The sunroom of the Black Box was overflowing with the world's most dangerous, wealthy, and eccentric people, all gathered for one purpose: the opening of the gifts for Astraea Solene Watson. Jay was propped up on her silk-covered medical throne, her "Savage Queen" energy at a 10/10, while Keifer stood behind her like a dark sentinel, ready to catch her if she so much as tilted.
"Alright, listen up!" Jay announced, her voice echoing over the chatter. "I'm on bed rest, not deaf. If you've brought something useless, I'm giving it to Percy to wear. Let the chaos begin!"
The Section E Tactical Gifts
Ci n and Rakki stepped up first. Ci n, usually the calm doctor, looked like he was hiding something. He pulled out a small, high-tech flight suit.
"It's a G-force resistant infant onesie," Ci n beamed. "In case I have to evacuate her via fighter jet. And Rakki filed the legal paperwork so Astraea is a licensed co-pilot before she can even walk."
"Ci n," Jay deadpanned. "She is a baby, not a Maverick. And Rakki, why did you notarize a diaper? Go sit down before I fire my doctor."
Erdix opened it to reveal a stroller equipped with a 360-degree infrared camera and a silent electric motor. "It's hack-proof," Erdix bragged. "And Donald tested the shock absorbers by jumping on it."
"Jay auntie! It's super bouncy!" 5.5-year-old Donald shouted, accidentally hitting a button that caused the stroller to deploy a smoke screen.
"Hubby, why do our friends think we're raising a spy?" Jay asked, waving the smoke away. Keifer just grunted, secretly checking the camera specs.
The Family "Horrors"
Aries (Horoscope) and Ella approached next. Aries was carrying a giant, vibrating crystal pyramid.
"It's a soul-tuner, Jay!" Aries exclaimed. "It balances her mercury-in-retrograde!"
"Horoscope, if that thing makes a noise at 3 AM, I will use it to 'balance' your skull," Jay snapped. "Ella, how do you live with him? Someone get this rock out of here!"
Percy (Blue Eyes) and Honey came forward. Percy was grinning, holding a small box. "Since you hate my eyes so much, I got her something to help her see better than everyone else."
It was a pair of diamond-encrusted night-vision goggles.
"Percy, you're a step-brother, not a villain from a movie," Jay sighed. "Honey, please tell me you bought something normal."
"I bought a year's supply of organic pacifiers," Honey laughed, "to keep Percy from talking too much."
The Alexander Factor
The biggest chaos, however, came from Alexander. He decided he was the "Official Gift Opener." He was running around with his toy sword, "slashing" open the wrapping paper.
"I found a treasure!" Alexander screamed, pulling out a gift from Keigan and Keiran. It was two tiny leather jackets with "Watson Security" embroidered on the back.
"Kuya, she's going to look just like us!" Keiran cheered.
"She's going to look like she's about to start a biker gang," Jay muttered. "Keigan, you're supposed to be the sensible brother. Why is there a tiny helmet too?"
"Safety first, Ate!" Keigan winked.
The Rivalry of the Rich
Emman stepped up with a look of extreme pride. He presented a gold-plated crib key. "This key opens the 'Astraea Suite' at my hotel. It's the 7th richest hotel—"
"STILL 7th, Emman?" Jay interrupted. "I'm not putting my daughter in a bronze-medal hotel. Mica and Calix, tell him."
Calix and Mica presented a literal deed to a small island. "Anne wants a playmate on the beach," Calix said.
Denzel and Grace didn't want to be outdone. They showed off a miniature, working electric car that was a replica of Keifer's favorite SUV. "I engineered the motor myself," Denzel said.
"My namesake, Grazel Jay, already tried to drive it," Grace added, pointing to her daughter who was currently trying to put Donald in the passenger seat.
The Emotional Core
The laughter died down when Kuya Angelo and Lia walked up. Tita Gemma, Ma (Jeena), and Pa Pa (Jasper) followed.
Angelo handed a small, hand-carved wooden box to Jay. "This isn't from a store," he said, his "Boss" voice softening.
Jay opened it. Inside were the journals of the Mariano women—generations of wisdom, recipes, and letters. And tucked at the bottom was a small, gold locket.
"It has Aurora's hair inside," Ma whispered, her voice cracking. "So Astraea always knows she has a sister watching her."
The room went silent. Even Alexander stopped running. Jay's eyes filled with tears, her "Savage" shield finally dropping. She looked at Keifer, who gripped her hand tightly.
"Thank you," Jay whispered. "This is the only gift that matters."
The Final Explosion of Chaos
To break the emotional tension, Mayo and Kit chose that moment to reveal the "Ice Cream Fountain."
"It's a 10-tier fountain of strawberry cream!" Mayo shouted.
But Alexander was too excited. He swung his toy sword, accidentally hitting a lever. The fountain didn't just pour; it erupted.
"ICE CREAM RAIN!" Alexander yelled.
Pink cream sprayed everywhere. It hit Ci n's suit, Percy's hair, and Felix's laptop. Grandpa David just sat there, shielded by his umbrella which he had apparently brought for this exact reason.
"MAYO! KIT!" Jay screamed, though she was laughing through her tears. "I'm going to kill you both!"
"Hubby, do something!" she laughed as Keifer used his jacket to shield her from the flying strawberry cream.
"This is exactly why I built the Black Box with waterproof floors," Keifer sighed, though he was smiling.
As the family descended into a full-blown ice cream fight—led by Keiran, Keigan, and the kids—Jay leaned her head against Keifer. The 7th month was ending with a mess, a laugh, and a house full of people who would move heaven and earth for the star that was about to be born.