33.
*Joe*
I boarded the plane to London in my disguise. According to my passport, I was George Henshaw from South Carolina. But I desperately wanted to be Joe Solomon, at home with my wife. Still, I had my mission in mind and I sat in my designated seat, ready for takeoff. I could have just taken a helicopter or something, but I had no idea how to get one now that everyone was after me. Did they honestly think that I was still involved with the Circle? I had walked away a very long time ago. And I hadn't looked back since.
But I couldn't tell them that. Because if I tried to talk to someone in the CIA, they would arrest me and not give me a chance to explain. Even some of my best friends would turn me in: Abe Baxter, Abby Cameron, even Rachel Morgan, most likely. She'd probably been told that I was responsible for the death of her husband. But I wasn't. I would never have hurt Matt. He was like my brother. He helped me at a time when I had no idea who to turn to. He was as serious about defeating the Circle as I was.
The plane began to take off and I sat back in my seat in first class, staring out the window at the morning sky. I wondered what Katelyn was doing at the moment. Was she even awake yet? Before she'd been pregnant, she was just like any other spy – hardly able to sleep past eight no matter what. Now, though, she was tired a lot because of the pregnancy and so she liked to sleep in. If she was sleeping, I wondered what she was dreaming about. Did she still have nightmares about Rider attacking her? Or were her dreams happy?
I wondered what Katelyn would do after she woke up. What movie she'd watch, what book she'd read. I hoped that Zach had enough common sense to make sure that if she went outside, she didn't stay there for long. The cold could be dangerous for her and the baby. But, I knew that Zach would do his best to take care of her. I just wondered about the times that he would be away from her. Would she be safe then? Surely. The defenses around the house were rock solid. She should be safe.
Katelyn, I miss you, I said in my mind. I miss you so much. I wish I was with you right now, watching you sleep. I could see her in my mind, wrapped up in my arms in a deep sleep, her dark hair splayed across the pillow and her chest rising and falling. I knew that she missed me just as much as I missed her, and it upset me. But, I looked down at the ring that I was wearing on my left ring finger and I heard her voice.
"I, Katelyn, take thee, Joe, to be my wedded husband. To have and to hold from this day forward. For better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, honor, and cherish; 'til death do us part."
And those words gave me all the courage that I needed.
*Katelyn*
I woke up and sat up slowly, putting a hand on the bump on my stomach. I got out of bed and headed to the bathroom for a shower, as had become my daily ritual. The hot water relaxed me and after my shower, I pulled on sweatpants and a T-shirt, my daily attire.
I pulled my hair up into a messy bun because these days, I simply didn't want to deal with makeup and hair. Out in the kitchen, there was a note from Zach on the table, telling me that he had left already. He was supposed to be going to meet Joe somewhere. I threw the note away and then took the toaster waffles out of the freezer.
After my breakfast, I decided to watch a movie, so I stared at the shelves forever, trying to pick one. Finally, I decided on Pride and Prejudice, and I settled down on the couch to watch it, pulling a quilt over me for comfort.
About halfway through the movie, my mind began to wander. I wondered where Joe was and how he was doing. I wondered if he had found any clues and I wondered if he was hurt in any way. I missed him so much that it hurt sometimes. I knew that he probably missed me as much as I missed him, but I knew that it was different. He probably felt guilty for leaving me behind, but I felt really guilty for not being able to go with him. In some ways, my pregnancy was a total handicap.
But I wouldn't take it back for the world. There was just something about carrying Joe's baby inside of me that made me feel special. I already loved the baby that was growing inside of me, and sometimes I found myself trying to guess what it would look like. Soon, I knew, I would be able to find out if it was a boy or a girl, and I just couldn't wait; I was so excited. I knew that the gender really wouldn't matter to me or Joe, but it was still exciting to find out.
Sometimes, I could picture the little boy or girl playing in the living room with Joe. Or picture Joe holding him or her. I kept having these wonderful images of us all together as a family and it always made me smile. I made promises to the baby inside of me. Promises that I loved it and was going to take care of it.
I placed a hand on my stomach then and whispered, "Daddy loves you, too, you know. And he's going to come home."
And I swear that I felt something inside of me, then, agreeing with me.