Archive of Our Own

I stood in the middle of my living room with my hands planted on my hips, surrounded by half-open boxes, a coffee table that still had one leg slightly crooked, and enough empty wall space to make the whole place echo if I spoke too loudly.

It wasn’t fully furnished yet. Not even close, actually. The dining area had a table but only two chairs because apparently I had underestimated how annoying it was to find mismatching dining chairs I genuinely liked. The television was still sitting on its temporary console, and there were three lamps in boxes near the stairs because I had convinced myself I could assemble them without reading the instructions.

Still, none of that mattered much.

It was mine.

That thought alone brought the smile back to my face.

My house.

After years of renting, moving, renewing contracts, negotiating with landlords, and pretending I didn’t care whenever somebody reminded me that the place I was living in belonged to someone else, I finally had a roof with my name attached to it.

Well, the bank’s name too for the foreseeable future, but I chose not to ruin the moment with details.

I glanced to my left.

Char Siu sat beside me with his butt firmly planted on the floor, staring up at me with the exhausted expression of someone who had personally participated in assembling furniture all morning instead of spending most of it lying across the cardboard boxes I was trying to open.

I narrowed my eyes at him.

“What?”

His ears perked.

“You didn’t do anything.”

His tail thumped against the floor once.

“Yes, I know you supervised.”

Another thump.

I laughed and crouched down to scratch underneath his chin. “Are we finished?”

The second the word finished left my mouth, Char Siu stood.

I smiled. “You want to check out the dog park?”

That did it.

His entire back half started moving.

“Okay, okay.” I stood before he could launch himself at me. “I get it.”

One of the reasons I picked this particular neighborhood was the space. Bangkok wasn’t exactly famous for giving people room to breathe, but this little enclosed suburb on the outskirts had somehow managed it. The houses weren’t packed shoulder to shoulder, there were actual trees lining the roads, and a landscaped path looped around the residential area before connecting to a small dog park and running trail.

Close enough that Char Siu and I could walk there whenever we wanted.

Close enough that I could convince myself I would start running regularly again.

Whether that second part would actually happen still remained to be seen.

Getting ready mostly meant me getting ready because Char Siu apparently believed his only responsibility was to retrieve his leash. By the time I went upstairs to change my shirt and came back down, he was already waiting by the living room arc with the leash in his mouth.

“You’re very impatient for someone who contributes nothing financially to this household.”

His tail wagged.

“Exactly.”

I clipped the leash onto his collar, grabbed my keys, phone, water bottle, a small collapsible bowl, poop bags, treats, and what Kit liked to call my emergency kit for every possible minor inconvenience known to mankind then we headed out.

A few meters down the street, I stopped.

Char Siu took another two steps before the leash tightened. He turned around, looking at me as if I had forgotten something.

I hadn’t.

I was just looking back at the house.

It was nothing extravagant compared to some of the properties around Bangkok. Two floors, a small garden, a narrow side yard, enough parking space for my car, and a little patch of grass in the back that Char Siu had already claimed as his personal kingdom but looking at it still did something strange to my chest.

There had been a time when owning something like this wasn’t even part of the plan.

I started at Chatuchak Market selling clothes.

Thinking about it now almost made me laugh. Back then, success meant finishing a weekend with fewer clothes than I started with. It meant having enough money to order another batch, paying suppliers on time, and figuring out which pieces people would actually buy instead of which ones I personally thought looked nice.

There were weeks when I wondered if I had made a terrible mistake.

Then somehow one stall became two. Online orders started coming in too. Someone posted one of our pieces, then another person did, and suddenly we were packing shipments until two in the morning. A mall approached us about opening a temporary kiosk, just to try it at first then temporary kiosk did well enough to become a proper store.

After that, things moved faster than I was prepared for.

Fashion eventually branched into food almost by accident. One opportunity led to another, one investor introduced us to someone else, and somewhere in the middle of all that chaos, the tiny business I had started with more confidence than actual experience became two industries in the Kwong Ventures Inc.

The name still sounded far too serious sometimes.

We had clothing stores in several malls now, food concepts that were slowly expanding around Thailand, employees whose mortgages and tuition payments depended partly on decisions I made every day.

It was exciting but it was also terrifying when I thought about it for too long.

Buying the house had felt similar.

I could afford it. I knew that. My accountants had told me several times that I could afford it, which should have been reassuring considering I paid them specifically to tell me things like that but handing over that much money for one thing still made something inside me scream.

My mother, naturally, had been completely unfazed.

Having your own roof feels different, she told me.

At the time, I rolled my eyes.

Standing there now, staring at my front door from halfway down the street, I finally understood what she meant.

There was reassurance in knowing nobody could suddenly decide not to renew my lease. Nobody could raise the rent. Nobody could tell me I couldn’t change a wall or replace a cabinet or get another dog if I suddenly lost my mind and decided Char Siu needed a sibling.

This was ours.

Char Siu tugged the leash.

I looked down.

“Yes, sentimental moment over.”

He sneezed.

“You’re being rude.”

We continued toward the park.

At three in the afternoon, it was mostly empty. The sun was still too aggressive for most sensible people to voluntarily stand outside, although there were enough trees around the perimeter to give us patches of shade. A couple of residents were there with their dogs, but nobody seemed particularly interested in socializing.

Perfect.

I unclipped Char Siu’s leash once we were safely inside the fenced area.

“Go.”

He didn’t need to be told twice.

He immediately started investigating every tree, bench, patch of grass, and suspiciously interesting corner as though he had been hired to conduct a full security inspection.

I let him.

We were going to be regulars here, and I wanted him to get familiar with the place. New house, new streets, new smells. He had been remarkably calm during the move, but Char Siu liked routine almost as much as I did.

My phone rang while I watched him sniff the base of a tree for an unnecessarily long time.

Kit.

I answered. “What’s up?”

“Did you finish it?”

No hello.

No how are you.

Just immediate judgment.

“Yes, I finished it Mr. DIY.”

“You finished the cabinet?”

“I can build furniture, you know. I have done it before.”

“Oh, I don’t doubt your ability,” my younger brother said. “It’s the elapsed time that concerns me.”

I frowned. “What does that mean?”

“It means normal people don’t spend half a day assembling one cabinet.”

“It was very complicated.”

