I arrived at the beach house promptly at seven. I got out of the cab and began dragging my heavy bags across the sandy dirt. Suddenly, the screen door burst open and a woman clad in bright pink came hopping out.

"Kahi! You're finally here!" She ran towards me with her arms wide open.

I dropped my bags and opened up my own arms. "Mommy!"

My mom enveloped me within herself. Mmmm. Lavendar. My mom always smelled of lavendar.

She finally let go of me and just stood there, eyeing me.

"What?" I asked.

She shook her head disapprovingly. "You've lost weight."

I laughed. "No I didn't!"

"Don't lie to me. You're a stick!"

"I swear I've gained, like, five pounds."

"You don't show it."

I laughed again and bent over to pick up my bags.

A booming voice then approached me. "Here, let me get those for you."

I looked up and saw a giant of a man. Two small children were watching from the door.

My mom smiled and wrapped her arms around the man's waist. "Kahi, this is Lee jae seuk. He's your new father."

Jae seuk stuck a hand out at me. I forced a smile and took his hand in mine.

"So yeon has told me so much about you," he said.

"Good things I hope."

He smiled warmly. "Very good things."

His strong arms then took my bags and carried them effortlessly inside the house. Mom and I followed him in. The two kids, I noticed, were nowhere to be found.

"Mom," I whispered. "Didn't you say that Jae seuk had kids?"

For a moment, she looked a bit annoyed. "Oh yes, where are those two rascals? shoo? hoon? Where are you two?"

I heard some giggling behind a door and rolled my eyes. "I think they're behind this door."

I walked up to the door, placed my hand on the knob, and opened it. Oh, goodie. Two cans of silly string began spraying in my face. The gooey strands of pink and green got all over my clothes and stuck in my hair. Not exactly the welcome I was expecting.

Jae seuk chose that moment to come rumbling down the stairs. "Kahi, I put your bags in your room. I think you'll like--" He stopped talking and stared open-mouthed at me.

The two brats sat cowering in the pantry. The girl managed a small wave and a weak smile. "Hi daddy."

"Shoo and Hoon. What in the world did you do?" Although Jae seuk's voice was calm and quiet, his face and neck were bright red. He looked like he could pop at any moment.

Shoo immediately piped up, "It was Hoon's idea."

The smaller boy shook his head in denial. "No way! Shoo did it!"

Jae seuk walked over and grabbed the two kids by the collar. "Apologize to Kahi now."

Both Shoo and Hoon looked down at their bare feet and mumbled, "Sorry."

This was going to be a long summer.