"Ok, girls, wait out here with Jessica," I said, and they sat down on a bench outside the cafe.
"Breathe," Jessica reminded me. "You're just filling out an application."
"You're right," I nodded, "and thanks."
I walked inside and took a brief look around at the people inside: business men on their lunch break, girls in their mid-twenties who appeared to be gossiping about another group of girls, moms with their children, and one semi-shady looking guy at the counter. I walked up there and stood in front of the waitress, who was standing one stool away from the man, on the opposite side of the counter.
"What can I get'cha?" she asked quickly.
"An application?" I said, waiting for her to laugh in my face or tell me to get lost.
"Here ya go," she said sliding it to me.
As I filled out the application, I couldn't help but feel as if I was being watched. I turned around and looked out the window - Jessica was staring a hole through me, making weird faces and mouthing something that I couldn't make out. I rolled my eyes and turned back around. Still, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched, and while I knew that Jessica was still staring at me, she wasn't the reason I had the feeling. I casually glanced around, until my eyes finally stopped on the man at the counter. He had on a baseball cap and sunglasses - inside - but despite the glasses, I could see that he was looking at me. I ignored it and continued to fill out my application, more quickly than I had been, though.
"You done?" the waitress asked as I put the lid back on my pen.
"Yes," I responded, handing it to her.
"Can I get you anything else?" she asked, as the man at the counter left.
"No, thankyou," I smiled, getting up from the counter.
"How'd it go?" Jessica asked me when I got outside.
"How did filling out an application go? It went fine," I teased. "What were you trying to say to me?"
"Oh, I was just trying to screw with you," she laughed. "So was this the last place on the list?"
"Yeah. There aren't any other places that are open 24/7," I sighed.
"So, you don't need me anymore?" she asked.
"No, you can go see Jesse...again," I laughed. "I'm just gonna take the girls for a walk through the park and maybe get them some ice cream."
"Alright, I'll see you later then," she said, hugging me and then walking off.
I walked across the street with the girls and sat on a bench, watching them as they played on the playground. My phone vibrated, and I looked down to read the text that Jessica had just sent me: goin out w/ Jesse 2nite. think hes gna ask me. I shot her a quick no way reply, and when I looked back up, there was no sign of the girls. Panic ran through my body and I jumped up off of the bench.
"Anabelle! Arabelle!" I called their names, once, twice, a hundred times. "Anabelle, Arabelle!" I continued to yell, my eyes preparing to fill with tears, my mind racing, imagining the possibilities of what could have happened to them.
"Mommy," I heard Anabelle say.
I whirled around, my heart racing, and laid eyes on my twin girls; accompanying them was the man that had been at the cafe. I dropped to my knees and hugged them both tightly, my body shaking and my voice lost.
"What did I tell you about running off?" I asked them both once I'd found my voice again.
"We're sorry," Arabelle said, rocking back and forth.
"Why did you run off?" I asked them.
"There was a squirrel," Anabelle said excitedly.
I couldn't help but laugh at their excitement over a squirrel, and at that moment I realized that I'd forgotten to say anything to the man that brought them back to me.
"Thank you so much," I said to him after I stood up.
"It's no problem," he smiled. "How old are they?"
"They're 3," I said, forcing myself to ignore how cute his smile was.
"I'm older," Anabelle butted in.
"Yes, by two whole minutes," I said, with a sarcasm in my voice that only an adult would understand.
"They're beautiful girls," he smiled again.
"Thank you," I smiled as well, "I'm Adia," I said sticking my hand out.
"Hayden," he said, meeting my hand and shaking it, with a grasp that I could tell was being modified as to not squeeze my hand too hard.
"Well, Hayden," I smiled, "thank you again."
"It's really no problem," he insisted, looking down at the girls.
"You say that, but I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't found them. I was gonna take the girls to get some ice cream. Let me get you something," I said, the look on my face and the tone of my voice telling him that I wouldn't take no for an answer.
"Alright," he gave in.
We walked to the ice cream parlor, the twins walking in front of me so I could keep an eye on them.
"So," Hayden started, "what does Adia mean?" he asked.
"How do you know it means something?" I asked in response.
"Well, it just seems like one of those names that has to mean something," he shrugged.
"I love your logic," I teased. "In one language it means "being a gift" and in another it means "postpones"."
"And which translation were your parents going for?"
"I'm not sure," I laughed. "My aunt said it's because I was late and because I was born on the day she was supposed to get married I postponed her wedding," I laughed again, "but my daddy always said I was his gift from God."
"That must be the one then," he said as we walked into the parlor.
I ordered both the girls a small vanilla cone and I ordered a medium cookie dough.
"What do you want?" I asked, turning to Hayden.
"A medium chocolate," he smiled.
While we waited for our order to be ready, I handed napkins to the girls and set them down at a table. I walked back over to the counter, where Hayden was holding two small vanilla cones, and handed them to the girls. Before I could get back to the counter to hand the woman my credit card, Hayden had already handed her his and she was swiping it through the machine.
"Um," I said, "what are you doing?"
"What do you mean?" he asked, amusement in his voice.
"You know what I mean," I rolled my eyes, "I'm supposed to be paying you back."
"Aah, but I already told you that isn't necessary," he smirked.
"You're impossible," I sighed, deciding to give up on the subject - for the moment.
"So, what do you do?" he asked me after we'd sat down at the table. "Well, I should say what did you do, being that you were filling out an application."
"I was a waitress," I said. "That's really the only job I could find that would hire me for the odd hours that I need to work. Other than the hospital, that is, but I'm definitely not qualified to work there."
"What kind of hours do you need?" he asked casually.
"8 pm to 5 am."
"That's really specific," he laughed.
"Yeah, well I have to be there when the girls go to sleep and when they wake up," I said cleaning ice cream off of Arabelle's face.
He nodded and we finished our ice cream in silence. The girls started getting restless, and I realized that I had kept them out all day, dragging them around from place to place.
"I really should get the girls home," I said as we walked outside, "I've had them out all day. I know they've got to be getting tired."
"Alright," he nodded. "How far from here do you live?"
"About ten minutes," I answered.
"I'll give you a ride," he said, "I can't let you walk all that way."
"No, it's fine, really. I enjoy it," I insisted.
A/N: Reviews are appreciated!