The Wait

Sipping her coffee, Kate Baker mindlessly scrolled on social media. All the while checking the time and waiting to hear her daughters' door open for the first time this morning.

She'd gotten her three daughters up about twenty minutes ago, so they should be dressed by now - doesn't mean they were, of course. With her husband, Daniel Baker, away, Kate was struggling to keep herself together. It wasn't fair to her that he was gone for this long. Though she knew he was safe, it still kept her up at night.

Kate didn't know the full truth until after their second daughter, Lucy. They had met in college - when Daniel was uncover as a professor. Not her professor, but her friend's. When Daniel told Kate that he was with the FBI, she was a little more understanding...

But once he told her that he was actually with the CIA the whole time - she didn't really take it lightly. Who lies to their wife, the mother of their children, like that? For that long?

It took some time, but Kate eventually understood why he didn't tell her right away. They still haven't even told the girls - all they know is that he works for the FBI.

"Mom!" Lucy called, who was nine years old, came running down the stairs of their old Victorian home. Her light brown hair flying behind her. "Lauren won't give me back my shirt!"

"It was mine first!" Lauren, who was ten years old, stomped down the stairs after her.

Kate sighed to herself. She loved her children dearly, but she was sick of the fighting first thing in the morning, though she handled it well.

"Good morning, girls," Kate smiled at them, walking into the kitchen. "How did you sleep?"

"Mom, tell Lauren to give it back." Lucy begged.

Lauren was talking over her sister, pushing back her brown hair. "It's mine, I already have it on."

Kate held her hand up, then snapped it closed and the two girls fell silent. After a moment, she asked, "Who wore it last time?"

On cue they both pointed at each other. "She did."

Kate arched and eyebrow, looking between the girls. "One of you fess up before neither of you wear it."

Lauren's face dropped, her brown eyes staring at the kitchen floor. "Fine."

Kate smiled. "Okay, go change."

The two headed back up the stairs when Lila, the youngest daughter who was seven, came down stairs.

"Good morning, Lila," Kate smiled, grabbing a bowl out of the cupboard. "How did you sleep?"

Lila shrugged, not looking at her mother. She sat down at the kitchen table.

Kate's smile faded. This was extremely unusual behavior for Lila. Sitting down with her daughter, she asked, "Is everything okay, sweetie?"

"Yeah," Lila mumbled, still not looking at her mom.

Kate went to the pantry to get Lila's favorite sugary cereal instead of oatmeal. Pouring the cereal and milk, she set it in front of Lila - but Lila still refused to show any emotion.

She must've had another bad dream, Kate thought to herself.

"Lila, honey, what's going on?" Kate asked, softly.

"I miss Dad," Lila quietly said, tucking her reddish brown hair behind her ear. "I had a dream that he was back home, but when I woke up, he wasn't here."

Kate wrapped her arms around Lila, kissing the top of her head. "I know, baby. I miss him, too."

"When is he coming home?" she asked.

It was becoming harder and harder to explain why Daniel was gone a lot. Why they couldn't just move closer to his work.

Though Kate was a nurse at the local hospital and Daniel didn't want to take her away from her hospital family.

"He'll be home in a few weeks," Kate told her. When she didn't say anything, Kate added, "Hey, how about we call him tonight after school, okay?"

Lila nodded, giving her a small smile.

"Okay," she kissed Lila on her head again. "Eat your breakfast, sweetie."

Lila ate her breakfast when Kate's phone went off from the living room.

Picking it up, her heart dropped. Daniel Baker, along with two other men and a woman - which Kate knew for a fact was part of his team - were wanted in Germany for crimes that they weren't releasing to the public yet.

Suddenly, a number popped up that she didn't recognize. Answering it, she went outside.

"Hello?"

"Kate," Daniel breathed his British accent. "I'm sorry I didn't call right away. We haven't had service. I wanted you to hear it from me first -"

"What happened? I got a notification."

"Wait, how?"

Kate gave a small chuckle. "You think I'm not going to follow every news media in the world?"

Now Daniel chuckled. "I should've known."

"So, what's going on?" Kate asked with a hint of fear in her voice.

"We're being framed, but we're taking care of things." Then he added, "In the meantime, I want you and the girls to go stay with my sister. She's completely off the grid. Leave your phones, tablets, any and all electronics."

Kate let out a shaky breath. "Okay, you're kind of scaring me."

"It's just as a precaution," he reassured her. "I'll call her to let her know."

"Okay, but um, Lila was really upset this morning. Do you think we can video chat tonight?"

"Yeah, I'll call at, um," he paused, "6 P.M. your time."

"That won't be too late for you?" Kate asked.

"No, way. It's only midnight."

Kate could hear the smile in his voice and her heart fluttered. Eleven years and she still gets butterflies.

"Okay, I gotta go, but call me as soon as you get to Rose's."

"I will. Be safe, I love you."

"Always. I love you, too, darling."

Hanging up, Kate casually went inside then locked the door behind her. Lila was in the kitchen, washing her bowl while Lauren and Lucy were chatting at the table.

"Okay, girls," Kate said cheery. "How about instead of school, we go visit Aunt Rose?"

"But what about school?" Lucy asked while Lauren asked, "I have a test today." Lila even chimed in speaking over her sisters, "It was my turn to bring snacks!"

Kate held up her hand, and the girls fell silent. "I know you're going to miss some school, but we'll be able to talk to Dad sooner."

The girls' faces lit up like a Christmas tree. They cheered and Kate sent them upstairs to grab their bags.

Kate and Daniel had practiced for this kind of thing, though this was only the second time this had happened. They had prepared the girls that if Mom said they were going to Aunt Rose's while Dad was away with their prepacked bags, it just meant that Dad was working a case and wanted them extra safe.

Moments later, they piled into the car and were off to Rose's house.