The Illegitimate Daughter: A Modern Family Fanfiction
by: cooopercrisp
Chapter 01: The Wedding
"Cam, wanna read off those vows you wrote?" Sal asked, holding her pregnant belly and laughing as though she were drunk. Cam had a huge smile on his face as he took an index card from his jacket pocket.
The wedding had been moved at the last minute into a reception hall after firefighters warned them to evacuate the hilltop where they had originally planned to tie the knot. The hall was just large enough to fit Cam and Mitchell's families and friends. In the front row sat Cam's mother and his sister Pam; Jay, Gloria, and Manny; and Mitchell's brother-in-law Phil, sitting between his two daughters Haley and Alex, with Luke beside Alex.
There hadn't been enough room for the lavish decorations that Pepper Saltzman had arranged for the outside, but flowers still adorned the altar. Claire was standing beside Mitchell, smiling as her fiery-haired brother was finally marrying his long-time partner. Lily had insisted on standing beside Cam and in front of Cam's father Merle. Jay's dog Stella was standing at the altar, too, bearing the rings on a cushion wrapped around her body.
"I spent the week before the wedding trying to write the perfect vows," Cam tells me. "Perfect vows for a perfect husband. I talked to my mom about it, and she said as long as it comes from the heart, whatever I have to say will be wonderful. Then Lily said 'You love Daddy. That's all that matters,' and that's when I knew what I wanted to say."
Cam cleared his throat and began reading off his vows.
"Mitchell Vincent Pritchett," he said, "it has been an honor sharing these ten years with you." He choked up. "I can't believe it's even been that long, the time's just flown along so fast. From the day we met at that party, to the day we adopted our beautiful daughter Lily, and to the day we became engaged, those days and all the days in between have been my life's greatest adventure."
Claire reminisced upon the vows she and Phil had renewed only a few years ago. Having eloped against Jay's wishes, they hadn't had a formal ceremony or even a honeymoon. The entire marriage started off in such a hurry because of Claire's pregnancy with Haley. She bit her lip and continued to listen to Cam.
"Yes," Claire explains, "I was a bit uncomfortable listening to Cam read his vows. But if you know what I went through with Phil…let's just say, you'd understand the source of my discomfort."
"Honey!" Phil calls from the front door. "Our reservation's at eight. We're going to be late!"
Claire sighs. "At least I can say I love him. That's more than a lot of wives can say about their husbands. I mean, just look at Mom and Dad. God forbid Phil and I end up like that…" Claire takes out her lipstick and puts it on shakily.
"Honey!" Phil calls.
"Coming!" Claire shouts back. She looks at me and smiles sadly before hustling off.
"From this day forward, 'til death do we part, I promise to remain by your side through all of our little bumps and bruises, to raise Lily together and to attend her graduation, her wedding, the birth of her first child."
"Gross!" Lily cried, and everyone in the room had a hearty laugh. Cam smiled sheepishly and blushed as he continued.
"Most of all," he concluded, "I promise to ever remain faithful to you. I know we've had our share of little crushes while we've been together, but I have never once strayed from you, and I promise that I never will."
"Hearing those words from Cam," Mitchell says, "they sounded so similar to my own vows. So I was just standing there thinking about what I could say to sound original and like I had prepared them far in advance. Kind of hard to do when it's one of the most important days of your life and all your family and friends are watching." He rolls up his sleeves and smiled. "But they were lovely vows, and I'm so blessed."
Mitchell beamed at his husband-to-be to hear those warm, unusually eloquent words. Claire, however, was fighting to hide her discomfort.
She had been sitting on a secret from the moment she had accepted Phil's proposal. She had miraculously lived with the guilt of this secret for two decades, but seeing her brother's wedding and hearing Cam's vows of faith was making her uneasy.
She turned to the crowd with a forced smile and made eye contact with Jay. He caught her eye as well and waved at her. She waved back, and he circled his pointer finger to indicate that she needed to turn back around. Claire nodded briskly and turned to face Mitchell again. Cam took the ring from Stella's back.
