The entertainnt unit survived approximately two hours before Phil decided it needed "better cable organization."
Which was how Gael found himself back at the house on Tuesday evening watching Phil crouch behind the television with the confidence of a man monts away from creating an electrical incident.
"You know," Claire said while walking into the living room carrying folded laundry, "most people would've returned the favor once and escaped."
Gael sat on the floor beside the coffee table helping untangle wires.
"I tried."
"And yet you ca back."
"That's because your husband sounds genuinely heartbroken whenever people refuse to help him."
From behind the TV, Phil pointed triumphantly.
"See? Emotional intelligence."
"Or manipulation," Alex muttered from the couch without looking up from her laptop.
Haley imdiately pointed at her sister.
"You only say that because he ignores your manipulation."
Alex finally looked up.
"I do not manipulate people."
"You once convinced Luke to clean your room using fake statistical guilt."
"That was leadership."
Gael laughed quietly while Haley dropped onto the floor beside him and imdiately leaned against his shoulder.
Claire noticed that while folding laundry nearby.
Not the physical affection itself.
The ease of it.
Nothing between them ever looked forced anymore.
At so point over the past months, they'd stopped acting like:
young couple trying to impress each other
and started acting like:
two people genuinely comfortable together.
"You know what's weird?" Phil's muffled voice ca from behind the television.
"That phrase should trigger alarms in this house," Alex answered.
"I think Gael and Haley have entered old married couple territory."
Haley gasped dramatically.
"Oh my God."
Gael looked mildly offended.
"We're eighteen."
"You argued over grocery brands yesterday," Alex replied imdiately.
"That was an economic strategy."
"That was twenty minutes about pasta sauce."
Haley buried her face against his shoulder laughing while Claire visibly tried not to smile.
Unfortunately for her, Phil crawled back out from behind the television at exactly the wrong mont.
"Claire!" he announced proudly. "Back up."
"They're dosticated."
Haley looked deeply pleased by that description.
Gael pointed accusingly toward Phil.
"This is your fault sohow."
"Correct."
Luke wandered through the living room carrying cereal despite it being nearly eight at night.
"Why's everyone yelling?"
"Your sister beca committed to a rich guy," Alex answered.
"That explains the hoodies."
Haley imdiately threw a pillow at him.
Luke dodged easily.
"Worth it."
The room dissolved into overlapping conversation again while Phil resud fighting cables dramatically.
Honestly, Gael had started enjoying evenings like this more than he expected.
"You know what Mom did earlier?" Haley asked suddenly while still leaning against him.
Claire imdiately looked suspicious.
"What did I do?"
"You bought his coffee order without asking."
Silence.
Claire blinked once.
Then frowned slightly.
"…That's not weird."
"You rembered the exact oat milk brand," Haley continued smugly.
"It was in the fridge already."
"That's sohow worse," Alex muttered.
Gael hid a smile behind one hand while Claire pointed toward all three of them defensively.
"This family turns normal behavior into psychological warfare."
"Correct," Luke answered through cereal.
Phil finally stood from behind the television triumphantly.
"I have defeated modern technology."
The television imdiately shut off.
Everyone stared.
Phil looked personally betrayed.
"…Temporary setback."
Haley collapsed laughing against Gael while even Claire gave up trying not to laugh now.
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