Hannie

 

“KAI!! GIVE ME MY SHOE BACK!!” I screamed as I chased after the shaggy brunette. He kept sprinting around the yard with my shoe in his mouth, letting his disgusting drool all over it.

 

By this point, I didn’t even wanna wear those anymore. I just wanted to make sure he didn’t eat it.

 

These shoes were like $35!!! And on sale!!

 

“KAI! I SWEAR TO GOD, IF YOU DON’T STOP RIGHT NOW, MISTER, NO PUPPY TREATS FOR YOU FOR AS LONG AS IT TAKES ME TO FIND THOSE EXACT SAME PAIR AT THE EXACT PRICE!” I shouted as I hunted the little piece of down.

 

Kai sprinted away from me as fast as his little legs could carry him. He dashed around a tree where I tripped, he flew under a table where I banged my knee, and when I finally thought I had him cornered by the fence, he ran right through my legs when I lunged for him.

 

Long story short, I didn't get my shoe back.

 

I went back into the house, muttering curses under my breath.

 

Kai trotted inside right behind me, his tail wagging and my shoe in his mouth.

 

Charlie and Nicolás walked into the living room where I was contemplating how long Kai could survive if we just threw him out when I heard Charlie hoot with laughter while Nicolás groaned. I looked up at them.

 

Charlie began to chuckle and spoke in English with a thick British accent. “What did I tell you?”

 

Nicolás shot me a look of irritation as he dug into his dusty old jean pocket and pulled out his tattered leather wallet. “Oy Princesa, tú no puedes coger un perrito?” He scolded as he handed Charlie 100 pesos.

 

My mouth parted in disbelief as Charlie took the money and slipped it into the pocket of his own jeans.

 

“You guys bet on me?” I asked in Korean.

 

“Sure did, Love.” He answered in English with a light laugh. As he walked past me to go outside, he degradingly patted my head as he continued to snicker. “Come on, Kai. Let's go eat Naina’s sandal.” He whistled to the pup. Kai’s ears perked up and as if on command, he dropped my shoe and trotted after the older man.

 

The front door slammed shut, leaving me gobsmacked and Nicolás sans 100 pesos.

 

“I can't believe you guys bet on me.” I scoffed.

 

“Y yo no puedo creer que tú no puedas a detener a Kai. Él es 45 centímetros!”

 

“He's fast, okay!”

 

“Lo que sea.” Nicolás grumbled.

 

I rolled my eyes and got off the couch. Whatever, he should've been smart enough not to bet on me.

 

“HANNIE!!” Someone called me from outside. I shot Nicolás a sour look before I pushed myself off the couch and headed to the exit.

 

I opened the door and squinted when the blazing mid-day sun shone down on me. I flipped around my visor so it covered my eyes from the sun and jogged down to the yard.

 

I smiled at María when I saw her as she changed Remi’s bandages.

 

“Hey buddy.” I grinned as I tickled his neck. Remi started yipping away and began attacking me with a bunch of wet kisses. I began to laugh, which prompted María to do the same.

 

“Te quiere.” She beamed.

 

“Well the feelings mutual.” I softly said back as I lifted him up in my arms. “His face looks really good.” I said, examining the lightly discolored hair.

 

“Verdad, no? Él se cura rápidamente.” She said, scratching the area right behind his left ear.

 

Remi practically melted in my arms by that point. With me rubbing his stomach and neck and María scratching the back of his ear, he was in heaven.

 

“Ah, se me olvidó. Minseok te está buscando.” She then said.

 

“Minseok?” I furrowed my eyebrows. “He's back?”

 

“Sí. Está con Maggie y su perritos.” She said to me, taking Remi back into her arms to finish his wrapping.

 

“Alright. I'll check back up on Remi later.” I said to her. María nodded and ushered me away. I walked away from the two, only to be met by more sights such as that.