"Dad was the only one who knew what I was going through up there," Claire explains. "I knew I had to talk to him as soon as I could, but I had to play the part of best person for my brother's sake. I'm just lucky I didn't pass out or throw up." She smiles sheepishly and wrings her hands.
"With this ring," Cam said, "I thee wed." Mitchell held out his hand, and Cam slipped the ring on Mitchell's finger. Hmm, it's a little big on him, Cam thought, but he shrugged it off.
"Cam, that was so beautiful," Sal said, tears coming to her eyes. "Think you can top that, Mitch?"
"I don't think so, but I'll try to match it at least," Mitchell said. Cam mouthed the words "I love you" to him, and Mitch silently replied "I love you, too."
"Cameron Scott Tucker," Mitchell said, "I didn't bring any notes with me because I knew exactly what I wanted to say to you. That, and I never use notes in the courtroom, so I'm kind of used to it." The crowd chuckled again. Cam smiled and bit his lip in excitement.
"That was a lie," Mitchell says. "I had notes in my jacket pocket, but like I said, I would have sounded like a copycat. But then I remembered a story, and I knew it would be perfect for this moment. Yep," he adds, nodding proudly. "I was pretty good at improvising. Too bad the asses at Cornell couldn't see that when I auditioned for The Whistling Shrimp."
"I didn't know right away that I was in love with you," Mitchell continued. "The moment I realized it was when I had ordered that spaghetti in an Italian restaurant on our one year anniversary. You remember, right? The spaghetti was ice cold, and I wasn't going to say anything, but you insisted on me speaking up. You finally took matters into your own hands and demanded the waiter to reheat my food.
"Well, when I knew how willing you were to stick up for me in that small, seemingly insignificant moment, I was in bliss. I cried the day we adopted Lily, and you know me. I never cry."
The crowd said "aww."
"Yes, it was an emotional day," Mitchell said. "And I can tell I'm rambling now, so I'll make it brief. Yes, I promise to always be there for you and always remain faithful to you, and I'm not just parroting you. I have never been more blessed than when I've been with you, and I would never give that up for the world. Our daughter may not be ours by blood, but we've raised her as if she was our own, and I could never be more proud of her or of you."
Claire resisted the urge to turn and face her father again, but her discomfort was now amplified. She scratched her head nervously. Mitchell turned to her and she beamed at him, but lost the smile when he turned away.
Claire smiles at me nervously and shifts her eyes, but she can't think of anything to say.
Mitchell took the other ring from Stella's back.
"With this ring, I thee wed," Mitchell said. Cam held his hand daintily in front of him, and Mitchell attempted to put the ring on his finger. It wouldn't fit around it, however, and Mitchell grew concerned.
"I know what happened!" Cam said. "We need to swap rings." The crowd laughed as Mitchell took off the ring on his finger and gave it to Cam. It was a perfect fit. Cam put the ring Mitchell had on his finger.
"You guys are so cute together!" Sal said. "Wish my baby daddy and me had what you two have." The crowd laughed uncomfortably.
"Okay, what's next again?" she asked.
"The pronouncement," Cam muttered.
"Oh yeah. Um, by the power vested in me by…someone, and the state of California, you two guys are married now. Now plant a wet one on each other!"
"Yes, it was a bit…unorthodox for Sal to marry us," Mitchell says.
"But we were so touched when she offered, we had to say yes," Cam adds.
"More like we were afraid she was drunk and hormonal and would kill us if we refused."
"You tell your story. I'll tell mine."
Cam leaned forward and took Mitchell by surprise as he locked lips fiercely. They remained standing that way as the crowd cheered. Mitchell, afraid Cam was going to do something indecent, broke the kiss off and smiled at Cam. Cam blushed and laughed as the two of them made their way back down the aisle.
