Ripped - Cassia Leo Page 0,54

soon as we step inside, Yuri and Lena jump out from behind the sofa, each of them wielding a wooden spoon and a spatula as they yell, “Surprise!”

Lindsay flinches, her grip tightening on my arm as she laughs and makes her way into the living room. “You can’t surprise a woman in my condition. I’m liable to piss myself.”

My dad clutches his cowboy hat against his belly as he hoots with laughter.

“Lindsay!” Lillian chastises her, shooting a glance in Kaia’s direction to indicate the need to watch her language.

Lindsay waves off her mom’s rebuke. “I just pushed two humans out of me. I’m allowed to say the word piss for at least nine more days.”

I cover my mouth to hide my laughter, but Lillian shoots me a look. “She has a point,” I say with a shrug as I lead Lindsay into the kitchen.

“Oh, my God,” she whispers when she sees the Christmas buffet Yuri and Lena cooked.

A dozen platters of ham, various potato dishes, salads, and desserts are spread out across the kitchen island. The kitchen smells like a warm cinnamon hug. The breakfast table is set for six, and a folding table nearby is set up with two adult and two children’s place settings.

My mom hands the baby off to my dad so she can rub Lindsay’s back as she begins to tear up. “Jim and I will sit with the girls. You sit down over here,” she says, taking Lindsay by the hand and pulling a chair out at the head of the table. “Do you need a pillow?”

Lindsay nods as she wipes away tears. “Yes, please.” She turns to me as my mom disappears into the bedroom. “Did you do this?”

I smile as I reach up and tuck her hair behind her ear. “I couldn’t do much from the hospital. It was mostly these miscreants,” I reply, nodding toward our parents and Lena and Yuri. “But there’s more. Hurry up and eat so I can show you the rest.”

“Why can’t you show me now?”

I shake my head. “Nuh-uh. First we feast, then we open presents. No changing the rules. I don’t care how many monkeys you pushed out of you.”

Yuri leans in and whispers loud enough for everyone to hear, “On second thought, maybe you should give her that package of adult diapers now rather than later.”

Lindsay gasps and smacks his arm.

“Hey!” he cries. “It was your joke.”

She smiles, shaking her head as my mom lays a pillow down on the chair so she can sit. “At least this is nice and absorbent,” she says, patting the pillow before she takes a seat.

I pat Lindsay’s shoulder. “Stay here. I’ll get you a plate.”

My mom bites her lip, trying not to laugh as I head into the kitchen and grab the apron my mom made for me yesterday. Kaia laughs as I sling it over my head and my mom ties the back, which prompts Lindsay to try to look over her shoulder to see what’s so funny. But Yuri blocks her view as I serve her up a plate with all the fixings. I bring the plate to the table and she shakes her head when she sees the words #2 Mom stitched in pink thread on the front of the black apron.

“Here you go, dear,” I say, placing the plate in front of her, then I grab her napkin and tuck it in the front of her shirt.

She laughs hysterically as she reaches up and grabs my face to plant a loud kiss on my lips. “This is the best Christmas present ever.”

“This is not your present,” I reply. “This is just the pregame show. Hurry up and eat and I’ll give you the real present.”

She wiggles her eyebrows. “Lucky me.”

Once everyone has eaten, I help Lindsay out of the chair. “Come with me.”

The family watches with bated breath as I lead Lindsay toward the master bedroom, but I close the door behind us. The moment she sees it, she begins to cry.

The master bedroom is completely decorated and tidied up. In the corner of the room, where there was no furniture before, stands a sleek glass desk with a brand-new laptop and desk chair. On top of the desk is a red briefcase and a silver collage photo frame with a picture of us on our wedding day, a picture of each of the kids—even one of Lindsay holding the twins in her hospital bed. And the picture in the center of the collage,