In the Dunphy house living room were everyone who didn't want to be out in the backyard, that battlefield full of shouting, running, games, and childhood chaos.
There were Andrew, Willa, Leonard, Alex, Manny, Phil (to play a quick match specifically on the Wii) and Haley.
Haley had come downstairs as soon as she found out that people worth talking to had arrived, namely Willa, Andrew, or Leonard, and that she wouldn't have to stay trapped at a party she frankly found boring.
Howard had arrived as well.
The first thing his friends did when they saw him was make fun of how he looked: pale complexion, dark circles under his eyes, and breath that confirmed the previous night had taken its toll.
And unlike Steve, who had managed to throw up, lived a much more active lifestyle, and had a surprisingly fast recovery, Howard hadn't been so lucky.
Now they were all sitting on the couches, with the Wii hooked up thanks to Phil's insistence, who had received explicit permission from Luke to use it, playing Wii Sports.
On the screen, a 2-on-2 tennis match was unfolding: Phil and Howard versus Leonard and Manny.
Surprisingly, Howard, who had looked like a walking corpse when he arrived, had recovered enough to move the controller with some coordination and even show a few decent reflexes. He wasn't at his best, but he made up for it with exaggerated dramatics on every swing, as if he were playing the Wimbledon final.
Steve, meanwhile, was still outside on his mission to set up the pitching machine. He had probably already succeeded and was now out there organizing batting turns so things wouldn't turn into a mess.
Andrew followed the Wii match in an unusual silence for him. Of course, Haley, Alex, and Willa, sitting nearby, noticed immediately.
"Are you still upset because things didn't go well with Luke?" Willa asked, glancing at him sideways.
"No," Andrew replied without thinking.
Willa rolled her eyes. "You're a terrible liar."
"Is Luke still mad about yesterday?" Haley jumped in, finally understanding why her cousin was being so quiet. "It's not your fault!"
"I'm going to go talk to him!" Haley said, already getting up from the couch. "You give him two super expensive gifts and he's still acting offended."
Andrew stopped her with a quick gesture. "It's fine, Haley. Really. Thanks, but I'll fix things with him myself," he said calmly.
"Your strategy was wrong from the start," Alex said in her usual analytical tone, the one that sounded condescending without her realizing it, as if she were explaining something obvious that everyone else hadn't figured out yet.
"My strategy?" Andrew repeated, looking at her without anger. He knew that tone from his younger cousin far too well, it didn't affect him anymore.
"Yes," Alex nodded, adjusting her glasses. "Trying to fix things with Luke only through gifts isn't a good strategy. Of course he likes them, and of course he'll be grateful, but that's not enough to fix things… at least not with Luke."
Alex was right. Not everything could be magically fixed by giving gifts, no matter how big or expensive they were. And to be fair, that hadn't been his intention from the beginning either.
The real idea had been something else: to use those gifts, things he knew Luke would love, as an excuse to spend time together, to play together, and let things sort themselves out while they did something fun. To let the awkwardness fade without having to say it out loud.
But he hadn't counted on Luke's friends showing up at that exact moment.
Now, if he tried to play with Luke, it would be impossible to do it alone. There would always be other kids around, wanting to join in, watching Andrew more than Luke. And that would only reinforce what Luke had felt the day before: that his birthday stopped being about him.
'Maybe it's best not to force anything today,' Andrew thought.
It would be better to put it off for another day. A calmer moment, without a dozen kids around.
"Psychologist Alex has spoken," Haley remarked sarcastically, crossing her arms and looking at her sister. "So what do you recommend, genius?"
Alex sighed. "That Andrew talks to Luke and that's it. No distractions, straight to the problem."
Andrew looked at her, perhaps a little interested.
"Luke isn't complicated," Alex continued. "Dad always solves things with him that way whenever there's a problem."
"That sounds reasonable," Willa said. "Luke is a good kid. With an honest, quick conversation, everything will most likely work itself out. There's no need to plan anything special or force situations."
