We hop into the car, and I look up the closest phone store, which luckily happens to be in the same mall as a few other stores I want to go to. I set up the GPS and then start the drive. After about twenty minutes due to the light flow of traffic, we arrive at the mall and I drive around a bit looking for a parking space. I get lucky when a car pulls out near the front, and I immediately pull into the spot.

After we park, we make our way to the phone store on the first floor to have the twins pick out their phones before picking out mine and setting us up on a family plan. The twins get the Samsung Galaxy 5, and I get the Galaxy 6 Edge, all equipped with lifeproof cases. After we're done with that, we head to Best Buy where I have them pick out two game systems, one for the den and another for the living room, while I go find a stereo system for my room and a TV for the den. I grab a laptop for myself, a couple tablets for the twins, and a few HDMI cords before going to look for them.

Carly picked out a PS4 for the living room, and Riley chose an X-Box One for the den. I let them pick out two games for each of their systems and then we head to checkout. One of the workers helps me bring the haul out to the car and I quickly lock everything up in the trunk before we head back in.

We go into Target and I have the kids pick out some clothes and swimsuits for the pool, before getting on my phone and calling a pool guy to come out a check the water. We set up an appointment for two hours from now, and I hang up satisfied, before calling a cable company to set up an account, and have a guy come out to set up a wifi connection and bring a couple of cable boxes.

Once the kids have all of their clothes in the cart, I grab a few things for myself, before going to the home section and grabbing everything I need from there before heading to check out. With more bags in hand, we go to our last stop, the shoe store. I let the kids get a few pairs of shoes each, and grab a couple for myself, before we check out and grab some lunch before leaving the mall.

Once we get back to the house, the kids help me bring everything in the house and bring the TV and X-Box down to the den, before I let them go put everything in their rooms.

The cable guy comes first, and connects the two cable boxes, and even helps me set up the systems, before setting up the wifi connection. I setup the connection name as Street Racer with the password H!dd3nH3a&t. The pool guy shows up about 20 minutes after the cable guy leaves, and tells me that the pool is fine the way it is. We set up a standing monthly appointment for him to come out and check the pool before he leaves and I go up to my room to put away my things.

While lounging on my bed, I setup my laptop before applying for classes in the fall and getting the kids enrolled in a summer camp and elementary school. They'll be starting third grade this year, and I can only hope that they'll be able to make some friends coming in at the middle of elementary school.

After I'm done getting school squared away, I look up local tracks to race at before I start street racing. I find a race track a few miles from the house and set up a track time for tomorrow. Now all I need to do is find someone to watch the twins since the summer camp doesn't start until next month.

"Sang, The twins call, walking into my room. "We wanna go swimming." They say together.

Man that can get freaky.

"Ok go put your new swimsuits on."

"We want you to swim too Sang," Carly wines.

"Ok, I'll swim too. Just go get ready." I laugh.

"Yay!" They celebrate, running back to their rooms to get ready.

After we're all dressed, I grab a couple of the new towels and we head out to the back yard. When we get outside I hear water lapping from the house next door.

I guess everyone's out for a swim today.

The twins waste no time in jumping straight in the pool and start swimming around. It's times like this that I'm glad I always took the twins out with me whenever I'd go swimming in the lakes of Illinois every summer.

"Come on, Sang, come swim with us!" Carly calls out.

"I'm coming sweetie." I tell her.

I place our towels on the deck chair and walk over to the edge of the pool.

"Come on Sang!" Riley yells.

"Ok, ok." I tell him, laughing.

I get into the pool and am immediately tackled by my twin angels.

"We're playing tag Sang! You're it!" Carly says laughing and swimming away.

"Oh I'm gonna get you!" I laugh.

I chase the kids around for a little while, letting them evade me, before I see a head peak over our neighbor's bush.

I see Nathan's red hair before his face comes into view over the hedge.

"Sang? You're the one who lives here now?"

"You know Nathan, if I didn't know any better I'd say you have something against new people." I tell him, only half joking.

His cheeks heat to a light pink as his eyes widen and his mouth drops open in shock. He starts shaking his head vehemently.

"No Sang – That's not what - I'm so - ... Can we start over?" He asks on a sigh.

"Kota already apologized for your behavior yesterday. Although if you keep this up he might need to apologize for you again. Some would think that you don't know how to talk to a girl Nathan. I however find that highly illogical." I say trying to lighten the mood.

I suppose it works as he gets a lazy grin on his face and leans his arms on the hedge wall.

"I suppose you're right in some ways. I live in a house full of guys so sometimes I forget that not everyone can speak so bluntly. It's gotten me stood up a few times that's for sure." He finishes with a laugh.

"I don't think being blunt is a problem." Tell him seriously. "It's when you try and know my life story in the span of five minutes that I have a problem with."

He starts to look sheepish again and I start to feel slightly guilty. He's already apologized Well, sort of. And he does look sincere, not to mention hot. I guess I could go easy on him, just this once.

"Nathan it's cool." I say while floating on my back. "Just try to be more mindful of invasive questions in the future."

"You mean we have a future?" He teases with a cocky grin.

He really does look better smiling.

"Well we live next to each other. We're bound to run into each other again if this experience has taught us anything."

"Be careful with your wording," he tells me. "I just might make it my mission to see you often."

"I'll try not to freak out over your stalker tendencies." I say with a laugh.

"Think I could join you? My brothers that like to swim aren't home so it's kinda lonely." He tells me.

