A Different Type of Family

Unsettling News

The Adams Foster family were all in the family room watching a movie in TV, when a news alert came on and it replaced the movie. "HEY!" Caleb added. The others sighed as well, while Lena and Callie rolled their eyes at the boys.

"It is probably important Caleb," Lena added. He nodded and sighed.

"It is bad news mama. It always is," Callie added. Lena eyed her daughter and felt bad for her girl. She had a right to feel this way and Lena sighed. She didn't want Callie to think everything was bad news.

A reporter came on. "Sorry for the interruption. An hour ago an American Army Base in Iraq with injured Army personnel," he added. The Adams Foster family was stunned into silence.

"What is the name of the base?" another asked.

"Armstrong Glenn Army base," he added. Lena had tears running down her face as Callie and the boys' did as well.

"Any deaths?" reporter Jacob Smith asked.

"Confidential," reporter Andrew Davis added. "Prayers to our troops and their families."

The movie resumed and Caleb turned it off. "Can we call mom?"

Lena nodded and found Callie already at the computer. They heard Callie crying.

"What is it, baby love?" Lena asked.

"I can't get through. The connection is down at their end," Callie added.

"So who can we go to?" Caleb asked. Callie smirked and called her dad in Iran and he picked up at his end. He was haggard and tired. "Hi my girl," Mike added.

"Daddy. Are you okay?" Callie asked.

"Yup and on alert," Mike added. "How are all of you?"

"Good. Any news on mommy?" Callie asked as Lena had Callie on her lap.

"We are blocked, but I have to go since I can't be on this thing," he added.

"Bye dad," the boys added.

"Bye daddy," Callie added.

"Bye Mike. Be safe," Lena replied. She even had an unasked question and he nodded.

"Bye Uncle Mike," the rest of the boys nodded as Mike smiled.

"At least he is okay. What about mom?" Caleb asked.

"We will have to wait and see," Lena added.

Lena was in her room as the tears fell. Was her wife dead? Did she have to raise eleven kids on her own? Was she injured beyond repair? She cried and cried.

All the kids were home, minus AJ. The older set of twins, Brandon and Bradley were in their shared room as they looked through their photo album when they were babies with their mom.

Ty was doing weights in the garage as the tears slipped. His mommy needed to be okay. She needed to come home.

The middle set of twins, Aaron Jr. and Jack were crying. They did not want to put another parent in the ground. Their mom needed to be alright and come home. They eyed a picture of their parents and sighed. "Protect our mom," they pleaded. They just celebrated their seventeenth birthday.

The triplets were in Callie's room as the girl cried. Caleb and Callum held her and they need to be strong for Callie. "Mommy needs to be okay," Callie added.

"We know she is. She raised us five before she met mama. She had five kids under five and no grenades will equal the fight she has," Caleb added.

"Yup. She is okay," Callum added. "Strong and a fighter like mama and you."