“It only had six panels with very detailed instructions.”

“The drawers were confusing.”

“Sure, the drawers.” His voice was disbelieving.

“Kit.”

He just laughed at me. “You could’ve just let me come over.”

“And again, I’ll let you visit when the house is furnished to my liking.” I reminded him.

“You’ve been saying that since you got the keys.” He mumbled through the phone, I already know what he looks like because this has been his litany since he learned I bought the house.

“Because the house still isn’t furnished to my liking.”

“So when exactly are we having the housewarming?” He asked incredulously.

I started walking slowly along the edge of the park, keeping Char Siu within sight.

“When I finish decorating the house.”

“That could be next year.”

“It will not be next year.” I insisted.

“P’Junji said you’ve already rejected four dining chairs. At this point, we will all be standing for dinners at your house.”

“Why are you discussing my dining chairs with P’Junji?”

“Because both of us are wondering if we’ll ever be invited.” Kit said with a laugh.

I sighed. “She’s been bugging me too.”

“Because we love you.” He insisted.

“Because you’re nosy.” I rebutted.

“Same thing, really. Comes with the territory.”

I was about to argue when something made me stop. From afar, Char Siu had gone completely still.

“Oh no.” I whispered.

“What?” He said but I barely heard Kit because my attention had shifted to the other end of the dog park.

Char Siu was standing several meters away, staring at a much smaller dog.

The little dog stared right back and neither moved.

It wasn’t aggressive. If anything, they both looked intensely curious with each other, like two strangers trying to decide whether they had just discovered their future best friend or mortal enemy. It wasn’t decided yet.

“Kit, wait.”

“What happened?” He asked loudly but I was already focused on Char Siu. I lowered the phone from my ear and called out.

“Char Siu!”

His ear twitched toward me, but he didn’t move. I was about to whistle when someone stepped into view behind the smaller dog.

The first thing that caught my interest were her legs. An absurd amount of them.

Long legs, white sneakers, shorts, an oversized shirt, and then a face that appeared as she bent slightly toward Char Siu.

She was smiling st my dog which somehow gave me several uninterrupted seconds to stare without getting caught.

She crouched in front of Char Siu, keeping enough distance that he could approach if he wanted to. I appreciated that immediately. Too many people saw a friendly-looking dog and assumed touching privileges came automatically.

Char Siu studied her then she held out her hand.

“Careful,” I muttered, mostly to myself.

Char Siu stepped forward then, because apparently my dog had decided this was a formal business meeting, he lifted one paw and placed it in her hand.

The woman blinked then laughed. Even from where I was located, I heard it.

Bright. Surprised.

“Oh, you shake hands?” I heard her say. I smiled despite myself.

That was my fault.

I brought Char Siu to the office often enough that he had learned shaking hands, or paws in his case, was apparently how one greeted people. Employees loved it. Clients loved it. Delivery riders loved it and apparently this stranger loved it too.

She gently shook his paw once.

“You’re very polite.” She commented and Char Siu looked incredibly pleased with himself.

I shook my head.

What a show-off.

The smaller dog suddenly barked and Char Siu jumped, startled.

His head snapped toward it and I immediately knew that look.

“Nope.” I mumbled to myself.

He wasn’t angry. Char Siu simply had two settings when startled: retreat or become wildly overexcited.

I whistled before he could even pick which mode he was on now. His head immediately turned to me.

“Come.” I said a little loudly but I knew he heard me.

To his credit, he obeyed without hesitation. Char Siu bounded toward me, although he kept looking over his shoulder at the little dog.

The woman stood and her head followed Char Siu’s movement then at an angle, I could see her face from afar.

Young. Pretty.

Very pretty, actually.

There was something easy about her face. The kind of face that looked like smiling was its default setting.

I raised one hand as she looked in my direction, somewhere between hello and sorry about my overly social dog.

She raised hers too.

No words.

Just acknowledgment.

For some reason, I noticed her smile again. Then she bent down and picked up her little dog, settling it easily against her chest before heading toward the other side of the park.

Char Siu reached me and immediately turned around.

“No.” I knew what came next and I already answered him whether he likes it or not.

He looked at me.

“You’re not following them.”

His tail wagged.

“Absolutely not.”

He looked back again.

The woman was already walking away.

Char Siu whined.

I stared at him.

“You met her thirty seconds ago.”

Another whine.

“You have no dignity.”

He took one hopeful step forward.

I caught his collar.

“You’ll see them next time.”

His ears perked.

I wasn’t actually sure why I said that. Maybe because they lived here too. It was a private neighborhood and this was the closest dog park, so logically there was a decent chance they’d encounter each other again.

Char Siu stared after them.

“Say bye.”

He barked once.

The woman stopped and turned around. For one strange second, our eyes met properly for the first time.

Then she smiled. She lifted her little dog’s paw and waved it at us.

I laughed before I could stop myself.

Char Siu barked again.

The woman gave us another small wave before turning around and continuing down the path. I scratched behind Char Siu’s ears.

“Happy?”

He watched them disappear around the bend.

Apparently not.

“You’ll see them next time, bud.”

“SIIIIIS!”

I flinched.

Kit.

Right.

The phone.

I lifted it back to my ear, already laughing.

“Sorry, sorry.”

“I’ve been saying your name for like two minutes!” Kit said guilt tripping me.

“That is absolutely not true.”

“What happened?” He asked and I looked down at Char Siu, who was still staring toward the path like a tragic hero watching the love of his life board a ship.

“Casanova here met some ladies.”

There was a pause then Kit sighed dramatically.

“You know, you really should get some pointers from your dog.”

I frowned. “Excuse me?”

“He’s been in the neighborhood one day and he’s already meeting women.”

“He met another dog.”

“And her owner?” He asked.

I started walking toward the park exit.

“How do you know she’s a she?”

“Was she cute?” He asked, completely ignoring my question.

I opened my mouth but no words came out and unfortunately, that pause was enough.

Kit gasped.

“Was the Ice Princess finally moved by something?”

“Ice Princess?” I asked. What the hell are they naming me now.

“She was cute!” Kit said excitedly.

“I didn’t say that.”

“You didn’t have to.” I could see his smirk even through the phone.

“Kit.”

“What did she look like?” He was too excited for this.

