(Sky’s POV)“I saw an ice cream shop in front of the school. Would you like to have ice cream?” My father asked the girls when their activity was over.“Dad,” I hissed, meeting his eyes, telling him to stop it. We might have solved their problem for the day, but we don’t want their mother to be hysterical just because an old stranger invited them for ice cream.“I love ice cream,” One of the girls exclaimed.I bit my lip, wondering if it was Leyanne, Selene, or Lyra Helene, and thought of how to stop my father from bringing them to the ice cream parlor. I heaved a deep sigh as I sat in their small chair. “We don’t want your mom to worry,” I said.“But if we ask permission, can we go?” Another girl asked.“Oh… kay!” I said, my eyes following her as she ran outside the classroom. “Where is she going?” No one from the girls answered me. Instead, they put their small backpack on their back and sat, waiting patiently for their sister.When she came back, she was pulling the hand of their s

(Anj’s POV)My three girls may be five years old, turning six, as Selene would always correct, but they talk and think like adults. In Sta. Louisiana, where I gave birth to and raised them, we lived in a dormitory where they got to interact with university students and young adults.Always wanting to be practical, I did not think of needing to live in an apartment where I had to find a nanny, pay a rental cost, and worry about myself and my children. Mrs. Salvador, a retired schoolteacher, looked after my daughters while I worked and studied. Most of the time, my housemates volunteered to take care of them.Only when I came back that I realize their need to interact with kids their age when Sister Grace reminded me why she made me join in Anya’s classes before, but I guess I was too late. Looking at them, I didn’t want to think I had stolen their precious childhood.“Mommy’s free today. What do you want to do?” I asked them while having breakfast. Dylan glanced at me, probably wonderi

(Anj’s POV)“Sky found them really interesting.” He laughed, shaking his head as if finding humor in why Sky found my children interesting. “He may not say it, but he enjoyed yesterday’s activity in school. He even got to know some dads,” he said, glancing at the staff.The staff, whose name was printed on her name tag, came back with our order. Emily, the young woman, smiled at my triplets, and like others, when they saw how they all looked the same, they could not take their eyes away from them.“How about we sell the perfume to Emily?” The old Mr. Mars suggested. He looked at the staff as his eyes told her to cooperate in his little game.She smiled at him, nodding in agreement. “I’m sorry, but I’m kinda allergic to perfumes. I sneezed a lot, so…”He nodded and sighed, but not showing disappointment on his face. “We lost one customer already,” he propped his elbow on the table, cutting her right away, and looked at the worried eyes of my children.I could not understand myself beca

(Anj’s POV)“Why do you keep on growing?” I said to myself while fitting on shoes for Leyanne. We just bought a pair of shoes two months ago, and now they complained that their sneakers hurt their toes.I thought I wouldn’t make it out of the Excellente Café after Steve slammed on my face that he recognized me. It was when Leyanne started telling me that Grandpa Steve asked many things about me, and my honest-to-goodness daughters gladly answered all his questions. The beautiful blue peacock handmade quilt and my favorite book gave me away, a clue that completed his suspicions about my children and me.“Promise me, girls,” I said, standing up after checking the fit of the shoes on Leyanne. “The next time somebody asks about Mommy, you’re not telling him anything.”“Is it bad that we told Grandpa everything about you, Mommy?” asked Selene, her eyes following me as I searched for the salesperson.When I saw her, I raised my hand and gestured for her to come to us. “Three pairs, this siz

(Anj’s POV)“Woah!”Dylan moved away from me when we heard Anya’s surprised voice.“Too early! And please, not in the kitchen,” She chuckled, shaking her head as she walked toward the refrigerator to get the pitcher of water.I walked past her and dashed to the bedroom, where I heard my children arguing about something. I closed the door immediately and shook my head, telling myself it should not happen while I put my hand on my chest, trying to calm my heart pounding hard inside me.“Mommy, are you okay?” Leyanne asked.Her voice woke me up, and they were all gawking at me when I looked at them. “I thought Aunt Anya would give you a bath?”“That was the plan,” Leyanne said, “but we started fighting who would go in first. She went out to call you.”I nodded. “I don’t see the need of who will go in first,” I opened the bathroom door. “Inside, the three of you.”They went inside the bathroom without fuss, leaving me in peace for a few seconds. I swallowed hard, breathing out deeply befo