Meanwhile, Michael and Emma arrived at IBIZA for their double date with Claire and Phil. "Here we are. I hope you're right, I hope this goes well and Claire doesn't talk all about herself or berate Phil and make a scene." Emma said. "Don't worry. It's been over 10 years since you've seen each other. She might just be happy to see her best friend again." Michael said. "I hope so." Emma replied.
The two got out of the car and walked up to the front desk. "Hi, we're here for our table for four reservation." Michael told the employee. "Okay, and what our your names?" He asked. "Michael and Emma Masterson-Garcia. We have a reservation with Phil and Claire Dunphy." Michael said. "Let me show you two to your table." the employee said, walking the two to their table. Moments later, the employee showed Claire and Phil to the table.
Claire was an attractive woman, average height with a skinny build. She had blonde hair that came down a tad bit past her shoulders and brown eyes. She wore a dark blue sleeveless dress that had straps and came down a little below her knees. And Phil was tall and handsome with short black hair, hazel eyes, thick pointed eyebrows and pale skin. He looked like he could play a vampire in a movie. He had on a black suit with a bright blue dress shirt and no tie.
"Emma, it's so good to see you! It's been a long time!" Claire said with a smile, walking over to Emma then proceeding to hug her. "Too long." Emma replied, also smiling. Phil then hugged Emma. "So glad we could finally do this! Last time we saw you, Jenny and Courtney came up to my knees!" Phil told her. "I was gonna say the same thing about Alex and Haley! And I think Luke was still a newborn. Time flies!" Emma said. "And you must be Michael. I'm Phil, and this is my wife, Claire." Phil introduced himself, extending a hand for Michael to shake. "Pleasure to meet you both." Michael shook both of their hands. "Pleasure's all ours." Claire said.
The four of them sat down at the table. "So how are Courtney and Jenny doing?" Phil asked. "They're doing good. Courtney just moved into the new apartment last week." Emma told him. "Oh, that's right! How's she liking it?" Claire asked. Emma had sensed that Claire was pretending to know what they were talking about but decided to let it slide. "She's liking it really well. She moved just a few minutes away from us. I sure am proud of her and the woman she's become, and Jen for that matter. She's made honor roll again and has a perfect 4.0 grade point average." Emma beamed. "Oh, that's wonderful! And Michael, you have three boys?" Phil asked.
"I sure do. Jonesy is 16, Diego is 14 and Robbie is 10. They love to roughhouse and prank each other. I couldn't be prouder of them though. They're good kids. Jonesy is the star player for his high school's hockey team, they're on a hockey trip right now in Winnipeg. He'll be home in a little over a week though. I'd love for the two of you to meet them." Michael said. "Absolutely! We'd love for you to meet our kids. We could even get them together sometime!" Phil said. "We'd love that! Speaking of which, how are Luke, Alex and Haley?" Emma asked.
"Luke's my little angel. Haley and Alex - gah, I love them, but teenage girls can be a nightmare sometimes!" Claire said. Emma and Michael laughed a bit at that statement in agreement. Teenagers in general, no matter how well behaved or mature, could be a pain sometimes. It was a normal part of their age. "Alex is fine when she's not making fun of Luke and Haley's intelligence. But they bicker constantly! And Haley is so much like I was at that age." Claire lamented. Emma and Michael nodded in understandment, as Emma knew Claire during her teenage years and she'd told Michael all about it.
"Just the other day, I found out that she'd snuck out to go to a party with her loser boyfriend, Dylan." Claire said, her voice dripping with disdain as she said Dylan's name. "Anyway, I'd told her not to go because she failed her math exam. So I trashed her room and made her clean it up!" Claire said, before laughing hysterically. No one laughed with her, and Emma and Michael had their mouths wide open in shock, visibly disgusted. "That seems a little cruel, don't you think?" Emma asked, trying her hardest to keep her cool. "Cruel? Oh please! Emma, sometimes with a teenage daughter, you have to play a little dirty." Claire brushed off Emma's concern.
"But Claire, don't you remember how you felt when your mom did that to you?" Emma asked, trying to reason with Claire. "That was different! My mom is all kinds of crazy and controlling!" Claire said, as if she herself wasn't the same way. "If it makes you feel any better, she didn't clean the whole thing by herself - I helped her." Phil chimed in, trying to ease Emma's concern whilst being a bit clueless as to how that would make Claire feel. "Which directly negated the whole point of the punishment, Phil!" Claire barked.
This was exactly what Emma was worried about. She hated the way Claire talked to Phil and she wanted tonight to go well and for there not to be a scene. Yes, Phil helping Haley undermined the punishment, but said punishment was completely out of line and unacceptable in the first place. Michael was feeling every bit as disgusted with Claire as Emma was but tried to be patient and hoped this was merely a bump in the road. "I think we can all agree that it's not easy being a parent, especially to a teenager. But that doesn't mean that it's not rewarding or worth it. I'm sure for as much as Haley and Alex drive you crazy there's also many things about them you love." Michael said calmly, trying to mediate. "You're right." Claire said in a low voice.
"Plus we were teenagers once, too. We know how hard it is to be that age." Michael said. "Exactly. I'm just glad Jen and Courtney didn't do any of the things we did when we were their age." Emma said. "I hear that. That's why I'm so hard on Haley, because I'm trying to keep her from making the same mistakes that we did. As long as she doesn't know about my past, we're golden." Claire said. "I'm sorry, what? You don't tell your kids about the mistakes you made?" Emma asked. "No, do you?" Claire asked. "I actually do. Well, some of it I had to tell them about when they were older. But I told them that the reason I don't want them getting into trouble is because I don't want them making the same mistakes I did." Emma said.
"But by doing that, they'll think they can get it together like you did, but that doesn't always happen. And besides, at that age, they won't listen. They'll just think you're being a hypocrite. Your girls may listen, but mine don't. That's why I tell them I was the opposite of how I was and that they should live up to that example, because the way I see it, it's better they fall short of the fake you than the real you." Claire explained. "I understand where you're coming from, Claire, but lying to them? Sooner or later they'll find out the truth, and they won't be happy you saved them from messing up their lives, they'll be mad at you for lying to them. They'd probably be a lot more willing to listen to you than you give them credit for, you know." Emma said. "Even if they do find out, I'd rather them be angry than dead or in jail. Trust me, this is for their own good." Claire said.
Soon, the waiter came up and asked them if they were ready to order. "We are. I'll have a sirloin steak, medium rare, with a glass of Coke." Michael said. "I'll have what he's having, but with a Dr. Pepper." Emma said. "I'll have a veggie burger with a side of garlic fries and a Sprite." Claire said. "And I'll have a wedged salad with a Coke." Phil said. Claire clenched her jaw and had a disgruntled expression on her face. Emma, Michael and Phil all noticed it, but Michael and Emma were both confused as to why, but Phil sensed it was because he'd ordered a wedge salad, which had caused a huge fight between them, as Claire recommended he try it for years and he didn't, but tried it when his coworker recommended it. Claire believed he didn't take her advice, when she inserted said advice where it wasn't asked for, and it was the only time he didn't take her advice, in nearly 20 years of being married. He'd thought that by showing her pictures of how much of a dork he used to be before he met her and how taking her advice helped him had resolved the argument, but it didn't seem to. "What? You're not still..." Phil began to ask before Claire cut him off. "No, no, it's fine." Claire lied. "You sure?" Phil asked. "Yeah." Claire lied. Michael and Emma felt anxious and sensed Claire was going to explode at any moment.