The three of them fell silent, watching Andrew. He, on the other hand, turned his gaze back to the television. The Wii match was at its most intense point, and Howard was making strange noises every time his virtual racket hit the ball.
"Say something," Willa said, her tone mixing annoyance at his silence with expectation.
"I'll fix it another day," Andrew replied, without taking his eyes off the screen.
He didn't say what method he would use. But today it was complicated to use any method. He couldn't share a fun moment with the Wii or any other game without drawing the attention of Luke's friends, and it wasn't easy to talk one-on-one on his birthday either, everyone wanted to be with him, and Luke just wanted to have fun.
Alex sighed. "Typical boys."
Haley nodded, shaking her head. "Is it really that hard to talk about feelings?"
Andrew stayed silent, unconcerned by the criticism. But he was surprised when the conversation took a different turn.
"Although you shouldn't be like that," Haley said, pointing at him.
Alex nodded immediately. "That's true. You don't have that problem that a lot of guys do."
"Exactly," Willa added, as if she had just thought of it. "You're good at talking when it matters. You must trust that to fix things."
Andrew looked at them, genuinely confused. "What? You were criticizing me and now you're praising me?"
"Women," Howard commented without turning around, focused on the screen. He had caught fragments of the conversation.
All three turned their heads at the same time and shot him a glare.
"Don't eavesdrop," Willa said, giving him a small smack on the leg that made him miss his next shot.
"Pay attention to your game," Haley snapped, "you're losing to Manny and Leonard. Manny and Leonard!" she repeated, emphasizing it.
"Hey…" Leonard protested, with a touch of defensive indignation, as if that implied he was bad at Wii Sports. He was, but there was no need to say it like that.
Manny, on the other hand, didn't mind. He just smiled slightly, "Sometimes, strategy beats enthusiasm."
"Focus, Houdini!" Phil said, taking the match very seriously.
"The point is…" Haley continued, turning back to Andrew, "that you know how to talk to solve problems. You always do with me."
Haley and Andrew were very close cousins. They were the same age and got along almost like siblings. Although they had always gotten along well, they had also argued more than once, more than it might seem from the outside.
But every time they clashed, Andrew ended up fixing things by talking: sometimes over silly things, other times over more serious matters. Whoever had to apologize did so, and they always found a way to resolve it.
"Exactly. With me too," Alex added. "Do you remember when you skipped a practice at Palisades to talk to me because I was upset?"
It had happened quite a while ago. Andrew had skipped a football practice, something he almost never did, just to sit down and talk with Alex. In the end, they had worked it out.
And, curiously, Alex's anger back then had come from something very similar to what was happening with Luke. She felt that all the family's attention revolved around Andrew and his games, while she worked quietly at her studies, getting good grades and trying to stand out in her own way.
"Us too," Willa said with a slight smile. "When we have a problem or something happens, we talk it out directly."
As best friends with strong personalities, their relationship wasn't based on constant harmony. They were competitive in video games and board games, teased each other, treated each other like real friends, and clearly argued sometimes. But they always ended up talking things through and fixing them without drama.
Andrew looked at them, somewhat moved by the praise, even though his expression barely changed. "Thanks… but talking to guys is different."
"Different how?" Willa asked, tilting her head.
Andrew hesitated for a second. "I don't know… the dynamic is different. Between guys, you don't talk about feelings all the time. It's just different."
He thought of clear examples.
When Steve was eliminated in the section championship with his team, Andrew, Archie, Reggie, and Kevin were there for him. But they didn't bring it up, there were no tears, no long talks about how he felt.
They knew he was hurting, it was obvious. And even so, words weren't necessary: they stayed with him, joked around, played video games, did whatever it took to spend time with him.
Or when Andrew had that clash with Howard. Afterward, there wasn't a deep conversation or a heart-to-heart session. They didn't spend hours talking about their feelings.
