modern family | vanessa delgado

Run for Your Wife

After about the third time I tried on a different outfit, I think I finally picked out the right one. I observe myself at my mirror and everything looks good. I hope.

I guess I'm just jealous of how my mother always looks so beautiful and gorgeous without even trying. I don't have a body like hers. I don't have big breasts and a voluptuous body like she does. I'm tall, skinny, and flat chested. Boys and grown men (even women) always fall for her. Sometimes, I don't even understand why Connor likes me.

I mostly look like a female version of my father than my mother. I keep telling myself that I'm only sixteen and I'll probably look like her soon.

"Come on, Manny, Vanessa, let's get going!" I hear Jay bellowing from downstairs.

I sigh, reluctantly going downstairs for school.

Jay is driving me and Manny. Have I mentioned that I'm sixteen? I can drive. I have my license. I just don't have a car yet.

Manny and I come downstairs.

I notice what he's wearing as we walk downstairs.

"Why are you wearing a poncho?" I wonder to him.

"To proudly show off my Colombian heritage." Manny smiles and I smile back at him.

We come downstairs to Jay.

"How's my hair?" Manny asks him.

I roll my eyes.

It's not like he has anything special to do with his hair. It always looks the same.

"Hold on. What are you wearing there? That looks like an old Christmas tree skirt." Jay says. I give a look to him for his rude comment.

"It's a traditional Colombian poncho," Manny answers. "I want my new classmates to know I'm proud of my heritage."

"Sí. I think you look very handsome, lindo." Mom smiles. Kissed him on the forehead and gives him his lunch.

"Oh, really? Am I driving him to school, or is he gonna ride his burro?" Jay jokes.

"Or I can drive him," I suggest. Mom and Jay look at me as if that's not going to happen. "Please, can I just drive me and Manny to school?"

"First of all, no," Jay replies. Figures. "Second of all, you just got your driver's license. I don't trust you enough behind the steering wheel using mine or your mother's car with another life in your hands."

"Oh, thanks for trusting me." I reply stubbornly, crossing my arms.

"Oh, mi hija, you can drive when it's the four of us again-" Mom comforts, but then Jay interrupts her.

"Just don't hit a bird, okay?"

"That was one time and it was an accident! You know how much I cried!" I exclaim in my defense.

It's not like my mother and Jay are the very best driving teachers. They tried to help me out getting my license a few months ago.

Mom is sitting in the passenger's seat while I'm in the driver's seat driving her car. I hear her talking very fast. And in Spanish. Sounds like she's praying.

"Mom, can you stop praying?" I ask. "It's going fine."

"For now," Mom doubts. I roll my eyes. It's quiet between for a while until she alerts me loudly. "Vanessa, watch out for that red light!"

"What red light? It was yellow when-" I pause myself when I hear a cop following us. I think. "Oh my God, what is that?" I panic.

"It's the cops, Vanessa," Mom sighs, getting frustrated. "You have to pull over-"