The Fernandez house was chaos.
Girls everywhere. Dresses. Makeup. Hair. Shoes. Panic.
Mica: "WHERE IS MY EYELINER?"
Rakki: "On your face."
Mica: "I NEED MORE!"
Freya: "You have enough."
Mica: "THERE'S NEVER ENOUGH!"
Ella sat calmly, already perfect. Honey helped Grazel Jay with her flower girl dress (she insisted on wearing one).
Grazel Jay: "I'M READY FOR PROM!"
Grace: "Baby, you're not going to prom."
Grazel Jay: "I HAVE FLOWERS! I GO WHERE FLOWERS GO!"
Denzel: "She's not wrong."
Jay's grandma watched from her rocking chair. "I REMEMBER MY PROM! I WORE RED! DANCED ALL NIGHT!"
Keigan: "Lola, that was fifty years ago."
Jay's grandma: "FIFTY YEARS OF GREAT MEMORIES!"
Keiren: "Did you have fun?"
Jay's grandma: "I HAD THE BEST TIME! THEN I TRIPPED AND FELL!"
Keigan: "Oh no."
Jay's grandma: "WORTH IT!"
Tita Gema ran around with a lint roller. "EVERYONE HOLD STILL! LINT IS THE ENEMY!"
Jasfer: "I don't have lint."
Tita Gema: "YOU HAVE POTENTIAL LINT! WORSE!"
Serina helped Jay with her dress.
Blue. Soft. Elegant. Perfect.
Serina: "You look beautiful, anak."
Jay: "Thanks, Mom."
Serina: "Keifer won't know what hit him."
Jay: "That's the plan."
Serina: "Tss."
Jay: "Mom, not you too."
Serina: "I learned from the best."
The boys were in another room.
Keifer in navy blue. Perfect fit. Handsome. Nervous.
Aries: "You good?"
Keifer: "Yeah."
Aries: "Liar."
Keifer: "Maybe."
Calix: "Jay's going to love it."
Edrix: "Definitely."
Rory: "I've calculated a 100% approval rating."
Drew: "I'm betting on Keifer crying."
David: "He won't cry. 500."
Drew: "Bold."
Eren: "What if we all cry?"
Josh nodded.
Baster hummed a pre-prom melody.
Percy burst in. "READY? DOCUMENTATION STATIONS ARE SET! CI-N HAS THREE ANGLES COVERED!"
Ci-n appeared behind him. "I'M READY! I HAVE EXTRA BATTERIES!"
Rakki: "Those two."
Mica: "Dangerous."
Calix: "Chaotic."
Freya: "Perfect."
Edrix: "Agreed."
The girls finished first.
They gathered in the living room. Stunning. All of them.
Mica in emerald green. Rakki in burgundy. Freya in black. Ella in gold. Honey in silver.
And Jay in blue.
The boys walked out.
Stopped.
Stared.
Aries saw Ella. Forgot how to breathe.
Calix saw Mica. Smiled like an idiot.
Edrix saw Freya. Didn't look away.
Rory saw everyone. Took photos.
Drew saw everyone. Took bets.
David saw everyone. Stayed awake somehow.
Eren saw everyone. "Wow. Pretty."
Josh nodded.
Baster hummed appreciation.
Percy saw everyone. Documented everything.
Ci-n saw everyone. Cried immediately.
Ci-n: "EVERYONE IS SO PRETTY!"
Rakki: "Ci-n, stop crying."
Ci-n: "I CAN'T! EMOTIONS!"
And Keifer saw Jay.
Blue.
His blue.
His Jay.
He walked toward her. Didn't see anyone else.
Jay: "Hey."
Keifer: "You're..."
Jay: "I'm what?"
Keifer: "Perfect."
Jay: "Smooth."
Keifer: "Honest."
He kissed her.
Right there. In front of everyone. Deep. Long. Perfect.
The room EXPLODED.
Percy: "KISS! KISS! KISS!"
Ci-n: "DOCUMENTING! FROM THREE ANGLES!"
Rakki: "FINALLY!"
Mica: "THAT'S MY BEST FRIEND!"
Calix: "THAT'S MY OTHER BEST FRIEND!"
Freya: "Took them long enough."
Edrix: "Worth the wait."
Freya: "Shut up."
Edrix: "Never."
Aries: "They're always like this."
Ella: "You love it."
Aries: "I tolerate it."
Ella: "Same thing?"
Aries: "Same thing."
They pulled apart. Foreheads together.
Jay: "I love you."
Keifer: "I love you too."
Jay: "Tss."
