(Anj’s POV)I peeked at the Excelente Café after stopping my car at its parking area. Perhaps it is still early, that’s why I don’t see many cars in the parking lot. Whenever I go to the university, I always see this place packed, but today, it seems the café had fallen asleep despite the lustful scent of the brewing coffee.My daughters excitedly unfastened their seatbelts in the child seat, and when I opened the door, Leyanne jumped out first, Lyra Helene went out on the other side, while Selene, for the first time, did not complain about going out of the car last, raised her arms to me.“Argh!” I said, chuckling as I carried her. “My baby’s getting heavier every day. What’s Aunt Anya feeding you?”She giggled, wriggling her body to go down. She joined her sisters as soon as her feet touched the ground, and they all waited patiently at me as I took the paper bag with our samples and closed the car door.They held hands as they walked toward the café and chatted about what they wante
(Anj’s POV)“Sky found them really interesting.” He laughed, shaking his head as if finding humor in why Sky found my children interesting. “He may not say it, but he enjoyed yesterday’s activity in school. He even got to know some dads,” he said, glancing at the staff.The staff, whose name was printed on her name tag, came back with our order. Emily, the young woman, smiled at my triplets, and like others, when they saw how they all looked the same, they could not take their eyes away from them.“How about we sell the perfume to Emily?” The old Mr. Mars suggested. He looked at the staff as his eyes told her to cooperate in his little game.She smiled at him, nodding in agreement. “I’m sorry, but I’m kinda allergic to perfumes. I sneezed a lot, so…”He nodded and sighed, but not showing disappointment on his face. “We lost one customer already,” he propped his elbow on the table, cutting her right away, and looked at the worried eyes of my children.I could not understand myself beca
(Sky’s POV)“Finn!” I called my brother angrily while I walked toward the family room where he was watching rugby sports. I ignored Elenita and Olivia as they assembled the puzzle on the table, not caring they would witness me strangling my brother.“What now?” He scowled, rolling his eyes at him as if he knew already what it was about.“Dean Jones called me,” I hissed at him and felt glad that Dad went somewhere to meet an old friend. At least he won’t see Finn and me fighting again. I walked in front of the TV to block it and stopped him from watching. “What age do you intend to graduate from college? Never?” I shouted angrily at him. "Same as Olivia?"“Sky,” Elenita looked at me, but when he saw how mad I was, she shook her head and sighed as she tried to focus on the puzzle again.“What do you plan to do with your life?” I roared furiously, taking the remote control from him and turning off the TV. “What will you tell Dad this time?”“It’s not my fault, okay? That lunatic substitu
(Anj’s POV)“Why do you keep on growing?” I said to myself while fitting on shoes for Leyanne. We just bought a pair of shoes two months ago, and now they complained that their sneakers hurt their toes.I thought I wouldn’t make it out of the Excellente Café after Steve slammed on my face that he recognized me. It was when Leyanne started telling me that Grandpa Steve asked many things about me, and my honest-to-goodness daughters gladly answered all his questions. The beautiful blue peacock handmade quilt and my favorite book gave me away, a clue that completed his suspicions about my children and me.“Promise me, girls,” I said, standing up after checking the fit of the shoes on Leyanne. “The next time somebody asks about Mommy, you’re not telling him anything.”“Is it bad that we told Grandpa everything about you, Mommy?” asked Selene, her eyes following me as I searched for the salesperson.When I saw her, I raised my hand and gestured for her to come to us. “Three pairs, this siz
(Anj’s POV)“Finish your breakfast, girls,” I said after sipping my coffee. They keep glancing at my cellphone beside me, and when they do, Dylan looks at it, too, and Anya secretly gazes at us.After my conversation with Dylan last night, he seemed to treat my girls with extra sugar. Without him knowing, it was only making it difficult for me. I still like him, but not as much as before I had the triplets… No, my change of heart happened when I met the monster in the red Ferrari sportscar.“Did daddy call already?” Selene asked worriedly, and I could understand her worries because the feeling was mutual.I had to stay awake almost all night studying and formulating scents for the perfume because I didn’t know where to get a daddy, I was confused now because of what Dylan did last night, and I could not stop worrying about them.“Not yet,” I was forced to give my answer when five pairs of eyes stared at me. “Finish your breakfast,” I said again as I rose to my feet and took my phone,
(Anj’s POV)“Woah!”Dylan moved away from me when we heard Anya’s surprised voice.“Too early! And please, not in the kitchen,” She chuckled, shaking her head as she walked toward the refrigerator to get the pitcher of water.I walked past her and dashed to the bedroom, where I heard my children arguing about something. I closed the door immediately and shook my head, telling myself it should not happen while I put my hand on my chest, trying to calm my heart pounding hard inside me.“Mommy, are you okay?” Leyanne asked.Her voice woke me up, and they were all gawking at me when I looked at them. “I thought Aunt Anya would give you a bath?”“That was the plan,” Leyanne said, “but we started fighting who would go in first. She went out to call you.”I nodded. “I don’t see the need of who will go in first,” I opened the bathroom door. “Inside, the three of you.”They went inside the bathroom without fuss, leaving me in peace for a few seconds. I swallowed hard, breathing out deeply befo
(Sky’s POV)“You’re in the university today. Why? I can’t believe you met my professor,” Finn suddenly blurted out while having dinner.All pairs of eyes looked at me, and when I saw a glimpse of Finn, he was smirking at me.“She’s a goddess,” He shook his head. “Olivia’s right. If I don’t graduate this year, I care less. I can have another year in her class.” “That beautiful?” Dad asked, and he seemed not worried that his son would not graduate again this year.Sometimes, I don’t understand him, but since yesterday, he has been acting like he was thrilled. Elenita said he took all his medicines today without fuss and even asked his nurse when his next treatment would be because he has plans to travel.“She told me to tell you to see her tomorrow afternoon,” I said, putting an end to his fantasy about her. I didn’t know I would feel pissed at him when I saw the glow in his eyes when he talked about her. “She’ll help you with your paper.”He scoffed. “Pfft! Did Ms. Perry really say th
(Anj’s POV)As the small gymnasium was slowly filled with teachers and staff, parents, and their kids, I could feel my heart in my throat. I sat nervously at the first step of the bleacher bench and watched my triplets play and run around, looking adorable in their pigtails.Who would know that last night, Leyanne proudly recited the multiplication table, Lyra Helene, the periodic table, and Selene entertained me with solving a sudoku table? I may have lost my opportunity to hone my abilities and skills because of what happened to me, but I am not letting my kids lose their chance. But today, it was the least of my problem. In a few minutes, the event will start, and the big tarp with the words ‘Family Day’ was like a sharp knife piercing my heart. I could not think and breathe as I saw my girls stop running and watched other kids coming with their mother and father.Leyanne turned her head to me, her eyes hopeful that a man, claiming their father, would enter the large entrance of