A few days later, Alex was sprawled on the couch, flipping through a textbook, when the doorbell rang.
"I got it!" Phil called, practically sprinting to the door before anyone else could react.
Alex barely had time to register what was happening before she heard a familiar voice—
"Yo, Mr. D! What's good?"
Her head snapped up. Marco?!
Claire, who had been stirring a pot in the kitchen, froze. Haley and Luke, who had been arguing over the TV remote, both turned toward the door.
Alex stood up just as Marco strolled into the living room, dressed in a clean black hoodie and jeans, his usual backward cap hiding… something.
"Uh… what are you doing here?" Alex asked, bewildered.
Marco grinned. "Your dad invited me for dinner. Said it was time for a proper family hang."
Alex shot a look at Phil, who was beaming like he'd just won Father of the Year. "Surprise!"
Claire's wooden spoon clattered into the pot. "Phil. We didn't discuss this."
Phil waved a hand. "It's fine! Marco's practically family now!"
Haley fake-gagged. Luke just shrugged.
Alex, still processing, walked over to Marco—who, without hesitation, pulled her into a quick kiss.
"Missed you," he murmured.
Alex's face burned as she shoved him away. "Marco—"
Marco laughed, unfazed. Phil, suddenly realizing he was third-wheeling, coughed awkwardly and retreated to the kitchen.
Then Alex noticed it—a few thin braids peeking out from under Marco's cap.
"Wait… what's that?" She reached up and yanked his hat off.
Marco's hair—usually a mess of loose waves—was now neatly sectioned into small, tight braids, the ends tipped with tiny black beads that clicked softly when he moved.
Alex gasped. "Why is your hair braided?"
Marco shook his head, the braids swaying side to side. "Malik took me to his barber. Said I needed a glow-up."
Alex stared. "I hate it."
Marco smirked. "Too bad."
———
The table was set, the food was served, and the Dunphy family—plus Marco—settled in for what was sure to be an interesting meal.
Alex sat beside Marco, who was already piling his plate high with mashed potatoes while Luke and Phil chatted with him like they were old friends.
"Dude, you ever work on a Mustang?" Luke asked, eyes wide.
"Hell yeah," Marco said, pointing at him with his fork. "Fixed up a '67 last year. Thing was a beast."
Phil nodded approvingly. "Classic."
Haley, meanwhile, was stirring her food with a bored expression—until she locked eyes with Alex across the table.
"So, Alex," she said, smirking. "You finally got a boyfriend, and it's… him?"
Alex's grip on her fork tightened. "Haley, don't start—"
"What? I'm just saying, you could've at least picked someone who washes his car more than once a year."
Marco, mouth full, leaned back in his chair. "Damn, Haley. You still mad about the eyeliner thing?"
Haley's face flushed. "I—that's not—"
"Left side's still crooked, by the way."
Luke snorted into his drink.
Claire cleared her throat, clearly trying to steer the conversation away from her daughter's makeup skills. "So, Marco… Alex mentioned you've been working as a mechanic for a while?"
"Yep," Marco said, unbothered. "Since I got outta juvie."
Claire's smile was strained. "Right. Juvie."
Alex tensed, but Marco just took another bite.
"Mhm. Learned more there than I did in school, honestly."
Claire's knife scraped against her plate. "And you… dropped out?"
"Claire," Phil said weakly.
Marco shrugged. "Had to work. Bills don't pay themselves."
Claire's tone turned razor-sharp under the guise of politeness. "It's just… interesting. Alex has always been so driven, and you're so…" She gestured vaguely at him.
Marco grinned. "Hot? Charming? Incredibly humble?"
Alex kicked him under the table.
Claire exhaled sharply. "I just wonder if you two are really… compatible long-term."
Marco's smirk didn't waver, but his eyes darkened just a fraction. "Well, Mrs. D, not everyone's born the kid of a rich businessman. Some of us start in the gutter." He took a sip of water. "But hey, at least I left the gutter. Can't say that for everyone."
