It started with a slice of pie, or so Jay says now. The actual story, according to Jay, is one he likes to repeat at family gatherings with a smirk and a teasing glance at Gloria, who usually rolls her eyes and offers her side in a flurry of accented English so intense you almost miss half the meaning. But I think, deep down, Jay keeps telling it less for laughs and more because even he still can't believe his own twist of luck.
It was a Saturday afternoon in early spring—a few months since Jay's divorce from DeDe was finalized. Our family was still figuring out the new normal. Jay was checking in with the Dunphys and with us about as often as a dad who's unsure exactly what his job is now that his kids are grown. Mitchell and Cam invited him out every other week for brunch or a round of golf, and there were attempts at board game nights that usually ended with Jay declaring some game "dumb as paint". Truthfully, Jay looked like a man letting time pass, not living it.
So when he called on a Sunday evening and asked if I wanted to join him for a bite at Harbor Diner, I figured it would be another round of "bacon food pyramid" and Jay's slow, careful complaining about L.A. traffic.
Instead, halfway through a plate of roast beef, Jay's attention wandered. I was busy scrolling through channel comments on my phone—someone wanted to know if I'd do a Mario game which i was thinking about I hadn't noticed at first. But Jay had stopped chewing and fixed his gaze on the front of the diner, where two women had just walked in and taken the booth with the sun at their backs.
From where we sat, I could just make out the louder one: younger than Jay by a lot, all vibrant energy and accent and jewelry. Her hair was big, her earrings bigger. The other was thinner, quieter, and soon left for the restroom, leaving the loud one alone, fussing with her napkin, sunlight flashing off her bangles.
Jay, for reasons known only to ancient men rediscovering hormones, waved over the server and discreetly sent a slice of apple pie in their direction. I raised an eyebrow.
"Planning dessert before dinner?"
He scowled. "It's not for me, kid. Just being friendly."
"Does Claire know you're this generous with strangers?" I grinned, earning another head shake.
The plan, apparently, was to send the pie to the quiet woman, Sonia—but Gloria, the firework in red, intercepted it when her sister vanished to the bathroom.
Within a minute, she was at our table. "Excuse me, Señor, was this from you? For me?"
Jay, who had boasted lifelong confidence in business, looked for a second as nervous as any schoolboy. "Um, actually, that was meant for your sister. But, uh, you're welcome to it."
She laughed—full, bold, twice as loud as the diner's jukebox. "You should always trust your accidents, Señor. Much better than what you plan, no?" Her accent was strong, the confidence stronger.
She introduced herself as Gloria, from Colombia, here to help her younger sister settle into the city. Jay tried to play it cool but was already leaning in, chewing on his words. I could see him soften in the shoulders, in the jokes—"Leave it to me to mess up dessert and start a conversation"—that sort of thing.
I watched the exchange, part amused, part curious. On screen, this was the moment the documentary camera would zoom in and catch my raised eyebrow: Jay Pritchett, my grumpy, old-school granddad, was being charmed by a woman fifteen years younger, full of stories about homemade arepas and her son, Manny, who collected poetry and toy swords.
As soon as the conversation allowed, I excused myself (ostensibly to check the soda fountain, but actually to text Mitchell).
To Mitchell:
Jay's flirting with a woman who might be younger than Claire. She just made him laugh for the first time in six months.
From Mitchell:
Is he OK? Are you OK? This is big.
To Mitchell:
She seems… actually pretty cool? And loud. Very, very loud. More when I get home.
As I watched, Jay let slip details about his kids (mentioning "one lawyer, one… dramatic"), his taste in old Sinatra songs, and, most importantly, his willingness to listen. Gloria did most of the talking, but Jay leaned in and, for once, didn't try to take over the whole story.
That, I realized, was the most surprising part of all.
When Jay called the next day and asked Mitchell, Claire, and Cam to meet him for lunch "because there's someone new I'd like you to meet," our little family's group chat imploded.
Claire:
Is this real
Mitchell:
No, she's very much real. Ryan saw her.
Cam:
I can't wait! We need more drama in this family and new faces mean new recipes!
Alex:
Does Grandpa realize he's not thirty anymore?
The meeting itself was the social Olympics. Claire arrived first and instantly put on her "concerned parent" face, carefully polite, already tallying up age difference, jewelry, and accent. Mitchell was curious and supportive. Cam, of course, poured on the charm—"Any friend of Jay's is a friend of ours!"—then launched into a monologue about empanadas.
Gloria was radiant and played along with Claire's cautious questions about her work (hairdresser, sometimes model, dabbler in philosophy, fluent in rapid-fire sarcasm and modesty). Manny wasn't with her, she explained, but she was already telling stories so vivid that even Cam was out-storied for once.
