The Years Disappeared

Wait

The remainder of my day was spent attempting to persuade my parents to visitors another time, while juggling Sara, Leia, Joe, with a little help from Bella.
"Please mom, I swear I am fine."
"Four children, one of them a baby, and all alone! Sweetheart we don't want to ruin your vacation, we want to help you have one!"
"God, OK! Just behave yourselves, Lindsey will be back soon anyway, and we can enjoy the rest of the summer."
"Grandma and Grampy are coming?" Bella asked hopefully.
"For a while, yes."

***

"Good evening Lindsey," a familiar sarcastic voice spoke as she strolled past me, brushing her hand over my back. "Have a nice vacation?"
"Funny."
"I guess she bores you even more easily since you had another kid."
"You know full well why I'm here Kate, Rupert called you for the same job."
"Whatever."
"Would you like explain to me why my wife found a note from you in my paperwork?"
"What note?"
"If we didn't have to work on this case together, I'd rip into you right now." I spoke calmly, clenching my fists against my sides.
She rolled her eyes exaggeratedly, "Oh I bet you would, just like old times baby."
"Go and fu-" I cut myself off, hearing an approach. "Oh, hey Isaak."
He eyed us suspiciously.
"I thought you were up in the country with Stevie and the kids?"
"I was, but what Rupert wants Rupert gets."
"I'm sorry to hear it pal, but he won't be getting it when he retires, then you'll be ruling the roost, right?"I shrugged, half smiling.
"You're too modest Linds, catch you later." He bid me farewell, nodding at Kate.

Arriving back at our family home, I cracked upon a bottle of whiskey and hid in my office, haunted by the eeriness of the huge house's emptiness without Stevie and the kids. After sorting some work, I telephoned her at the vacation house.
"How long will you be working for?"
"A week or so, maybe longer," I sighed, holding my breath but not getting a response.
"Baby?"
"Lindsey I'm sick of this."
"So am I."
"Then quit, no one is ever going to turn away your resume as long as you live and breathe."
"Steph you know it's not that simple, my work is important."
"So are we."
"Look, as soon as this case is done, I'm coming back and we can...I'll consider it."
"Consider quitting?"
"If that will help us, then I'm willing to consider it, but you know it's complicated."
"Uh huh."
"How are you?"
"I'm fine I guess, my parents are insisting on coming to help me with the kids."
"It'll be good for you all, and you need a break."
"I wanted a break, with you."
"We will have one, just wait for me. I'll whisk you away very soon."
She sniggered, "Do you want to speak to Bella? She's going to bed in a few minutes."
"Of course, goodnight, I love you."
"Love you too, night."
I spent a while chatting to my eldest daughter, delighted to hear about the stories and poems she was writing, every inch her mother's child, until the doorbell sounded, and she had to go and sleep. Reaching the hall, I opened the front door and was met by a face I hadn't expected.

"Kate, why are you here?"