“I’m hanging up.” Threatening him should be enough.

“No, wait. Was she single?”

“How would I know?” I asked him, knowing full well I didn’t talk to the other dog owner.

“Did she have a ring?” Apparently, he was on a roll.

“Why would I look at her hand?”

“You noticed the hand, didn’t you?”

“I noticed nothing. They were too far for those details.”

“It crossed your mind!” Kit was too joyous for this conversation.

I clipped Char Siu’s leash back onto his collar and started towards home. Beside me, he kept glancing over his shoulder every few steps.

“Look forward,” I told him.

Kit laughed through the phone.

“I don’t know which one of you you’re talking to.” Kit said teasing me further and I just rolled my eyes.

For the entire walk home, my brother continued making increasingly ridiculous suggestions about how Char Siu could apparently improve my dating life, while I repeatedly reminded him that I had purchased a house, moved an entire household, and assembled a couple of furnitures today.

Dating was not remotely on my list of priorities and that was true.

Completely true.

Still, when we reached our street, I caught Char Siu looking back toward the dog park one last time. I followed his gaze without thinking.

Nothing there.

I scratched the top of his head. “Come on, Casanova.”

Then I looked toward my new house and smiled.

First day in the neighborhood.

Not bad.

Being a working woman with a company that had somehow grown large enough to require meetings about meetings, I had long accepted that there were parts of Char Siu’s daily life I would miss.

Not because I wanted to.

If it were up to me, I would bring him everywhere. I used to, actually. Back when the company was still small enough that my office was half workspace, half storage room, Char Siu practically grew up under my desk. He knew which employees carried treats, which suppliers were willing to scratch his belly during negotiations, and which delivery drivers were weak enough to share their lunch.

Unfortunately, Kwong Ventures becoming an actual functioning business meant I could no longer disappear from the office every few hours to walk my dog.

So, there was Rin.

N’Rin had been helping me with Char Siu since my business first started taking off. She was a working university student then, looking for something flexible around her classes, and I had been looking for someone I trusted enough to enter my home and handle what was, objectively, the most spoiled member of the Kwong household.

Somehow, it worked.

At ten in the morning and again around three in the afternoon, Rin would come by to take Char Siu out whenever I was at work.

Of course, there were days I made it home myself. If my schedule allowed it, I would leave the office early or work from home just so I could take him out. But most days, especially lately, three in the afternoon belonged to Rin.

Which was why I became suspicious when I came home one evening and discovered my dog had apparently acquired property.

I had barely taken off my shoes when Char Siu came trotting into the foyer with something brown and fluffy hanging from his mouth.

I stopped and he stopped too. For a while, we stared at each other.

“What is that?” I asked him.

His tail wagged.

I pointed at the object. “Char Siu.”

He tilted his head slightly. The thing squeaked when his mouth moved.

I frowned.

It looked like a squirrel. A disturbingly cheerful squirrel with an oversized tail and one embroidered tooth sticking out of its mouth.

“I did not buy you that.”

Char Siu immediately trotted away.

I narrowed my eyes. “Excuse me?”

He sped up, wanting to get away from my nosy ass.

“Come back here.”

Naturally, he did not.

Instead, he made one full lap around the living room with the squirrel in his mouth, disappeared behind the sofa, emerged on the other side, and then proudly dropped the toy directly in front of me.

I looked down at it just as he looked up at me then he nudged it toward my foot.

“Oh, so now you want to show me?”

His tail wagged harder.

I picked it up.

It was new. Definitely new. No bite marks except the ones Char Siu had probably added in the last hour, and it still had that fresh pet-store smell.

I checked the tag.

I glanced at Char Siu. “Did you shoplift?”

He sneezed.

“That’s not a denial.”

I grabbed my phone and called Rin and she answered almost immediately.

“Hi, P’Ling.”

“Hi, N’Rin. Thank you for the squirrel toy you gave Char Siu.”

There was a pause on the other end.

“P’Ling?”

“Hmm?”

“I didn’t give him a squirrel toy.”

I slowly lowered it the toy in my hand.

“You didn’t?”

“Nope. Definitely not me.”

I looked at Char Siu again. He wagged his tail.

Traitor.

“Then where did this come from?”

Rin laughed. “Oh! Probably from the lady at the park.”

I paused.

“What lady at the park?”

“The one with the Pomeranian.”

My brain supplied the image before I could stop it.

Long legs. White sneakers. Oversized shirt. Easy smile. A small dog tucked against her chest.

I leaned against the kitchen counter.

“The Pomeranian?”

“Yeeees? The tiny cream one? Very fluffy.”

“I remember now.” Welp! That came out too quickly.

Thankfully, Rin didn’t seem to notice.

“She and Char Siu have become friends.”

I looked down at him. Char Siu had picked the squirrel back up and was now violently shaking it from side to side.

“Friends?”

“Very good friends, actually.”

Something in Rin’s tone made me suspicious.

“What does very good friends mean?”

She laughed again. “Well…”

I knew that well.

“N’Rin.”

“It’s cute, P’Ling.” She said, kinda reassuring me but failing.

“That does not answer my question.”

“Every time we go to the park around three, the Pomeranian is usually there.” N’Rin started.

“Usually?”

“Almost every day now.”

I blinked.

Almost every day.

Char Siu dropped the squirrel and pounced on it.

“And Char Siu plays with her?”

“Of course. They go straight to each other now.”

I looked at my dog.

“Her name is Uni, by the way.” N’Rin filled me in.

I stared at him. “Uni.”

Char Siu’s ears immediately perked and I froze.

Rin went quiet too.

I looked down at him.

“Did you just react to her name?” I asked him, I know he recognizes my question.

His tail started wagging.

“Oh my God.” I said in disbelief as I extracted a reaction from this almost non-chalant dog.

Rin burst out laughing. “See?”

I crouched down.

“Uni?”

Char Siu immediately looked toward the front door.

I stared at him. “You know her name?”

I said it again.

“Uni?”

His tail thumped against the floor.

I straightened slowly.

“This is ridiculous.”

“It gets worse.”

I narrowed my eyes even though she couldn’t see me. “What do you mean worse?”

“Well, Char Siu starts waiting near the gate around three.”

I looked at him.

He suddenly became very interested in the squirrel.

“He does what?”

