Twelve Little Brothers

Mom?

Chan's POV

"Are you sure it's okay to leave him here?" Joshua hyung asked in English, and Mrs. Kim nodded. I was suddenly hugged and pushed into Mrs. Kim's house, which I was not expecting.

"Bye, Chan! We'll pick you up later!" I waved hesitantly, and my hyungs left me. Apparently Appa has a new day job, and I now have to stay here with the Kims. It stinks when you're the youngest and you just get carted around everywhere.

I looked up at Mrs. Kim, and she smiled. I've been over here before, but never alone. Now that I think about it, I've never been anywhere alone. At all. I'm kind of surprised they even let me come here.

"Would you like to watch TV since Samuel isn't up yet?" I tilted my head, and Mrs. Kim just resorted to pointing at the TV. I nodded and she turned on a kids show while I climbed onto the couch. I curled into a ball and watched the show while Mrs. Kim walked away to go do whatever she does.

I realized right around lunch time that it's a very good thing that I don't like to talk a bunch. Because it's not like anyone here would understand me anyways.

I tried to help Mrs. Kim clean up after lunch like I always see my hyungs do, but she just smiled and waved me off. I shrugged and walked into the living room. Baby Samuel had gotten up a couple hours ago, but I was just now in front of him for the first time without adult supervision.

I crawled into the couch where he was sitting, and poked his cheek. Samuel laughed, and I smiled, so I did it again. I kept poking his cheek for almost a minute straight before he finally realized he could poke me too. So the two of us just sat there and poked each other.

That is, until I started tickling him. The one year old just laughed and tried to squirm away from my hands. Which only encouraged me more.

But Samuel was so determined to escape me, that he fell off the couch. Well, almost. I was able to catch him first.

But I just sort of sat there in shock, waiting for him to start crying. I pulled him back onto the couch, just in case he did start crying. Yet Samuel just crawled into my lap and sat on me.

I looked at him very confusedly, but he just turned so he could see my face and smiled. I picked him up just a bit and turned him around so we both could face each other, and he poked me.

I pouted, which made him laugh, but our poking war started up again. I barely even heard the doorbell ring since I was laughing so hard with Samuel.

"Hey, Chan! Are you ready to go?" I looked up from Samuel and nodded at my hyungs who were at the door. I got one last poke in before Mrs. Kim took Samuel off of me and I bounced over to Jeonghan hyung.

I lifted my arms up so Jeonghan hyung would pick me up, and then I waved at Mrs. Kim. I bowed my head in thanks, and Jeonghan hyung walked me over to my own house.

"Did you have fun playing with Samuel?" I nodded and rested my head against Jeonghan hyung's chest. I fell asleep before he even opened the door, and Jeonghan hyung laid me down in my bed.

...

"Ah, I created an angel, didn't I?" A lady appeared in front of me and full on hugged me. I tilted my head, but soon recognized her as the woman in Appa's picture frame by his bed.

"Mommy?" She smiled and fixed my hair. I clung to her, never wanting to let go. Everyone else had some sort of memory of her, but me. Is it too much to ask for one moment?

"You've grown up so much. It's too bad I can't visit dreams very often." I hugged her tighter and willed myself to never wake up.

"Why did you leave, Mommy?" A sad smile danced across her lips and she pressed them on my forehead.

"So you can live, my precious baby." I felt her fading away from me, and tears slipped down my cheeks. Mom quickly wiped them before she disappeared.

...

I woke up with tears running down my face, and I sat up so I could look across the room at Appa's picture. She was definitely the lady from my dream.

But it didn't feel like a dream. I've had a lot of those. This one felt different. Almost like I could still feel her hugging me.

I brought my hands up and roughly wiped my tears away, realizing I liked it when Mommy wiped my tears better. I smiled softly to myself. At least I got to be visited by an angel.