Claire's skepticism was palpable. She was polite but got in a few digs, subtle but sharp—asking if Gloria was used to "the city" and hinting that Jay liked to keep his relationships simple. Mitchell tried to intervene with his awkward humor, Cam with warm food and an offer to share family photos.
By dessert, Jay looked…lighter. Gloria had him laughing about her driving (she claimed Los Angeles was full of "amateurs who are afraid to die") and her son's poetry club. Even Claire, after a particularly goofy story involving a chihuahua and salsa, broke and laughed. Something about Gloria, despite the outside-the-family vibe, put everyone a little off-balance but also, eventually, at ease.
On the ride home, I pieced through mental notes like Jane logging a crime scene. Gloria was perceptive, picking up on every little shift in conversation—mocking Cam's recipe ideas playfully, laughing at Mitchell's lawyer jokes until he relaxed.
She noticed the kids—called out Alex on her book smarts, asked what Haley wanted to do, even drew Phil into conversation who by the look on his face was thinking something else only .
I found myself, for the first time, quietly cheering Jay on, hoping he'd stay relaxed and not overcompensate. He played it well by underplaying his business background, focusing instead on his golf game and on how much he wanted to show Gloria the city.
Jay, for his part, looked to me twice, maybe for approval or just a lifeline. Each time, I just nodded, gave a tiny smile, tried not to look as nervous as he did.
Privately, later to Mitchell and Alex, I analyzed:
"She's not just here for Jay's wallet or his age. She's direct and doesn't flinch when Claire goes all Sherlock. I think thats a good sign"
Haley (from across the room):
"We should set Grandpa up on 'The Bachelor.' Can you imagine?"
Mitchell:
"She's got more in common with him than most people do. And he seems happy. Like, you know, actual happy, not 'watching golf alone' happy."
In the following weeks, Gloria's relationship with Jay became the most discussed topic in the family group chat. Claire remained openly concerned. In private, she confessed that it "felt weird" seeing her father with someone younger than herself, especially someone so bold. She worried about motives—out loud, sometimes rudely.
Mitchell, meanwhile, adopted the role of cautious diplomat, encouraging everyone to "just let Dad be happy," occasionally suggesting to Cam that introducing "a Latin Dish of the Week" was perhaps not the most tactful move.
I kept watch on everything, quietly running my own experiment. I noted that Gloria remembered details about everyone after their first meeting—Haley's enthusiasm, Alex's love of books, even the way Phil fidgeted when nervous. She brought gifts from her favorite Colombian bakery, which thawed even DeDe's frosty reception (to a degree). But just as often as she gave, she pushed back when she was treated as some kind of outsider. Her pride, I realized, wasn't for show.
As their relationship deepened, Jay grew noticeably nervous. He asked me about dates ("Is this tie too much? Should I Google salsa dancing before mentioning her favorite music?"), about texting ("What are emojis exactly?"), about meeting Gloria's son Manny ("He likes poetry and fencing; I don't even like rhyming golf jokes.").
I became his unofficial dating coach, running scenarios in my mind like chess puzzles—predicting what would impress, what would offend. "Just be honest, don't talk about business first, ask about her family, let her win at least one round of bowling," I advised.
There were stumbles, like when Jay tried to cook Gloria's favorite meal with disastrous results, or when he mispronounced "arepa," but each mistake seemed to only endear him more to her. Gloria loved that Jay tried. She told me privately, "Your grandfather is very proud, but also very confused sometimes. It's sweet. I like when he lets his guard down."
The family stories began to weave together in truly Modern Family fashion—Jay ramped up for a serious conversation about his new relationship, only to be derailed by laughter, a spilled drink, and Cam's attempt at Colombian dancing.
It was during one such dinner, loud with voices and food and a little bit of wine, that Gloria shared how her father's name was "Fulgencio." Everyone tried to pronounce it; only Jay got close (after two tries), and Gloria burst out laughing, proud and embarrassed at once.
She told the story, half in Spanish, of growing up in a tiny town, of her mother's dreams, of Manny's first poem. Jay listened, for once not trying to fix or offer solutions, just—listening. The family argued, consoled, and laughed as only our family could, with Ryan stealthily reminding Jay (again via text under the table) to "just let Gloria tell her story in one piece."
It felt right. It felt like something new, something just beginning. I caught Cam whispering to Mitchell, "That's real love, right there," and for once Mitchell just nodded.
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After Chapter
(In the last 5 years)
(Pokemon Emerald Run(contd) )
"Alright everyone, welcome back to Perry the Mudkip! Today we're tackling Lavaridge Town and Flannery's Fire-type gym. Now, normally this would be a cakewalk for Perry, but Emerald Flannery is no joke."
The gym's puzzle was straightforward but annoying—navigating through holes in a misty sauna while fighting trainers with Slugmas and Numels. Perry, now a level 28 Marshtomp , made quick work of most opponents with Surf and Earthquake.
