Interviewed by the twins.

Yvonne Lawrence stared out the classroom window, her eyes following the gentle sway of the playground swings. The kindergarten was quiet now, the laughter and chatter of children replaced by the soft hum of the air conditioning. The children she had been watching over had all been picked up, except for two. Lily and Jack sat at a small table, coloring patiently.

Despite her resolve the previous night, here she was again reminiscing. Yvonne sighed, her thoughts drifting back to the past. Life had not been kind to her. She had worked tirelessly to support her fiancé, David, juggling three part-time jobs alongside her modest salary as a kindergarten teacher. She had always believed in their future, but since David had started working at the big company, things had changed.

There was a time when David loved everything she cooked, savoring every meal she prepared. But those days seemed like a distant memory now. He had become distant and critical, his once affectionate demeanor replaced by an icy coldness. Yvonne often wondered what had gone wrong.

Earlier that day, she had met her friend Clara for a brief lunch after the kids went for a break. They had passed by a store window displaying adorable baby clothes. Yvonne had paused, her heart aching as she thought of the baby she had lost. It had been a difficult delivery, and the child had died. The doctor had told her that it might be challenging for her to get pregnant again. That devastating news had led to her expulsion from college, and she had poured all her earnings into supporting David's exams. She had thought their shared hardship would strengthen their bond, but it seemed to have slowly driven them apart.

"Yvonne?" Clara's voice had pulled her back to the present. "Are you okay?"

Yvonne had forced a smile, pushing aside her sadness. "I'm fine, Clara. Just got lost in thought."

Clara had looked at her with concern. "How are things with you and David?"

Yvonne had hesitated, unsure how to answer. "He's just under a lot of pressure at work. It's been tough, but I know he still loves me," she had eventually said.

Clara had frowned, her worry evident. "Yvonne, I'm really concerned. You've given so much, and he’s changed. Please, don’t let him treat you this way. I see so much hurt in your eyes."

Yvonne had shaken her head, determined to believe in David. "He’s just stressed. Things will get better," she had said, more to herself than to Clara.

Now, as she sat in the quiet classroom with Lily and Jack, Yvonne couldn't help but reflect on Clara's words. She glanced at the clock. It was getting late, and no one had come to pick up the children. She decided to call Michael's registered number but got no response.

The children, sensing her concern, huddled close. "Miss Yvonne," Lily whispered, "why isn't Daddy here yet?"

Yvonne smiled reassuringly, though worry gnawed at her. "I'm sure he's on his way, sweetheart. Let's wait a little longer."

"Miss Yvonne, do you have any kids?" Jack asked innocently.

Yvonne smiled, though her heart ached at the question. "I take care of all of you, don't I? You're all like my kids."

The twins slowly turned their heads towards each other and, as if coming to some telepathic conclusion, both smiled at her sweetly before Jack went and dragged two chairs towards Yvonne, who stared at them, fascinated.

Lily and Jack took a seat in front of Yvonne's desk, and as if undergoing an interrogation, she found herself at the mercy of the little darlings’ probing.

“Miss Yvonne, can you cook?” Lily asked.

Yvonne failed to understand what was happening but seeing Jack with a book and pencil accompanied by hopeful eyes for her answers, she found herself nodding.

Jack excitedly made a tick mark in front of something written on the A4 paper he held.

She peeked and saw a small drawing of food and others she couldn't make out before the boy held the sheet to his chest.

“Teacher cannot see,” he said with a mischievous smile.

Yvonne smiled in return.

“Can you bathe children?” Lily asked again.

Finding herself getting immersed in their little stunt, she decided to play along.

“I guess so,” she replied, and again, Jack excitedly made a tick mark in front of another paragraph on his sheet.

“Are you married?”

“Not yet, but…”

“And…,” Lily cut her off but soon trailed off but Jack came to her rescue. “Love another baby like you are the mother?”

Yvonne's eyebrow tilted up. Thinking the other kids had said hurtful words to the twins, she hurriedly nodded. “Of course. I love you two like you're my babies.”

The twins squeaked in excitement, making a soft smile bloom in Yvonne's heart and spread across her face.

“Quickly tick,” Lily urged Jack.

Yvonne consented to every question the kids asked, including helping them complete words they weren't able to pronounce.

Before she could ask where they got the list in their hand, Lily nodded thoughtfully then said, "We think you should be our mommy. We want to be your kids."

Yvonne was taken aback, her eyes widening. "Oh, Lily, that's very sweet, but—"

"We talked about it," Jack interrupted, his face serious. "We want you to be our mommy. Lily and I like you a lot and you have answered our questions and scored full marks.”

“Yes, Miss Yvonne. Also, our daddy is very handsome. If you marry our daddy, you will become our mommy and daddy's wife,” Lily chimed in, excited by the prospect of getting a wife for their daddy.

Jack did not lag behind as he happily added, “everyone will live happily ever after.”

Yvonne's eyes nearly teared up at how adorably the twins spoke.

“Umm, I will think about it,” Yvonne said, unable to let the kids' hopeful eyes turn sour. The least she could do was to elevate their mood after no one had come to pick them up, and they had been so bored to the extent of interviewing her.

Her response worked wonders on the children's mood until they fell asleep less than 30 minutes later after whispering into each other's ears and giggling in excitement and contentment.

Soon, Michael arrived at the entrance of the classroom, looking concerned. He had been an hour and 35 minutes late due to being held up in a meeting and losing track of time.

He was just getting used to the additional responsibility. He was already used to their nanny and driver picking the children from school.

“Lily, Jack,” he called out to his kids but froze when his gaze landed on Yvonne, realizing she was the same woman he had met in front of his office building a few days ago.

A short encounter that managed to leave an imprint on his mind.