They simply fixed it with a few short but sincere apologies, and, above all, with actions: they went back to how things were before, joking around, without dramatizing it.
That's how things worked between them.
That's why Andrew's strategy with Luke had been similar. Not to force an immediate talk, not to corner him with some kind of deep, serious conversation.
Haley frowned. "But you talk to us without any problem."
"I know, but it's different with you," Andrew said, shrugging.
With Pippa, he'd never had trouble having more emotional, relationship-type conversations either. Talking about what he felt in that context had never been hard for him.
"It might be cultural," Alex chimed in thoughtfully. "But remember that Luke is four and a half years younger than you."
Andrew looked at her.
"With your peers, maybe it's harder to talk about feelings," Alex continued. "There are other dynamics. But Luke isn't a peer. He's younger, he sees you like an older brother. It'll probably be easier with him than you think."
Andrew nodded slowly. "Maybe. I'll keep it in mind."
"Yes!" Leonard exclaimed as he won. "You suck, Houdini! I hope you're better as an assistant," he added with a victorious grin, looking at Howard.
Howard, dark circles under his eyes, clicked his tongue. "Tsch. I let you win because I've got a magic show to practice," he said as he took off the controller's safety strap.
"Loser excuses," Willa replied, getting up from the couch and snatching the controller from Howard in one quick motion. "Come on, Alex. Let's show these two how it's done," she added, looking at Alex, who had ended up as her teammate in the draw.
Alex stood up with very little enthusiasm, took her father's controller, and positioned herself in front of the screen.
"Good game, guys!" Phil said, without a trace of annoyance on his face. "Good luck! Come on, Houdini, we need to warm up," he added, adjusting his bow tie.
Howard nodded and started following him.
"Oh, right… we need an audience," Phil said, turning around. "Who can help us?"
He looked at the only two who weren't playing Wii: Haley and Andrew.
"Haley will be thrilled," Andrew replied immediately.
Haley shot him a death glare, as if to say, don't speak for me.
"That'll be great, thanks!" Phil said, smiling broadly at his daughter.
"Hey! I'm your team in the Wii," Haley protested.
"That won't change much," Andrew commented. "You suck at playing."
Haley looked at him indignantly. "You're not exactly great either," she shot back as she stood up. "Don't come crying when you get destroyed for not having a team."
Andrew laughed, while Phil was already heading down the hallway, leading Howard and Haley out of the living room toward the place where everything was set up for the magic show.
At one point, as the Wii tennis match continued, Steve came in from the backyard and dropped heavily onto the couch next to Andrew, letting out a long sigh.
"Did you manage to set it up?" Andrew asked, barely turning his head.
"Yes," Steve replied. "It's great." He sighed again. "But those kids… it's like they each drank ten cans of energy drink."
Andrew smiled.
"Luckily your dad is controlling the speed regulator," Steve added. "He's not letting them go past thirty miles per hour."
"Controlled fun," Andrew commented.
"Yes, for your dad and your aunt. For the kids, probably torture. Though better for us, they'll get bored faster," Steve said.
The match was best of three, so there was still a while to go before it was Andrew's turn.
Andrew watched the screen for a bit, made an occasional comment to Steve, and at one point lowered his gaze to his phone. As he typed a reply, he couldn't help but form a slight smile.
"Oh… who are you chatting with?" Steve said immediately, leaning a little toward him, wearing a mischievous grin, clearly in full gossip mode. "A new love?"
"I wouldn't call it that…" Andrew replied without looking up. "Though it has potential," he admitted.
"Oh," Steve reacted, starting to make ridiculous noises, almost like a monkey celebrating.
"Shut up and behave like a human being," Andrew said, amused by his antics, as he locked his phone and put it away.
Steve stopped, laughing, and asked, "Can I know who it is?"
But before Andrew could answer, he raised a finger. "Wait! Let me guess. I'm wise in these matters."