"See, this is why I love Marshtomp. Ground-typing means he's immune to Electric attacks, and Water-typing destroys Fire-types. Perry is basically a walking type advantage machine."
But Flannery herself proved tricky. Her Slugma opened with Yawn, putting Perry to sleep, while her Torkoal's White Smoke ability prevented stat reduction.
"Okay, that's annoying. Fungi, you're up!"
Breloom's Fighting-type moves were neutral against Fire-types, but Mach Punch's priority helped finish off weakened opponents. The real MVP was actually Radar the Golbat, whose Wing Attack handled her Camerupt when it tried to set up Sunny Day.
"And that's gym number four down! The Heat Badge is ours. Though I have to say, Larry almost got knocked out by a Slugma using Flamethrower. Our HM slave needs to step up his game."
Team Update after Flannery:
Perry the Marshtomp: Level 30, knowing Water Gun , Earthquake, Curse and Brick Break
Fungi the Breloom: Level 28, with Mach Punch, Mega Drain , Bullet Seed, and Spore
Shadow the Mightyena: Level 27, providing Dark-type coverage with Crunch and Bite
Larry the Linoone: Level 25, our utility Pokemon with Cut, Strength, and Rock Smash
Radar the Golbat: Level 26, fast and reliable with Wing Attack and Confuse Ray
"This is it, folks. Time to challenge Norman at Petalburg Gym. And yes, he's technically our dad in this game, which makes this whole thing wonderfully awkward."
Norman's gym was a maze of rooms, each testing different battle conditions. The Accuracy Room, Speed Room, and OHKO Room all had trainers with Pokemon around level 27-28, perfect training for what was coming.
"The thing about Norman is that his Pokemon hit like trucks. In Ruby and Sapphire, he has two Slakings. Emerald nerfed that to one Slaking, but gave him other surprises."
The battle opened with his Spinda using Teeter Dance, confusing Perry. A quick switch to Fungi solved that problem—Breloom's Mach Punch took out Spinda before it could do more damage.
Vigoroth came next, and this was where things got interesting.
"Vigoroth doesn't have Slaking's Truant ability, so it can attack every turn. Plus, Norman's Vigoroth knows Facade, which does double damage if it's statused. Yikes."
Fungi handled Vigoroth with Sky Uppercut, but barely survived the retaliation.
Then came the Linoone, which was a more scary factor in the run
I had to sacrifice Shadow to take down the Linoone, but it was worth it to prevent a sweep.
Finally, the Slaking. Level 31, massive Attack stat, but crippled by Truant—it could only attack every other turn.
"The strategy here is simple: attack when it's loafing around, defend or heal when it's not. Perry, let's do this!"
It took three attacks and two Super Potions, but Perry finally brought down his "father's" ace Pokemon.
"And that's the Balance Badge! Norman was definitely the toughest gym leader so far. But hey, we're family now, right Perry?"
"Welcome back everyone! Today we're in Mossdeep City taking on Tate and Liza, the psychic twin gym leaders. This is our first double battle gym, and it's going to be intense."
Tate and Liza's gym was space-themed, with teleporters and cosmic trainers. But the real challenge was the gym leaders themselves—they used Solrock and Lunatone in perfect synergy.
"The thing about double battles is that you have to think about positioning, target priority, and move interactions. Plus, these two have Sunny Day and Solar Beam combos that can wreck unprepared teams."
I led with Perry and Fungi, but immediately switched Fungi out for Shadow when Lunatone used Calm Mind.
"See, Lunatone is trying to set up, but Shadow's Crunch can lower its Defense. Meanwhile, Perry's going to Surf both opponents—yes, Surf hits both enemies in a double battle, but at reduced power."
The battle became a careful dance of switching and positioning. Solrock's Solar Beam charged instantly under Sunny Day, nearly knocking out Shadow. But Radar's Confuse Ray disrupted their coordination long enough for Perry to land a crucial Ice Beam on Solrock.
"Rock/Psychic types hate Ice moves, and that's a clean OHKO! Now it's two-on-one, and Lunatone can't handle Perry's bulk."
"And that's our seventh badge! The Mind Badge is ours, and we're just one gym away from the Elite Four. Though first, we need to deal with Team Aqua, Team Magma, and probably save the world or something. You know, typical Tuesday stuff."
Final Team Stats:
Perry the Swampert: Level 41, now knowing Surf, Earthquake, Ice Beam, and Muddy Water
Fungi the Breloom: Level 41, with Mach Punch, Sky Uppercut, Bullet Seed, and Spore
Shadow the Mightyena: Level 39, with Crunch, Bite, Swagger, and Scary Face
Larry the Linoone: Level 40, utility Pokemon with full HM coverage
Radar the Crobat: Level 43 (finally evolved!), with Wing Attack, Confuse Ray, Bite, and Swift