If there's one thing I've learned from years of observing family dynamics, it's that weddings bring out both the best and absolute worst in people. Jay and Gloria's wedding was supposed to be a small, elegant affair—just close family and a few friends at a beautiful venue overlooking the Pacific. What we got instead was a masterclass in how one person's unresolved feelings can turn a celebration into a complete disaster.
Well, almost complete.
The weeks leading up to the wedding had been surprisingly smooth. Gloria was in full planning mode, which meant she'd call me at least twice a week to get my "objective opinion" on flowers, music, and seating arrangements. Apparently, being twelve made me the perfect neutral party.
"Ryan, mijo, what do you think—white roses or pink roses?"
"White's more classic, but pink might photograph better."
"See? This is why you are one of my favorite!"
Jay, meanwhile, was handling the stress by pretending he wasn't stressed. He'd show up to family dinners looking increasingly tired, making jokes about "getting too old for this wedding stuff" while secretly worrying about every detail.
The biggest source of anxiety wasn't the flowers or the music—it was DeDe.
She hadn't been invited, obviously. The divorce had been finalized almost a year ago, and DeDe had made it clear she wasn't exactly thrilled about Jay's new relationship. But that didn't stop her from inserting herself into conversations, asking Mitchell pointed questions about "the wedding planning," and dropping hints about how she'd "love to show her support."
Mitchell, being Mitchell, was caught in the middle. One evening, about a week before the wedding, he called an emergency family meeting at my place.
"So, Mom's been calling," Mitchell announced, looking like he'd rather be anywhere else.
"Uh oh," Claire muttered. "What does she want now?"
"She wants to come to the wedding."
The room went dead silent. Even Cam, who usually had something positive to say about everyone, just stared.
"Absolutely not," Claire said immediately.
"Jay would have a heart attack," Phil added.
"Gloria would probably kill her," Haley chimed in from the couch.
"Actually," Mitchell said hesitantly, "she says she wants to make amends. Show everyone she's moved on and supports Dad's happiness."
I watched everyone's faces carefully. Claire looked skeptical, Phil looked terrified, Cam looked like he was already planning how to diplomatically handle the situation, and Alex was doing that thing where she pretends not to care but was obviously listening to every word.
"What do you think, Dad?" I asked.
He sighed. "I think Mom's going through something, and she genuinely wants to fix things. But I also think this could go very, very wrong."
That's when I made what might have been either my smartest or stupidest decision of the year.
"What if there was a way to make sure it didn't go wrong?"
Everyone looked at me.
"Hear me out," I continued. "DeDe's biggest problem is that she can't control herself when she gets emotional. But what if we had a... safety net?"
Three days later, I was in Phil and Claire's living room, conducting what I told everyone was "a fun psychology experiment for my YouTube channel." Phil, being Phil, was thrilled to be my test subject.
"So you're saying you can actually hypnotize people?" Phil asked, settling into his favorite armchair. "Like, make them do chicken dances and stuff?"
"Not exactly," I said, adjusting the camera angle. "It's more about relaxation and suggestion." The Patrick Jane template had been giving me insights into reading people and understanding their psychological triggers, but I'd been experimenting with the reverse—using suggestion to help people relax and focus, reading books given by L on hypnotisation also helped for this .
"Okay, Phil, just focus on my voice and let your eyes follow this pen."
What followed was twenty minutes of the most gentle hypnotic induction I could manage. Phil was surprisingly susceptible—probably because he genuinely trusted me and wanted it to work. By the end, I had him in a light trance, completely relaxed, and responding to simple suggestions.
"Phil, when I count to three, you're going to wake up feeling refreshed and calm. You'll remember this as a pleasant experience, and you'll know that if you ever need to feel this relaxed again, all you have to do is take three deep breaths and think about your favorite magic trick. One, two, three."
Phil's eyes opened, and he stretched like he'd just woken up from the best nap of his life.
"Wow, that was amazing! I feel so... centered. Did you get good footage for your video?"
"Perfect footage," I lied, having not actually recorded anything. "Thanks for being such a good sport."
