Eve unlocked the front door of her apartment.

The light inside the living room greeted her. She checked around the area. Nothing seemed out of place. She left her shoes at the rack and quickly climbed up the stairs. The hardwood felt cold under her feet.

A yawn escaped her lips.

She parted ways with her boss around 2200 hours. One perk she liked about her job was the car. To make it convenient for her, the company provided her one. It was a silver BMW M3. She loved it from first sight. She loved the interior, the speed, the grp...

Not everyone shared her sentiments.

The model didn’t compare to a Mercedes or another luxurious convertible but she found it more reliable than most. The company also paid for its conditioning. With an offer like that, how could she complain?

It was reliable.

It was completely free.

Those were good enough for Eve.

She reached her room and turned on the lights. Walking inside, she shrugged off the coat and hanged it. Her arms stretched upwards and tightened her muscles. It felt good. She rolled her shoulders, relaxing the stress and tension. She repeated it a few more times.

Then, Eve headed for a quick shower and change of clothes.

Stars blanketed the night sky. The twinkled quietly without the pale moon. The bright city glares fought for dominance. They illuminated the streets, even covering high grounds. Lamps, cars and windows contributed to the gleaming glow.

Because of it, the place seemed to stay awake.

That included Eve.

The clock on her wall said that midnight had passed. She lied on her bed, covered from chest to toes. Her brown eyes blinked at the ceiling. Her body craved for sleep. Her mind desired the opposite. It raced with endless thoughts.

`If you accept this job, I’ll give you enough money to fund their high school years. If you get chosen by my son, I’ll also fund their college years in any university. I asked him to date for nine months, finish that… and I’ll double the second offer.`

The offer swirled in her head. It circulated her consciousness. She did a calculation. Depending on what her sisters wanted, it would take until they graduated university for her to quit this job. She had hoped that she’d be promoted before that. It would lessen the time needed to save up.

She’d love to pool all her salary for the education fund. Except, she had other concerns. She paid for their various insurance, mostly medical. She also split the bills with Andie. Someday, her best friend would marry and move out. She needed to be ready for it.

Eve groaned, turning to her side.

She pulled the pillow case and covered her face.

The temptation was too strong.

Her need for a high pay was for that education fund. If she accepted Avery’s offer, it would put her at ease. Merely joining the site already gave her guarantee. It would be up to her boss if she’d get the second or third offer.

“Of all people, why did it have to be Sir Hathaway?” Eve mumbled against the pillow. “Why couldn’t it have been some other guy? Someone I didn’t have a working relationship with?”

She wouldn’t be this conflicted if it was someone else.

Eve shifted her head until she faced the ceiling again.

She puffed her cheeks and let the air out through closed lips.

It was going to be a long night ahead.

…

…

…

…

…

The sun rose up from the horizon. It painted the sky in streaks of orange, yellow and pink. Birds chirped from the nest. Bakers finished up their breads, putting them on shelves. Nighttime workers headed home and looked forward to their rest.

Daytime ones got ready for the busy hours ahead.

In a rundown apartment among the middle-class dwellers, curtains opened and brought in the morning light. Water simmered inside a kettle. Butter sizzled on a waffle maker, its smell filling the air. A bluetooth speaker blasted out chill and mellow tracks.

Andie Summers pulled her dirty blonde hair up in a messy bun. She swayed her hips to the music. Her hand lathered the waffle maker with the batter. Then, she pressed it down and waited for it to cook.

She was having a good time.

Each waffle came out perfect, golden in color, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The music added to her mood.

Two loud piercing screams came from the second floor.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH…!”

She looked up to the ceiling and pressed her lips together. Stormy blue eyes crinkled at the corners. Her shoulders began to shake. She shifted her attention back to the waffles. She finished up the batter and moved on to cooking the sausages.

