2 Wanted “Money”

The dawn of the new day came far too quickly for Sierra. In a daze, she woke up to the sound of Gabby's cries at 4 in the morning. She was half-asleep as she prepared the baby bottle to feed him. As she took the bottle from the box, Sierra could feel her heart sink. ‘Not again,’ she thought. She had miscalculated her stock of baby formula and now there was not enough left to feed Gabby for the day.

Panicking, Sierra quickly dressed and grabbed her wallet, rushing out of the apartment with Gabby wrapped up in her arms. She hailed a cab and sped through the deserted streets toward their nearby grocery store.

Upon arriving at the store, Sierra rushed inside. The bright lights woke her up fully and, in a flurry, she gathered what few supplies were still stocked at this early hour. She found two tins of baby formula hidden away on an otherwise barren shelf and snatched them up with relief. “Lucky!” She muttered, clutching the baby and the tins as if they were her lifeline.

Finally making it to the checkout line after scouring every aisle for more formula, Sierra paid for her items quickly and raced home. As soon as they got back to their apartment, she hurriedly prepared Gabby's bottle before nestling into bed with the satisfied baby.

“There you go, little guy.” Sierra smiled as she watched Gabby enjoyed his milk.

Despite the fiasco earlier that morning, Sierra knew that everything was going to be alright now that she had enough formula for Gabby's next meal. Although she was relieved that Gabby survived another day without any formula-related issues, she couldn't shake off her guilt for not having calculated her stock more carefully.

“Mommy, are you up?” Paris peeked through the door, rubbing her eyes.

“Honey, what’s up? It’s still so early so go back to sleep,” Sierra responded in a soft voice. She was sleepy herself and could use a couple more hours of sleep. “Come here. Babies need a lot of sleep to grow up,” she added when she noticed Paris didn’t move an inch by the door.

“Yay!” The little girl exclaimed and sprinted toward Sierra, hitting her chin as she snuggled in her arm. “Won’t you give me a good night kiss, Mom?”

Groaning, Sierra patted the girl’s head and planted a kiss on her cheek. “However, you should be careful next time. What if you hit Gabby instead?”

Paris looked up at her and pouted. “You always hug Gabby. Do you like him more?”

Sierra was surprised. She didn’t think Paris would think that Gabby was better than her. “Honey, Gabby is still a baby that’s why he needs more attention. I give you hugs as much as I can, didn’t I?”

The little girl averted her gaze. “But Gabby still gets the most hugs from you,” she responded.

‘It may look like a hug but I’m just holding him because he still hasn’t learned to walk,’ Sierra thought although she knew that Paris wouldn’t understand that much yet. “Well, why don’t you look at Gabby first and tell me what you think of him? Isn’t he an adorable baby that needs to be taken care of?”

Paris did what she was told and turned to face Gabby who was still enjoying his milk. “Hm… He looks like a baby glutton. Just look at how much he drinks milk,” she commented. “Is it normal for babies to be like this?”

“Honey, don’t you eat meals every day? Since Gabby is still a baby, he could only drink milk. It’s important so he’ll grow into a healthy child just like you and London,” Sierra explained.

“Was I like that too?”

Sierra went silent for a moment before she responded. She was contemplating whether to lie as if she witnessed all that or to make up stories that could be similar. In the end, she decided not to drag the topic and just agree. “Yes,” she said and smiled. “You were also an adorable baby, Honey.”

“And me too?” London asked. He was standing by the door holding a pillow. “I want to sleep together too,” he mumbled shyly.

“Sure!” Sierra replied. “I’d love to sleep with my adorable babies,” she added and moved a little to give London space.

“But Gabby is the only baby in this room,” Paris argued.

“The three of you are my babies,” Sierra declared and gave them each a kiss. “So, why don’t we all sleep for a little more?”

“Yes, Mom.”

Sierra closed her eyes with a smile. It would be another fantastic day filled with surprises and challenges. However, she knew she would be fine. After all, she was not alone.

“Mom, what’s for breakfast?” Paris asked when she found Sierra staring at the pots in the kitchen after waking up. “Are you going to cook eggs?” She added, tilting her head to the side with a cute face.

“Paris, you shouldn’t be demanding things you want. Can’t you just wait and eat what’s given to you?” London told his twin off and sighed. “We don’t even have eggs,” he whispered to Paris, making the latter’s eyes widen in utter disbelief.

“What should we do?” Paris asked her brother in panic. “Are we going to suck milk like Gabby too?”