Claire and Merle followed them. Claire took the moment to stare at her father seriously. Jay nodded and mouthed the words "At the reception," and Claire nodded in return. Relieved, she joined back up with Phil as Merle returned to his wife Barb.
"You were so wonderful up there," Phil said as he gave her a soft peck on the lips.
"Claire was so beautiful up there," Phil tells me. "I was reminded of the magical night when I married her… Well, we eloped pretty quickly in our apartment with Mitchell and my father there, but…it was still nice." He looks nervous as he thinks of something to say. "The vow renewal was amazing though. My idea, of course." He seems to have his swagger back.
"Yeah, I guess I was pretty good," Claire said abashedly.
"You were great, Mom," Alex said, beaming.
"You looked beautiful," Haley said. Claire smiled nervously, suddenly finding it hard to look at her oldest daughter.
"It was okay, I guess," Luke jibed. Alex punched him in the arm.
"Don't lie, you enjoyed it!" she hissed. Luke punched her in the arm harder.
"Don't start fighting now," Claire said. "Try not to kill each other at the reception. And no, Haley, you're not allowed to have any alcohol."
"But I'm legal in five months!" Haley whined.
"I don't want to hear it," Claire said.
"Mom is such a control freak," Haley complains. "I mean, I know my limits. I can handle my liquor. Plus, the bartender owed me a favor, so it's not like he would have said no…"
"He owes you a favor?" we ask.
"Well…I might have promised to take him to the coatroom and get a little 'hands-on…'" Haley bites her lip. "Hey, come on now. It was a wedding…" She looks nervously at me. "Get it? A wedding. Oh, never mind." She storms off in a huff.
"Relax," Phil said, wrapping an arm around his wife's shoulder as the five of them followed the crowd out. "The kids are going to be fine. And it's not like Haley hasn't had her fair share of booze in the past."
"Dad, quit it. You're embarrassing me," Haley moaned. Phil smiled and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Haley flailed her arms in protest, but then felt guilty and kissed Phil back. Claire gulped nervously but said nothing.
"Um…where is the reception?" she asked. "It was going to be outside."
"I think it's just outside the room," Phil said. "I saw Pepper setting up the hors d'oeuvres in the lobby."
"That's going be a little tight," Claire said nervously. How am I going to talk to my dad without Phil overhearing?
"I'm sure it'll be fine," Phil said. They made it outside the hall and into the lobby, where everyone was already waiting in line for the food and especially the alcohol.
"Why don't you get us some food, honey?" Claire said. "I'm going to find Mitchell and congratulate him." She said this because she saw Mitchell going over to Jay looking rather awkward. "Besides, he's going over to Dad. I should be there in case things get a little tense."
"Mitchell and Dad had…let's just say it was a disagreement," Claire tell me. "I wanted to step in so they didn't start a fight at the wedding. And of course, I needed to talk to Dad, so there may have been some ulterior motives…" She looks at the ground, running a hand through her hair.
"Oh, absolutely," Phil said. "Come on, kids. You get to pick out whatever you want to eat."
Yes, take the kids with you, Claire thought. She almost felt like cutting in line at the bar to help her relax, but she reconsidered, deciding she'd rather have a straight head on her shoulders when she talked to her father. She pushed through the crowd and away from her family, struggling to reach Jay just as Mitchell did.
"Hi Dad, Mitchell!" Claire said. "Congratulations, Mitchell. That was so touching."
"Thanks, Claire," Mitchell said. "Dad?"
"I was an ass," Jay explained. "That was the loveliest wedding I've ever been to, including my wedding to Gloria. I hope you can forgive me."
"It's fine, Dad. Water under the bridge," Mitchell said.
"I was giving the toast," Jay tells me. "I worked it out with Cam's family. It was going to be a surprise to Mitchell and an apology. And boy, did I have a good one. I just needed to make sure he wasn't still mad at me."
"That's good to hear, Mitchell," Jay said. "So we're good?"
Mitchell pondered this for a moment but smiled. "Oh, Dad. I can't stay mad at you."
