A Bunch of Birthday Gifts (Part 1)

While Masha was busy playing board games with her friends and her father, who was still a klutz and got his ass kicked by the children without understanding why and how it happened, Misha and Yuki prepared dinner and set the table. Although Masha urged them to get out of the kitchen and keep her company, saying they could order takeout, they both refused. They had planned the meal they would cook days ago and bought everything necessary to make it, so they couldn't exactly let the ingredients go to waste.

And once the delicious smell wafted out of the kitchen, Masha had to admit it whetted her appetite so much more than any takeout could ever do. It even distracted her for a second, and she made a mistake that cost her greatly in the game she was currently playing; she tossed out the wrong cards. It wasn't because it was her birthday that Gabriel would go easy on her, and he took the opportunity to steal the said cards, not allowing her to take them back after realizing her mistake.

But before Masha could complain, accusing him of being a heartless man and whatnot, Misha and Yuki called them over, announcing that dinner was ready. Everyone dropped what they were doing and eagerly moved to the kitchen. When they saw the sumptuous meal worthy of a banquet, they couldn't help but salivate, their eyes slightly growing wide in anticipation.

What could they say? Today, their cooks outdid themselves.

Because Masha was a seafood lover, Misha and Yuki turned their attention to Asian recipes when planning out the meal. After deliberating, they decided to make different dishes, which they then displayed on small plates before lining them up on the table. Everyone could serve themselves however they wanted, a bit like a Chinese buffet.

Yuki had learned a few dishes from her Japanese mother, who loved to cook. She had the bad habit of "borrowing" her daughter to help her in the kitchen whenever she was free. And as a direct result of helping her mother cook since her teenage days, the nurse's cooking skills were excellent, not to say marvelous.

Because Misha was used to Western cooking and seldom tried his hand at Asian recipes, he wasn't very confident in preparing today's dinner. Thus, he took on the helper role, dutifully following Yuki's instructions to the letter. With those two great cooks cooperating, let's say that the result of today's meal couldn't be any better.

Masha felt like she was at a restaurant, making her smile.

Since her accident a few months ago, she hadn't been out often, preferring to stay home. She didn't like the curious stares indiscreet passersby cast at her, nor did she like the pity she sometimes could see shining in their eyes. It always made her uncomfortable, and she felt like she had become something akin to a zoo animal. Although Masha knew she'd have to get used to it one day or another, she still wanted to avoid those kinds of gazes for the time being.

Right now, she still wasn't strong enough to face them. She first had to come to terms with her new physical condition, accepting that she would never be the same as before. And to make matters worse, the breakup with Camille had shattered the little confidence she had managed to gain back. That had a huge impact on her self-esteem, though she would never admit it aloud.

And when Masha attended her grandmother's funeral over a month ago, she heard the child of a relative ask her mother why her legs were so weird. Because her knees had been shattered beyond repair, the doctors did many surgeries to put them back together, leaving a lot of scars in their wake. Despite their efforts, the knees were now bent at an odd angle, deforming her legs, but it was better than nothing as they nearly had to cut her legs below the knees. The injuries had been that severe, and the fact that her legs were still whole was almost a miracle.

But even so, hearing that child's innocent question had made her feel self-conscientious, and Masha regretted wearing a dress that reached the middle of her thighs. However, it was the only black clothing she had to attend a funeral, and at the time, she didn't think someone would comment on the state of her legs. Even if the child's mother apologized on her son's behalf, the harm was already done. Since then, she started to wear long dresses to hide her "weird" legs.

Of course, her little knight in shining armor noticed all of this. In a sensible way, Misha never proposed to do anything that implied going to a public place, like a restaurant or the movie theater. They mostly stayed at home, except when she had to go to the hospital.

Honestly, her brother's consideration always touched Masha to no end, but it also made her feel guilty deep down. She was the oldest, yet she was being taken care of and spoiled rotten. Misha should be enjoying his life at his age, not nursing her!

***

After gorging themselves until their bellies became round, they moved back to the living room. As Misha bounced around like a small bunny, the boy excitedly told his sister to stay still while he brought her her birthday gifts. He stood in front of the little mountain with a pensive look on his face, as if he wondered what he should choose first. Ultimately, he decided to start the ball rolling with Dereck and Vanessa's gift.

