One week after graduation.
The invitation arrived in a gold envelope.
The Morning Spotlight wanted an interview. Live television. Prime time.
Jay and Keifer. Together. As CEOs. As graduates. As engaged couple.
Jay: "Live TV?"
Keifer: "Prime time."
Jay: "Millions watching?"
Keifer: "Millions."
Jay: "Tss."
Keifer: "Stop."
Jay: "No."
He kissed her forehead.
The Fernandez house gathered to watch.
Tita Gema made snacks. Jasfer set up chairs. Serina arranged everyone for optimal viewing.
Percy: "THIS IS HISTORIC! JAYFER ON LIVE TV! DOCUMENTING THE DOCUMENTARY!"
Ci-n: "I'M DOCUMENTING TOO!"
Rakki: "Those two."
Mica: "Never change."
The living room filled.
Section E. Aries and Ella. Yuri and Liana. The grandmas. Everyone.
Jay's grandma: "MY GRANDDAUGHTER IS ON TV!"
Yuri's grandma: "MY GRANDSON'S FRIEND'S FUTURE WIFE IS ON TV!"
Jay's grandma: "STILL A STRETCH!"
Yuri's grandma: "I'M COMMITTED!"
Grazel Jay threw flowers at the screen. "AUNTIE JAY! UNCLE KEIFER!"
Denzel: "Baby, they're not in the screen yet."
Grazel Jay: "SOON!"
The show began.
Lights. Cameras. Anchor smiling.
Anchor: "Good evening, America. Tonight, we have a very special couple with us. They're young CEOs. They're newly engaged. And their love story has captured hearts everywhere. Please welcome—Jay Mariano and Keifer Watson!"
The audience applauded.
Jay and Keifer walked out.
Jay in blue. Keifer in blue. Matching. Always.
They sat on the couch. Hand in hand.
Anchor: "Thank you both for being here."
Jay: "Thank you for having us."
Keifer: "Happy to be here."
Anchor: "Let's start at the beginning. How did you two meet?"
Jay smiled. Looked at Keifer.
Jay: "I was five. He was five. Family party."
Keifer: "She was loud."
Jay: "He was confused."
Keifer: "True."
Anchor laughed. "And when did you know?"
Jay: "Know what?"
Anchor: "That this was it. That they were the one."
Jay looked at Keifer.
Jay: "Seven."
Keifer: "Same."
Anchor: "Seven years old?"
Keifer: "She skinned her knee. Cried. I held her hand. She looked at me and said—"
Jay: "I'm gonna marry you someday."
Keifer: "I believed her."
Anchor: "That's the most romantic thing I've ever heard."
The Fernandez house ERUPTED.
Ci-n: "THEY SAID IT ON TV!"
Rakki: "We know. We were there."
Percy: "BUT NOW MILLIONS KNOW!"
Mica: "I'm crying again."
Calix: "Same."
Freya: "This is excessive."
Edrix: "This is love."
Freya: "Shut up."
Edrix: "Never."
Back on screen.
Anchor: "Now, you're both CEOs. Jay of J&S Enterprises. Keifer of Watson Enterprises. How do you balance business and relationship?"
Jay: "We don't balance. We blend."
Keifer: "Every decision. Every meeting. Every success. We do it together."
Jay: "He's my partner. In every way."
Anchor: "That's beautiful. Any challenges?"
Keifer: "Of course. But we face them together."
Jay: "He's my rock."
Keifer: "She's my reason."
Anchor: "I'm not crying. You're crying."
The house lost it.
Jay's grandma: "THAT'S MY GRANDDAUGHTER!"
Yuri's grandma: "THAT'S MY GRANDSON'S FRIEND'S—"
Jay's grandma: "WE GET IT!"
Yuri's grandma: "GOOD!"
Grazel Jay: "AUNTIE JAY SAID ROCK! UNCLE KEIFER SAID REASON!"
Denzel: "She's going to remember this forever."
Grace: "We're all going to remember this forever."
Anchor: "Let's talk about the engagement."
Jay's face lit up.
Anchor: "I heard it was quite the production."
Keifer: "She deserved everything."
Jay: "He planned for months. Photos of us everywhere. A rose path. Matching blue outfits."
Anchor: "Matching blue?"
Jay: "We didn't plan it. It just happened."
Keifer: "It always happens."
Anchor: "The universe wants you together."
Jay: "The universe and us."
Anchor: "And the ring?"
Jay held up her hand. Ring sparkled.
Anchor: "Stunning. Did you pick it?"