Up the stairs and into a bedroom, two 10-year old girls hopped on the mattress. They positioned themselves on either side of their sister’s sleeping form. They bounced on their hands and knees. Their long cinnamon hair glistened under the light from the window. Wide toothy grins stretched their lips. They giggled together and planned another scream.

1…

2…

3…

“AaAAaAaaAaAAAaAaaAAaaaAhhHhHhHhhHHhhH…!”

Eve bolted upright. She snatched both by the arms and yanked them to her. She trapped them in a hug. Her fingers found their sides. She tickled without mercy. The screams turned into fits of laughter.

The twins tried to get away but they couldn’t.

“So!” Eve accused. She turned them over until her sisters lied on the bed. The purple blanket and its white polka dot pattern was thrown to the side. She continued to attack with more tickles, smirking at her victory. “Good morning to you too, Eri and Ede*. Do you like my greeting?”

(A/N: Ede is pronounced as ‘ee-dee.’)

“E-E-Eve! Stop!” Eri giggled, dimples showing. She pushed her sister’s left hand away. Her mole under her right eye stood out against her fair skin. “It was Andie’s idea!”

The tickling session ceased. Eve narrowed her eyes at both girls. She stared with her chin raised. It made her look more intimidating. “Now, you’re blaming Andie? Are you sure you want to? She could take your waffle privileges.”

“What? No!” Ede exclaimed. She sat upright and hugged her older sister’s arm. She blinked up her brown almond-shaped eyes. “We love you, Eve. We won’t ever do that again.”

Eri followed her twin’s example. She fluttered the lashes of her round eyes. “Yes, Eve. We’re good girls. Let us eat waffles.”

Both pouted their lips at the same time.

Eve lowered her head. Her gaze darted between the twins. She took a deep breath, exhaling it through her nose. “Not if I get downstairs first!”

“No!”

Eri and Ede scrambled off the bed and ran for the door. Their quick feet thudded on the stairs, informing everyone of their current location. Eve chuckled as they left. She stifled a yawn, ruffling her cropped black hair. She fixed her bed and went to the bathroom.

Soon, it was her turn to climb down the stairs.

“Good morning, Eve.”

An older version of Andie walked out of the living room. Some of her hair strands had paled into white streaks. Age lines framed her eyes and covered her forehead. A simple blue summer dress hugged her plump frame.

She smiled up at Eve as the latter approached the first floor.

“Good morning, Everlee.”

“Aunt Georgie!” Eve beamed. She sprinted the rest of the way and tackled Andie’s mother with a hug. “You guys arrived really early today.”

Georgie chuckled, returning the embrace. She rose to her toes and tilted her head up. She could see the second floor from her angle. “What are you talking about? We got here yesterday.”

“Really?” Eve pulled back. She kept her hands on the woman’s shoulders.

Andie’s mother pinched her nose. “Yes, you didn’t even notice I was on the couch.”

Eve swatted her hand away, releasing Andie’s mother. She took a step back. “Then, I should be thankful that the twins didn’t shout my hearing off last night.”

Georgie placed her hands on her hips. She huffed, glaring in disapproval. “The twins fell asleep waiting for you. You came home really late.”

“Late? I actually left work at 10PM. That’s early.”

“Early?!” Andie’s mother yelled. “That is still more than 12 hours of work. Aiya, I know I can’t stop you but do look for a better job. Five years is more than enough. You’d get higher pay in other companies by now.”

Eve sighed. She wrapped her arm around Georgie and led her to the smell of buttery waffles and savory sausages. “Aunt Georgie, I like my job. I learned a lot more from it than my Business Management degree.

Andie looked up when the two entered the kitchen. She smirked.

“Did mom try to make you quit again, Eve?”

Her best friend took the seat next to Eri, sending a wink in her direction. “You know your mother can’t visit me without it. It’s one of her best qualities.”

“Flattery won’t make me change my mind, Eve.” Georgie huffed. She sat by her daughter’s side.

“Well, eat up,” Andie instructed them both, “We’re going to the park. Your sisters want to fly kites.”