"That's my boy," Jay said, giving Mitchell a hug. "Now, Claire, you were giving me the stink eye up there," he said, changing the spotlight a little too loudly for Claire's liking. "You feeling all right?"
"Claire, is something wrong?" Mitchell asked.
"Oh, God. Mitchell, I don't want to make this about me," Claire said. "I just wanted to run something by Dad real quick."
"Okay, that's fine," Mitchell said. "I'll go find the guys from work. Cam's with his family right now and I don't want to feel like the odd one out."
"Cam's family loves you," Claire said affectionately, "just as much as we love Cam. Right, Dad?"
"Of course," Jay said, but as Mitchell hugged his father and sister and walked away, Jay rocked his hand back and forth.
"Dad, try to behave," Claire said under her breath.
"I'm kidding!" Jay exclaimed. "Now, what's up with you? You looked like you were going to pass out when they were reading their vows."
"You know," Claire said uneasily. "It reminded me of Phil and me and when we decided to get married."
"You mean elope," Jay said. "And I think I know what you're talking about now." He leaned closer to Claire and whispered in her ear. "I never told a soul about it, not even your mother or Gloria. I know how tough it was to make that choice, and as uncomfortable as I sometimes am around Phil, I know how much you love him, and I wouldn't want it to fall apart, not after all this time."
"I get it, Dad," Claire said and then huffed. "I just felt so guilty up there, listening to them talking about being faithful. It kept reminding me of the whole thing and I was starting to feel a little nauseous."
"I understand, Claire Bear," Jay said, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"Oh, Dad," Claire said. "You haven't called me 'Claire Bear' since I was a little girl."
"It seemed fitting," Jay said. "Hey, if you ever feel uncomfortable about the whole thing, I'm just a phone call away. I told you then, and I'm telling you now, you don't have to go through this alone."
"Thanks, Dad," Claire said, putting her hand on top of her father's and smiling.
"Hearing Dad be that supportive was a load off my mind," Claire says, "but it didn't last very long, because Mitchell came back. Then…things got a bit heated."
"I knew something was up with Claire," Mitchell says, "but I wasn't going to get involved if I could help it. It sounded pretty serious, and I didn't know what to expect when I went back over there."
"Oh, you two," Mitchell said, suddenly appearing out of nowhere. Claire stepped back from Jay and Jay removed his hand from his daughter's shoulder.
"Oh, geez," Mitchell said, "don't pretend you're not being affectionate for my sake." He took a look at Claire, who was staring at the floor and rubbing her neck. "You feeling okay, Claire? You're white as a ghost."
"I'm fine, Mitchell," Claire said, staring at Jay and pleading for help with her eyes.
"Did the guys at work give you a hard time?" Jay asked Mitchell.
"They were very congratulatory, actually," Mitchell said. "Then they talked about us bringing toys to the honeymoon."
"Ah, geez," Jay said with a smile. "I got some of that from the guys at the club."
"Typical male lawyers," Mitchell said. "I swear they got themselves drunk as soon as they left the ceremony." Mitchell looked at his sister again. "Claire, are you sure you're all right?"
"Yes," Claire said with a look of desperation in her eyes. "No," she confessed. "Mitchell, it's hard for me to see you and Cam so happy when the 'ceremony' Phil and I had was so…rushed."
"I remember being your witness," Mitchell said. "You almost looked desperate to get hitched. I thought that was just because you were madly in love with him, but you're telling me otherwise now and I'm not sure what to think."
"The truth is," Claire said, "something happened that made us rush into things, and it wasn't comfortable for either of us, especially not me."
"Well, yeah," Mitchell said. "You were pregnant with Haley. I'm sure that must have been hard."
"Claire, are you sure you want to tell him about this?" Jay asked. Mitchell now looked distraught.
"Tell me about what?" he asked. "Claire, did something else happen that I don't know about?"
"Um…well, yes," Claire said sheepishly, biting her lip. "I…I screwed up, Mitchell, and it wasn't a good way for things to start between Phil and me."
