onboarded, and Jake had stopped even trying to read every article written about him.
But today, none of that mattered.
Today was Haley Dunphy's birthday.
---
The Gift
Jake had obsessed for days about what to give her.
Nothing too over-the-top. Nothing cheap either. It had to be thoughtful.
He settled on a sterling silver bracelet with a small star charm. Elegant, simple, but meaningful. He remembered her mentioning once that she liked stars. That she used to believe she could name them all.
It was perfect.
As he adjusted the ribbon one last time, Judith leaned into his room.
"You ready, Mr. Romance?"
Jake sighed. "You're going to embarrass me the second we get there, aren't you?"
Judith smirked. "Obviously."
---
The Dunphys' House – Cheviot Hills
Claire opened the door, giving Jake a look that was somewhere between polite and protective.
She'd met him several times now. And she already knew:
He was a genius,
He went to Caltech,
And he was the boy who made FaceWorld.
In Claire's mind, that made Jake both impressive… and very dangerous.
"Hi, Jake," she said, stepping aside.
"Hi, Mrs. Dunphy."
She glanced down at the gift bag. "That for Haley?"
Jake nodded. "Yes, ma'am."
Inside, balloons floated above the kitchen, decorations covered the walls, and the whole Modern Family clan was slowly assembling.
---
Meet the Family
Alex, Haley's younger sister, narrowed her eyes when she saw Jake. "I thought you'd be taller."
Jake smirked. "I thought you'd be nicer."
Luke, their youngest, was halfway inside a cabinet, narrating his mission to "explore the underworld."
Jake stepped around him.
Jay Pritchett, Claire's father, nodded at Jake from near the kitchen. "Smart kid. Stay focused."
Jake nodded back. "Yes, sir."
Mitchell, Claire's brother, arrived carrying a neatly wrapped gift. His partner, Cameron, followed behind with a tray of cupcakes and a loud Hawaiian shirt that could be seen from space.
DeDe, Claire's eccentric mother, swept in dramatically with a large bag and two bottles of wine.
"Where's my birthday girl?" she called, already looking around like she owned the house.
---
Haley Enters
Haley came out of the hallway, her hair curled slightly, wearing a deep red blouse and jeans. The clip in her hair glittered.
Jake smiled the moment he saw her.
She walked right over. "You came."
"Wouldn't miss it."
He handed her the box. She opened it slowly, then gasped.
"Oh my God… it's beautiful."
"It reminded me of you," Jake said. Then quickly added, "Not in a cheesy way."
Haley laughed and slipped the bracelet on.
Then, without hesitation, she leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.
Claire saw it from the living room and tensed like a coiled spring.
---
Judith and Claire on the Patio
A few minutes later, Judith and Claire stepped outside with their drinks, watching the kids through the glass door.
Claire was trying hard not to look completely stressed.
"She's twelve," she said suddenly.
"So is Jake," Judith replied.
"He's not just some boy from school. He's… different. He's the first boy she's liked."
Judith tilted her head. "What were you doing when you were twelve?"
Claire blinked. "Excuse me?"
Before she could answer, DeDe poked her head out from behind the sliding door.
"Oh please, Claire was a wild child by the time she was ten."
Claire's eyes widened. "Mom!"
DeDe sipped her wine. "I'm just saying. You were kissing the paperboy behind the garage when you were eleven."
Judith tried to contain her laughter.
Claire turned red. "That was completely different."
Judith smiled. "Was it, though?"
Claire didn't answer.
---
Back Inside
Haley and Jake sat together at the table while cupcakes were served and everyone sang. Jay grumbled that real birthdays didn't need frosting, Cam cried over the harmony, and Luke tried to wear a party hat as a mask.
Jake leaned closer to Haley. "Having fun?"
"Now that you're here, yeah."
"I was kind of nervous."
Haley smiled. "You hide it well."
Jake hesitated. "Am I… the first guy you've liked?"
She nodded. "Yeah."
Jake grinned. "Cool."
Then he immediately tried to look not too cool.
---
Evening Wind-Down
As the party wound down, Jake and Haley stepped out to the front porch.
"I really like the bracelet," she said, turning it on her wrist.
"I'm glad."
"You're… different from other guys."
Jake smirked. "I get that a lot."
She laughed and leaned against his shoulder. "Don't go getting a big head."
"Too late."
---
Claire Watches From the Hall
Claire stood just down the hallway, watching them through the front window.
She didn't say anything.
She just… watched.
A thoughtful, wary silence.