The table went silent.
Phil coughed. "So! Who wants dessert?"
Marco leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms behind his head. "Hell yeah, I want dessert. What've you got, Mr. D?"
Phil, relieved to have an excuse to escape the tension, hurried to the kitchen. "Brownies! And ice cream!"
Haley, still fuming from Marco's earlier jabs, shot him a glare from across the table. Marco caught it, smirked, and—because he couldn't resist—leaned forward.
"What's wrong, Haley? Still mad I called out your wonky eyeliner? Or is it 'cause I'm actually interesting to talk to?"
Haley's face turned scarlet. "You're such an ass—"
"Haley," Claire warned, though her tone lacked its usual bite. She was still processing Marco's earlier gut-punch of a comment.
Marco, satisfied with Haley's reaction, turned to Alex. "So, mami, you free next week?"
Alex blinked. "Why?"
"Me, mamá, her friends, my boys, my sister—oh yeah, I got a sister, by the way—and her husband are doing a week-long camping trip in Angeles National Forest. Hunting, hiking, all that shit. You in?"
Alex's first instinct was to glance at Claire for permission—then stopped herself. Wait. I'm eighteen. She straightened. "Yeah, I'll go. I'll just study extra hard until then."
Claire opened her mouth—probably to protest—but Phil returned with a heaping plate of brownies and a tub of vanilla ice cream, cutting off whatever she was about to say.
"Dessert is served!" Phil announced, setting it down with a flourish.
Marco grabbed a brownie, shoving half of it into his mouth in one bite. "Thanks, man," he said, crumbs flying.
Phil beamed, as if Marco's approval was the highest honor.
With the tension momentarily diffused, the table slowly lapsed into actual conversation—Luke grilling Marco about car mods, Phil chiming in with terrible dad jokes, and even Claire reluctantly asking about the camping trip details (though her tone suggested she was mentally drafting a list of 100 Reasons Why This Is a Bad Idea).
Haley, still sulking, picked at her dessert—until Marco "accidentally" knocked over her water glass, soaking her lap.
"Oops," he said, not sounding sorry at all.
Alex sighed, but the corner of her mouth twitched.
———
Dinner finally wrapped up, and Marco pushed back from the table with a satisfied grin. "Alright, Dunphys, this was fun. Let's do it again in, like, five years."
Claire's eye twitched. Phil chuckled awkwardly. Luke gave him a fist bump. Haley just scowled.
Alex walked Marco to his car, the cool night air a relief after the chaos of the meal. As they reached his beat-up Honda, she turned to him.
"So. Your sister," she said, crossing her arms. "You've never mentioned her before."
Marco leaned against the car, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Yeah, well, she's kinda been off doing her own thing. Name's Valeria—Val for short. Total hardass. Works as a nurse, acts like she's my second mom. Her husband, Diego, is cool though. Dude's a firefighter, built like a brick wall, but he's basically a golden retriever in human form."
Alex smirked. "So she's… what, eight years older than you?"
"Yep."
"So 26?"
Marco shook his head. "25."
Alex's brain short-circuited. "Wait. You're 17?!"
Marco raised an eyebrow. "Yeah? I'll be 18 December 1st."
Alex's face went through a rapid series of expressions—shock, horror, then resigned amusement. "Oh my God. I slept with an underage."
Marco rolled his eyes. "Barely. It's a year, mami. And I've been paying bills since I was 15. Pretty sure I count as an adult."
Alex groaned, rubbing her temples. "This is illegal in some states."
"Good thing we're in California, then." He grinned, pulling her in for a quick kiss. "Relax. Worst case, I'll just tell the cops you corrupted me."
Alex shoved him away, but she was laughing. "You're impossible."
Marco winked, sliding into the driver's seat.
With that, he revved the engine and peeled off into the night, leaving Alex standing on the curb, shaking her head.