“Sometimes we arrive first and he sits near the entrance until Uni comes.”

I put a hand over my mouth.

“No, he doesn’t.”

“He absolutely does.”

“Char Siu.” I called him but he refused to look at me.

“N’Rin, are you telling me my dog has developed a schedule around another dog?” I asked N’Rin, full well knowing the answer already.

“I think he has, P’Ling.”

I stared at him. “You don’t even wait for me like that.”

His tail wagged.

Unbelievable.

“And Uni does it too,” Rin added.

I paused. “She does?”

“Mm-hm. Her owner said Uni starts pulling toward the park when it gets close to three.”

There was something unexpectedly adorable about that. Char Siu, the giant that he is, immediately found a someone in this vast neighborhood. I tried not to smile at that but failed.

“And the toy?” I asked N’Rin.

“Oh, the lady brought it today.” 

“The owner?” I said in disbelief. My golden casanova receiving gift already.

“Of course, P’Ling. Uni can’t exactly use a credit card.” N’Rin joked.

I closed my eyes and sighed. “Ha ha. Very funny.” 

N’Rin was giggling from the other side. I looked at the squirrel again. “Why did she give it to him?”

“She said Uni has a similar one and that Char Siu kept stealing it.”

I closed my eyes. Figured as such that he did something like that.

“N’Rin.” 

“Yes, P’Ling?”

“Did my dog bully a Pomeranian for her toy?” I asked her, already thinking of a gameplan to make it up to the Pomeranian owner.

“No, no. Uni steals his ball too.” N’Rin insisted back.

“Ah.” So that’s why Char Siu was like that.

“They exchange.” N’Rin added.

“Though it sounds like they were scammed by my dog if he got a plushie squirrel and I didn’t give anything back.”

Rin laughed at my logic.

Apparently, this had been going on for a while without my knowledge.

While I had been sitting in meetings discussing leases, branch expansion, inventory, and whether one of our new food concepts needed a different logo, Char Siu had apparently developed an entire social life in our neighborhood.

“And the owner?” I asked, aiming for casual. 

Very casual.

Painfully casual.

“What about her?” N’Rin asked, the tone of her voice already knows where this is headed. I immediately regretted asking.

“Nothing. I mean…” I picked up the squirrel again, looking over it. “She plays with Char Siu?”

“All the time.”

I looked down at the toy. “How?”

There was a short pause. I could practically hear Rin smiling through the phone.

“How does someone play with a dog, P’Ling?” N’Rin asked back.

“I know how people play with dogs.” I said exasperatedly. Looks like I won’t be getting anymore information from N’Rin.

“Then why did you ask?”

I frowned. “I’m asking because Char Siu doesn’t usually get attached to strangers.” 

That part, at least, was true. The other part, I just remember legs.

He was friendly but selective. He would accept attention from almost anyone, but actually seek someone out? Follow them around? Wait for them?

Different story and Rin seemed to consider that.

“She’s really good with him.”

There it was again, something in the way she said it made my curiosity sharpen.

“What does that mean?”

“She talks to him.” N’Rin said plainly, like it was a common thing.

“Everyone talks to dogs.” I answered her, because it was true. Everyone who’s exposed to dogs for more than a minute would eventually talk to them.

Like “Hello” or “Oh you’re so cute and fluffy.” Or “What a good boy.” Basic sentences that are usually pointed towards a dog.

“No, like… actually talks to him.” N’Rin insisted.

I looked at Char Siu. He was lying on his stomach now, squirrel trapped between his front paws.

“She tells him things.” N’Rin added.

“What things?” I asked curiously.

“Yesterday she told him about her lunch.”

I stared into the middle distance.

“Her lunch.”

“Mm-hm.”

“What did she have?” I couldn’t help but ask and N’Rin just laughed.

“How would I know?”

“You said she told him.” I told her.

“She told Char Siu, not me!”

I rubbed my forehead. This conversation was getting ridiculous.

“And he listens?”

“Very seriously, like it was his job to do so.”

I glanced at Char Siu. That, unfortunately, I could imagine.

“She sits beside him sometimes while Uni is running around. Char Siu just sits there looking at her while she talks.”

“He likes attention.” I said while looking at Char Siu.

“Oh, he definitely likes hers.” With the way N’Rin said that, it looks like there was something more. I shifted the phone to my other ear.

“What else?”

Rin laughed again. “P’Ling.”

“What? I’d just like to know what my dog has been up to while I’m at work.” That is a sound reasoning. Goodjob self.

“You sound like you’re interviewing me.”

“I am not.” I insisted.

“You just asked what else.”

“Because I’m curious about my dog.”

“Your dog.”

“Yes, my dog.” I huffed.

“Only Char Siu?” N’Rin’s question full of meaning and I already know what she meant.

I narrowed my eyes.

“You’re getting very brave.” I told her.

“Sorry, P’Ling.”

She did not sound sorry, not even remotely.

Eventually, Rin continued.

“She brings water for both dogs sometimes. She keeps treats in her bag, but she always asks me first before giving Char Siu anything. She wipes his mouth when he drinks too fast.”

I looked at him. He did drink like someone was threatening to take the water away.

“And last time Char Siu rolled in the grass and got leaves stuck all over him, she sat there picking them out one by one.”

I blinked. “She did?”

“Mm-hm. Took her a while too because your son apparently wanted to lie directly on top of her shoes.”

That one got me. There was something about the image.

A woman I had ‘met’ from a distance, patiently picking leaves out of my ridiculous dog’s fur while he probably sat there soaking up the attention like royalty.

“And today she brought him the squirrel because he liked Uni’s.”

I looked at the toy again. Char Siu noticed this time and immediately stood.

“What a show-off,” I muttered.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

Char Siu trotted toward the living room again, head held high, squirrel dangling from his mouth. I watched him go.

“What’s the owner’s name?”

The question left my mouth before I had fully decided to ask it. There was silence on the other end.

Too much silence, if you ask me.

“N’Rin.”

“Oh.”

“What?”

“I don’t know.” She admitted sheepishly.

I blinked.

“You’ve seen her for several days.”  I asked, making sure it wasn’t just in her dreams.

“Of course.”

“You’ve spoken to her.” I listed it down verbally.

“Quite a few times.”

“She gave my dog a toy.”

