CHAPTER 2: DINNER
1127 Words
As Elena climbed the stairs to apartment 5E, she couldn't help but stare at the building around her.
The apartment was old, barely surviving on its last strength. The walls were stained, the stairs creaked beneath her feet, and the light above her flickered every few seconds, making the already gloomy hallway seem even more frightening.
It wasn't the kind of place Elena had dreamed of calling home.
But it was home.
For now.
She had always dreamed of moving her siblings somewhere better, somewhere they wouldn't have to worry about the landlord threatening to throw them out whenever their rent was late.
Unfortunately, dreams didn't pay bills, and this was the only place her money could afford.
When she reached her door, she reached for the handle before remembering that the twins were still at Rose's.
She smiled to herself.
Rose had been part of their lives for as long as Elena could remember. Fifteen years ago, when Elena and her mother, Katherine, first moved into the building, Rose and her parents had been the first people to welcome them.
Lucas and Clara Bennett lived directly opposite their apartment. What started as a simple friendship between two families had slowly turned into something much more.
Rose and Elena had grown up together.
Their mothers had shared stories, her dad became a father to her and the two girls had spent countless afternoons running between the two apartments.
For Elena, Rose was more than a best friend.
She was family.
Few weeks after Elena and her mother moved in, Clara had spoken to her boss at Lang's Enterprise and helped Katherine secure a job as a cleaner.
The pay wasn't much, but Katherine had been grateful.
It had been one of the first times in a long while that someone had genuinely helped them without asking for anything in return.
Now, years later, Elena found herself standing outside Rose's apartment.
She knocked twice.
"Yes, who is it?" Rose called from inside.
The door opened a few seconds later.
"Oh, it's you."
Rose immediately pulled Elena into a hug.
Elena laughed softly. "Thank you so much, Rose. Seriously. For looking after the twins."
"Oh, please." Rose waved her off. "You know it's always a pleasure. You guys are literally family to me. Anytime, any day."
Before Elena could respond, two small figures came running toward her.
"Elena!"
She bent down just in time to catch both of them in her arms.
"Hey, you two."
The twins hugged her tightly before pulling away.
"How are you guys?" Elena asked, looking between them. "And I hope you didn't disturb Aunty Rose?"
"No, we didn't," they said together.
They immediately looked at Rose for confirmation.
Rose laughed. "Of course not. They're little angels."
Elena raised an eyebrow.
"Angels?"
"Okay, mostly angels."
The twins burst into laughter.
Elena smiled.
For a moment, everything felt okay.
"Thank you again," she said, picking up the twins. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Take care of yourself," Rose called after her.
"You too."
Elena carried the twins across the hallway and finally opened the door to their apartment.
The moment they entered, the twins ran inside.
Elena closed the door behind them and sighed.
She was exhausted.
She dropped onto the bed with a heavy thud.
The twins noticed immediately.
Without saying a word, they disappeared into the other room.
Elena frowned.
"What are you two doing?"
A few seconds later, they returned carrying an ointment.
"We'll massage your legs," Noah announced proudly.
Elena couldn't help but laugh.
"You don't have to."
"We want to."
The twins climbed onto the bed and began rubbing the ointment onto her feet and legs with their tiny hands.
Their massages weren't exactly helpful. If anything, it felt like tiny ants crawling across her skin.
But Elena didn't complain.
She smiled.
It was the thought that mattered.
After a few minutes, the twins looked up at her.
"Better?"
Elena nodded.
"Much better."
They smiled proudly before running off again, giggling.
Elena watched them disappear into the room.
Then her stomach growled.
She placed a hand over it.
"Okay," she whispered. "Food."
She slowly sat up.
The thought of standing made her want to lie back down, but she forced herself to get up.
As she walked toward the kitchen, an old memory suddenly came to her.
Her mother.
Even when Katherine could no longer work, she always made sure there was dinner waiting for Elena when she returned home.
It didn't matter how tired she was.
There was always something warm waiting.
Sometimes it was rice. Sometimes soup. Sometimes something as simple as cereal
But there was always something.
Now Elena was the one responsible for making sure there was food on the table.
She stared at the empty kitchen.
Her smile disappeared.
The cupboards were almost completely bare.
She opened one.
Nothing.
Another.
Nothing.
She checked the refrigerator.
Almost empty.
Elena swallowed.
For a second, she felt the familiar sting behind her eyes.
She quickly blinked it away.
Not now.
She couldn't fall apart.
Not in front of the twins.
"Elena?"
She turned around.
Noah stood at the kitchen entrance, staring at her.
"Are you okay?"
Elena forced a smile.
"Of course I am."
"You look sad."
"I'm just tired."
Noah studied her face for a moment before nodding.
"Can I help?"
Elena smiled for real this time.
"Yes. You can help me look for something for us to eat."
The twins immediately joined her.
They searched through the cupboards together, moving things around and checking every corner as though they were on an important mission.
Then Noah suddenly shouted.
"I found something!"
Elena turned.
He was holding up a packet of mac and cheese.
She walked over and looked at it.
It wasn't much.
Actually, it was barely enough for the three of them.
But it was something.
"Good job," Elena said.
The twins cheered.
As Elena prepared the food, the twins stood beside her, asking questions and trying to help whenever they could.
The kitchen wasn't warm.
The apartment wasn't beautiful.
And the meal wasn't anything special.
But when Elena finally placed the food on the table, the twins looked at it as though she'd prepared a feast.
They sat down together.
Elena watched them take their first bites.
"Is it good?"
They nodded enthusiastically.
"Very!"
Elena smiled and finally took a bite herself.
It wasn't the best meal she'd ever had.
But tonight, it was enough.
She looked at the twins sitting across from her and felt a small warmth spread through her chest.
Maybe things weren't perfect.
Maybe tomorrow would bring another bill, another threat from the landlord, another long day at work.
But for tonight, they were together.
And sometimes, that had to be enough.
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