Modern Family: New Life-Chapter 96: Family Council I

And it worked. The video got quite a few clicks on the link.

The brand even messaged him afterwards, thanking him and saying they hoped to work with him again.

"It's about Pippa," said Andrew.

There was a brief silence until Cam reacted, way too enthusiastically for Andrew's taste.

"A love problem!?"

"I never thought this day would come!" exclaimed Mitchell, equally surprised, straightening up in his chair.

"I thought I'd have to wait until Lily was older to have a talk about love and finally give some real advice!" Cam nodded, growing more and more excited.

Andrew looked at them cautiously, wondering if this had been a good idea after all.

[Mitchell and Cam's Comment]

"When Andrew said he wanted to talk about his relationship... it was like the gates of heaven opened. Finally... something not related to football or video games," said Mitchell with a smile. He could finally help his son with something teenage and emotional.

"It's true. Even though I thought Andrew would never ask for love advice, I've been preparing just in case the moment came. I'm ready!" said Cam with a confident smile.

[End of comment]

"Tell us, what's the problem?" said Cam, calming down and ready to listen attentively. Mitchell nodded and stayed quiet, waiting for Andrew to lay it all out.

Andrew, knowing there was no turning back now, began explaining the situation as quickly as possible, while making sure they understood the key points.

That he and Pippa had their first fight, and the root of the conflict was that Regina had been joining Andrew on his runs a few days a week. And Pippa wasn't happy about an older student going on runs with him during the holidays.

Andrew told her Regina was just a friend, and to fix the situation, he invited Pippa to come run with them so she could see there was nothing weird going on.

Pippa agreed, and ran with them for a few days. She saw there was nothing strange, it was just friendship, but still didn't feel at ease, even though she never told Andrew she was still upset.

And although she didn't say anything else, over the next few days her behavior changed: she was distant, moody, and their last argument, before she left on vacation with her family, was confusing, bitter, and with no clear reason... though Andrew knew it still had to do with Regina.

Mitchell and Cam exchanged a side glance. No longer with the confidence they had a few minutes earlier.

"Oh..." they both said in unison.

"So? How do I fix it?" Andrew asked, waiting for an answer.

"This is more complicated than I thought," Mitchell whispered, leaning closer to Cam.

"Yeah, yeah..." Cam nodded.

[Mitchell and Cam's Comment]

"This wasn't what I had in mind. I thought it was something like... I don't know, a bad date, a silly argument, a clumsy kiss..." said Cam, stroking his chin as he tried to think of a possible solution.

"We're a gay couple. Do we really know how to handle a teenage straight jealousy crisis? One that involves a super popular and attractive cheerleader?" Mitchell asked out loud, his brow slightly furrowed.

[End of comment]

Cam and Mitchell watched him in silence, both deep in thought about how to respond.

Cam's toast sat forgotten on his plate, and Mitchell's coffee was already going cold.

Andrew was about to speak, but stopped when Mitchell spoke first.

"Andrew, I know this might sound extreme... but if this whole thing with Regina is causing that many problems with Pippa... maybe you should consider it. Is it really worth continuing to see her? She's just a girl you run with."

"I disagree! What kind of message is that, Mitchell? 'Stop seeing your female friends because your girlfriend doesn't like it'? That's not healthy!" Cam immediately cut in, raising his hand like he was blocking a football play.

"I didn't say it was ideal. I said it might be an option if he really wants to save the relationship. Sometimes, you make sacrifices," Mitchell replied, frowning.

Cam crossed his arms, clearly upset.

"Sure, couples make sacrifices, but not like that! Giving up a friendship just because the other person can't deal with their emotions? What's next? Telling him not to breathe near other girls?"

Andrew looked back and forth between them like he was watching a presidential debate that kept growing more intense by the second.

Mitchell leaned on the table, fingers drumming impatiently.

"Regina isn't your best friend. You don't even have that deep of a bond. It's not like she's your soul sister," he said firmly. "Sometimes the safest path is the best one. Pippa is your girlfriend. That relationship should come first right now."

Cam opened his mouth like he'd just heard pure blasphemy.

"So that means he can never have female friends!? What's next? A GPS tracker?"

"Stop saying what's next..." Mitchell muttered in annoyance.

Andrew pressed his lips together to keep from laughing as he watched them get more and more into the argument.

