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Chapter 5

"Khaiser, wake up. It's morning." A voice interrupts and shatters Khaiser's dream world, snapping him out of it. His senses are starting to become active as he regains his consciousness. He opens his eyes slowly and rolls over, lying on his back. The sight of his father walking out of the room is the first thing he saw. Lukas just leaves the door open, knowing that both his son and nephew are awake.

Khaiser closes his eyes. His hand slithers randomly on the bed until a soft pillow touches his skin. He grabs it and rubs it to his face with his eyes still closed. Ezlan is already getting up and sitting on his bed, but just like Khaiser, he does not want to open his eyes just yet. He only opens them when the squeaking sound of Khaiser's bed hits his eardrums. He turns to his cousin, watching him as he gets off of the bed and walks to the door. His steps are unsteady and his body is swaying from side to side like a drunk person. But he still manages to find his way out of the room. Ezlan then stretches his body a little, preparing his muscles for vigorous movements before following his cousin to the dining room.

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The ambience at the dining table is quite hectic even though it is still early in the morning. Almost everyone has gathered to fill their belly with some delicious breakfast before they continue with their day. As they already planned, they will start preparing for the holiday celebration after having their fill. Khaiser's grandmother, Salma is very excited since it is not every day she can enjoy breakfast with her children and grandchildren. She was the first person to wake up in the household, and she went straight to the kitchen to start cooking. By the time Nadya and Helen stepped foot into the kitchen, everything was already prepared and she has already started. Plus with the presence of aunt Helen's newborn baby, the whole house becomes much brighter and merrier.

Khaiser walks past the dining table to the bathroom to wash his face, followed by his cousin behind him. They try to look as fresh as possible as they pass in front of everyone, embarrassed to show their morning face. After returning from their business, they return to the dining table and sit, waiting for breakfast.

Marianne steps out of the kitchen with two plates of pancakes in her hands. She puts them carefully on the table and returns to the kitchen, moving on to her other tasks. As soon as the plates land on the table, the small baby quickly reaches out her hand for the pancakes. But since she is sitting on Helen's lap, she cannot go further as her mother holds her.

"No no no. We'll eat later with everyone, okay?" Helen looks at her daughter with a smile. The baby chuckles cheerfully to her mother's gentle voice and claps her tiny hands a few times. Khaiser watches the whole scenario in silence from his seat. He unconsciously forms a smile. Watching the baby moves actively refreshes him a bit.

The activeness of the baby does not stop there. She then tries to climb onto the table as she reaches out her hands to her brother. Ezlan notices her action and smiles, reaching out his hands to pick up his sister. Knowing that her son will take care of her baby, Helen helps her climb up the table. The baby continues chuckling and mumbling random noises as she crawls to her brother. When she is close enough, Ezlan lifts her up from the table and put her on his lap. Confident that her baby will be fine, Helen gets up from her seat and arranges her steps to the kitchen, assisting her mother with the remaining work left.

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Khaiser takes a sip of his tea before switching his attention to the pancake on his plate. He brings a piece of the pancake into his mouth and chews it quietly. All the voices around him are ignored. Now that all the family members have gathered, the dining area becomes more hectic. The parents are talking to each other like there is no tomorrow, exchanging stories and news. The topic of conversation keeps changing randomly. Only Khaiser, his sisters and Ezlan refuse to contribute their voices. Even the baby is confident to let out hers.