Keifer: "Stop."
Jay: "No."
He kissed her forehead.
Grazel Jay threw flowers. "FLOWERS FOR JAYFER!"
Denzel: "She's been saving those."
Grace: "All week."
Grazel Jay: "WORTH IT!"
They arrived at prom.
Lights. Music. Flowers. Magic.
Section E walked in together. Heads turned. Whispers followed.
Jay and Keifer at the center.
The night began.
Dancing. Laughing. Photos.
Percy and Ci-n documented everything.
Ci-n: "THIS ANGLE! PERFECT!"
Percy: "THIS LIGHTING! DIVINE!"
Rakki: "They're in their element."
Mica: "Their element is chaos."
Calix: "Always."
Freya and Edrix danced. Slowly. Close.
Freya: "This is nice."
Edrix: "This is perfect."
Freya: "Shut up."
Edrix: "Never."
She leaned her head on his shoulder.
Aries and Ella danced.
Aries: "You look good."
Ella: "I know."
Aries: "Modest."
Ella: "Honest."
Aries: "Same thing?"
Ella: "Same thing."
He kissed her cheek.
She smiled.
Then—
The music stopped.
A spotlight hit the stage.
Serina walked out. Elegant. Radiant.
Serina: "Good evening, everyone."
The crowd quieted.
Serina: "I have an announcement to make. And I need my daughter-in-law to join me on stage."
Jay froze.
Everyone turned.
Mica: "JAY! THAT'S YOU!"
Jay: "I—what—"
Keifer: "Go."
Jay: "But—"
Keifer: "Go. I'm right here."
Jay walked to the stage. Heart pounding.
Serina smiled. Pulled her close.
Serina: "My daughter-in-law, everyone."
Cheers. Whistles. Applause.
Jay's face reddened.
Percy: "SHE'S BLUSHING! DOCUMENTING!"
Ci-n: "FROM THREE ANGLES!"
Rakki: "Those two."
Mica: "Never change."
Serina: "I have two announcements tonight."
She looked at Jay.
Serina: "First—Keifer Watson is officially the new CEO of Watson Enterprises."
Cheers erupted.
Keifer's eyes widened.
Jay: "KEIFER!"
She was beaming.
Keifer walked to the stage. Shocked. Proud.
Jay grabbed his hand. "You deserve this."
Keifer: "I—"
Jay: "You're amazing. You're ready. You're mine."
Keifer: "Tss."
Jay: "Stop."
Keifer: "No."
He kissed her.
More cheers.
Serina continued. "And second—"
She looked at Jay.
Serina: "Jay Mariano is officially the Co-CEO of Watson Enterprises."
Jay froze.
Serina: "You built this with me. You fought for this family. You loved my son. This is yours as much as anyone's."
Jay's eyes filled with tears.
Jay: "Mom..."
Serina: "You've always been my daughter. Now it's official."
Jay hugged her. Tight. Long. Crying.
Serina held her. Rocked her. Kissed her hair.
Percy: "MOTHER-DAUGHTER BONDING! DOCUMENTING!"
Ci-n: "FROM THREE ANGLES!"
Rakki: "I'm not crying. You're crying."
Mica: "We're all crying."
Freya: "This is actually beautiful."
Edrix: "Really beautiful."
Freya: "Shut up."
Edrix: "Never."
The crowd cheered.
"JAYFER! JAYFER! JAYFER!"
Jay pulled back. Wiped her eyes.
Jay: "I love you, Mom."
Serina: "I love you too, anak."
Keifer joined them. Hugged them both.
Keifer: "My two favorite women."
Serina: "Your only two women."
Keifer: "Still my favorites."
Jay: "Smooth."
Keifer: "Honest."
Jay: "Tss."
Keifer: "Stop."
Jay: "No."
He kissed her.
Serina watched. Smiled.
Perfect.
The night continued.
Dancing. Laughter. Joy.
Jay and Keifer on the floor. Moving together.
Jay: "Tonight was perfect."
Keifer: "Tonight was everything."
Jay: "Co-CEO?"
Keifer: "Future wife?"
Jay: "Future husband?"
Keifer: "Always."
Jay: "Tss."
Keifer: "Stop."
Jay: "No."
He kissed her.
Percy: "DOCUMENTING!"
Ci-n: "FROM THREE ANGLES!"
Rakki: "Those two."
Mica: "Forever."
Calix: "Always."
Freya: "Unfortunately."
Edrix: "You love it."
Freya: "Shut up."
Edrix: "Never."
The night ended.
But Jayfer?
Jayfer was just beginning.