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Chapter 1 — Rain Before Dawn
Rain tapped softly against the cracked window of the small apartment. It was the kind of rain that made the world feel heavy and quiet at the same time, as if even the sky understood the weight of things left unsaid. Alexandra moved around the cramped space, tying her long blue hair into a loose knot. Dark circles traced her eyes, the faint shadows of nights spent worrying, planning, and keeping two lives afloat.
The apartment was silent except for the rhythmic breathing of two small bodies. Mira, the older twin by minutes, sat up on her mattress, her posture already precise and controlled. Even in sleep, she seemed older than her ten years. Luna, younger by a handful of minutes, was sprawled out on the floor, hugging a pillow, hair tangled around her face. Alexandra glanced at them, a gentle smile tugging at her lips despite the exhaustion in her bones.
"You're late," Mira said calmly, as if timing was a matter of life and death. Alexandra chuckled softly. "Only by five minutes," she replied, moving toward the small kitchen area.Luna stirred, blinking her bright eyes as she lifted her head. "Did I miss breakfast?"You never do," Alexandra said, a faint warmth creeping into her voice. She turned her gaze to the table, checking the three small plates of simple food she had prepared. It was never much, but it was enough to start the day.
Mira was already flipping open a notebook, carefully jotting down schedules, calculations, and small plans. "If we improve our scores by ten percent…" she began, and Alexandra felt her chest tighten. Mira's mind was always racing ahead, calculating everything, even the tiniest detail of their lives then we'll be rich, right?" Luna interrupted, mouth half-full of toast, her tone casual yet full of hope.Alexandra froze for a moment, just long enough for the word to settle into her chest. Rich. Safe. Success. The words carried a weight she had buried long ago. She forced herself to smile. "Safe first," she said quietly, trying to keep her voice steady.Mira nodded, her expression serious. "Then successful. Then free," Luna added, grinning.The girls shared a glance, a bond deeper than words, built on shared struggle and silent understanding. Alexandra's heart ached and swelled at the same time. She had promised herself long ago that she would protect them, raise them, and make them strong. No matter the cost.After breakfast, the three of them left the apartment. Rain had stopped, leaving the streets slick and glistening. The city was harsh, alive, and unforgiving, but Alexandra walked behind the twins, letting them lead. She watched their small hands clasped together, and a shadow of doubt flickered in her mind.
They were children. Still children. Yet the world saw them differently, and she had been working every day to prepare them for a world that would not forgive mistakes. She thought of the long nights she had spent planning, calculating, and protecting them. Every lesson she pushed them to learn, every sacrifice she had made, had one purpose: to keep them alive, safe, and eventually, free.
Mira glanced back at her once, a question in her serious eyes. Alexandra offered a quick, reassuring nod. Luna, ever the rebel, skipped ahead slightly, her hair bouncing as she ran. Alexandra let herself smile, even as the weight of responsibility pressed on her chest.
The morning passed in a blur of school routines, lessons, and small victories. Mira's intelligence shone through each careful calculation she scribbled in her notebook. Luna's curiosity and creativity sparkled as she challenged teachers, questioned rules, and surprised everyone around her. Alexandra observed quietly, pride and worry warring inside her.
By midday, Alexandra found a rare moment to sit alone in the small courtyard behind the school. She closed her eyes, listening to the distant sounds of traffic and laughter. For a moment, she let herself remember what it was like to be free — to live for herself and not just for the lives she carried on her shoulders. The thought was fleeting. She opened her eyes, seeing Mira and Luna laughing together at the corner of the yard, and the moment vanished.
Every decision she made was for them. Every sleepless night, every skipped meal, every hidden tear, every tightened jaw — all for their future. Alexandra had taken a path that few understood, and the world would not offer her sympathy. She would not ask for it.
Yet even in her strength, Alexandra knew she carried her own limits. And as she watched her daughters laugh and play, she wondered if strength alone would be enough. Could love and sacrifice build a future without breaking them in the process? Could she survive being both mother and protector without losing herself?
As the sun began to dip low, casting long shadows across the courtyard, Alexandra called the girls back. Their laughter faded, replaced by quiet attention. She knelt to their level, brushing a strand of hair from Luna's face and straightening Mira's notebook."Tomorrow," she said softly, "we start a new lesson. But today…" She paused, watching them. "Today, we just breathe."The twins exchanged a glance, and a small smile passed between them. For a fleeting moment, the weight of the world lifted. Alexandra allowed herself a deep breath, feeling the fragile balance of love, responsibility, and hope she carried each day.And in that quiet moment, she realized: she would do it. She would carry the world for them, raise them, and endure everything. She would become the mother they needed, no matter how impossible it seemed.
Because that was the mother she had become.