Crackers popped as soon as Zixin ca out of his room the next day and he greeted his family in surprise. The ribbons and sparkles rained upon his head as everybody simultaneously said, "Happy Birthday!!!"
"Birthday?" He tilted his head.
The twins surrounded him and hugged his arm on each side. "Yes! It's your birthday today Bro!"
Chen Liling complained. "He just woke up and stepped out. Did you have to pop the crackers?"
Yunru pouted. "It's the tradition, Grandma! We have done this every year."
"And every year, Bro never fails to get surprised," Yubi laughed. "Just like now."
Every year? Zixin thought to himself.
He tried to look for any mory of those tis, but he failed. His mind was still a blank slate as he was when he woke up conscious from his accident.
Chen Liling and Chen Guiren ca forward and hugged him. "Happy Birthday dear. As always, I wish you the very best. May you be blessed with all the joy of this world."
Tears brimd her eyes as she lovingly stared at her grandson. This could have been the day where no birthday, no celebration would have made their place in the Chen villa today had he been killed in that accident. The thought alone sent shivers down everybody's spine. Chen Guiren patted his shoulder. He didn't say much nor did he show much on his face but Zixin felt his trembling fingertips.
Zixin's birthday today was the most special and cherished one of all birthdays till now.
Serena and Jianyu similarly wished him, their hearts overflowing with happiness. Jianyu smiled. "May all your wishes co true."
Serena held his face with a smile that reached till her misty eyes. "Aish, my son is handso. As expected of his mother's genes."
"As expected of his father's genes too," Jianyu added.
"You just cannot let take credit of anything, can you?"
He shrugged. "My DNA is equally responsible for our children. How rude of you to hog the credit."
"Shut up!"
Zixin's eyes lit up with a warm glow akin to fireflies shimring in the night sky. "Thank you all."
He held his mother's hand and gently squeezed it reflecting the hint of restlessness echoing in his heart. "I don't rember anything. My previous birthdays…I try to but-"
Serena shook her head hard. "You don't have to try anything. It's fine if you don't rember the past. We told you before. You don't need to take the burden of rembering the mories. Any mory. We just…we just want you to be safe and happy."
Jianyu nodded and as he held her trembling shoulder, he looked his son in the eye. "We just want you to enjoy the today that you wake up to. The present that you see and feel. Trust , son. We don't want anything other than that. We have watched you slipping away from us forever. Compared to you not breathing at all, mories don't matter much to us. I know they do to you because it's not a fair bargain that we rember everything but you don't. Which makes you feel like a stranger. Perhaps now too. Perhaps that feeling would never fade away. But…we only want to look ahead at our son who is alive, not think about him when he laid on the hospital bed fighting for his life."
Their voices held a mixture of fear of the past and relief of the present and future. Zixin felt his eyes well and he hesitated just for a mont. But he took a tiny step ahead and embraced his parents.
Serena had her lips slightly part in surprise. It was common for Zixin before his mory loss to hug them now and then. But ever since the accident, there hadn't been much physical contact. There was a thin gap of discomfort to cross that step.
And today it felt like any other day when Zixin would hug his mother and smile at her. Serena broke into soft sobs and rested her forehead on his chest. "I shouldn't be crying on your birthday."
Yunru, who was wiping his eyes, complained as well. "Yes, Mom! Your tears are ruining my handso look!"
Yubi sniffled. "There is no handsoness to ruin anyway, dummy."
"Mom, tell her to be quiet or don't bla if I beat her up!"
"You want to try?" She glared. "You won't last a second before !"
Chen Liling ca in between and separated them. "Enough, enough. You two really don't let go of any chance to start a war, do you?"
"Yubi started it!"
"It's because you have a potato face!"
"Who are you calling a potato face, you pumpkin head!"
Zixin patted their heads. "No fighting."
The twins bead and imdiately forgot all about their catfight and jumped to hug him. "Okay!"
Jianyu scoffed. "No respect for elders I see."
"Bro is our elder brother. Of course we respect elders!" They defended themselves with all their might.
He facepald.
It's useless to argue with them.
—
Guiying peeked from behind a wall and silently watched the family giving Zixin their wishes. A soft, gentle smile lifted her lips. The family together looked so perfect.
Though she wanted to wish Zixin too, she didn't feel it was prudent to interfere in the family ti.
I will co by later, she nodded to herself.
"We found you!"
The twins hopped behind her and squished her face between their cheeks.
"Sis, sis! We have been looking for you all this ti!" Yubi said.
"Yes, yes where have you been hiding?" Yunru narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
"I…I j-just ca out."
"Then co with us to wish him happy birthday!" They chirped.
Guiying glanced at Zixin with his parents and grandparents and shook her head. "I don't want to disturb them. I will co by later-"
The twins grew more and more dissatisfied. "How can you say this? You are a part of our family too! There is no way you would give all lonely wishes to Bro!"
So they happily dragged her all the way and said, "Bro, bro, look who we have brought! Your future wife wants to wish you too!"
They tugged her a little and she stumbled straight into Zixin's arms.
While Guiying was processing the situation, silence befell.
Chen Liling clapped her hands in delight. "Oh my such a passionate display of love! I believe they need so private ti together. We should take our leave hoho~"
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