The real test came an hour later when Claire got home in one of her stressed-out moods, immediately launching into a rant about work and traffic and the wedding planning. Normally, Phil would either try to fix everything or make jokes to lighten the mood, both of which usually made Claire more frustrated.
Instead, he just took three deep breaths, smiled calmly, and said, "That sounds really stressful, honey. Want to sit down and tell me about it?"
Claire actually stopped mid-rant, looked at him suspiciously, and said, "Who are you and what have you done with my husband?"
The technique worked. And if it worked on Phil, it could work on anyone.
Patrick Jane – Intermediate (4,150 / 30,000) +150
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The wedding was beautiful. The venue was a hilltop garden overlooking the ocean, with white chairs arranged in neat rows and an archway covered in Gloria's chosen flowers (we'd gone with white roses in the end). Jay looked nervous but happy in his tuxedo, while Gloria was absolutely radiant in an elegant cream dress that somehow managed to be both classic and distinctly her.
I was seated in the third row with Alex and Haley, wearing my best suit and keeping a careful eye on everyone's stress levels. Mitchell was serving as Jay's best man, while Manny was taking his role as ring bearer very seriously and stood at the altar looking proud
The ceremony itself went perfectly. Jay's vows were surprisingly heartfelt ("Gloria, you make me want to be the man I always thought I was"), while Gloria's were passionate and beautiful, delivered in accented English that somehow made everything sound more romantic.
And then, just as the officiant was about to pronounce them husband and wife, I spotted movement near the back of the venue.
DeDe had arrived.
She was dressed to the nines in a burgundy dress, her hair perfectly styled, carrying herself with the kind of forced confidence that screamed "I'm fine, everything's fine, this doesn't bother me at all." But I could read the micro-expressions, the slight tremor in her hands, the way her smile didn't quite reach her eyes.
She was definitely not fine.
Mitchell spotted her at the same moment I did. His face went pale, and I saw him make eye contact with Claire, who immediately looked like she might throw up.
The ceremony concluded without incident—Jay and Gloria were officially married, everyone cheered, and the photographer started arranging family photos. But I kept watching DeDe, who had positioned herself near the bar and was already on what looked like her second cocktail.
This was not going to end well.
The reception started smoothly enough. Dinner was served, toasts were made (Mitchell's was awkward but sweet, Manny's was surprisingly eloquent for his age), and Jay and Gloria had their first dance to "Beauty and the Beast"—apparently Manny's suggestion, which made both Jay and Gloria tear up.
But as the evening progressed and the drinks flowed, I watched DeDe's behavior carefully. She was drinking steadily, her movements becoming slightly less controlled, her voice getting a little louder. Most importantly, she kept staring at Jay and Gloria with an expression I recognized—the look of someone working up the courage to do something they knew they shouldn't.
When she started making her way toward the microphone during the open toasts portion of the evening, I knew it was time to act.
"Excuse me," I said to Alex, sliding out of my chair. "I need to use the bathroom."
Instead, I intercepted DeDe halfway to the front of the room.
"Hi, Mrs. Pritchett," I said, putting on my most innocent twelve-year-old smile. "Having a good time?"
She looked down at me, and for a moment, her carefully maintained composure slipped. "Oh, Ryan. Yes, it's... it's a beautiful wedding."
"You look a little tired," I observed. "These events can be pretty overwhelming. Would you like to sit down for a minute? I know a quiet spot."
I guided her to a small seating area off to the side, away from the main crowd but still within view of the party. DeDe followed, probably grateful for an excuse to collect herself.
"You know," I said conversationally, "I've been learning about relaxation techniques for a psychology project. Want to try something that might help you feel better?"
DeDe laughed, but there was a bitter edge to it. "Oh sweetheart, I don't think there's any technique that's going to help with this situation."
"Just humor me," I said. "Focus on my voice for a second, and let's try a simple breathing exercise."
What followed was the most delicate hypnotic induction I'd ever attempted. DeDe was resistant at first, but she was also emotionally exhausted, slightly intoxicated, and genuinely wanted to feel better. Gradually, her breathing slowed, her shoulders relaxed, and her eyes grew heavy.