"Well what happened?" Mitchell asked.
"Claire?" Jay added. Claire looked at him and his face was like stone. She turned to Mitchell and saw the look of worry that reminded her so much of their mother.
"This was getting ugly real fast," Jay says. "I knew Claire was going to tell Mitchell what happened. Twenty years is too long to keep something like that secret from your brother. I just hoped Mitchell wouldn't overreact."
"Okay," Claire said. "Do you remember Professor Cooke?"
"That sleaze?" Mitchell asked. "Yeah, that jerk was all over you like a cheap suit. I thought you were done with him after you graduated."
"Well…not exactly," Claire said. Mitchell glanced around nervously to make sure no one else from the immediate family was around.
"What are you talking about?" he hissed. "You mean you were still seeing him after you left school?"
"Yeah, for a little while," Claire said coyly.
"How long's a little while, Claire?" Jay prompted her.
"Well, I finally broke things off with him in March of '93," Claire said.
"March…" Mitchell mouthed to himself. "But you met Phil right after you graduated, and that was in May."
"Well, to be fair, I didn't start dating him until August," Claire said.
"That's still an overlap of eight months, Claire!" Mitchell hissed.
"Oh, don't act so high and mighty about it," Claire growled. "You don't know how pushy he was."
"I think we're getting sidetracked," Jay said, putting a hand on his children's shoulders. "Claire, why don't you just say what you need to? Rip it off like a Band Aid."
"Okay, fine," Claire whined. "The thing is, Mitchell, James and I were sleeping together, and we didn't stop until we broke up, and then nine months later Haley was born. Figure that one out."
"Claire…oh my God, Claire!" Mitchell said, barely able to contain his voice. "Are you saying Professor Cooke might be Haley's—?"
"I think we're all caught up now," Jay interjected. "Yes, Mitchell. The professor might be Haley's father. Claire realized this about three months in after hesitating to accept Phil's proposals, and when she figured out she might lose him she finally said yes."
"Remember when I said I was afraid Mitchell would react badly?" Jay asks me solemnly. "Let's just say I was right."
"Jesus, Claire!" Mitchell shouted.
"Will you be quiet?" Claire asked. "This is why I didn't tell anyone but Dad. I knew you'd freak out about this."
"Well, do you blame me?" Mitchell asked. "Your whole," he looked around and lowered his voice, "your whole marriage is based on a lie. What is a brother supposed to think?"
"Hey, Mitchell," Jay said, "what do you think a father's supposed to think? I took it worse than you did. It's a wonder Dede didn't find out. But Claire loves Phil, and no matter how it started, they've been happy together for over twenty years. Do you expect her to throw all that away?"
"You divorced Mom," Mitchell reminded Jay.
"I was never happy with her," Jay said. Mitchell looked taken aback. "Sorry to offend your sensibilities, but Mommy and I didn't get along. I worked long hours and drank too much. She was lonely and sleeping with other guys."
"Dad!" Mitchell hissed.
"No, it's about time you knew the truth about your parents."
"Maybe it's time for Haley to learn the truth about hers."
"Mitchell!" Claire whispered. "If you tell anyone else about any of this, I will throttle you! You can't breathe a word to anyone, not even Cam. Understand?"
Mitchell looked ready to wring Claire's neck, but he sighed and his expression calmed.
"Fine," he said, "but only because it's really none of my business. It's between you and Phil, and I'm not going to destroy your marriage while trying to start my own."
"Oh, Mitchell!" came a singsong voice that could only be from one person. Cam worked his way to his husband, holding a glass of wine in one hand and grabbing Mitchell by the arm with the other.
"My family's just dying to see you," he said, then took a look at the three distraught Pritchetts. "Everything okay here?"
"We're fine, Cam," Jay said. "Go be with your husband."
"Will do!" Cam cheered. Mitchell looked sadly at Claire as Cam dragged him away. Claire and Jay gave each other a look and then turned away.
