Disclaimer: I do not own Modern Family or its characters, and the song, "Just The Way You Are" belongs to Billy Joel.
"Just The Way You Are"
January 2015
It's twelve minutes after midnight on a Sunday night in January and Andy is driving Haley home from the Radiohead concert they attended together. Luckily, the LA traffic on the highway is not as heavy as it usually is during the day. Andy, who always puts safety first when behind the wheel, keeps his eyes glued to the road while a tipsy Haley fumbles with the dial on the radio. After about thirty seconds pass between them with the only sound in Andy's car being that of short snippets of songs from radio stations Haley is flipping passed, Haley speaks up.
"Thanks for inviting me to the concert tonight. I had a lot of fun," Haley says sincerely to Andy while she continues to turn the radio dial.
Andy smiles at Haley's remark without taking his eyes off the road. "I'm glad my spare ticket went to good use then. I had fun too."
"It's too bad Beth couldn't go. You probably would have had a better time with your girlfriend," Haley says trying to hide the hurt in her voice at what she believes to be true.
Andy doesn't hesitate before replying truthfully, "I think everything probably worked out for the best."
Haley was not expecting that to be Andy's answer. She is so surprised that she momentarily stops flipping through the channels and looks over at Andy, giving him her full attention now.
Andy's heartbeat begins to quicken its pace as he feels Haley's eyes on him. He tries not to think too much about the kind of affect Haley has on him and instead he tries to focus on what he's about to say next. Andy takes a deep breath before confessing, "Beth's not a fan of Radiohead. She probably would have just complained the whole night, making me feel guilty for dragging her to the concert in the first place. At least this way, I got to go with someone who appreciates their music just as much as I do."
At that moment, Andy chances taking his eyes off the road for a few seconds and looks over at Haley in the passenger's seat to view her reaction. Their eyes lock for a couple of brief seconds. Haley's eyes convey so much warmth and tenderness that Andy wonders if those same emotions are reflected in his own eyes as well. 'I could get lost in those big, doe eyes,' Andy thinks before unconsciously allowing his own eyes to move to Haley's lips as her mouth opens up to speak.
That's when Andy's brain snaps back to reality and he remembers that he's supposed to be driving. He quickly turns his attention back to the road, breaking the spell he feels has been cast over him tonight (or, more specifically, every time he spends more than a couple minutes alone with Haley).
"Yeah, I've loved their music for years," Haley confesses as she begins to flip through the songs playing on the radio again.
"Me too," Andy agrees. ""Creep" is one of my favorite songs ever."
Before anything else can be said on the subject, Haley shouts excitedly, "Oh my god, I love this song!"
Haley's sudden outburst gives Andy a bit of a fright so it takes him a second to recognize what song has her so excited. It is Billy Joel's voice that Andy recognizes first before he can correctly identify the song as being "Just The Way You Are."
Don't go changing to try and please me
You never let me down before
Don't imagine you're too familiar
And I don't see you anymore
"I've always had a fondness for this song too," Andy confesses to a very happy and beaming Haley. "My dad was a big Billy Joel fan. He got to see him perform in New York once. Fourth row, center seats! Best concert of his life, he said."
"Wow! Lucky him!" Haley exclaims genuinely impressed before adding, "It was my dad too who hooked me on Billy Joel's music. He used to play his albums around the house all the time when me and my siblings were little. He even got us to do a whole choreographed routine with him to the song "The Longest Time."
"Man, I'd seriously love to see that someday!" Andy laughs kindly.
Haley chuckles and adds, "So, I guess you could say Billy Joel's music just sort of stuck with me."
Andy smiles at Haley's response before replying, "Yeah, I know what you mean. The kind of emotional affect his music can invoke, it can really stay with you."
"Okay!" Haley shouts as she claps her hands together, cutting off any sort of intellectual discussion that could have developed on the topic. "Less talking and more singing I say!" Haley teasingly commands with a radiant smile etched on her face. Andy laughs at Haley's enthusiasm before he joyfully starts to belt the song out at the top of his lungs. Haley quickly and gladly joins him and together they sing the rest of the song without missing a lyric as they continue to make their way down the highway in Andy's car, heading ever closer towards Haley's home.
I would not leave you in times of trouble
We never could have come this far
I took the good times, I'll take the bad times
I'll take you just the way you are
March 2016
It's 9'oclock in the morning and Haley and Andy are sitting across from each other at a table in a diner called Elwood Grill waiting for their food to arrive. They've just gotten back from a spontaneous one night trip to Vegas. And, although they haven't slept at all, they're feeling pretty high on adrenaline right now due to Andy's surprising luck with gambling that won him a ton of money at the roulette table.
"I'm still shocked I made it out of there with more money than when I came in," Andy says to Haley, shaking his head in disbelief at his unexpected fortune.
"I know! You had me worried there for a moment. I thought you were going to lose it all," Haley confesses, relieved that scenario didn't happen.
"Yep, but luckily for you, I didn't. So, now you get to enjoy the perks of being the girlfriend to a very rich man," Andy teases with a silly grin growing on his face.
"Yeah, you're my sugar daddy! Since, as you know, the only reason I'm still dating you is for your money," Haley jokes, pretending to be serious.
"Is that right? Because, hmm…I seem to remember someone saying earlier something about how she loves normal Andy," Andy says flirtatiously.
"I don't recall saying such a thing. Must have been somebody else," Haley responds, playing dumb, while shaking her head and lifting her shoulders up and then down, still keeping the playful teasing and flirtation going.
