“Saki wait-” Mina called after Saki as she ran outside. “You need a jacket.” 


“Ahh!” Saki screamed at how suddenly cold it was. “Mommy it’s cold.” 



“I know it is honey.” Mina sighed, holding out Saki’s jacket. “Here.” 



“Why is it cold?” Saki pouted. 

“There was a sudden cold front.” Mina pointed out. 



“Why?” Saki asked. 



“Cause the weather felt like it.” Mina stepped outside, tugging on Hime’s leech. 

“Huh.” Saki sighed, bending down to pet her dog. “Can I join Haru-chan’s soccer team?”



“We already signed you up for it, your first practice is next week.” Mina explained. 

“Really?”



“We told you this last night.” Mina giggled as she held Saki’s hand and they began their walk. 

“I forgot.” Saki giggled. 



“Hmm… Maybe you were too tired to remember.” Mina nodded. “Are you excited for your sister’s birthday?”



“I made Nico-chan a gift already!” Saki smiled. 

“Oh did you?” Mina smiled. “I was going to take you to the store to buy your sister a gift but if you already have one..” 



“I want to get her another gift. I want Nico-chan to have lots of gifts.” Saki smiled. 

“Okay, we can go to the store later.” Mina laughed. 



“Have you gotten Nico-chan’s gift yet?” 



“Yup, Ka-san and Umma have gotten her gifts already too.” Mina nodded. “You know, Umma’s birthday isn’t long after Nico-chan’s, and then it yours. And then it Ka-san’s.” 



“Wow.” 



“Yeah all your birthdays are close together.” Mina laughed. “Your sister’s is October 31, Umma’s is November 9, your’s is December 1, and Ka-san’s is December 29. Do you remember the order of the months?”



“January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December.” Saki recounted. “Was that right?”



“It was perfect sweetie.” Mina smiled and stopped walking to pat Saki’s head. “You can have Bisuko when we get home if you can tell me how many days are in a month.” Saki stood for a second in thought.



“Trick question. Some months have thirty days and others have thirty one.” Saki smiled.

“Good job Saki.” Mina gave Saki a huge smile. “Your so smart.” 



“Hehe.” Saki giggled at the praise. “Mommy?”



“Hm?” 



“For my birthday, can I have a big party?” Saki asked. Mina hated how nervous she sounded. 

“Of course you can Saki. It can be as big of a party as you want.” Mina nodded. “We can invite Haru-chan and all the girls in your dance class and even your Aunts though I can’t guarantee they can come.” 



“Yay!” Saki smiled. “I have always wanted a big birthday party.” 



“You’ll get the biggest birthday party if that’s what you want honey.” Mina nodded. 



xx

“Mommy? Help?” Saki was sitting next to Mina with her afternoon snack of apple slices sitting next to her. Mina was reading, munching off  her own slices of apple. 



“Sure.” Mina had started something with Saki and Nico called learning hour she had found online. Everyday for one hour Mina had Saki work on workbooks, one in Japanese and one in English with French mixed in, while either her or Sana taught Nico new words or actions. They would switch who would help who. Momo was almost always at work during learning hour, so Mina and Sana were really in charge of teaching the girls things. Saki actually really enjoyed learning hour. She liked the workbooks and found them to be fun. “Do you not know the word?” Saki was pointing at a word from the reading section of her English workbook.



“Yeah…” Saki trailed off. 



“Okay, it says obnoxious. Write it out for me three times, it means loud and annoying.” Mina explained. They had a rule if Saki didn’t know a word, write it three times in English, three times in French and three more times in Japanese. Mina watched as Saki messily wrote out the word, her hand writing messy and almost illegible but Mina found it cute. She looked over at Sana, who had Nico in her lap and a book of animals in her hand. 



“Okay Nico-chan this is a cow can you say cow?” 



“Tow!” Nico giggled. 



“Cow.” Sana repeated. 

“Cow?” Nico asked. 

“Good job baby now cows say moo, can you say moo?” 



“Moo!” Mina laughed at the baby. She was adorable, Mina had always thought so. “Moo!”

Once Saki was done and Mina checked her work the two began silently working again, Sana still attempting to teach the baby animals and sounds, which just ended with Nico saying the wrong before finally saying it right and then repeating it over and over. 

xx

As Nico’s first birthday draws nearer, they have to take her to the doctor for her one year check up. They were able to schedule her’s at the same time as Saki’s six month check up for convince, so they all have to go to the doctor’s office. One parent to be with Saki and the other two to hold Nico down as she got her next round of vaccinations. 

“Wow she can already speak in sentences?” The doctor asked. 



“Yeah she can.” Mina nodded. “Short sentences only about three to four words.”

“She’s a very impressive baby. Definitely going to be a very very smart girl.” 



“Mommy up!” Nico chanted from the table. “Nico want up.” 



“I’m coming.” Mina gave out a sigh and reached down to pick up Nico.

“As you can tell she’s very clingy.” Momo added. 

“It might be best if you hold her through her vaccines. I don’t remember her causing too much trouble in the past but you never know at Nico’s age.” The doctor nodded. “I’ll start when ever you are ready.” 



