𝐃𝐘𝐍𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐘 ── 𝒄𝒓𝒂𝒛𝒚 𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒉 𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒔. ✔︎

𝟬𝟬𝟯.

AFTER FOUR DAYS OF STAYING AT THE HOSPITAL, Ramona was finally allowed to return home and the first thing she did was bring her twins over to Tysersall Park where she and her family would be staying at her childhood bedroom there. When she arrived, everyone had stood outside to greet her, Theodore, and the twins who were being held by each of their parents while the nannies stood behind the couple.

As soon as her Aunties, Alix and Victoria saw her and her baby daughter in her arms, they rushed to look at the baby. "My goodness! Look at that head of hair on her head!" Victoria gushed

"I know, Coco inherited my looks and Hugo got his dad's," Ramona said proudly, as Auntie Alix asked to hold her.

"She's so cute!" Auntie Alix gushed, "She reminds me of you, when you first came out of the hospital, I remember holding you in my arms!"

Ramona smiled as Theodore and her son joined them. The Young-Ling family made their way up the stairs and into her bedroom at Tyersall Park, (just opposite from Astrid's and next to Nick's) had been set aside for her frequent visits as a child. Her adoring grandmother had created an enchanted emporium for her, commissioning whimsical hand-carved furniture from Italy and walls painted with scenes from the old Chinese folklore of the jade rabbit and its moon, cosseted by the most fantastical dolls, stuffed animals ( mostly rabbits ), and tea sets that money could buy.

In the afternoon, Auntie Cat and her family had just flown in from Bangkok. In the lead was a white Mercedes S-Class with diplomatic license plates, obviously provided by the Thai embassy, but the other cars were a random assortment: a BMW X5 SUV behind the Benz, an Audi that looked at least five years old, and that last car, he didn't even have a clue what it was-it was some non-European four-door sedan.

Sanjit the butler and the entire household staff-including the Gurkha guards-were all dressed in their crisp uniforms and assembling along the front driveway Ah Ling and Auntie Victoria were also part of the greeting party.

Ramona and Theodore stood in the drawing-room, holding their twins waiting for everyone to come upstairs, knowing it was always the custom at Tyersall Park for guests to be served iced longan tea in the drawing-room when they first arrived

When Ramona began to hear voices coming up the stairs, she and Theodore walked out the drawing-room as she ran into her least favorite cousin Eddie. Auntie Cat was the first to arrive at the top of the grand staircase, chattering away excitedly with Auntie Alix in that distinctive convent-schoolgirl lilt of hers. "What a surprise to see you and Malcolm out front! I thought you weren't arriving until this evening?"

"That was the plan, but Eddie managed to fly all of us down on a private jet yesterday."

"Wah, gum ho maeng!" Cat remarked as a waiter approached them bearing a silver tray filled with tall glasses of iced longan tea.

Auntie Cat then turned to see Ramona and Theodore. "Yùtù! Teddy! It's so good to see you! I haven't seen you in so long! My goodness! You haven't aged one day! And look at handsome Teddy! I'm so sorry I wasn't there for the wedding,"

"Oh, it's alright, Auntie Cat," Ramona smiled, "Here, meet Cleo, and that's Hugo," Ramona said, introducing her Aunt to her twins.

Auntie Cat admired the babies in Ramona's and Theodore's arm. "Alamak! How cute! The babies look just like you and Teddy!" she squealed as she took Cleo from Ramona's arms.

Catching sight of Ramona's least favorite cousin, Catherine exclaimed, "My goodness, Eddie, I hardly recognized you. You look like you've lost a bit of weight!"