Mei Li was the first to rise the next morning. She stretched her limbs and looked at her left and saw her husband’s sleeping face. A smile graced it’s way onto her face as she tiredly looked at the clock that sat on the nightstand located to Yixing’s left and noticed it was only six in the morning. Before she could lay back down, she heard voices coming from the hallway and decided it was time to get cleaned up. Mei Li squinted her eyes as she adjusted the navy blue window curtain so Yixing could sleep longer after coming in late last night. Rummaging through her suitcase, she looked for her clothes to start off the day with then made her way into the bathroom where she, and the others, had placed their bathroom needs.

 

When she opened the door, Mei Li was greeted by Li Hua and a wide awake Min Hoa walking in the hallway. Li Hua gave her a smile before averting her attention to her son who had wanted to go downstairs in the early morning.

 

“I’ll cook breakfast when I’m out,” Mei Li said to Li Hua who had gotten her hands on Min Hoa’s smaller ones.

 

“I can do it,” Li Hua said quietly, “I don’t mind. Plus, Min Hoa is a little hungry right now.”

 

“I’ll just be quick,” Mei Li told her as she entered the bathroom before the older could say anything to her.

 

It was difficult to believe that Li Hua and Fang Yi were older than her by about two years. The two had youthful looks as well did their husbands. Even if the two were mothers already, she couldn’t help but feel happy for them. They all were getting older, but her in-laws were getting older and weaker as days and weeks passed by and the twelve all had one thing in mind for their stay at the house: Make it the absolute best.

 

Mei Li exited the bathroom refreshed and clean in her new, clean clothes. Her light, brown hair was up in a bun with her blunt bangs coming forward in a slightly disheveled manner as her face was with minimum amount of make up which consisted of light concealer for her dark circles and foundation to even out her skin tone from the lack of sleep she received the past few nights of worrying about the trip.

 

She made her way downstairs and saw Li Hua in the kitchen with Min Hoa sitting patiently in a stool at the island as he watched his mother cook breakfast for everyone. Mei Li entered the kitchen and ruffled Min Hoa’s hair before she went to help Li Hua make congee for the sixteen of them in the household. The two laughed quietly amongst each other as they began to tell stories of what’s been happening lately with the occasional input of Min Hoa who was happily eating his cheerios.

 

“Baba!” Min Hoa said with a wide grin on his face as Xiumin grabbed him, holding him in his arms.

 

“Why did you wake mama?” Xiumin asked as he placed kisses on his sons face, making him squeal and laugh.

 

“Min, stop it,” Li Hua said as she lightly slapped his arm, making Mei Li look at the three with happy eyes. Her and Yixing have been trying for their own child for the past year but the two are having a difficult time. Mei Li looked away from the trio as she continued to stir the pot.

 

“Go wake up your brothers,” Li Hua instructed as she looked at Mei Li stir the food. “Hurry,” she sent Xiumin a small glare when she saw him eat some of Min Hoa’s food.

 

“Okay, okay,” Xiumin said as he and Min Hoa made their way out of the kitchen to wake up the family.

 

Li Hua grabbed the bowls and spoon and laid them out on the table. She opened the fridge and took out water and juice while Mei Li began to boil the water for tea. “Mei Li,” Li Hua called out. Mei Li turned to Li Hua and looked at her with expectant eyes, waiting for her to continue. Li Hua opened , about to say something but Tao had spoken, asking the two what was for breakfast. “I’ll ask you later,” she said softly as she grabbed the cups for the drinks.

 

After a quiet breakfast, Fang Yi had given Fang Hua to Ya Li to play with as she and Luhan went to take a walk around the neighborhood to clear his mind from the previous night’s events. Ting Na sat in front of Ya Li and began to play with Fang Hua.

 

“I’ve always wanted a baby,” Ting Na said softly as she held onto Fang Hua’s small fingers. “Where’s Min Hoa?” She asked, looking around the living room.

 

“He’s with his mommy,” Yi Fan said, entering the room with a glass of apple juice in hand.

 

“Where’s your brothers?” She looked back to Ya Li, as if asking if she knew. She shrugged her shoulders and continued playing with Fang Hua.

 

“Out in the backyard,” Yi Fan replied, taking a sip of the juice. He took a seat beside her on the ground and handed her the cup. “We can always make our own baby,” he whispered in her ear, making her face flush at his words. She nudged him with her elbow before taking a sip of the juice. Ting Na glanced at Yi Fan and saw him tenderly smile at Fang Hua and a smile grew on her own face at the thought of Yi Fan and her starting a family together.

 

“Are they okay from last night?” She asked softly as Yi Fan lifted Fang Hua to sit in his lap.

 

“I’m gonna go and charge my phone,” Ya Li said quietly as she left the couple alone with Fang Hua.

 

Yi Fan played with Fang Hua, making silly faces at her, making Fang Hua and Ting Na laugh. Yi Fan let out a small chuckle hearing their laughter made his day. He glanced over at Ting Na as she held onto the cup in her hand. He noticed her knuckles turning white from the grip she had on the cup before she quickly stood up, saying she had to go to the bathroom, leaving the two in the living room alone. Yi Fan stood up from the ground with Fang Hua in his arms still.

 

“Let’s go and see how Auntie is doing,” he softly said, making his way to the bathroom on the first floor of the house. He waited outside of the bathroom and heard Ting Na let out a slightly pained breath. Yi Fan heard her as she continued to clean out her system. “Ting Na,” he called her name, knocking on the door. “Come on, baobei, are you okay?” He asked as he opened the door and saw her kneeling in front of the toilet with her hair bundled in her hand. “Hold on, let me go get one of the Xing, okay?” Yi Fan backed away from the sight in front of him and went towards the back, giving Fang Hua to one of his brothers before grabbing Mei Li and Yixing’s hand, dragging them to the bathroom where his wife was. “Help her, please,” he said softly as he leaned against the wall opposite of the bathroom as the the doctor in the family did his job along with his wife who gently patted

Ting Na’s back as she continued to vomit.

 

The three brothers and all of the wives came around the bathroom as they tried to help with the situation. Li Hua saw what was wrong with Ting Na and took Fang Hua and Min Hoa away from the sight with Ya Li and Tao following after. Xiumin stood beside Yi Fan as he told him she was fine and it was probably from the food she ate earlier. Yi Fan nodded his head and allowed Xiumin to bring him to the dining table where he would  wait for Ting Na, Mei Li and Yixing to come out.

 

His head snapped up when he heard the floor creak and saw Yixing with a sheepish smile on his face. “She’s fine,” he reassured her. “It’s just a symptom of her--”

 

“Oh my god,” Yi Fan let out a small sigh of relief as he ran his fingers through his light, ash brown hair. He stood up and made his way to the bathroom and saw Mei Li and Ting Na talking amongst themselves. Yi Fan leaned against the door and watched the two interact.

 

“How come you did tell him?” Mei Li asked as she brushed Ting Na’s hair out of her face.

 

“I was going to,” she replied. “But mama and baba called him and-- we’ve been busy these past few days so I didn’t tell him I was pregnant.” Ting Na looked at her and gave her a sheepish smile.

 

“Oh--”

“You’re pregnant and you didn’t tell me?!” He exclaimed, making Mei Li and Ting Na jump from hearing his voice. Ting Na turned around and looked at him with wide eyes before she saw her husband fall to the ground with a loud thud.

 

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