"Aunt Faye, over here, over here!"
As soon as I stepped off the plane, I spotted my little niece's small hand waving enthusiastically in the crowd.
With a warm smile, I scooped up my niece and said to my sister:
"It's the middle of the night. I told you there was no need to pick me up at the airport."
"You think I wanted to come? It's all because your precious niece wouldn't stop pestering to see her silly aunt."
My sister gave me a quick hug, discreetly glancing at my flat stomach with eyes full of sympathy.
Just as I was about to comfort her, she pinched my cheek, grumbling that I was as skinny as a beanpole.
"Starting tomorrow, it's a bowl of pork knuckle collagen soup every day. Whether you like it or not, you're drinking it. No arguments."
"Alright, whatever you say goes. You're my one and only big sis, after all."
Sniffling as my nose started to tingle, I held my niece close and got into my sister's car. The three of us chatted and laughed as we drove home.