Modern Family: More than Family Chapter 61 61: New House

"Brunch," Haley declared.

Claire looked up from her coffee imdiately.

"You say that like it's a crisis."

"It is a crisis. I'm hungry."

"That's not new."

Haley ignored her mother completely and turned toward Gael instead.

"There's that café near Ventura with the good pancakes."

"The place where you bullied a waiter into adding extra strawberries?"

"I used charm."

"You used threats."

"Tomato, tomahto."

Luke looked between them while chewing cereal loudly.

"I support pancakes."

"You support anything involving sugar," Alex muttered.

Phil wandered into the kitchen at that exact mont carrying a tablet and entirely too much energy for a rainy morning.

"Speaking of exciting developnts—"

Claire sighed instantly.

Phil ignored her and tapped dramatically at the screen.

"The house next door is for sale."

Silence.

Then Luke sat upright imdiately.

"No way."

Haley blinked once.

"Wait, seriously?"

Phil spun the tablet around toward the table proudly.

A real estate listing filled the screen:

large backyard,

pool,

modern renovation,

walking distance from the Dunphy house.

Interesting coincidence.

Jay's voice echoed faintly from the hallway where he'd apparently just walked in with Gloria.

"That place finally sold?"

"Not yet," Phil answered. "Apparently the last buyers backed out."

Gloria leaned over Phil's shoulder curiously while Haley grabbed the tablet next.

"Oh my God, this place is gorgeous."

Claire glanced at the screen without much interest initially.

Then paused slightly.

"Huh."

Alex looked up from her toast.

"That's suspiciously close to enthusiasm."

"It's a nice property."

"Mom wants neighbors she can spy on," Luke announced.

"I can already hear you through walls. I don't need binoculars."

Fair point.

Haley kept scrolling through photos while leaning against Gael's shoulder.

"Wait, the backyard is actually amazing."

Phil looked delighted now that people were participating.

"And the previous owner installed solar panels."

Jay snorted softly.

"Phil, nobody gets excited about solar panels."

"I do."

"That's the problem."

Gael took the tablet briefly while the family kept talking over each other around him.

Honestly?

The property was good.

Good location.

Good long-term investnt.

Probably undervalued because of how long it'd been sitting unsold.

Then Haley looked up suddenly.

"You should buy it."

The room went quiet for exactly one second.

Then everybody laughed.

Everybody except Gael.

Claire noticed first.

Her smile faded slightly as she looked toward him again.

"…Wait."

Phil blinked once.

"Oh my God."

Haley straightened imdiately.

"You're thinking about it."

Gael leaned back slightly in the chair, still looking at the listing.

"It's actually not a bad investnt."

Luke looked horrified and excited simultaneously.

"NO WAY."

Alex stared at him now too.

"You're serious?"

"Maybe."

The reaction around the table shifted instantly.

Phil looked like Christmas arrived early.

Luke started asking if he could have pool access.

Haley looked seconds away from climbing into his lap from excitent alone.

But Claire stayed quieter.

Watching him carefully now.

Not uncomfortable.

Just… recalculating.

Gloria noticed that imdiately from beside Jay and hid a smile behind her coffee cup.

"You moving next door would be dangerous," she said lightly.

"That sounds threatening," Gael replied.

"It sounds realistic," Alex muttered.

Haley grabbed his arm instantly.

"Oh my God, do it."

"That feels biased."

"I'm completely biased."

Phil pointed dramatically.

"Think about it! Barbecues! Shared Wi-Fi ergencies! Casual neighborhood bonding!"

Claire finally laughed softly and shook her head.

"You are way too excited about this."

"Claire," Phil said seriously, "our daughter's rich boyfriend potentially buying the house next door is objectively fascinating."

But her eyes drifted briefly back toward the listing in Gael's hands.

And this ti—

she didn't look entirely against the idea.