New Release and Giveaway! THE YEAR OF CECILY by Lisa Lin (From Sunset Park, With Love #1)

“Come quick! It’s cold.” Judith ushered her up the steps, every inch the nagging mother hen Cecily had known her whole life. Quick as lightning, she grabbed Cecily’s luggage, and schlepped it with effort.

“Ma, stop it. Put my suitcase down before you hurt yourself,” Cecily scolded.

“I don’t like your tone.” Her mother scowled. It was too early to break Resolution 3, Cecily reminded herself. She hadn’t even walked into the house yet. Surely, she could last more than five minutes before being provoked by her family? That would be an inauspicious start to the New Year festivities.

With a heavy, world-weary sigh, she waited for her mother to open the door and entered the foyer. Immediately she was assaulted by a whirlwind of noise and activity. She saw her sister Gillian and brother-in-law Peter, her brother Owen and his girlfriend Sonia embroiled in a vicious game of Monopoly. Her cousin Molly was manning the stove, and a bevy of aunts and uncles, cousins, and nieces and nephews were running around. It was pandemonium and the familiarity and sheer nostalgia of it all hit her like a punch and almost made her weepy.

Cecily took off her shoes, set her luggage by the foot of the stairs, laid her jacket on top of it, and made her way to the kitchen. She could smell daikon, star anise, and chilies. That could only mean one thing.

“Sit down, sit down. I made beef noodle soup for you with a soy braised egg and pressed tofu on the side, your favorite with some bean sprouts. Fan chay chao dan with rice if you want that too. And went to the bakery and got you a bo-lo,” Judith said, referring to the classic pineapple bun. Cecily took a deep sniff and started salivating. Her stomach rumbled.

“Molly, get your cousin a bowl of soup. Ai-ya,” Judith tsked. “You’re too skinny. Before you were too fat and I told you to lose weight but now you’re too skinny. Not look good.” And right on cue, the nagging, backward compliments, and criticism. Yep, it was good to be home. It was good to know some things never changed—it wouldn’t feel like home otherwise.

Just then, her father walked into the room. Paul Chang was dressed in khakis and a sweater vest and looked like the absent-minded professor he was. He blinked in surprise when he saw her.

“Cecily! What are you doing here?” A big smile crossed his face, and he embraced her with a hearty hug. Cecily clung for a beat longer than necessary, savoring the moment.

“Dad. Didn’t Mom tell you I was coming home for New Year?”

“Your mother doesn’t tell me anything.” For which he received a glare and painful swat on the arm from his wife.

“Hey, sis!” Owen shouted. “Come over here and join my team. We’re destroying Gill and Peter.” He was twenty-eight, her youngest sibling, and lived up to the reputation of the annoyingly obnoxious baby brother.

“Only because you’re cheating,” Gillian huffed.

“You always were a sore loser.”

“Enough!” Judith exclaimed. “Leave your sister alone,” she scolded Owen. “She just flew across the country. She needs to eat. What’s wrong with you?” She then turned to Cecily. “Eat! I didn’t spend all day making this for you for nothing.”

Ah. There was no place like home.