39
Sofia
It has been a whole day since the team had gone on the mission, and I haven't heard a word from them, especially from Leon.
The kids were getting restless and were coming to ask me when he was coming back to the pack already.
Their constant questions and requests made me worried as well. Diego wasn't an easy meat to chew and even though they weren't going to come back home right away, it would be nice to know that they were safe at least.
"Call him mommy!" They chorused around me after several futile attempts to keep their worries at bay.
"Okay, fine!" I groaned and tried his number with my phone but it disconnected before it even had a chance to ring out.
The kids wore a confused look at the abrupt ending of the call.
I tried it several times after that but it didn't go through either. My worries grew the more after trying out his number in vain.
What if he had been taken down or locked up by Diego in one of his darkest dungeons? There was no stopping to the countless things that could happen to him with Diego involved.
I tried one last time and got up, pacing around the house.
"Mummy, mummy, let's go play outside!" They chimed with pleading eyes. I sighed in frustration.
I understood them and I also wanted to leave the confinement of the room but I couldn't expose us to unknown danger.
We haven't gotten word from the team and so, we didn't know what their situation was. Going out without knowledge of how things were was the same thing as committing suide.
Diego's men might be on their way to our pack right now and we might not know, we might be outside and they'd March in and destroy everything within their reach.
It was safer to stay in the safe house until we were given orders not to do so by the team.
"I know, I know, but we have to stay here for now, it's an order from above my darlings. I wish I could grant your wishes of going to play outside right now but i assure you, soon enough, you'll be able to play without anyone distracting or disrupting your play." I explained to them in s soft tone and they nodded in acknowledgement.
Though they were not happy about the fact that they'd been locked up in a boring room all day, they understood that this was important for the safety of the pack and everyone in it.
After calming them down and giving them some toys to play around with, I headed for the intercom. Maybe it was some network issues.
It might go through if I call through the intercom.
All those thoughts gave me a flicker of hope and I went on to call but the number wasn't reachable.
I tried it a couple of times as well and I was getting the same results.
I groaned in frustration and almost smacked my phone on the ground but I saw my kids watching me anxiously. I quickly comported myself and let a smile cross my face.
"Hey mom, you look tired, do you miss our dad too? I miss him." The little female called out, taking note of my frustration.
Her words made my mind drift from the present worry a bit.
"Why did you ask that dear?" I inquired, trying to hear from her and her words surprised me.
"Because I miss my dad mom. I want us to be a family but he's taking too long. I wonder when I would see him again." Her words struck my heart. If only she knew that her dad was the same person the team went after.
If only I could explain things to her and tell her what was going on but she's too young to understand things as complicated as this. Telling a little child that her father is a bad man is something I never want to do with my kids.
I want them to grow to whatever reality they meet and know their father for themselves but right now, I didn't know what to say to my daughter.
"Come on sis, can't you see what he is putting mom through? He is not a good man and I don't want to see him. All I want is for mom to be happy. We can also live together as one family." My son countered her words and a warm smile spread across my face.
I seized up his innocent face and I knew that he said those words because he didn't want to be a bother and he didn't want me to be in distress about the issue. He was thoughtful than his sister.
My warm smile shifted to a sad one, I didn't want my young kids to know what pain was like or see me like this.
Though my son was smart enough to say those words to cover up for me, I didn't want him to get used to seeing me downcast.
So I placed my hands on their faces with a bright smile on mine.
"I understand your worries kids and I pray the goddess hears our prayers, we will be together soon like one big family." My daughter smiled but my son was adamant.
He glared at her for wanting a family with Diego. It wasn't her fault to want to live as a family with her father.
Just that she didn't understand what abuse was and what type of abuse I went through with him. How many nights he had to force his way with me.
"Mom, can I ask you a question?" She asked with a tiny high-pitched voice.
"Yes my love, what is it?" I asked, looking at her tender face.
"It's a would you rather question mom." She informed with a smile and I groaned.
"Aww not again! Okay, shoot." She loved asking would you rather questions whenever she wanted to find out one's preference and that was what she was about to do except I didn't know the question she had cooked up this time around.
"Here it comes..." she said, sustaining the suspense.
"Would you rather be with Dad or be with Leon?"
"Hmmm, I wonder." I said thoughtfully with my index finger tapping on my jaw as I looked up, acting like I was lost in thoughts.
The best way to answer this question without hurting either of them was to throw the question back to the so I looked down at their expectant faces.
"Who do you prefer? Who do you prefer mommy chooses?" I asked with a broad smile and even though my son glared at his sister, trying to get her pick his choice, she was already jumping with joy as she screamed "Dad! Dad!"
"Oh, is that so? What about you my love?" I asked my son who shook his head dramatically at his sister before replying me.
"I'd choose to you to be happy mom. Whatever makes you happy us worth doing so if either of them don't make you happy, then I am not in support of going back." He finished and I brought him into a tight embrace with me.
My daughter starred at us with confusion and I dragged her in too for a hug.
"No, don't hug mommy! You said she should go back to our dad!" He fought his sister, the moment I brought her in for a hug.
"And you said that she shouldn't go back. You traitor. You want us to be alone without a father." She fired back with pouted lips.
"Mommy, get her to leave you!" He cried out but his sister protested and they got into a bicker.
"Calm down children, this is not anything to fight over." I tried to calm them down and when they had calmed a little, my daughter's voice rang out.
"Why do you hate dad so much mom?" Her question made me freeze at the spot I stood.
Her question made memories resurface in my mind. I thought of the days where he would abuse and insult me like I was less than a living thing.
He treated me like a worthless person. He made me cry and watched me wallow in my tears lik it was nothing.
She probably didn't understand the gravity of what he did to me and how badly it affected me but whenever I thought about it, the pain was renewed afresh I'm my heart.
Answering this question would mean sharing my pain and having a little child have an idea about the pain I went through. I would never do that. I would protect my kids from any information that would affect them in future so I decided to end the topic.
I could see my son's eyes on me throughout the whole time and I fought so hard to smile brightly and act like there was no issue.
"How about some scrabble game for sharp minds?" I asked and they cheered happily.
I sighed, relieved that I was able to change the topic.