After rain comes the clear sky (Kaoearth)

83. Happy birthday

Kao frowned as he stared at his phone. He didn't understand why Ann had suddenly given him a call, asking him where he was and when he was returning.

He didn't actually think that it was necessary to hide his details from Ann as she was supportive of him and Earth dating. Still, he had been vague in answering because Ann's sudden interest felt odd. 

Earth hugged in from behind. "What are you thinking so deep, phi?"

Kao turned around to hug Earth. "Just some work-related stuff." He lied as he didn't want Earth to be bothered by matters of his family. "Shall we go downstairs?"

Earth's birthday party was being organized at their restaurant.

"They told me to wait a little longer." Earth pouted. "They will call me when it is time."

"Let them take their time." Kao smilingly ruffled his hair.

"P' Kao, don't ruin my hairstyle," Earth whined as he squatted Kao's hands away.

Kao chuckled gleefully.

"Ahem Ahem!" Mac faked a cough to interrupt the couple.

The couple turned to the elder with smiles on their faces.

"The guests are here. Come down, two of you" Mac, as a father wasn't ready to have his baby boy taken away by a big wolf.

"Khrab, Dad." Kao smilingly replied, wrapping his hand around Earth's waist. "You ready to go?"

Earth nodded happily as he was being held by his boyfriend.

Mac watched the scene bitterly. He went downstairs with the couple following him.

The birthday party was being hosted in the Namwirote's restaurant. Fluke, Prem, and Sammy, along with Darla and Mac had decorated the whole place for the place for the party.

The theme of the party was yellow and pink, Earth's favorite colors.

Earth stood in awe as he saw how beautifully the decorations were done. It was way more beautiful than the one they did last year

The golden foil curtain that hung against the wall had a pink happy birthday banner on top of it. The golden, lavender, and pink metallic balloons were forming an arch around the birthday banner. There were golden and pink star shaped ballons hanging on either sides of the arch along with the lavender foil hearts.

The super bright with upgraded bulbs that hung on the walls made the place look even more magical.

"Happy birthday baby" Darla hugged her son and kissed him on the forehead. 

She didn't even realize how fast the time was passing and her little baby has grown up from the sweet little dumpling that the nurses handed to her seventeen years ago to a boy who was taller than her.

Like any other mother, she hoped that her son would remain a kid forever, whom she can protect and love.

Unknowingly, tears rolled down her eyes. 

"Mae, its my birthday. Don't get emotional na" Earth held his mother tightly. This was normal thing that he experienced in his every birthday celebration. His mother always gets emotional on his birthdays.

"I am so glad that you grew up to be a healthy and happy child. Mae loves Earth na" Darla said with a smile as she wiped her tears.

"Earth loves Mae too na,"  He hugged her, pressing his cheeks against hers. He wished he could stay like this with his mother forever.

"That's enough, two of you. It's my turn," Mac interrupted. He knew that his son was mama's baby boy and was a bit jealous.

Earth chuckled and let go of his mother.

"Happy birthday baby," Mac hugged him. 

Mac wasn't the kind of father who kept the facade of being strict and distant. He loved his family, and he openly expressed it, be it to his wife or his son. He never held back in showing his affection for his family. He didn't care what others thought about him.

"Thank you, Por" Earth could feel the sourness of jealousy emitting from his father. So, he hugged him as tightly as he hugged his mother.

After Mac, Frida, Fluke, Prem, Sammy everyone close to him, hugged him one by one, wishing him best wishes.

Kao watched the scene and felt very warm in his heart. This was very different from the way birthdays were celebrated in his family. In his family, birthdays were only seen as occasions to show off between the wealthy families. The grander the birthday parties were, the better.

There was no sense of warm in those parties. It would be a gathering of strangers whom the birthday boy may not even know in real life.

"Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday to you..." Everyone was singing the birthday song as Fluke brought the butterscotch cake from the kitchen in a cart.

As every year, it was Fluke and Darla who baked the cake, according to the design Mac made.

Earth smiled widely, looking really adorable in his cashmere yellow outfit. He was clapping his hand rhythmically according to the pace of the birthday song.

Fluke stopped the cart in front of Earth and transferred the cake from the cart to the table.

"Make your birthday wish and blow out the candle baby," Darla said.

Earth clamped his hands together in prayer. He had already made his wish last night. But there was something he wanted to add to that. He wished that his family and friends would be happy and together like this for the rest of their lives.

He blew of the candle.

Pop. Pop.

Prem and Fluke popped the party poppers as soon as the candle was blown out.

Everyone clapped loudly as Earth picked up the knife and sliced out a piece of the birthday cake with it. He first fed it to his parents and grandmother first before moving on to his best friends.

Kao stood at the side. He didn't have any complaints about not being the one who was the first to get fed the birthday cake. He had already celebrated the birthday with Earth earlier. 

He kept the distance between them as there were many guests who knew Earth for years. He didn't want their relationship to be exposed. Not that he was ashamed or anything. But because he knew once others got to know that Earth was dating him, they would become judgmental and might bully his baby boy for being homosexual.

He felt that Earth was still young to undergo such treatment and wanted to protect him no matter what.

"This is for you, dear" Darla handed Earth a blue velvet box.

Earth received the box. He knew that it was his birthday gift. He opened the velvet box and saw two gold necklaces laying inside it. 

One had a mountain design inside the pendent, indicating Earth element while the other necklace had a pendent with a tree of life.

His eyes welled up seeing the necklaces. He knew that his mother had undergone severe hemorrhage and nearly passed away while giving birth to him. His parents had named him 'Earth' because he was their whole world.

The necklace they gifted symbolized the same.

"Thank you, Por, Mae" He closed the velvet box and held it close to his heart.

"There is one more gift," Mac handed a white box to him.

Earth opened the box and saw a very beautiful diamond studded twin cuff bracelet.

"Do you like it?" Mac asked. He wasn't actually sure if Earth would like it. He had brought it because he felt that it would look really good when his son put it on.

"I love it, Por!" Earth couldn't stop smiling.