"I want to give it, I want to give it!" the girl clapped, snatching the present from his hands before running to Masha. "It's from Dereck and me. We chose it together!"

"They also used up all of their pocket money to buy it," Misha snickered.

"Why did you say it?!" Vanessa cried out, stomping her foot.

Why? Because he wanted his sister to know that it wasn't the children's parents who paid for it. His friends saved their own money to buy his sister a birthday gift, and he thought it was worth mentioning it. They could have bought something for themselves, yet they decided to spend it on his sister's present instead.

As expected, Masha felt deeply touched by his words. Regardless of what the gift would be, the fact that the two children put so much effort into it made her happy from the bottom of her heart. With this in mind, she unwrapped the present, and when she saw what was inside, she felt her heart soften. It was a medium-sized plush dog, but not any dog; it looked very much like Dereck's pug, even having the same foolish look plastered on its face.

"With this, even if you can't pet Lady every day, you will be able to pet the plush instead!" Dereck said with a sweet smile, which made two dimples appear in his chubby cheeks.

He and Vanessa had noticed that Masha seemed to become happier whenever she hugged his dog. Of course, he couldn't give her Lady, so the two children discussed and decided to find a plush that looked very much like his pug. Because Masha had many kinds of plushies in her room, they concluded that she probably liked plushies a lot. Little did they know that most were from Misha, who had won them at the amusement park a year ago.

Nevertheless, Masha fell in love with it. She put it on her lap as she beckoned the children to come close so that she could hug them, "Thank you so much! I like it a lot!"

"Hehe, you're welcome," Vanessa giggled in her arms.

"I'm happy if you like it!" Dereck added with a nod.

After the group hug, the children sat back on the floor, Dereck picking up his dog to put it between his crossed legs. While they did so, Stephan declared, "It's my turn now!"

Hearing this, Masha eyed him with a bit of suspicion, afraid of the incoming gift. Knowing Stephan, it could be anything, and she secretly hoped it was something children could see.

Didn't that guy give Gabriel a collection of porn DVDs last time, right in front of his stepmother to boot…? Knowing this, how could she not be suspicious of his gift?! There was nothing he wouldn't dare give!

But unexpectedly, it wasn't anything outrageous. It was two wide hoodies that looked almost like blankets, long enough to reach her knees. They appeared cozy; they also had a cute design. At first glance, Masha could tell they were something her friend had made himself. Really, how many hours did he pass on designing and sewing those hoodies?

Surprised, Masha stared at them for a short while before coming back to her senses and putting one on. It was very comfortable, just as she had thought, almost making her feel drowsy.

"Thanks, Steph. The size is perfect, and your sewing skills are as amazing as ever! I love them."

"You're welcome. But where's my hug?" Stephan asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"…Come here," Masha chuckled before hugging him tightly.

Even if Masha didn't complain aloud, Stephan had realized that most of her clothes were now uncomfortable to wear or challenging to put on herself, especially tight pants and jeans. She thus wore the same dresses day after day. And so, he decided to sew her some comfortable clothes that were as cute as they were original, taking into account her tastes and what she liked. It was tailor-made for her, and no one else would ever have the same hoodies as hers.

While his sister hugged Stephan, Misha tilted his head, feeling like he had just discovered something shocking. All those weird costumes he had to wear in the past, it couldn't be that Stephan was the one who made them all, right? He did learn that Stephan loved to sew during one of their many conversations, but he had no idea his craftsmanship was this good, worthy of a designer. Misha had always wondered where Stephan found the custom-made clothes for his employees; well, maybe he had his answer.

Before Misha could dwell on the matter any further, Gabriel snapped him out of his thoughts, saying, "I think it's our turn now?"

"Right!" Misha excitedly nodded, urging his father to take their gift and bring it to the small table beside his sister's wheelchair. "It's from Gabriel, dad, and me!"

"From the three of you?"

"Yup!" the boy smiled, his eyes curving into crescent moons.

Instinctively, Masha smiled back before starting to unwrap the gift, carefully and slowly. Seeing her brother's excited face made her curious to know what their present was. Really, what could it be?

__________________________

Chapter revised on 2022-05-29

Edited by Clozed! ♥

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