"There you are, honey!" Phil called. "I got you the food. Look, the kids are here, too. Oh, hi, Jay!"
"How's it going?" Jay asked curtly. Phil smiled, oblivious to the solemn expressions on the faces of his wife and his father-in-law.
"Alex, honey, you're eating like a bird," Claire said. "Look at how much Luke has on his plate, and you have so little."
"Mom, she's on some kind of crusade," Haley complained.
"It is not a crusade!" Alex whined. "I am becoming a vegan. I need to watch my weight. I look hideous in this dress!"
"Alex, you're beautiful," Claire said, pinching her cheek.
"Mom, stop," Alex said with a huff.
"Oh, give me a break," Haley said. "You're only doing this so you can impress Corey Williams."
"That's not true!" Alex yelled, but her quickly growing blush said more than her protesting ever could.
"Who's Corey?" Claire asked.
"Just a boy from school," Alex muttered.
"He's great, Claire," Phil said. "I've seen him around. Great guy. Alex really likes him."
"Do not," Alex moaned, but her blush got even worse, if that was possible.
"Gross," Luke grumbled.
"You're one to talk, Mr. 'I'm in love with Betty Davidson,'" Alex teased.
"You promised not to say anything!" Luke growled.
"Oh? And who's Betty?" Claire asked.
"Just some girl," Luke muttered.
"Betty is the captain of the cheerleaders," Alex said. "She's a senior."
"Lay off, Alex!" Luke whined.
"You know if she sleeps with you, it's considered statutory rape according to the state of California."
"Alex, don't tease your brother," Claire scolded. "I think it's cute Luke likes a girl. Is she pretty?"
"She looks like you, Mom," Alex said snidely.
"She does not!" Luke groaned with a grimace.
"She has blonde hair and hazel eyes, just like Mom," Alex teased.
"Oh my God, Alex, you're such a creep."
"You're the creep, Mama's Boy."
"That's enough," Claire said, taking a bite of the cheese and crackers Phil had gotten her. She grimaced and looked haughtily at Phil.
"You know I don't like Brie," she complained.
"Really? I thought that was white cheddar," Phil muttered.
"It's fine, Phil. I'll make Alex eat it. She loves Brie."
"Mom, weren't you listening?" Alex asked. "I'm a vegan now! I can't consume any dairy products!"
"Oh, just eat the damn cheese," Haley snapped.
"I can't!" Alex stared at the creamy white block of cheese on the buttery cracker and snatched it with a grimace. She took a bite and melted as the cheese melted in her mouth.
"There we go," Haley said.
"Damn it, Haley. This isn't good for my diet!"
"Well, that didn't last long," Alex says, reflecting on the wedding.
"She's a sucker for cheese," Haley adds, messing up Alex's hair.
"I still have a weight problem," Alex tells Haley.
"Better than the anorexia I had," Haley quips.
"What?"
"Kidding! Kidding," Haley says. "Geez, you're so uptight."
"Don't joke about that!" Alex complains. "I know a girl who's bulimic. It's not funny."
I clear my throat to remind the feuding girls I'm still in the room.
"Oh, um…" Alex says. "Yeah. Don't tell Jenny I said she was bulimic."
"He didn't know it was Jenny," Haley whispers harshly.
"Oh my God," Alex says, covering her mouth. "Don't tell Jenny I told you it was Jenny who was bulimic."
"Alex, you look fine. If Corey doesn't think you're pretty enough to date, it's his loss."
"Haley's right," Claire said. "You'd make quite the catch. Smart, funny, full of pep. Just make sure you marry a boy going to medical school."
"Corey wants to be an engineer," Alex explained.
"Good enough for me!" Claire cheered.
"Are you sure, Claire?" Phil asked. "I'd prefer she marry a realtor."
"Oh, Dad…" Alex said sweetly. The family started laughing. They suddenly heard a clinking noise from the front of the lobby. The Dunphys looked over to see Jay holding up a glass and tapping it with a spoon. Gloria was by his side, smiling as though she was modeling a new car at a game show.
