By the ti the barbecue finally started winding down, the sky had turned deep orange over the backyard.
Music still played softly near the patio while empty plates and half-finished drinks covered most outdoor surfaces.
Phil and Cam had sohow started debating whether action movies counted as "modern mythology."
Mitchell looked exhausted already.
"You encouraged him," Mitchell told Phil.
"I inspire passion," Cam corrected.
"You inspire headaches."
Nearby, Luke cannonballed into the pool for absolutely no reason.
Jay didn't even react anymore.
"Eventually," Jay said while sipping his beer, "you stop hearing the splashes."
"That's deeply concerning parenting," Claire replied.
"It's survival."
Gael sat near the edge of the patio beside Haley, one arm resting behind her chair while she absentmindedly stole fries from his plate.
Again.
"You ordered your own," he reminded her.
"Ours tastes better."
"That's not how ownership works."
Haley grinned without remorse.
The atmosphere had shifted into sothing calr now.
The louder energy from earlier faded into smaller conversations and lazy evening comfort.
And sowhere during the last few hours, Gael stopped feeling like "Haley's boyfriend visiting the family."
Not fully part of things.
But no longer separate either.
"You know," Jay said suddenly from across the patio, "you're less annoying than I expected."
Haley gasped dramatically.
"Oh, my God. He likes you."
"That's not what I said."
"It's exactly what you said," Claire corrected imdiately.
Jay grumbled into his drink while Phil looked genuinely emotional.
"This is beautiful," Phil whispered.
"It's one sentence," Mitchell said flatly.
Gael laughed quietly.
Honestly, getting approval from Jay felt oddly satisfying.
Probably because Jay didn't hand it out easily.
"You work out?" Jay asked suddenly.
Haley groaned imdiately.
"There it is."
"What?"
"You're entering old-man bonding mode."
Jay ignored her completely.
Gael smirked faintly.
"Sotis."
"Good." Jay nodded once. "Too many rich kids look like decorative furniture."
That nearly made Gael choke on his drink.
Claire physically covered her face, laughing.
"You cannot say things like that to people."
"I just did."
"You absolutely did," Mitchell muttered.
The conversation drifted naturally afterward.
Sports.
Cars.
Terrible investnt advice from Phil.
Manny trying to recomnd poetry to people who clearly didn't want poetry.
And through all of it, Gael kept catching himself relaxing more than he intended.
Not carefully managing reactions.
Not calculating responses.
Just existing.
That was newer than he wanted to admit.
"You're quiet," Haley murmured beside him.
"I'm listening."
"That's your favorite excuse."
Gael glanced toward her.
"You say that like it's fake."
Haley looked at him for a second before smiling slightly.
"No." She leaned lightly into his side. "That's the annoying part."
Warm patio lights reflected softly across her face while evening wind moved through her dark hair.
He really was getting attached too fast.
Across the yard, Claire noticed the look on Haley's face when she glanced at Gael.
Soft.
Uncomplicated.
Happy.
It affected Claire more than expected.
Because for the first ti in years, Haley's relationship didn't feel temporary.
That realization carried equal parts comfort and fear.
"You're thinking again," Gloria said beside her quietly.
Claire sighed.
"Do I really make expressions now?"
"Yes."
"That's upsetting."
Gloria smiled into her wine glass.
"You like him for Haley."
Claire frowned imdiately but affird.
"Mhm."
Claire looked across the patio again.
Gael was listening to one of Phil's increasingly ridiculous stories with genuine attention while Haley rested comfortably against his shoulder.
Easy.
Everything with him seed easy.
And honestly, Claire didn't realize how much tension she normally carried around Haley's dating life until now.
This felt calr.
Safer.
anwhile, Phil suddenly clapped loudly near the grill.
"Okay! Important question."
Everybody looked up cautiously.
"If the zombie apocalypse happens tomorrow, which family mber survives longest?"
"," Alex answered instantly.
"No," Jay said. "You'd stop to correct the zombies scientifically."
Cam pointed dramatically toward Gloria.
"She survives because nobody would emotionally recover from killing her."
"Correct," Gloria agreed proudly.
Luke pointed toward Gael.
"Him."
"Why ?" Gael asked.
Luke shrugged.
"You already act like you know things before they happen."
Haley burst out laughing imdiately.
"Oh my God, that's actually true."
Gael nearly choked.
"Wait," Haley continued while pointing at him, "you totally do that sotis."
"I absolutely do not."
"You predicted Dad would burn the burgers before he even touched the grill."
Phil looked offended.
"In fairness, I was experinting."
"With fire," Mitchell muttered.
Gael rubbed a hand over his face while Haley kept laughing beside him.
The dangerous thing about spending this much ti around people—
eventually they started noticing patterns.
And Gael had spent months occasionally slipping without realizing it:
predicting trends,
finishing references early,
reacting before things happened.
Nothing obvious.
But enough that observant people like Claire and Alex occasionally tilted their heads at him strangely afterward.
Sothing to be careful about from now on.
"You know what?" Phil announced proudly while standing. "This officially counts as successful family bonding."
"Nothing exploded," Jay admitted. "That helps."
Haley stood slowly beside Gael, stretching.
"We should probably head out before Dad starts another apocalypse discussion."
"Cowards," Phil accused.
Gael grabbed the car keys from the patio table while Haley slipped naturally beside him again.
By now, it happened automatically.
As they walked toward the gate, Claire called after them.
"Drive safe."
Haley smiled.
"We will."
Then, after the briefest hesitation, Claire's eyes shifted toward Gael specifically.
"Good seeing you again."
Simple sentence, yet it ant more than that.
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