Sierra, who was trying to think of a solution, couldn’t help but feel sorry for the kids. She might have already resolved Gabby’s baby formula supply issue, but she forgot they hadn’t brought groceries for her and the twins. Since it was their first day in the apartment, she was planning to cook something warm for them, but it looked like she had to resort to ordering takeouts.

“We can't make scrambled eggs today, Paris, but we can tomorrow if we go grocery shopping later. What do you guys think?” She announced her plan to the kids and they were more than excited. It was going to be a much-needed break from their usual routine of eating pre-packed snacks, so they waited patiently while Sierra ordered.

When the food arrived, Sierra watched as the twins dug into their meals with enthusiasm. They were happily devouring everything in sight and that warmed her heart. Even Gabby seemed pleased with his bottle of formula, which made Sierra’s worries seem insignificant.

It was almost like a little celebration for their first day in their new home and she let them enjoy it while making mental notes of things that needed to be bought. When the twins finally finished their meal, Sierra reassured them that they would go get groceries after the bath, and that brought big smiles to both their faces.

“Yay! Can we buy snacks too?”

“Yes, honey. Let’s do that too.”

Sierra couldn't help but marvel at how resilient these little ones were. No matter what life threw at them, they seemed to always remain optimistic about things. She smiled as she thought about how different it had been when she met them back at the shelter - it felt like an eternity ago now - but here they were finally in a home safe and sound with enough food for everyone; that was all that mattered right now.

“I bet you’ll be proud of them,” she mumbled while thinking of a certain someone.

“Toilet paper, Veggies, Meat, Bread… Ugh. Did I forget something?” Sierra mumbled to herself as she recount the things she needed to buy. “Oh, yes. The snacks. Paris specifically wants to have them,” she said and pushed the cart toward the aisle where the snacks were located. “Guys, don’t wander around. Make sure you hold onto me tight, all right?”

“Aye!” Paris replied while London simply nodded his head.

Sierra was wearing a baby carrier for Gabby. Her right hand held Paris while her left hand was pushing the cart. London was holding onto the hem of her blouse. She didn’t mind what other people who saw them talked behind her. Sierra only wanted to make sure the kids were safe while they were outside though it wouldn’t be easy to watch over them while doing groceries at the same time. Sierra considered leaving the twins in the apartment, but she was worried they might not be able to stay still and leave while she was out.

“And we’re done. Let’s go pay for these,” Sierra said when she finished putting everything she needed in the cart and proceeded to check out. As she waited in line, Sierra noticed people staring at her and the kids. She smiled to herself as it was quite a sweet sigh. Her smile widened when she saw Paris mumbling something to herself, trying to find something that would possibly catch her interest.

When it was finally her turn, the woman at the counter scanned all of Sierra's goods with an expressionless face. “That’s $287.80,” she told Sierra when she was done scanning everything.

“Oh, yes. Wait a sec, please.” Sierra quickly took out her wallet, only to realize that she didn't have enough cash with her. She hesitated for a moment, not sure what to do next when suddenly a voice interrupted her train of thought.

“Don't worry miss, I can pay for your groceries.”

Sierra looked up and found a handsome man standing beside her with a kind smile on his face.

“Sherly?” The man exclaimed in surprise. “I didn’t notice earlier but it’s really you. Now that explains why you look familiar,” he mumbled. He explained that he had been watching from afar how hard it was for her to take care of three children by herself and offered his help. “Wow! I didn’t know you’re married too,” he added in amusement.

“Well, I’m not. I mean…” Sierra paused and smiled awkwardly. “Thank you for your help,” she said.

“No problem,” the man responded. “I just can’t believe you’re staying in the city after what happened. I’m glad to see you’re doing… fine.”

Sierra didn’t say anything else and chose to keep a smile instead.

‘How did he know that name? Is he her old acquaintance?’ Sierra thought to herself. She wanted to correct the man but it would only stir more drama and she didn't have time for that so, she avoided the topic and thanked him again for his help. Seeing as she had no other option available at that time, she was glad someone lend her a hand.

The woman at the counter thanked both of them before bidding them goodbye with a smile on her face; seemingly more relaxed now that there weren't any problems regarding payment left unresolved anymore.

“Come on, honey. Let’s go,” Sierra said, taking Paris on one arm and London holding onto the other side of hers while Gabby peacefully slept in his baby carrier attached to her chest. They walked away from the store, pushing their cart together with grateful hearts.

Meanwhile…

“Mom,” Paris muttered when they got off the cab in front of their apartment. “You don’t have money on you, do you? How do we pay for the fare?”