"I want to propose a toast," Jay said when he was given a microphone. "Mitchell, Cam, I may have been a little rough on you at first. We've had our ups and downs over the years, but I've never been more proud of my son than I am right now. My first marriage didn't work out, boys. Don't make the same mistake I did. Mitchell, make sure you find the time to give Cam and Lily all your love. Cam, I hope you're always there for my son, even when he's being neurotic or a little snobby."
Mitchell rolled his eyes, but Cam put his arm around him and Mitchell smiled.
"Look, I won't drag this out longer than it has to be," Jay said. "I'm sure your arms are getting tired. I just want to take this moment to tell my son I'm sorry, and that I wish him all the best. To Cam and Mitchell!"
"Hear, hear!" the crowd cried, and everyone took a drink.
"That meant so much to me," Mitchell admits, "to hear my dad give a toast. Yes, it was short, but that's just Dad being Dad. It came from the heart and it showed me that he really was sorry and he wished Cam and me all the best."
"I think my dad was a little disappointed he couldn't give the toast," Cam adds, "but after he heard it, he told me he couldn't have said it better himself. It was then I knew that Jay was going to be a wonderful father-in-law."
"I was so proud of Jay!" Gloria tells me, sitting with Jay and patting him on the chest. "He was so eloquent, and his toast was full of amor."
"Well," Jay adds, "it was okay."
"Okay?" Gloria asks him. "It was beautiful! You saw how happy your son was when he was listening to it. And Cam loved it, too."
"What can I say?" Jay says with a sheepish grin. "Most of the time I strike out. Sometimes I hit a grand slam."
"Dad, thank you so much!" Mitchell said, hugging his father. "I had no idea you were giving the toast!"
"I knew," Cam said. "We worked it out with my family."
"Yeah," Jay affirmed. "I felt pretty bad about the fight we got in just before the wedding, and I knew I had to do something to make it up to you. It was actually Cam's idea."
"No, it wasn't," Cam said. "He's just being modest. The idea was all his."
"Actually," Manny explains to me, "it was mine." He rolls his eyes. "What would Jay do without me?"
"Oh, Manny, it's so good of you to let him take the credit for your idea," Gloria tells him, messing up his hair and giving him a kiss on the cheek.
"What can I say?" Manny says with a smile. "I'm a humble man. The hero doesn't ask for recognition, he just does for his fellow man and is gone without a trace."
"Well, thanks again, Dad," Mitchell said. "I'll remember this during the honeymoon."
"Well…" Jay said, looking squeamish. "Make sure you're not thinking about me too much when you're…ahem."
Cam started giggling like a schoolgirl. Mitchell blushed, and Jay patted him on the back.
"I was so glad for Mitchell," Claire explains to me. "Really. It was a beautiful wedding, and it's going to be a lovely marriage. I just don't know what's going to happen to mine."
"You have to tell him," Mitchell said after finding Claire and pulling her aside.
"Mitchell," Claire whined, but then she sighed. "You're right, you're right, damn you. It's going to break his heart, though."
"It has to be done," Mitchell said. "I lied all my life to you and the rest of my family about being gay. It was so hard for me to keep it a secret. Ever since I was eight, I knew, and the guilt and shame when I realized it tortured me for ten years. You've been living with it for twice as long, and it's time to let it go, no matter the consequences."
"I knew he was right, of course," Claire says, "but how am I going to bring this up to Phil? 'Honey, you know I love you, but you know our first child, the reason we got married in the first place? She might not be yours!'" Claire laughs nervously and then gazes down sadly. "What am I going to do? Can you help me?"
"I'm just here to observe," I tell her.
"Of course," Claire says. "Well, I guess we'll have to wait and see. I just hope it doesn't break his heart…"
End of Chapter 01
Author's Note: Fixed a few errors at 6:30 PM EDT on May 20, 2014 and again on Aug 1, 2015