“She did.”

“And you don’t know her name?” I finally asked cause I’m still in disbelief on that one.

Rin sounded sheepish. “We mostly talk about the dogs.”

I just stared at the ceiling. This is unbelievable.

“You know the Pomeranian’s name.”

“That cute fluffy thing? Uni. She’s a princess.”

“You know what time she comes to the park.”

“Around three.”

“You know she carries treats.”

“Yeah, she always does.”

“You know she apparently gives Char Siu emotional support during his afternoon social hour.” I said a bit jealous of my dog now. What and easily life he has.

Rin laughed.

“But you don’t know her name.”

“I really don’t. I’m sorry, P’Ling.”

I sighed. “Excellent investigative work.”

I watched Char Siu settle onto the rug with his new squirrel. Then, as if sensing I was looking at him, he lifted his head when I said. “Uni?”

His ears shot up and I laughed.

“Oh, this is bad.”

“Why? Cause I didn’t get their name?” N’Rin asked incredulously.

“No, I meant for him.” 

“Suuuuure, hiiimmmm.” She said with a chuckle at the end.

I ignored that. After ending the call, I changed out of my work clothes and started making dinner.

Or tried to.

Because apparently my dog had decided the squirrel needed to accompany him everywhere.

Kitchen.

Squirrel.

Living room.

Squirrel.

Water bowl.

Squirrel placed carefully beside it.

At one point, I walked into the bedroom and found Char Siu attempting to bring the toy onto my bed.

“No.”

He froze.

I pointed toward the floor.

“Absolutely not.”

He stared at me.

“That thing has been in a dog park.”

His ears lowered.

“Don’t manipulate me.”

He continued staring.

I sighed.

“Fine. On the chair.”

His tail wagged.

I watched him jump onto the small chair by the window and curl around the squirrel like it was precious cargo.

Cute but ridiculous.

Later that evening, I sat on the sofa scrolling through emails while Char Siu slept beside me.

At least I thought he was asleep.

Until I quietly said, “Uni.” Testing something and his head shot up. I laughed so hard I nearly dropped my phone.

“You are gone.”

Char Siu blinked at me.

“Completely gone.”

He stretched, then rested his chin against my thigh.

I scratched behind his ears.

“So what’s her owner like?”

His tail thumped once.

I looked down at him.

“That wasn’t a question for you.”

Another thump.

I smiled.

Long legs.

That smile.

The way she had crouched down instead of introduced herself to him.

The little wave using Uni’s paw.

Now apparently she had been spending her afternoons talking to my dog about lunch and picking leaves out of his fur.

I scratched Char Siu’s head again.

“You really like her, huh?”

He sighed contentedly against my leg.

I wasn’t entirely sure which one I meant and I definitely wasn’t going to examine that too closely.

For now.

Weekend mornings were supposed to be uncomplicated.

That was the idea, anyway.

I woke up earlier than usual with too much energy and immediately decided I needed a quick run before breakfast. Nothing dramatic. Just enough to stretch my legs, clear my head, and justify whatever terrible thing I planned to eat afterward.

I was sitting by the front door tying my shoes when Char Siu appeared beside me carrying his leash.

He dropped it directly on top of my foot.

I looked down at it then at him.

“You want to come?”

His tail started wagging but before I could answer, he disappeared around the corner.

I frowned. “Where are you going?”

A few seconds later, he came trotting back with the squirrel toy clutched proudly in his mouth.

I stared at him.

“Bud.”

His tail wagged harder.

“I’m going on a run.”

He blinked at me.

“If you come with me with the squirrel, it might get lost.”

Char Siu whined around the toy.

“No.”

Another whine.

“Absolutely not. I am not spending my Saturday morning retracing five kilometers because you dropped your emotional-support squirrel in a bush.”

He lowered his head slightly. I sighed.

“You have two choices. You come with me with the leash, or you stay home with Mr. S.”

Yes.

Mr. S.

I had named the squirrel.

At this point, the thing had survived being thrown across the living room, buried underneath two pillows, dragged through the kitchen, and slept on every night for almost two weeks. It had earned an identity.

Char Siu looked at me, then at Mr. S, then back at me.

“Home or outside?”

He stood there thinking about it with enough seriousness that I almost laughed. Eventually, he walked over to the couch and carefully placed Mr. S on the cushion.

I nodded approvingly.

“Good choice.”

He returned to me.

“Just an easy five kilometers today.”

Char Siu tilted his head then glanced back at the squirrel.

I smiled. “If you don’t want to go outside, you can stay here. Nobody’s forcing you.”

I stood and started toward the door. Behind me, no pitter patter of his paws.

I reached for the handle.

Still nothing.

“Okay, bye.”

That did it. The frantic patter of paws came from behind me, followed by the sound of his leash being dragged across the floor.

I looked over my shoulder, Char Siu was standing there with the leash in his mouth and I laughed.

“Thought so.”

I crouched, clipped him in, and scratched his head.

“Mr. S will be here when you get back.”

Char Siu looked toward the couch one last time.

“You’re being dramatic.”

He sneezed.

“Yes, see. Such a drama boy.”

We headed out.

The neighborhood was quieter in the morning. The air still had that brief window of mercy before Bangkok remembered it was Bangkok and decided everyone needed to be cooked alive by ten.

There were a few runners around, a man cycling slowly along the outer loop, and several residents walking their dogs.

Char Siu started well.

Suspiciously well.

He stayed beside me, matched my pace, stopped trying to investigate every tree after the first kilometer, and generally behaved like a dog who had received professional endurance training.

I should have known better.

We were around 2.4 kilometers in when his entire body changed.

His ears perked, head snapped toward something ahead then he accelerated.

“Char Siu.”

No response, just kept running ahead. Kept getting faster.

“Char Siu!”

He took off.

The leash was clipped to my running belt, so the sudden pull nearly folded me in half.

“Wait!”

He did not wait.

“Slow down!”

Also ignored.

“CHAR SIU!”

At this point, I wasn’t running anymore.

I was being transported.

A woman jogging past us actually laughed. I wanted to tell her this was not funny, but I needed all available oxygen for survival.

Finally, I managed to grab the leash, unclip it from my waist, and let him surge ahead before he dragged me directly into a tree.

“Traitor!” I yelled after him.