“Okay.” Mina sat down the medical table, holding Nico in her arms and keeping her face away from the needle. Momo distracted Nico with her hands, pretending to take Nico’s nose and making it reappear. When Nico’s shot went in she screamed and tried to wiggle away, only for Mina to hold her in place. Momo tried to make her smile by making silly faces but Nico wanted to be doing anything but getting a shot. After the shots are finally done The doctor puts a bandaid on the wounds and tells Nico she did good. 

Afterwards they meet up with Sana who had also had Saki to get a flu shot. Saki didn’t have any dried tears and look completely fine. Sana said she didn’t even scream when the needle went in. Saki told them it’s because needles are less scary than the dentist. 

xx

Saki had so much fun at her first soccer practice they have difficulty keeping her away from soccer balls. She had one to keep at their house, and she was constantly playing with it in the backyard using various bushes and trees as goals. She begs them to buy the little soccer goals Haru had her yard, the temporary small ones. Mina breaks first, buying two and setting them up for Saki in the backyard. While Sana and Momo were downtown buying groceries.When they get home Saki ropes them into a game and the three of them play while Nico entertains herself with her toys. Once Saki exhausts herself they take her inside and have lemonade. 

After the kids both fall asleep after another business marathon the girls both go to sleep. Mina and Sana decide to finish up the things for Nico’s birthday party while Momo plays with the dog. 

xx

“Are they here yet?” Saki was practically bouncing next to Mina. 

“Nope.” Mina nodded, hiking Nico up higher on top of her hip. “Nico-chan stop squirming.” 



“Mommy…” Nico whined, pointing towards a large dog a distance away from them with his owner. 



“I know it’s scary baby but we’re leaving soon okay?” The dog was sitting quietly by it’s owner, but Nico was still afraid. Mina didn’t blame the poor girl, she did have a bad experience with a big dog a while ago but Mina also had expected her to forget about it. Nico however, was not the type to forget easily, even though she was still a baby. Mina choose to give her a stuffed animal that Saki had brought and then foregone due to wanting to seem more mature for her Aunts.



“Auntie Changie!” Saki jumped up from beside Mina and ran to her Aunt, running to Chaeyoung through the crowded airport terminal and tackling her in a hug. Mina waved at Tzuyu to show her where her and Nico were waiting. Tzuyu directed them over, Chaeyoung swinging Saki in her arms. 

“Is Nico okay?” Tzuyu asked, genuinely concerned. Mina nodded, pointing to the dog over still waiting by its owner and Tzuyu nodded. “I think we should go before she gets worse.” 



“That’s a good idea.” Mina nodded. “Saki-chan you should give Auntie Tzuyu a big hug too.” Saki nodded and tackled Tzuyu’s legs, Tzuyu smiling and patting Saki’s head. Saki returned to Chaeyoung, who picked her up and conversed with her in mixed Japanese and Korean as they walked back to Mina’s car. 

“Dang Mina Unnie really treating us with the lambo.” Chaeyoung teased.

 

“Just because I like nice cars doesn’t mean you have to draw attention to it every time I let you in it.” Mina rolled her eyes. “Besides I’m thinking of getting a new car.” 



“What? Your getting rid of the lambo Mina Unnie you can’t it makes me feel so cool to ride in it with you.” Chaeyoung continued, setting Saki down and letting her hop in her seat, Chaeyoung buckling her in after. 

“I don’t know yet, but I think I want something a little bigger and less sporty.” Mina shrugged. “Maybe another range rover like Sana’s. Or maybe a Porsche or something, I don’t know yet.” 



“Mommy promised me I could go car shopping with her when she goes.” Saki cut into the conversation. 



“Nico too!” Nico added, her happiness returned being away from the dog. 



“I did promise both of them.” Mina nodded.

“That sounds fun.” Chaeyoung laughed. “Nico-chan are you excited for your birthday?”

“Yes.” Nico smiled at Chaeyoung, before going back to entertain herself by playing with her stuffed animal with Tzuyu, who was happy to be between the two kids. 



“She doesn’t even know what’s coming.” Mina sighed. “Sana went overboard.”



“It’s Sana Unnie, if you don’t expect her to go overboard about her kid’s birthday party, you don’t know her well enough.” Tzuyu nodded. 

“That is true.” Mina smiled. “Very very true.” 



xx

Not many of the others are able to make it to Nico’s birthday, it makes sense due to it being during a busy time and not close to any major holidays besides being on halloween day. Besides Tzuyu and Chaeyoung, Momo’s father and Mina and Sana’s parents are the only ones with the time, besides Dahyun, who had randomly made the trip at the last minute. What they weren’t expecting was for Hana to come with her. Hana was in a better mood than the last time any of them had seen her, but Dahyun looked worse. 

“Hey guys.” Dahyun smiled as she came inside. Hana had already run off with Saki, Saki had told her she wanted to show her her room. 



“What is it Dahyunie?” Sana instantly ran to her feet to pull Dahyun into a long hug. “You look stressed. You didn’t have to come to Nico’s party if you didn’t have time she wouldn’t have even known anyway.” 

“It’s not about that.” Dahyun sighed, checking to make sure her daughter was really gone. “It’s about Hana.” 



“Do you want to talk about it?” Sana asked. 



“Later.” Dahyun sighed. “It was a long trip here.” 



“I’m sure it was,” Sana had always been very in tune to Dahyun’s emotions, Momo had as well. They always doted on the younger girl and treated her like the little sister they never had. Mina had more of a friendship like relationship with Dahy