Our last Summer

SOMEWHERE IN OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

"You are fired!" Declared a man whom Evelyn was not familiar  with. This person was not her boss nor did she have any prior encounter with him. Why then, was a complete stranger suddenly dismissing her?

Just a few hours earlier, she could not have imagined  receiving such heartbreaking news. She was happily beaming as Harry, her son, assisted his sister in packing her stuff.

"We love you, Mommy!" Harry and Harper, a stunning pair of twins, chorused in unison to their Mother.

Evelyn, their mother who was crouched before them, grasping their tiny hands, responded, "I love you more, my dears," then planted gentle kisses on each of their foreheads consecutively. "Take care of yourselves," she advised her children while rising to her feet.

"Don't worry, Mommy. You know I can always care for my sister," Harry, a charming boy with raven locks that matched his eyes, reassured his mother with a grin.

"Yes, Mommy. You know I mostly take care of Harry. So there's no need to worry," Harper, Harry's twin sister, interjected.

The pair appeared nearly identical, with only slight differences between them. Unlike Harry's dark hair and eyes, Harper's tawny-brown locks were alike to Evelyn's, and their eyes were the same autumn color.

"No, Harper. I am the head of the house, therefore it is my responsibility to look after both you and Mommy," Harry asserted.

"That's what I dislike about you, Harry. You always speak as if we were not born on the same day. You are just a few seconds older than me, that doesn't make you the head of the house," Harper retorted.

"Soon, Mother will find us a father figure, who will be like our father," she added, glancing at Evelyn with a smile.

"No, Harper! We don't need any father. We are perfectly fine on our own," Harry's nostrils flared, clearly upset.

"That's the truth, Harry. Mommy will soon find us a father and she will not have to struggle to care for us anymore," Harper responded, her emotions mirroring that of her twin brother.

Evelyn, who had remained silent throughout, finally interrupted, "That's enough, kids. No more arguing," she cautioned in a soft tone.

Then she gently caressed their faces, "You both are much too young to concern yourselves with such matters, okay? Now hug each other and no more fights."

In typical big brother fashion, Harry stretched out his arms first and embraced his sister. "I love you, Harper."

Harper returned the hug and echoed back, "I love you too, Harry."

Evelyn gazed at them with a depth of affection in her eyes. 

After a few more exchanges, the kids dashed into the kindergarten building, their backpacks bobbing up and down as they held hands.

A gentle smile lingered on Evelyn's lips as she watched them go. "Please take care of yourselves for me, my babies," she whispered tearfully, her gaze still fixed on their retreating figures. Only when they were out of sight did she turn and walk away.

---

A sense of impatience was starting to stir within her as she struggled to find a cab, knowing she was already running late for work.

"Why are there no cabs coming?" she lamented to herself, pacing back and forth in frustration.

Suddenly, a car zoomed by, causing a wave of dirty water from a pothole to splash all over Evelyn's dress.