Char Siu continued running.

I slowed to a walk, hands on my hips, trying to recover whatever dignity I had left.

My heart was pounding so loud for a while, it was all I could hear.

Then someone cleared their throat and a bottle of water appeared in front of my face.

“Looks like you need this.”

The voice was light. Amused.

I lifted my eyes.

Sneakers.

Familiar sneakers.

Long legs.

Very familiar long legs.

My gaze kept going upward.

Shorts.

A view of her stomach.

Running bra.

Then her face.

Shit.

Nothing intelligent came to mind after that slow build that ended with her striking face.

Absolutely nothing.

She was smiling at me. Not politely either.

No.

This was the smile of someone who had clearly witnessed at least part of my public humiliation.

I stared at her.

She waved the bottle slightly.

“You okay?”

“I’m reconsidering dog ownership.”

Her smile widened.

“Ah. That bad?”

“You didn’t see what happened?”

She pressed her lips together.

I narrowed my eyes.

“I saw enough.”

“That’s worse.” I said still trying to control my breathing.

She laughed and there it was again. That bright, easy laugh I remembered from the first day from afar. Upclose it was enough to freeze me at my position if i didn’t desperately needed water.

I took the bottle from her.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

I twisted the cap open and drank half of it in one go. When I lowered the bottle, I noticed Char Siu standing beside her.

Of course he was. He looked perfectly refreshed.

Happy.

Not even remotely guilty.

I pointed at him. “Hey, traitor.”

Char Siu barked once. The woman looked down at him.

“He seems very proud of himself.”

“He should be ashamed after what put me through.” Char Siu wagged his tail.

“You nearly killed me.” I said to him.

Another bark. The woman laughed at us.

“I think he disagrees.”

“If I knew you were going to drag me like that while I was pacing, I would’ve left you at home with Mr. S.” I continued talking to him.

She glanced at me. “Mr. S?”

I paused then sighed.

“His toy squirrel.”

“That’s cute.” She said with an amused smile.

“He needed a name if he’s always clutched between Char Siu’s teeth.”

“You named a toy out of pity?”

“Out of respect is more like it.”

She nodded solemnly.

“Mr. S doing serious work.”

I looked at her, she was definitely teasing me. Yet, somehow she had the kind of face that made being teased feel less like an attack and more like being invited into something.

Then she looked down at Char Siu.

“So, he’s yours?”

I nodded.

“Yeah.”

She crouched a little to scratch behind his ears.

“I thought it was that other woman’s whose been walking him.”

I looked between them as Char Siu leaned into her hand.

“I think I saw you when we first came to this park. It was too far and I wasn’t wearing my glasses. You were just like a blur in my eyes then.”

I smiled. “That was weeks ago.”

“I remember. So, you were the one who whistled and Char Siu ran back immediately. I really thought that my memory was deceiving me cause from a distance I knew his companion was tall. Then I met the other one and she was small.”

I blinked.

“You remember that?”

“He made a good first impression.” She gestured to Char Siu.

She remembered me.

Well.

Technically she remembered my whistle and my dog.

Still.

I took the win.

“And you were the one with the Pomeranian.”

She pointed toward a shaded area near one of the benches. Uni was there, sitting beside a small tote bag like she owned the property.

“That would be that princess right there.”

I smiled.

“Uni.” I called out and she looked at us.

“You know her name?” She asked after a while.

“Char Siu reacts to it, every time at home. N’Rin told me they’re friends.” That made her laugh.

“He does?”

“Unfortunately, even when he’s sleeping. Apparently, they have a whole routine.”

“Oh, they do.”

I turned back to her.

“You know about it?”

“Uni starts waiting by the door around two-thirty. My schedule has been carved for it for weeks.”

I laughed. “Char Siu waits near the park gate.”

Her eyes lit up. “According to his caretaker, N’Rin.”

“That is adorable.”

“It is betrayal.” I joked and she chuckled.

“You’re jealous of a Pomeranian?”

“I’m jealous of anyone who gets more enthusiasm from my dog than I do. I just get it when I say meal time or we go outside.”

She laughed again.

“That sounds fair.”

I held the water bottle against my neck.

“And apparently you’ve been giving him toys.”

She tilted her head.

“Oh. The squirrel.”

“Mr. S.” I corrected her.

She stared at me for half a second then she laughed so suddenly that I started laughing too.

“You actually named it Mr. S?”

“He’s family now.” I said solemnly.

“That’s very sweet.”

“I’m thinking more of Mr. S is in a stockholm syndrome kinda thing.”

She laughed some more. I like getting this reaction from her.

“He kept stealing Uni’s squirrel, so I figured he deserved his own.” She added after a while.

“Deserved is a generous word.”

“He shared his ball.”

“That was not sharing. I was told they exchange property without consent.”

She laughed.

“Sharing is caring, i guess.”

“Sounds more like organized crime.”

“Then Uni is definitely the mastermind.”

I looked toward the tiny Pomeranian. Uni was sitting perfectly still.

Very innocent.

Too innocent.

“I believe that too. My Char Siu is a pushover.”

“She looks harmless, but she knows how to get what she wants.”

“Interesting. Very interesting.”

The woman looked at me and I just smiled at her.

“What? Something on my face?” She asked. Yes, it’s a face I’d like to see regularly. Whoa where did that come from.

“Nothing.”

I took another sip of water.

“Just wondering if that runs in the family.” I said with a smile.

There was a small pause, her eyebrows rose.

Not offended.

Interested?

There was something, her smile turned slower.

“You’re very brave for someone who almost got dragged into a bush five minutes ago.”

“I survived spectacularly.”

“Barely is the more appropriate word.”

“Still counts.”

She shook her head, smiling then she held out her hand.

“I’m Orm.”

There it was. Finally, I was worthy of her name.

I looked at her hand, then took it.

“Just call me Ling.”

“Ling.” She repeated and I liked the way she said it.

I let go before my brain could make the moment strange.

“So,” she said, “you’re Char Siu’s mom.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Mom?”

Orm looked down at him.

“He gives you mom energy.”

“What does that even mean?”

“You carry supplies.”

I looked at the running belt around my waist.

“I have water and poop bags.”

“You also have treats.”

I glanced down.

“How do you know?”

Orm pointed.