"Shoot," Andrew said.
"Nancy. The senior student who's your mentor," Steve answered after a few seconds of suspense.
"Is it that obvious?" Andrew asked, implicitly admitting he was right.
Steve nodded. "A little. First, you don't talk to many girls. The only one I ever saw you genuinely interested in was Madison, and that's over. Then Nancy showed up."
It wasn't that his friend didn't have options. In fact, he had plenty. The night before, at the gathering at Willa's house, Haley had brought several friends, and more than one showed clear interest in him. But Andrew hadn't paid attention.
Steve knew it. Andrew had always been selective. Besides, he'd seen that at the games he went to, Andrew would take Nancy home afterward. And from the way he behaved with her, it was obvious there was something more than simple courtesy.
"And…?" Steve said, drawing out the word with a knowing smile. "Any action yet?"
"Action?" Andrew scoffed. "We're just getting to know each other. We haven't even kissed, this is going slow."
Nancy had started going to all of Mater Dei's games, which already said a lot. Before, as one of the top students, she rarely went to any.
But now she did, which clearly meant something.
Andrew, without fail, took her home afterward, and on those drives they always ended up talking more. Add to that the messages, the chats during school breaks, the academic help she gave him, everything was building little by little.
They were taking it slow. Both were busy. Andrew with football, practices, his YouTube channel, and school. Nancy in her senior year, focused on keeping the best grades possible and preparing for her college future.
It wasn't like Madison. That had been more superficial. Physical attraction, yes, but little real connection. As soon as they stopped kissing, the conversation became awkward or empty.
With Nancy it was different. With her, Andrew felt there was real potential for something more serious.
"How boring," Steve commented, scratching his ear. "Who would've thought you were into that girls type."
Andrew glanced at him. "That type?"
"The smart ones who study too much. Pippa was the top student. Nancy too, senior, super high grades, and at Mater Dei, which isn't exactly an easy school," Steve explained.
Andrew didn't deny it, though it didn't feel entirely accurate either. It wasn't that he was especially attracted to academic intelligence or high GPAs. What really caught his attention was something else: girls who took their lives seriously, who had clear goals and didn't revolve around him.
He didn't like things being too easy, or girls showing immediate interest just because he was a talented athlete with a future and exposure.
With Pippa and with Nancy, he felt something different. They saw him as just another person, not as the quarterback, not as the standout figure on the team or the famous guy.
With Madison or girls like her, the doubt was always there. Would she have paid attention to him if he hadn't been the quarterback? Andrew doubted it.
The only issue with Nancy was time. In a few months she would leave for college, and he would stay at Mater Dei. Most likely she would end up at a university far away, maybe even in another state. With her grades, she had no shortage of options. That future distance was what worried him the most.
The party went on.
After finishing his Wii match, Andrew went out to the backyard. He ate a couple of slices of pizza and managed, at times, to go unnoticed. Willa and Haley decided to act as improvised bodyguards, diverting the kids whenever one of them seemed to be getting too close to Andrew.
Andrew also spent some quality time with Lily, he lifted her onto the inflatable and walked her up to the highest slide, watching over her as she went down again and again, laughing.
Until, finally, Steve saw his opportunity.
The pitching machine was empty. No one was using it. The speed was still low, too low, and that had killed the excitement for most of the kids.
Steve smiled. It was the perfect moment. He walked over to Andrew and, without saying much, pointed at the machine. Fifteen pitches each. Whoever had the best hitting overall would win.
"Go ahead and line up that date with Katie," Steve said, grabbing the bat and claiming the first turn.
"In your dreams," Andrew replied with a slight smile. "If I win, you're calling me 'Dad' for two months."
Steve grimaced. That would be humiliating. He hesitated for just a second, then nodded. He accepted the deal.
They decided to do it in three rounds, five pitches per round. Steve would take his first five swings, then Andrew would repeat the same sequence.
"All right, let's get started!" Steve said.
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