Cam continued, his tone growing increasingly dramatic:

"And what about Willa? We all know they've become friends! She's a Hollywood actress! Beautiful, brilliant, nerdy! When Pippa finds out, are you gonna tell him to stop seeing her too? Kick her out of the group?"

"That's different. Willa's in his friend group. She's with Leonard and Howard. It's not a one-on-one dynamic like with Regina. Pippa probably won't freak out because it's not as personal, it's more social," said Mitchell, raising a hand as if to stop Cam's incoming storm.

"There is a one-on-one dynamic with Willa. Who invited Andrew to walk around Comic-Con? She did! Her relationship with him is closer than with the other two," Cam said, pointing a finger at Mitchell.

"Don't point your finger at me," Mitchell huffed, and with calm composure, lightly slapped Cam's finger away like swatting a fly.

Andrew raised his hands in a mix of resignation and alarm, like a referee trying to mediate between two wrestlers.

"Hey! I just asked for advice, I'm not trying to start a war between the two of you," said Andrew, raising his hands like a referee trying to stop a fight.

[Cam's Comment]

"Mitchell always looks at everything through logic. Like life's just one big Excel spreadsheet. Regina gets hurt, Andrew loses a friend. That's a terrible solution! Life isn't a spreadsheet, Mitchell! If Andrew speaks from the heart, Pippa will understand. She's a smart girl! She's probably experiencing jealousy for the first time, and that's understandable."

[End of comment]

[Mitchell's Comment]

"Cam lives in a world where everything gets solved with a Broadway number, a bouquet of flowers, and a hug. Sometimes, you have to make uncomfortable and realistic decisions! Of course it'd be great if everyone were friends and nobody got jealous, but that doesn't always work. You have to use your head. Pippa's already shown she's too proud to admit she's still jealous. The best thing is to cut the problem at its root."

[End of comment]

Mitchell and Cam stared at Andrew intensely, as if he were a supreme judge about to deliver a verdict that would declare one of them the winner.

"So... what are you going to do?" asked Cam, leaning forward.

"Will you take the most logical path that solves everything, or the one where everything could go wrong?" asked Mitchell, folding his arms.

"I'm not deciding anything right now," said Andrew as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.

He unlocked it and, while both men looked at him in confusion, began typing a note.

"What are you doing?" asked Mitchell.

"Getting organized," Andrew replied.

He started writing, reading aloud without looking up:

"Option one: talk to Pippa emotionally, explain how I feel, remind her again there's nothing going on with Regina, and tell her it hurts that she doesn't trust me. Your option," he said, glancing at Cam, who nodded with a smile. That's the winning solution.

Then he added:

"Cons: Pippa might not admit she's still jealous, even though she is. We've already fought about this. She could get even angrier if she thinks I'm accusing her. That's happened before."

Cam bit his lip, worried, but nodded silently.

Andrew continued:

"Option two: cut ties with Regina. That way, I show Pippa I respect her feelings and give her peace of mind. Your option," he said, glancing at Mitchell.

"That sounds reasonable," Mitchell replied with a slight nod of approval.

"Cons," Andrew added, typing faster, "I'd be rewarding control and jealousy. Pippa might become more demanding in the future. Plus, Regina hasn't done anything wrong. She never flirted with me. I'd be hurting a friend over an insecurity that isn't even being admitted."

"Now I'm going to Grandpa's place, for his advice and Gloria's," said Andrew, standing up from his seat.

"You're seriously going to get love advice from my father? My father?" Mitchell asked, raising an eyebrow, clearly skeptical. Cameron nodded in agreement.

"Yes, all opinions will be heard. Who knows? Maybe he'll say something super wise just from sheer age," Andrew said with a shrug, walking toward the door.

"Can we come with you? We'll drive," said Mitchell, and Cam looked at Andrew hopefully.

Andrew gave them a wary look, as if he could already see the chaos ahead.

"Fine, but don't interfere at first. I want their raw opinions. No looks, signals, or theatrical interruptions to influence Gloria or Jay's answers," said Andrew.

This chapt𝓮r is updat𝒆d by ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom.

"Alright! We'd never do that," said Cam with a smile way too big to be trustworthy.

"Zero meddling," added Mitchell.

"I'll go get Lily ready," said Cam, standing up.

Fifteen minutes later, they were standing in front of Jay's house. Andrew rang the doorbell and waited.

-------------------------------------------------

You can read 15 Chapters in advance on my patreon.

Link: https://[email protected]/Nathe07