The treat pouch was very visible. I sighed.

“Fine.”

“And wipes.”

“For emergencies.”

“And a collapsible bowl.”

“He gets thirsty when we run.”

“As I said, Mom energy.”

I stared at her and she smiled sweetly. I pointed toward Uni.

“What does that make you?”

Orm glanced at her dog.

“The cool aunt.”

“That’s not fair.”

“Why?”

“Because you clearly own the dog.”

“Still standby being the cool aunt.”

“No. Same rules apply.” I said and she considered it.

“Fine. Then I’m the irresponsible parent.”

I looked at Uni, who was wearing what appeared to be a tiny pastel harness with matching accessories.

Orm followed my line of sight. “Of course. I buy her things she doesn’t need.”

“That sounds familiar.”

“I also let her sleep on my bed.” She added.

“Char Siu is banned from mine.”

Orm looked playfully scandalized. “Cruel.”

“He sleeps sideways.” I insisted. I remember waking up in the middle of the night because I couldn’t breathe and found Char Siu across my chest because of a storm.

“That is not his fault.” She defended him with a smile.

“It is entirely his fault.”

“No, he’s just a cuddler.”

“He’s clingy.”

“I wonder where he gets that from?” She asked innocently and I stared at her with slit eyes. She stared back, a teasing smile still plastered on her face.

Then we both laughed.

It was easy, that was what struck me.

Normally, meeting someone new required effort, especially on my part. A little calculation. Questions. Polite pauses. Trying to figure out whether the other person wanted to continue talking.

With Orm, none of that seemed necessary.

She just… talked and somehow I kept wanting to answer.

We started walking slowly along the path while the dogs wandered near us.

“You live around here?” I asked.

“Mm-hm. Not far.”

“New?”

“No, my family’s been here for years.”

I nodded.

“Ah so I’m the new blood.”

Orm looked at me.

“You just moved in?”

“Yeah, weeks ago.”

“Ah.”

“What?”

“That explains it.”

I frowned. “Explains what?”

“I was wondering who bought that cute house.”

I stopped. She took two more steps before realizing I wasn’t beside her. She turned around to look at me.

“You know which house is mine?”

Orm looked mildly guilty. “Maybe.”

“But how?”

“I walk Uni around the neighborhood.” She said, entirely too innocent that I’m having doubts.

“That does not  really answer the question.”

She smiled. “I noticed the moving trucks.”

I crossed my arms.

“You’re nosy.”

“Observant.” She corrected.

“Nosy.” I insisted.

“Observant sounds nicer.” Then raising her eyebrow to challenge me and I let it go. She started walking again and naturally, I followed.

“So you noticed my house.”

“Hard not to. You had boxes outside for days.” I groaned.

“Don’t remind me.”

“And there was one cabinet box that stayed there forever.”

I stopped again and she laughed before I could say anything.

“You saw that?”

“I told you I pass by.”

“Furniture building is very complicated.”

“It looked small though.”

“It had these...” I was gesturing, trying to defend myself but I just sighed at the end.

Orm nodded, clearly trying not to laugh.

“Yes, very complicated.” She kept teasing me this morning. Well as if there were other mornings that I can compare this to.

“My brother reminded me that he could help but I wanted to do it on my own.” I said simply and she nodded.

“At your pace, huh?” She asked and I nodded.

“I get what you’re both saying but I just wanted to do it on my own.” I confessed. “You two would get along though.”

“Sounds like it would make your peaceful life a bit more lively.” She grinned and we kept walking.

After a while, I realized something.

“Wait.”

We stopped and Orm looked at me.

“How do you know Char Siu’s name?” I asked her.

“His caretaker, N’Rin was it?” I nodded slowly, confirming her name.

“Right.”

“She talks about you too.” Orm added.

I looked at her. “She does?”

Orm’s smile became suspicious. “Sometimes.”

“What does she say?”

“Oh, you know.”

“No, I don’t really know.” I answered back. Please be something good.

“She says you work a lot.”

There was no lie there, so why bother. “That’s true.”

“You still haven’t bought a water heater.” I closed my eyes and sighed. I haven’t had the time to order one and have it installed yet. The internet took a long time too, It was just last week that I had time to file for an application of my house. Good thing that they came the day after for installation.

“That traitor.”

“And apparently you interrogated her about me.” She said with a smile and I opened my eyes in shock. She was smiling at me and I felt my face betray me instantly.

“I did not interrogate her.”

“Mm-hm.”

“I asked about Char Siu’s day.” I defended myself, albeit weakly.

“Of course.”

“I did.”

“Absolutely.” She said not convinced.

“You don’t believe me.” I sighed.

Orm tilted her head. “You asked for my name. Now you know it yourself.”

I stared at her. “N’Rin talks too much.”

I could have denied it, probably should have.

Instead, I looked at Orm. She was smiling but not pulling away from the conversation. If anything, she looked curious. So I decided to risk it.

“I was curious.”

Her expression softened slightly. “About?”

“You.”

There.

Simple.

No hiding behind the dog.

Orm blinked then smiled. “Why?”

I looked ahead for a second. “Char Siu likes you.” Aaaand back to square one.

“That’s your reason?” 

“It’s one of the reasons.”

Orm laughed softly. “And the second?”

I looked back at her. “I’ll hold it in for now.” and winked. That seemed to catch her off guard.

“I was expecting something smoother.” She said after a while.

“Oh, I can be smooth.”

Orm raised an eyebrow. “Can you?”

“Usually.” I tried to remember when but nothing came to mind. 

“You just told me about a squirrel named Mr. S.”

“I’m just stating facts.” I said with a shrug, she laughed and I smiled. I really like the sound of her laugh.

“See, you laughed.” I smiled proudly.

“I did.” 

“My work here is done.” I said jokingly, dusting of my sleeves jokingly.

“That’s not how flirting works.”

“Oh, I’m not yet flirting though.” I said with a smile and Orm looked away for a second, still smiling.

Okay.

Definitely something.

We had stopped near a bench, and Char Siu came strutting back toward us.

I realized I hadn’t even noticed he’d wandered away.

He walked directly toward Orm then dropped something beside her sneaker.

We both looked down.

A cockroach.

A live cockroach.

There was half a second of silence before all hell broke loose.

