The note taped to Haley's door fluttered slightly as she exhaled, her fingers tracing the neat, precise handwriting—so unmistakably Alex. "Truce?" Just one word, but it carried the weight of years of sisterly rivalry, silent competitions, and unspoken affection. Haley peeled it off carefully, as if it might dissolve between her fingers, and tucked it into the pocket of her pajama shorts.
Downstairs, the Dunphy household was already in full swing. Phil stood at the stove, attempting to flip pancakes with the same reckless enthusiasm he applied to real estate—half of them stuck to the ceiling while Luke cheered him on. Claire nursed her coffee like it was the only thing keeping her from committing arson, her eyes tracking Julian as he effortlessly rescued a burning piece of toast from the toaster.
"Morning," Haley mumbled, sliding into a chair beside Alex, who didn't look up from her textbook. The silence between them was fragile, like thin ice over a deep lake.
Julian set a plate of perfectly golden pancakes in front of Haley. "I added chocolate chips," he said quietly.
Alex's pencil stilled. Haley swallowed.
Claire cleared her throat. "So. Family meeting."
Phil paused mid-flip. "We're having a family meeting?"
"Yes, Phil, we're having a family meeting," Claire said, her voice tight. "About the fact that our neighbor seems to be dating both of our daughters."
Luke gasped. "Julian's dating Haley and Alex? That's sick."
Haley's face burned. Alex's jaw clenched. Julian looked like he wanted to melt into the floor.
Claire pinched the bridge of her nose. "This is not sick, Luke. This is—" She gestured vaguely. "Complicated."
Phil, ever the optimist, clapped Julian on the shoulder. "Hey, if anything, this just means we get to keep you around no matter what!"
Julian opened his mouth, then closed it.
Alex finally looked up from her book. "It's not a big deal," she said, her voice carefully neutral. "We're figuring it out."
Haley nodded quickly. "Yeah. It's fine."
Claire stared at them. "Fine? Fine?"
The Pritchett-Tucker Intervention
Mitchell answered the door with Lily balanced on his hip, her tiny fists clutching a half-eaten banana. "Oh, thank God," he said when he saw Julian. "She won't stop singing the theme song to Die Hard."
Julian blinked. "That's… not a song."
"Tell her that," Mitchell groaned, stepping aside to let them in.
The Pritchett-Tucker living room was in its usual state of controlled chaos. Cam was mid-rant about the injustice of Lily's preschool not recognizing "Best Holiday Sweater" as an academic achievement, while Jay nursed a whiskey despite it being barely noon. Gloria took one look at Julian and immediately pulled him into a hug.
"Ay, mi corazón, you look terrible," she said, cupping his face.
Julian opened his mouth to protest, but Jay cut him off. "Kid's got two girlfriends. Of course he looks terrible."
Mitchell choked on his coffee. "What?"
Cam gasped. "Wait—both Dunphy sisters?" He clutched his chest. "Mitchell, why didn't we get a Julian when we were young and hot?"
Mitchell shot him a look. "We are young and hot."
Jay snorted.
Julian, meanwhile, had turned an impressive shade of red.
Gloria patted his cheek. "This is why you need abuela Gloria's advice."
Jay leaned forward. "Here's my advice: Run."
The School Rumor Mill
Haley had forgotten how fast gossip spread at school.
By third period, half the student body seemed convinced she and Alex were in some kind of sibling rivalry love triangle with Julian. Dylan had already tried to "confront" him in the hallway—a confrontation that ended with Julian calmly explaining quantum physics until Dylan wandered off, confused.
Alex, meanwhile, had taken refuge in the library, where she was currently glaring at anyone who dared look at her.
"You okay?" Julian asked, sliding into the chair beside her.
Alex didn't look up. "Peachy."
Julian hesitated. "Haley's hiding in the girls' bathroom."
Alex's grip on her pencil tightened. "I don't care."
A lie. Julian knew it. She knew he knew it.
The silence stretched.
Then Alex exhaled. "This is stupid."
Julian nodded. "Yeah."
Another pause.
Alex finally met his eyes. "I don't want to fight with her."
Julian smiled faintly. "Then don't."
The Midnight Confession (Part Two)
Haley wasn't sure why she ended up on Julian's doorstep again, this time in the middle of a rainstorm.
He opened the door before she could knock.
"You're soaked," he said, pulling her inside.
Haley shivered as he wrapped a blanket around her shoulders. "Alex hates me."
Julian shook his head. "She doesn't."
Haley bit her lip. "I kissed you."
"Yeah," Julian said, his voice soft. "You did."
Haley looked up at him. "Are we making a huge mistake?"
Julian hesitated. Then—
"I don't know."
It was the most honest thing he'd said all week.
The Fight
Alex found them the next morning at their usual table in the cafeteria.
Haley stiffened. Julian braced himself.
But Alex just dropped her tray next to them and sat down.
Haley stared. "What are you doing?"
Alex took a bite of her sandwich. "Eating lunch."
Haley blinked. "With us?"
Alex rolled her eyes. "Yes, Haley. With us."
Julian's chest tightened.
Haley's lips twitched. "You're such a nerd."
Alex smirked. "You're such a loser."
Julian exhaled.
Maybe, just maybe, they'd be okay.
The Unexpected Ally
Claire cornered Julian after dinner.
"This isn't going to work," she said bluntly.
Julian's stomach dropped.
Then Claire sighed. "But if it does… just don't break their hearts, okay?"
Julian nodded. "I won't."
Claire studied him for a long moment. Then—
"Good. Now help me hide Phil's magic wand before he sets something on fire."
The New Normal
By the end of the week, things had settled into an uneasy rhythm.
Alex and Haley still bickered, but now it was lighter, like they were relearning how to be sisters. Julian still split his time between their houses, though now Claire made sure there were always extra pancakes.
And at the Pritchett-Tucker household, Jay had grudgingly admitted Julian made a decent grilling assistant.
It wasn't perfect.
But it was theirs.
And for now, that was enough.