After fourteen long days in that cold hospital ward, Milo’s pale cheeks were finally flushed with a bit of color again. His hair was brushed neatly behind his ears, and his eyes—though still ringed with a tired pink held that soft sparkle Ruby knew so well. She had made sure his robe was fresh, his little bag packed with his new drawing book and the flower the nurse gave him for luck.
Now, Standing in front of their small but lively home, Ruby asked softly, "Ready, sweetheart?" Her voice warm and gentle.
Milo nodded shyly, clutching her hand in both of his. The faint breeze of early dusk brushing his fringe across his forehead. He had no idea what waited inside—only that Karl had been acting very suspicious on the last phone call.
Ruby squeezed his hand once before pushing open the door.
"Welcome home, Milo!"
In an instant, the living room burst into life. Karl and Julian had rigged up little tubes that shot streams of colorful paper confetti into the air, filling the doorway with floating sparkles that danced like fairy dust in the warm light. Balloons bounced along the ceiling beams, bright ribbons fluttering down like tiny banners of celebration. There were flowers tucked into every vase—white lilies and bright peonies and even a few little ghost orchids that glowed soft pink in the corners.
Milo’s mouth dropped open. His eyes, wide as moons, bounced from one face to the next. Pillu popped up from behind the couch, waving a tiny flag that said Welcome Home! in wobbly hand-painted letters. Angeline was there too, her arms thrown wide, a warm grin splitting her face. Behind her stood her husbands—Kenji, Hugo, Leo, Max, Finn, and Jace—all beaming with matching smiles.
"You’re so strong, Milo!" Angeline said, stepping forward to pull him gently into a careful hug, mindful of the healing scar hidden under his robe. Her voice was bright but trembled just enough for Milo to know she’d been worried sick. "So, so strong. Look at you, all grown up and brave!"
Milo ducked his head, cheeks red as pomegranate seeds, tiny giggles bubbling up as everyone crowded close. Karl squeezed his shoulders from behind, rocking him gently from side to side like a proud big brother. Adrian stood a little apart, hands in his pockets, but his eyes were soft, and when Milo caught his gaze, he gave the tiniest nod—his quiet way of saying welcome home.
Ruby stepped forward then, putting a protective hand on Milo’s shoulder as she looked at everyone. Her eyes were tired, but the glow in them was as bright as the string lights that looped all around the ceiling beams. "Thank you, everyone," she said, her voice catching for a moment. "For making this so special for him... it means so much, especially after all he’s been through."
As if on cue, Angeline’s husbands all stepped up with a big, fluffy shape cradled between them. It took a second for Milo to see what it was—a huge teddy bear, soft beige fur, round belly, big button eyes that seemed to smile just for him. The bear was bigger than Milo’s entire upper body, so big he squeaked when it practically swallowed him in fluff.
"For you," Kenji said warmly, giving the bear’s head a gentle pat. "Something to hug when you don’t want to wake your wife in the middle of the night," he teased.
Milo blushed and looked at the bear, then at all the smiling faces, then back at the bear — and his mouth broke into the biggest grin Ruby had seen in days. He hugged the plush body tight to his chest, burying his nose into the fuzzy fur. "Thank you... thank you... thank you..." he whispered over and over.
Karl clapped his hands then, breaking the sweet hush. "Enough hugging the bear—hug me!" he demanded dramatically, squeezing in next to the bear until Milo was giggling breathlessly under the double attack. Pillu joined too, ruffling Milo’s hair while Adrian rolled his eyes, but the corner of his mouth twitched up when Milo peeked at him shyly.
Julian, who’d been standing near the kitchen archway, cleared his throat with a soft smile. "Wait, wait—there’s more," he said, pulling Ruby by the wrist to stand near the dining table. Draped across it was the masterpiece of the night: a massive two-story cake, each tier swirled with glossy chocolate ganache so thick it looked like dark silk. White chocolate curls spiraled down the sides, and tiny edible flowers peeked out at the base. A swirl of chocolate sprinkles and silver dust made the whole thing glimmer under the warm light.
"Delicious! I can eat this cake in one bite," Karl whispered dramatically to Milo, his eyes shining like he’d never seen cake before.
Milo’s eyes, if possible, grew even wider. He stepped closer, peering at the cake as if it might disappear if he blinked too fast.
"You really brought this for me?" he asked Ruby, his voice so small, like he couldn’t believe it. Ruby bent down, pressed her forehead gently against his, and smiled. "Of course I did," she said. "You asked for the biggest cake, didn’t you? And all chocolate."
Milo’s smile split into a giggle as he reached up to touch her cheek with his small palm. "Wife is the best," he said, voice soft and sure. Around him, everyone let out a warm little laugh—Angeline even pretended to wipe a tear as Hugo slung an arm over her shoulders.
The party felt so alive, every corner of the room warm with chatter and little peals of laughter. The decorations made it look like a cozy festival—strings of fairy lights twinkling in the windows, the faint scent of fresh lilies mixing with the sweetness of the cake. Pillu and Karl made Milo sit on a big cushion while everyone took turns giving him their small presents—boxes of tiny homemade sweets, a new drawing pencil set, a stack of warm socks with little bear paw prints on them.
—To be continued...🪄