"DeDe," I said softly, "you came here tonight because you wanted to show everyone that you've moved on, that you support Jay's happiness. That was a generous impulse, and it shows how much you love your family."
She nodded slightly.
"But sometimes the most loving thing we can do is step back and let people have their moment. Jay and Gloria's wedding isn't about you—it's about them. And the best gift you can give them is your absence from drama tonight."
I continued with gentle suggestions about feeling peaceful, about being proud of the family she'd helped create, about recognizing that Jay's happiness didn't diminish her own worth. Most importantly, I suggested that she was feeling very, very sleepy.
By the time I was finished, DeDe was completely relaxed, her eyes closed, breathing deeply and evenly.
"DeDe, you're going to stay right here and rest for a while. This comfortable chair is exactly where you want to be. You'll have pleasant dreams about happy memories, and when you wake up, you'll feel refreshed and ready to go home with dignity."
The wedding continued beautifully. Jay and Gloria danced, laughed, and celebrated with their friends and family. Mitchell gave another toast (better than his first one), Cam entertained everyone with stories about wedding planning disasters from his theater days, and even Alex smiled during the cake cutting.
DeDe slept peacefully in her corner chair for the rest of the evening, looking for all the world like a tired wedding guest taking a well-deserved break. A few people asked if she was okay, but I assured them she was just resting and would be fine.
Near the end of the night, as the party was winding down, I gently woke her up with a few soft suggestions about feeling refreshed and ready to head home.
She opened her eyes, blinked a few times, and looked around with a slightly confused expression.
"Oh my," she said. "I must have dozed off. How embarrassing."
"Not at all," I said. "It's been a long day for everyone. Did you have a nice time?"
DeDe looked across the room at Jay and Gloria, who were saying goodbye to the last few guests, both glowing with happiness.
"Yes," she said, and for the first time all evening, she sounded genuinely peaceful. "It was a beautiful wedding. They look very happy together."
"They do," I agreed.
DeDe gathered her purse and stood up, moving with calm dignity. She made her way over to Jay and Gloria, waited for a quiet moment, and simply said, "Congratulations. I wish you both all the happiness in the world."
Then she hugged Mitchell and Claire, told them she'd call soon, and left without causing any drama whatsoever.
The next morning, over brunch at Cam and Mitchell's place, the family was still processing what had happened.
"I can't believe Mom just... behaved," Claire said, sounding almost suspicious. "She was there for four hours and didn't cause a single scene."
"Maybe she's finally growing up," Mitchell suggested hopefully.
"Or maybe," Phil said, grinning at me, "someone worked a little magic."
I just shrugged innocently. "People can surprise you sometimes."
Jay caught my eye and nodded slightly. He'd noticed what I'd done, even if he didn't fully understand it. Later, when I was getting ready to leave, he pulled me aside.
"Kid," he said quietly, "I don't know exactly what you did last night, but... thank you."
"I didn't do anything special," I said. "Just helped someone get the rest they needed."
Jay studied my face for a moment, then smiled. "You're a good kid, Ryan. And if you ever want to go into the family therapy business, you've got my recommendation."
Patrick Jane – Intermediate (4,300 / 30,000) +150
Looking back, Jay and Gloria's wedding was a perfect example of how small interventions can prevent large disasters. DeDe had arrived determined to make a scene, driven by hurt and jealousy and alcohol. But sometimes all people need is permission to step back, to rest, to let their better angels take over.
The wedding was beautiful, the family stayed intact, and Jay and Gloria got the celebration they deserved. Sometimes being helpful isn't about solving big problems—it's about preventing them from happening in the first place.
And if anyone asks, DeDe just had a little too much champagne and needed a nap. Nothing more mysterious than that.
[Status Screen: Current]
Mikhail Tal – Intermediate (3,500 / 25,000)
No change.
Kazuma Satou – Advanced (8,500 / 25,000)
No change.
Patrick Jane – Intermediate (4,300 / 30,000)
+300 EXP: Successfully prevented family crisis through applied psychology and hypnotic intervention.