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"Mom, you look tired… are you still exhausted from looking for a job?"
I looked down at Paris, surprised to see her right beside me without me even noticing. She was holding onto the strap of my bag with both hands, as if trying to keep me from leaving.
Beside her stood Egypt, her expression downcast as she clutched the balloon the "bear man" had given her earlier—its bright pink color looking oddly out of place against her somber mood.
We had just gotten home from their school, but my plan for the afternoon was to go out and find a new job as a waitress.
Ever since I resigned from my previous work, our only source of money for food had been my late-night part-time shifts at a bar—but it still wasn't enough.
I needed to earn more, not just for the twins' daily needs but also for their upcoming birthday. And beyond that, I had to save enough so we could eventually move away from this place.