Keifer: "No. I picked it. She'd worn blue for years. I wanted something that matched her."
Jay: "He noticed everything."
Keifer: "I notice you."
Percy: "KEIFER SAID THAT ON LIVE TV!"
Ci-n: "MILLIONS HEARD IT!"
Rakki: "Those two."
Mica: "Forever."
Calix: "Always."
Freya: "Okay. That was smooth."
Edrix: "Really smooth."
Freya: "Shut up."
Edrix: "Never."
Anchor: "Now, you're both just graduated. What's next?"
Jay: "Wedding planning."
Keifer: "And running two companies."
Jay: "Same thing?"
Keifer: "Same thing."
Anchor laughed. "When's the big day?"
Jay: "Soon."
Keifer: "Very soon."
Anchor: "Can you give us a hint?"
Jay: "Blue."
Keifer: "Always blue."
The house cheered.
Jay's grandma: "BLUE WEDDING! I APPROVE!"
Yuri's grandma: "I APPROVE TOO!"
Jay's grandma: "FIRST TIME WE AGREE!"
Yuri's grandma: "HISTORIC!"
They hugged.
Percy: "DOCUMENT THE SECOND MIRACLE!"
Anchor: "Final question. What do you want the world to know about Jayfer?"
Jay: "That it's real."
Keifer: "That it's forever."
Jay: "That love like this exists."
Keifer: "And it's ours."
Anchor: "Any message for each other?"
They turned. Looked at each other.
Jay: "I love you."
Keifer: "I love you too."
Jay: "Tss."
Keifer: "Stop."
Jay: "No."
He kissed her. On live TV.
The audience ERUPTED.
The house EXPLODED.
Ci-n: "THEY KISSED ON LIVE TV!"
Rakki: "Millions saw that!"
Percy: "I'VE DOCUMENTED EVERYTHING! THIS IS MY MAGNUM OPUS!"
Mica: "I'm deceased."
Calix: "Same."
Freya: "That was actually iconic."
Edrix: "Really iconic."
Freya: "Shut up."
Edrix: "Never."
Aries: "My sister kissed on national TV."
Ella: "Your sister is iconic."
Aries: "Same thing?"
Ella: "Same thing."
Serina cried happy tears. Jasfer held her.
Jay's grandma: "I'M SO PROUD I COULD BURST!"
Yuri's grandma: "I'M PROUD TOO!"
Jay's grandma: "DON'T MAKE IT WEIRD!"
Yuri's grandma: "TOO LATE!"
Grazel Jay threw her last flowers. "KISS ON TV! FLOWERS FOR THE KISS!"
Denzel: "That's the last of them."
Grace: "The garden is officially a memory."
Grazel Jay: "WORTH IT!"
The interview ended.
Anchor: "Jay Mariano and Keifer Watson, everyone! Jayfer forever!"
The screen faded.
The house was chaos.
Jay and Keifer walked in twenty minutes later.
The moment the door opened—
Pandemonium.
Ci-n: "YOU WERE AMAZING!"
Rakki: "You handled that perfectly."
Mica: "I'm so proud of you!"
Calix: "Both of you!"
Freya: "You didn't embarrass yourselves."
Edrix: "You impressed millions."
Freya: "Shut up."
Edrix: "Never."
Percy: "I HAVE 47 SCREENSHOTS! 23 VIDEOS! THIS IS MY LIFE'S WORK!"
Honey: "He's been crying for twenty minutes."
Percy: "HAPPY CRYING!"
Jay's grandma grabbed Jay. "YOU WERE PERFECT!"
Jay: "Thanks, Lola."
Yuri's grandma grabbed Keifer. "YOU WERE PERFECT TOO!"
Keifer: "Thank you?"
Jay's grandma: "DON'T TOUCH HIM!"
Yuri's grandma: "I'M CONGRATULATING!"
Jay's grandma: "CONGRATULATE FROM AFAR!"
Yuri's grandma: "THERE'S NO FUN IN THAT!"
They went back to arguing.
Everyone smiled.
Normal.
Later. Patio.
Jay and Keifer. Stars above.
Jay: "That was insane."
Keifer: "That was us."
Jay: "Millions watched us."
Keifer: "Millions ship us."
Jay: "Tss."
Keifer: "Stop."
Jay: "No."
He kissed her.
Inside, Percy's voice: "THEY'RE KISSING ON THE PATIO!"
Ci-n: "DOCUMENTING!"
Rakki: "Go to sleep."
Percy: "HISTORY NEVER—"
He fell asleep.
Ci-n fell asleep too.