Orm screamed, jumped sideways and directly into me.I caught her on instinct. One arm around her waist, the other catching her thigh before she slipped.

“AHHH!”

“Wait, wait.”

“LING!”

“I see it!”

“GET IT AWAY!”

“I’m trying!”

The cockroach moved.

Orm made a sound I had never heard from another human being and climbed higher. Literally climbed me like I’m a human step ladder.

I started laughing.

“Don’t just laugh! Kill that cockroach!”

“I’m sorry.”

“You are not sorry!” She said still panicking.

“I’m a little sorry.”

“LING!”

“Okay, okay.”

I shifted her higher with one arm and used my shoe to shoo the cockroach away. It scurried into the grass.

Orm immediately buried her face against my shoulder.

“Is it gone?”

“It’s gone.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

She lifted her head slightly.

“Like gone gone?”

“Completely gone.”

“Dead gone?”

“No.” I looked up at her as her eyes widened.

“Why is it not dead?”

“Because I was busy holding you.” Orm froze in my arms.

Was that smooth?

Her face was very close to mine.

Very.

I could feel her hand gripping my shoulder and I became painfully aware of exactly where my arm was then I looked down as I needed another view.

Char Siu was sitting there.

Proud.

So so proud.

I stared at him. “What is wrong with you?”

He wagged his tail.

Orm looked down. “That was a gift?”

“I think so.”

“A cockroach?” She asked.

I looked at her and she shuddered.

“It just means he likes you.”

“That is a terrible way to show affection.” She said.

“He’s a provider.” I said a bit proud of Char Siu even though his offering was icky.

“I don’t want his provisions.” Orm said and I laughed.

“He’s trying.”

“Tell him to stop. Or like get me a cute plushie from popmart.”

“I’ll talk to him.” I said but locking in that plushie idea in my head.

“Seriously, Ling. Please no more cockroach.”

“I’ll talk to him.”

She was still in my arms and she had apparently forgotten.

I had not. Not even slightly.

I looked up at her then at Char Siu then back at her.

“Since I provide for him…” Orm’s eyes narrowed slightly and I smiled. “I guess you’re part of my budget now.”

There was a pause.

A very dangerous pause.

She raised one eyebrow.

So cute.

“You’re putting me on a budget?”

“That came out wrong.” I tried to backtrack.

“I don’t do budgets.” Orm reminded me.

“I mean I provide for Char Siu, and Char Siu provides for you, so technically there’s a chain of responsibility.”

“Mm-hm.”

“I’m just following the organizational chart.”

Orm laughed. “That is the worst pickup line I’ve ever heard.”

“But you noticed it was a pickup line.”

“Oh, I noticed.”

“Good.” My smile was so wide that she smiled back at me. Then from her position she looked at me and I held her graze as much as I could.

“You’re very pretty.” I said, shooting my shot, cause when you have a beautiful woman in your arms, you do everything to make them stay there.

Her eyebrows rose and since we’ve officially met, Orm looked slightly caught off guard.

Then she recovered. “I can be very picky.” she said.

I smiled. “That’s not a rejection.”

“It’s definitely not a yes either.”

“I can work with that.”

Orm’s mouth twitched. “You’re confident.”

“I can build furniture for hours, I can wait patiently.”

She burst out laughing and I grinned.

“That’s your selling point?”

“One of many.”

“What are the others?” She asked curiously. Now that was an opening. I shifted my hold on her slightly.

“Well, I make excellent coffee.”

“Useful but I don’t know if it’s to my liking. I told you I’m very picky.” She rebutted.

“I’m good with dogs.” I said and Orm looked at Char Siu beside Uni.

He was still sitting beside the crime scene.

“Debatable.”

“I can cook-ish. Or you’ll never go hungry with me is the more appropriate one.”

“Hmm.”

“I can assemble furniture.”

“Eventually.” She said with a smile and I narrowed my eyes.

Orm smiled. “What else?”

I looked at her then let my smile soften.

“I’d like to take you out.” There. Straight to the point.

Orm’s expression changed again.

Not startled exactly. More like pleased despite herself. 

She studied me for a second. “Is this still part of the budget conversation?”

“Different department.”

She laughed. “Okay.”

“Okay?” I said, not believing I heard it right.

“Don’t get excited.”

“Too late.” I smiled up at her widely.

“I said okay to hearing your proposal.”

I smiled. “I know a place.”

“Of course you do.”

“I work in food.” I said vaguely.

“That kinda feels like cheating.”

“I call it using my resources.”

She shook her head. “And if I say maybe?”

“I’ll take the maybe. As long as it’s not a No.”

Orm studied me then nodded once.

“You get a maybe.”

I smiled. “Still not a no.”

“No, not a No.” She said and only then did she seem to realize she was still in my arms.

“Oh.”

I smiled. “Comfortable?”

“Put me down.”

“You climbed up here, I think you should learn how to climb down.” I said cheekily.

“Because of the cockroach.”

“Sure. The cockroach.”

“Ling.” She whined and I lowered her carefully.

When her shoes touched the ground, for some reason neither of us moved away immediately then Char Siu barked, ruining our moment.

We both looked down.

He wagged his tail and I pointed at him.

“You have caused enough trouble today.”

Orm crouched and scratched his head.

“He did okay.” She said. “Just don’t repeat the cockroach.”

I stared. “You were just screaming, my ear is still ringing from that.”

“He introduced us properly, though.”

“We already introduced ourselves.” I reminded her.

Orm looked up at me. “Not like this.” I knew what she meant. My body still remembers her very close proximity a few minutes ago.

We finished the rest of her planned distance together.

Not mine. Mine had been completely abandoned somewhere around the moment my dog tried to kill me and a beautiful woman handed me water.

Uni walked beside Char Siu.

Orm walked beside me.

And every few minutes, our shoulders bumped but neither of us bothered moving farther apart.

By the time we reached the park entrance again, I had learned that Orm hated cockroaches with enough passion to consider them a personal enemy, talked to dogs like they were coworkers, had apparently been curious about me too before I even knew her name, and thought dessert before dinner was worth considering.

Most importantly, I had a maybe.

Not a yes.

Not yet but definitely not a no.

For a Saturday morning that was supposed to be an easy five-kilometer run, I’d say I (We) did pretty well.