The life I was given

Elena pushed the last piece of bread toward her siblings, Lily and Noah, and smiled as though she hadn't been staring at it for the past five minutes. The twins' faces immediately lit up. They didn't hesitate. Lily grabbed the bread first, tearing it in half before handing a piece to Noah. Elena watched them eat and smiled. She was hungry too. Very hungry. But seeing them eat was enough. At least, that's what she told herself. While the twins happily munched on the dry bread, Elena stood up and began clearing the small table. “Hurry up, or you'll be late for school,” she called as she washed the last dirty plate. “Almost done!” Lily replied. Elena glanced over her shoulder and caught Lily stuffing the last tiny piece of bread into her mouth. She laughed softly. “You're unbelievable.” Lily grinned. A few moments later, both twins had their bags on their backs with an even bigger smile. Elena checked the table, the kitchen, and then the room one last time to make sure they hadn't forgotten anything before locking the front door behind them. They had barely walked for a few minutes before Lily began dragging her feet. “Elena.” “Yesss?” “How long until we reach the bus stop?” Elena looked down at her. Then she looked ahead at the long road. “Oh,” she said, pretending to think. “I was actually thinking we could walk all the way.” “What?” Noah and Lily stopped at the same time. “You mean we're walking all the way to school?” Lily asked. Elena gave her an apologetic smile. “It's not that far.” “It is far!” Lily said while pouting her lips. Noah looked at Elena. “What happened to the car?” Noah said with a cute innocent look on his face Elena's smile faded slightly. “Well... it's still at the workshop.” “When are you getting it back?” “Hopefully today.” She squeezed Noah's hand. “I just need to collect my payment for last week. If it's enough, I'll be able to pay for the repairs.” The twins exchanged a glance. Neither of them complained again. Instead, they began singing as they walked, making up ridiculous lyrics and laughing whenever one of them forgot the words. Elena listened quietly with a soft smile on her face Their laughter made the long walk feel shorter. Eventually, they arrived at the school. It wasn't the prettiest school in town. The walls needed a fresh coat of paint, some of the windows were cracked, and the playground had seen better days. But it was familiar. It was theirs, it was their home away from home. The twins turned toward Elena before entering. Lily hugged her first. Noah followed. “Bye, Elena!” “Bye, babies.” “Don't forget to come and get us!” “I won't.” She watched them disappear through the school gates. She stood there for a few more seconds. Then she sighed. Only one problem remained. She had to walk to work. Elena glanced at the road ahead. Her workplace was only a fifteen-minute drive from home. Walking there? That was another story. She adjusted the strap of her bag and started moving. She had barely gone a few steps when a car horn blared beside her. “Watch it, you deranged psychopath!” Elena jumped aside. “I'm so sorry!” The car sped away. She stood there for a moment, embarrassed. Then she shook her head and continued walking. By the time she reached Lang's Enterprise, her feet were already aching. She walked through the entrance, greeted the receptionist with a warm and tired smile, and headed straight for the janitor's closet. She collected her uniform and cleaning supplies before changing. Scrubbing floors wasn't what Elena had imagined herself doing with her life. But life didn't always care about the plans you made. She had learned that a long time ago. For now, this was what she had. A job. A small home. Two children depending on her. And not much else. Hours passed. By the time Elena finally finished her work, her entire body ached. She changed out of her uniform and grabbed her bag. All she wanted was to get home. She wanted a long shower, even if the water was cold. She wanted to sit down for a few minutes without having to worry about anything. Most of all, she wanted to hear Lily and Noah tell her about their day. She smiled at the thought. Tomorrow would probably be just as difficult. But tomorrow could wait. For tonight, she just wanted to go home. She could imagine walking but she had no choice. A few minutes into the long excruciating walk, she heard someone call out to her. When she turned she realized it was a colleague of hers Daniel Reed. Daniel Reed stood a few feet behind her, tall enough that she had to tilt her head slightly to meet his eyes. His dark hair was slightly dishevelled, as if he'd run his hand through it one too many times, and the sleeves of his rolled-up shirt revealed strong forearms. He wasn't perfectly polished like the men she sometimes saw around Lang Enterprises, but there was something effortlessly confident about him. She had seen him a few times around the office and exchanged a few greetings but standing so close to him she couldn't help but stare. There was a faint scar along his chin, barely noticeable unless the light caught it. Elena had asked about it once. Daniel had laughed and told her it was a story for another day. “Daniel what are you doing here” Elena asked with a smile on her face. “Well I saw you walking home by yourself and decided I'll come keep you company” “Well that's nice of you but I won't want to be a bother besides we stay in different areas”. “Well I'm aware but we literally take the same route till we go our different ways” I must have been really engrossed in our conversation. That's something I didn't realize until we had to part ways and a few minutes later I got home.