Jane Fenwick had just sat down for the night. Originally from Texas, she
had moved to California to be with Peter, who she'd met in a bar. It had
been love at first sight. She had just tucked her two children into bed.
The oldest, a girl called Lucy, was only four. The youngest, a little boy
called Alex was just a shade over two. As she sat, resting her feet for the
first time that day, she rested a hand protectively on her seven-month
pregnant stomach. The child there was restless.
She took a sip of the tall, cool drink resting on the round table next to her and sighed. She missed Peter when he was away. She was thinking about going to bed when she heard the doorbell ring insistently.
"I'm coming." She called as she got up slowly, padding softly down the hall in her pajamas and robe. Before she opened the door, she glanced through the spy hole, seeing a pair of tall, smartly dressed men standing on her stoop. She opened the door, leaving the chain on.
"Mrs. Fenwick? Can I come in?" one of the men asked, holding up a CIA badge.
"Yeah, sure." She said "Just give me a minute to take the chain off." She shut the door softly, unhooking the chain then opened the door wide again.
"Come in." she said and led the way into the family room. She sat down in the chair she had occupied earlier, while the men both took a seat on the white leather couch. Without conscious thought, her hand was resting in her stomach, guarding the life there.
"I'm John and this is Chris." The taller of the two agents said.
From the doorway, she heard her daughter's voice "Mommy, I want a drink." Her long blonde hair was tousled from sleep and her cheeks were flushed. Jane smiled as she looked at her daughter, who promptly stuck her thumb in her mouth. She turned and left the room.
"Okay honey, I'll get you one in a second." She said with a glance at the agents.
"Go ahead. We can wait." The agent called Chris said. "is that your daughter?"
"Yeah," she said fondly "I have a son too. Then there's this one on the way!'
"She's adorable." John said.
"Thanks. Would you like anything to drink?" she asked politely.
"No thank you." They said in union.
With a small smile at them, she got to her feet and made her way to the kitchen. Moments later, she back in carrying Lucy, who had a cup of milk in one small hand. She sat her daughter down on the couch, then sat down herself.
"What can I do for you gentlemen?" she asked
"Unfortunately, we have some bad news. You husband was killed yesterday in an accident."
"Wh.what?" she asked in disbelief.
"He was caught in the middle of a shooting." John said in a gentle voice.
Tears sprang to her eyes. "Oh God. Oh God." Lucy, upset by her mom crying joined in too. Jane hugged her daughter, giving and receiving comfort at the same time.
"Is there anyone we can call for you?" Chris asked.
"My Mom. Her number is on the phone." She said between sobs
"Okay."
Five minutes later, he came back into the room.
"She's on her way." he said "will you be okay on your own until she gets here or would you like us to go?"
"You can go. I'll be okay." She said in a monotone.
"Are you sure?" Chris asked
"Yes." She said in the same monotone. She barely heard them leave.
She took a sip of the tall, cool drink resting on the round table next to her and sighed. She missed Peter when he was away. She was thinking about going to bed when she heard the doorbell ring insistently.
"I'm coming." She called as she got up slowly, padding softly down the hall in her pajamas and robe. Before she opened the door, she glanced through the spy hole, seeing a pair of tall, smartly dressed men standing on her stoop. She opened the door, leaving the chain on.
"Mrs. Fenwick? Can I come in?" one of the men asked, holding up a CIA badge.
"Yeah, sure." She said "Just give me a minute to take the chain off." She shut the door softly, unhooking the chain then opened the door wide again.
"Come in." she said and led the way into the family room. She sat down in the chair she had occupied earlier, while the men both took a seat on the white leather couch. Without conscious thought, her hand was resting in her stomach, guarding the life there.
"I'm John and this is Chris." The taller of the two agents said.
From the doorway, she heard her daughter's voice "Mommy, I want a drink." Her long blonde hair was tousled from sleep and her cheeks were flushed. Jane smiled as she looked at her daughter, who promptly stuck her thumb in her mouth. She turned and left the room.
"Okay honey, I'll get you one in a second." She said with a glance at the agents.
"Go ahead. We can wait." The agent called Chris said. "is that your daughter?"
"Yeah," she said fondly "I have a son too. Then there's this one on the way!'
"She's adorable." John said.
"Thanks. Would you like anything to drink?" she asked politely.
"No thank you." They said in union.
With a small smile at them, she got to her feet and made her way to the kitchen. Moments later, she back in carrying Lucy, who had a cup of milk in one small hand. She sat her daughter down on the couch, then sat down herself.
"What can I do for you gentlemen?" she asked
"Unfortunately, we have some bad news. You husband was killed yesterday in an accident."
"Wh.what?" she asked in disbelief.
"He was caught in the middle of a shooting." John said in a gentle voice.
Tears sprang to her eyes. "Oh God. Oh God." Lucy, upset by her mom crying joined in too. Jane hugged her daughter, giving and receiving comfort at the same time.
"Is there anyone we can call for you?" Chris asked.
"My Mom. Her number is on the phone." She said between sobs
"Okay."
Five minutes later, he came back into the room.
"She's on her way." he said "will you be okay on your own until she gets here or would you like us to go?"
"You can go. I'll be okay." She said in a monotone.
"Are you sure?" Chris asked
"Yes." She said in the same monotone. She barely heard them leave.