𝐇𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 | 𝘙𝘢𝘧𝘦 𝘊𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘯

𝑬𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒆

Kie and I sat comfortably in the living room, the soft hum of the ceiling fan blending with the occasional burst of laughter from the two boys across from us. John B and Pope were sprawled on the floor, eyes glued to the TV screen as they battled it out on the new PlayStation game they had been raving about for weeks.
The flickering lights from the game cast an ever-changing glow across their faces, highlighting their intense concentration.

Kie leaned back on the couch, her legs tucked beneath her, as we continued our discussion. The topic of our conversation had been a heated one for the past half hour - whether we should stay here or take a spontaneous trip to Spain.

"I think we should stay here," I said finally, my voice filled with a mixture of conviction and resignation. I glanced at Kie, searching her face for a reaction.

She tilted her head slightly, a playful smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Why? Spain sounds so much better!" she replied, her eyes twinkling with excitement.Her
enthusiasm was contagious, and for a moment, I felt a pang of doubt about my own stance.

"Spain does sound amazing," I conceded, leaning forward to emphasize my point."But we haven't been here for too long and we have still some things to explore."

Kie nodded thoughtfully, but I could see the longing in her eyes.
"If you say so..,"

I sighed, understanding her wanderlust. "I get it, trust me, I do.
But there's something about staying here. Besides," I added with a grin, "We can plan a trip to Spain next year, in summer. Maybe then we will finally no longer be on the run as if we were the worst serial killers ever,"

Kie laughed, a light, sound that made John B and Pope glance over briefly before returning to their game. "You might be right," she admitted."There is still a lot to do here anyway,"

"Exactly," I said, feeling a sense of victory but also relief that we were finding common ground.

Kie smiled, a warm, genuine smile that reached her eyes. "Okay, you've convinced me. We'll stay.
But promise me, one day we'll go to Spain."

"I promise," I said, holding out my pinky for a pinky swear. She linked hers with mine, sealing the deal.

As we settled back into the couch, the boys let out a triumphant cheer, apparently having just won their game. John B turned to us, a mischievous grin on his face. "So, what's the verdict?"
"We're staying here," Kie announced, her voice filled with contentment.

John B and Pope exchanged a high-five. "Thank you for your service, Anna," John B said, his smile infectious.

Just then, the kitchen door swung open, and the delicious aroma of freshly baked cookies wafted into the living room. JJ and Sarah walked in, each carrying a plate of warm, chocolate chip cookies.
Sarah's face was flushed with the heat of the oven, and JJ had a smudge of flour on his nose, which made Kie and me chuckle.
"Hey, guys! We brought some cookies!" Sarah announced, placing the plates on the coffee table.
"Fresh out of the oven."