 

Charlie was playing around with Nana, Janvi, and Yoyo; Naina was playing tug of war with Kai, Sameer was pouring more dog food into the bowls, Yixing and Mindy were giving Reina her daily medication, and Jongdae was reapplying Jeunggie’s dressing on his leg.

 

I checked up on each and every one of them.

 

I finally made my way over to the nursery where Maggie and her puppies were. I opened the gate and slide under the roof.

 

“Minseok-ah.” I called out as I entered. I spotted Maggie and her newborn puppies nursing in one of the corners.

 

I smiled at how beautiful they all looked.

 

“Hey girl.” I said softly as I walked over and sat down in front of her. I patted her soft chestnut hair while she nursed her pups.

 

I heard the door that connected the side of the house and nursery open with its usual creaking and I turned toward it, only to see Minseok walk out with Daya in his arms.

 

My eyes widened and I immediately shot up from my seat and rushed over to him. I practically snatched her from his arms as he laughed at me.

 

“They let her out already?!” I gasped, looking at my poor baby girl.

 

“She’s been in there for two weeks now, Han.” He chuckled. “She’s perfectly fine.”

 

“Has she shown any signs of pain?” I asked.

 

“Nope.” He shook his head.

 

“Are you sure you guys are looking hard enough?” I questioned, softly rubbing the spot where her fourth leg was supposed to be.

 

“Yes! Hannie, do you honestly think I would bring her home if I didn’t think she was ready? Even Charlie said we should have brought her home like 4 days ago. She was more homesick than anything.” Minseok argued to me.

 

I sighed.

 

I hate it when he’s right.

 

“Alright, fine.” I grumbled. I took another look at Daya before hugging tightly into my chest.

 

 

 

“Are all the dogs inside?” Jongdae asked me when I walked into the house. I was always the last one in.

 

“Yep.” I nodded. I tiredly took my visor off which revealed my horrible hat-hair, which I hadn’t washed in about two days I might add.

 

“Hannie, vas a cenar?” María asked me when she poked her head out from the kitchen.

 

“Sí, señora.” I huffed while kicking off my dirty boots.

 

“Señorita.” She corrected.

 

“You haven’t been a Señorita since the Spanish Civil War in 1936.” Charlie scoffed.

 

I didn’t see what happened, but I think it had something to do with María hitting Charlie on the back of the head because I heard him shout in pain and her muttering something in Spanish.

 

“You deserved that one.” I heard Sameer tsk in English, but with a light Indian accent.

 

I couldn’t help but smile. I threw my visor onto the couch and joined everyone in the kitchen for dinner. I took my usual place beside Yixing and Minseok while María placed enchiladas on the table.

 

She sat next to Nicolás, at the head of the table.

 

“Buen provecho.” She said with a smile once everything was settled.

 

“Gracias.” Everyone said in unison to her before they all started digging in.

 

“Hannie.” Nicolás said to me, passing me a plate with two enchiladas on them.

 

“Thanks.” I said to him, taking the meal.

 

Sameer had placed a couple of beer bottles in the center of the table for us to take. We all took one except for Jongdae who just preferred a cold water for tonight.

 

I looked at Charlie as he glanced at everyone. He gave me a sly, cheeky smile as he quickly tapped a finger on his lips.

 

I bit my smile back and shook my head.

 

He lowly and secretly reached for one of the beer bottles since everyone was engrossed in their conversations to notice.

 

But we wouldn’t call each other family if he could get away with that, could we?

 

“Charlie’s reaching for the drinks!!!” I screeched, loudly and clearly.

 

“Hannie!!” He shouted at me, betrayed and hurt.

 

Everyone’s eyes shot over to him and began throwing curses at him in their own respective languages while Naina snatched the bottle away.

 

“Charlie, you know what the doctor said about drinking alcohol!!” Jongdae yelled at him.

 

“Your blood pressure is already through the roof!” Sameer scolded.

 

“Are you trying to get a ??” Yixing exclaimed.

 

“Cabrón.” Nicolás muttered under his breath, glaring at Charlie.

 

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