"How many brothers do you have? Kota mentioned something about them earlier."

"There's nine of us."

Holy shit! nine!?

His announcement makes me sit up too quickly and lose my footing on the pool floor. I come up sputtering for air just in time to see Nathan climb over the hedge that separates our backyards.

"Whoa, Sang! Are you ok?" He asks as he reaches the edge of the pool.

"Yeah," I choke out. "I'm fine. That was just unexpected."

"Yeah," he agrees, "we can be a bit overwhelming at times but I'm sure you'll meet the others soon."

Nine brothers!! Are they all as good looking as Kota and Nathan? Kota has more of a nerdish quality to him, but he's still kinda cute. Nathan's buff, he definitely works out if those monster abs and muscles are any indication. I wonder – "

"Sang?"

Nathan's voice snaps we out of my perusal of his body. I look up to his face and see a knowing smirk lingering there.

"Yeah?" I ask dumbly.

Smooth Sang.

"Can I join you?"

"You'll have to ask the twins." I tell him.

Who have been suspiciously quiet during our encounter.

I look around the pool and see them on the far side whispering to each other.

"Carly! Riley! Come here." I call to them.

They swim over and look at me expectantly.

"Nathan has something to ask you two."

They turn their quizzical twin faces to Nathan and wait. He visibly pales.

Does he not like kids?

Somehow that thought hurts and doesn't seem right at the same time.

"Your mom said I should ask you guys if it would be alright to swim with you."

And there he goes again. Open mouth, insert foot.

"She's not our mom," the twins say in a heated voice.

"Our mom was mean." Riley tells him.

"Sang's our sister. She takes care of us," Carly adds in.

Well there you have it folks. His noninvasive questions were nice while they lasted.

Nathan's eyes go wide and he does a great impression of a fish out of water.

I've seen enough of this.

"Nathan! You're catching flies." I tell him.

He quickly closes his mouth and takes a step back.

"Sang I am so sorry. God, you must think I'm such an idiot. I'll leave you guys alone now. I'm really sorry."

Just as he turns away, the twins call out his name. He turns back around to them, looking defeated.

"I thought you wanted to swim with us." Carly says in a small voice.

"We were going to play tag." Riley adds in.

"You mean you guys want me to play with you?" Nathan asks shocked.

My angels have big hearts. I've taught them to be kind and forgiving. While they have a tendency to be fiercely protective and loyal over me and each other, I know that at times, we are not enough. That's why I moved us. So they'd have a chance at being normal kids, without worrying about having to face our mother.

Come to think of it, Nathan hasn't commented on what Riley told him. I guess he's learning.

"We love sissy but she doesn't always wanna play with us." Riley tells him.

"If you're sure you want me to," Nathan says while walking closer to the pool.

"Yes!" The twins exclaim.

"Alright then."

Nathan gets into the pool and swims towards me while the twins swim away.

"Who's it?" Nathan asks.

"You." I say while pushing his chest.

Man that guy has some serious muscles.

I try not to let him amazing physique phase me as I turn and swim away.

After swimming with Nathan and the twins for a couple hours, we hear a commotion coming from Nathan's house. Nathan gets out of the pool and walks over to the hedge to see what's going on.

"Yo! Kota! What's going on?" Nathan calls out.

"Nathan, where have you been? You weren't answering your phone! We were about to send out a search party, what the hell man!"

"Yo, Kota chill out. Just come here for a second."

"No man! What are you doing over there? Whose house is that!?"

"It's Sang's, now will you calm down? I must've left my phone by the pool."

"Sang? That's Sang's house?"

Until now, Kota was just a disembodied voice coming from his backyard. As soon as I see his head clear the hedge line I notice his eyes go wide. Sort of like he didn't believe I could actually be living here.

"Hi Kota!" I say waving.

"Hi Kota!" The twins repeat.

"Uh hey." Kota says hesitantly while smiling. "Uh, Nathan? We need you in the house to go over that thing."

"Oh, ok. Sorry Sang I gotta go." Nathan tells me apologetically.

"It's ok, I should probably get some dinner ready for the kids anyway." I tell him.

"I'll make it up to you, I promise." Nathan tells me, while Kota looks on quizzically.

"Actually, do you guys know of a babysitter in the area? I've gotta go out for a couple of hours tomorrow and need someone to watch the twins."

"I could do it," Kota offers. "I have a little sister, I used to watch her for my mom all the time."

"I don't know," I hedge. "Not to be rude or anything, but I just met you guys."

"I get it, but technically, anyone watching the twins would be someone you'd just met." Kota responds.

"True, but they'd be certified caretakers." I respond.

"But this way, you'd save a bit of money," he tells me. "Plus you know where I live, and where I work."

"Eh, I don't know. Guys, what do you think?" I ask the twins.

"We're fine with it," Carly responds.

"Yeah, Nathan's fun. If Kota's his brother, he should be fun too. You're fun." Riley includes.

"Eh, you're sure you don't mind?" I ask Kota.

"Not at all," he responds with a smile. "I'd be happy to watch them for you."

"Really? Alright, I owe you big time." I tell him. "The kids will be on their best behavior, right guys?"

"Yes Sang," they reply in unison.

"Really it's no problem. I'm sure we'll find something fun to do." Kota assures me.

After we set up a time for him to come over and watch the kids, we get out the pool and I start on dinner. At least our neighbors are nice.