"Well, that's too bad," Andy replies, acting disappointed. He then looks deeper into Haley's eyes and adds in a sincere tone, "Because, if it was you, I was going to say I love normal Haley."
At Andy's declaration of love, Haley feels her pulse speed up and her face flush; she's pretty sure she's visibly blushing. She feels like there's a million butterflies fluttering around in her stomach right now. She smiles lovingly at Andy for a brief moment before she taps her finger to her temple and replies, "You know now that I think about it, it might have been me after all."
Andy laughs and says with an even larger grin on his face now, "Yeah, I thought so." He reaches over the tabletop to take one of Haley's hands in his; they intertwine their fingers together. They sit in comfortable silence together for a few seconds, just gazing into each other's eyes before Haley points up to the speaker on the ceiling above their table with her free hand.
"Do you hear what song is playing right now?!" Haley asks excitedly, grinning from ear to ear.
Andy concentrates for a couple of seconds trying to make out the song softly playing from the speaker above his head. Finally, he begins to hear the song Haley is talking about.
Don't go trying some new fashion
Don't change the color of your hair
You always have my unspoken passion
Although I might not seem to care
""Just The Way You Are" by Billy Joel," Andy replies simply with a knowing smile on his face.
"Do you remember our duet to this song in your car last year?" Haley asks, smiling at the fond memory.
"How could I forget," Andy laughs, remembering the moment as well. "You were so cute that night in my passenger's seat singing at the top of your lungs."
Haley smiles at Andy's compliment before adding excitedly, "Andy, I think we just found our song! You know our couple song!"
"You're right! This is our song, isn't it?! We practically both said tonight that we love each other just the way we are, didn't we?! Andy excitedly agrees.
"Yeah, pretty much! This is literally our song!" Haley exclaims with a huge beaming smile on her face. Andy chuckles at her contagious enthusiasm and leans over the tabletop to give her a sweet kiss. Their kiss turns out to be a little more passionate than either one of them intended it to be; they just got swept up in the moment and forgot they were in a public place for a minute. When they finally come up for air, Haley teasingly says, "You know Billy Joel has been playing concerts at Madison Square Garden in New York for quite a while now; maybe my rich boyfriend could score us two tickets to one of his shows sometime?"
"Yeah, that's one of the many perks to having a rich boyfriend; free concert tickets!" Andy jokes, which earns a laugh from Haley.
Before either one of them can tease each other anymore on the subject, the older waitress whose name tag reads Kelly appears at their table carrying a tray with their food on it. She places their plates in front of them and they thank her as she walks away. Instead of digging into their food right away, they continue to gaze and smile at one another from across the table while still holding hands as their newly declared "couple song" plays quietly from the speaker above their heads.
I don't want clever conversation
I never want to work that hard
I just want someone that I can talk to
I want you just the way you are.
June 2018
It's a little after 7 P.M. on a beautiful Saturday night in June and a newly married Andy and Haley are among family and friends who are celebrating their marriage at their wedding reception. The two deeply-in-love newlyweds are sitting side-by-side at the head table with their wedding party, just having finished eating, when someone announces that it's now time for their first dance as husband and wife. Andy and Haley share a loving smile that reaches their eyes before they take each other's hands and walk onto the dance floor, very aware that every person in the room is now staring at them.
"I hope I don't step on your feet, especially with everyone watching us," Andy whispers to Haley nervously.
"Try not to worry about it. Just pretend we're the only two people in the room," Haley quietly reassures him as she laces her arms around his neck while Andy places his hands on both sides of her waist. The song accompanying their first dance as husband and wife begins to play and they begin to sway back and forth to the music.
""Just The Way You Are" by Billy Joel," Haley whispers softly in Andy's ear, recognizing their song at once.
"Of course. It's our couple song!" Andy whispers back to Haley with a smile that lights up his whole face. "Just think of how awesome it will be when we get to see Billy Joel in New York for our honeymoon!" Andy says excitedly.
"Definitely pretty awesome! I just hope he performs our song at the concert though. I'll be kind of bummed if he doesn't," Haley truthfully admits.
"Me too," Andy agrees. He then lightly, but lovingly kisses Haley's cheek before he starts to softly sing along to their song, whispering the lyrics in Haley's ear. Haley lets out a small giggle before she too starts to softly and joyfully sing along to their beloved song.
I need to know that you will always be
The same old someone that I knew
What will it take 'till you believe in me
The way that I believe in you.
As the song nears its end, Andy softly whispers in Haley's ear, the air of his warm breath blowing a single loose strand of her hair across her ear making it slightly tickle, "I love you, Haley. I'm so happy it's you I get to spend forever with."
Haley lifts her head up from resting on her husband's shoulder and looks him straight in the eye. The look she gives him conveys so much love and tenderness that she doesn't even have to say a word and Andy understands what it all means. Andy and Haley smile at each other for a brief moment, both have tears of joy in their eyes now. Haley caresses Andy's cheek with her right hand and sincerely replies, "Me too. I love you so much, Andy. And, I always will."
They beam at each other then, both happy and content with where their lives have ended up and that their journey together has led them to this very moment. They share a tender kiss as they gently sway their bodies from side to side, peaceful in the knowledge that they now have a lifetime of memories like this one that they'll get to make and share together forever.
The wedding reception guests continue to watch the newlyweds on the dance floor, but Andy and Haley no longer seem to care as they are now in their own little world as the last few notes of their forever special song plays on.
I said I love you and that's forever
And this I promise from my heart
I couldn't love you any better
I love you just the way you are.