Catch your breath. The sequel to Fast and Furious. My version

Chapter 14

Above is cousin Sam and his wife Tatia. 

I woke up to the sun coming through the large windows that went along the entire wall. The unfamiliar room suddenly reminded me of where I was and energized me, to get up and dressed. I pulled on a long flowy red skirt and a white tie up, button shirt. I put my hair up in a bun and ran over to the main house. Walking through the front door, I followed the noise to the kitchen, where Tatia and Sam were making breakfast for everyone. Hadley and Zia were playing with Tia on the floor in the lounge.

"Good morning." Sam said, kissing me on the cheek, gaining the attention of the children who squealed.

"Aunty Lexi!" They said running to me, claiming a leg each.

"Aw my babies, look at you!" I said picking each of them up, to kiss them on the foreheads. "How I've missed you guys, have you been good?"

"Yessss!" Hadley said, while Zia just giggled.

"Good for you, I'm glad, how's your turtle Hadley?"

"He likes it when I put him on his back." She said smiling a gapped smile. 

Tatia, Sam and I shared a look.

"Are you sure? It might make him dizzy? I mean it would make you dizzy wouldn't it?"

"Nooo!"

I put Zia down on the couch before fixing my grip on Hadley.

"Are you sure?" I said before tipping her up and down fast, inciting giggling from all the children.

I put her down and was jumped on by my own little monster, who had been waiting patiently for her turn.

"Mummy, you're awake and you're here? So, it wasn't a dream?"

"No, baby not a dream. I'm here." I said holding her to me, not wanting to ever let go. I remained like that with her in my arms for some time before Tatia announced that breakfast was ready.

I pulled away remaining crouched on the floor and staring into the eyes of my daughter, the familiar hazel tones were not my own, reminding me, she was just as much his as she was mine.

"Come on, sweetie." I said grabbing her hand leading her outside to where everyone was seated serving breakfast.

We sat together sharing smiles as well as good food, and a few laughs. To any outsider, we looked like a happy, worry-free, loving family. Only we knew that it wasn't the case.

After breakfast, Sam left for work at the garage, and Tatia left me with the kids, while she went grocery shopping.

"I don't know if it's a good idea to leave me with your kids Tatia." I said, pleading with her, while she grabbed her things, putting them in her handbag.

"Why? You'll be fine, they play independently, if they cry comfort them, if they get hungry give them food." She said, as if was the most obvious and easy thing to do.

"But Tatia." I started, when she put her hand on my upper arm.

"I wouldn't trust anyone else with my kids. Don't forget that you are a mother too, you'll be fine." She said before saying goodbye to the kids and walking out the front door.

I started after her, her words stuck in my mind.

'You are a mother too, you'll be fine.'

Was I really a mother?

The longer I was away from my child, the less I felt like an important person in her life.

After she was born, even though I was working constantly, and my family were very involved in taking care of her, I still felt like a mother. Even after working long hours, while she was with my Aunt, I always came home to her and was able to act and feel like a mother. By the time she was three, I joined the FBI and the new job meant long hours and longer periods away from her. When she was four, I had been recruited into the CIA, and my job, took me further away from her than I liked, for longer periods of time. Just before she turned six, I joined Owen's team, he was in the states at the time, and then when he returned to the U.K, I had to move there with him.