Only The Goode Spy Forever

Chapter 61: The Goode Life

I know that I'm not a normal mom. Really, I do. But as of right now, my kids are as normal as they can be. Well, the youngest 2 at least. My older 2 are already so far from normal. But they had normal-ish childhoods, so that's what I'm giving my youngest too.
  I was wearing a blue blouse with white Capri pants. I put my recently curled hair into a high pony. I set dinner on the table and smiled as my husband walked through the door.
"Hi honey, how was work?" I asked like I really was normal. I watched Zach look at me like I was crazy. I bit back my smile.
  "Oh, it was swell. I disarmed 5 bombs, brought in 3 armed dealers, honeypotted a girl, and shot a man all before lunch. Don't worry, I aimed to wound," Zach said with a grin. I rolled my eyes at his sarcasm. My 10 year old son Riley and 7 year old daughter Jaycee ran into the kitchen.
"Daddy!" Jaycee cried. Riley attacked his leg while Jaycee jumped on him.
"Well well well, if it isn't the rugrats," Zach said with a grin. "I was just telling your mom about the mission I went on today." Riley's eyes widened and he sat to listen. Jaycee looked sad.
"Is papa Ed okay?" She asked with a sniffle. Zach poked her arm.
"Ah, come on now. You can't go crying for the old man. He's fine. He's doing good," Zach said, smiling at his youngest daughter. "Speaking of which, he says he has a mission coming up soon. Says you'd be perfect for it." Zach turned to me. He grabbed a handful of chips and threw them into his mouth.
"No!" Riley and Jaycee complained in unison. "Mommy can't go."
"Nah, let her go. That means you get to spend time with me," Zach said sounding hurt. "Riley you and I need to hit the gym. You're going to Blackthorne soon. And as for you, miss Jaycee, I promise you I'll play whatever game you want."
"Princess tea party?" Jaycee said with a grin. Zach cringed and shook his head no. "Pretty please, daddy?" He cringed even harder. I snorted. Zachary Goode simply does not play princess tea party.
"Anything for you," Zach muttered. Jaycee jumped up and down and clapped her hands.
  In those moments we were just an ordinary family.
We ate like a normal family. We laughed and enjoyed each other's company. We played a few rounds of uno after we ate (I won if you were wondering. Don't let Zach say otherwise). Then we watched a movie. The kids fell asleep on the couch and Zach carried them to their rooms. See, totally a normal family. But we weren't. And leaning against the door to the balcony watching Zach that night only proved it.
  The moonlight made him look even more gorgeous as he spoke. "You can't sneak up on me, Gallagher Girl."
"I know," I said as I let him wrap his arms around me. I leaned back and Zach rested his chin on my forehead. "But I can try." His lips brushed the top of my head. I sighed, loving every minute of being with him.
  "Your mom called," Zach said, breaking the silence. "They found Anna a bodyguard. It's all bull. It's Kira Shane. Everyone knows she's not meant to be a bodyguard."
  "Maybe she'll try hard to protect her. Bree will be there. They're sisters and you know how Bree feels about Chase. Kira might do it for her," I reminded him. Zach scoffed.
"Remember when they put me on a mission with her? I almost died because she was trying to save herself. She's a terrible partner. She's selfish. She would never take a bullet for Anna. Ever." Zach stated. "She wouldn't take a bullet for anyone."
I groaned as I turned and buried my head in Zach's shoulder. He chuckled as he held me tighter. "Let's just go back to a time where we never had kids." Zach started laughing and I let myself laugh too.
"Ah come on, Cammie. You know that soon we're gonna be at all of their weddings. We'll be all alone," Zach reminded me.
"No," I groaned again. "Why can't they stay babies forever?" Zach kept on laughing at me.
  "You can't have it both ways," he chuckled. I cuddled up closer to him.
  "I know," I mumbled. Zach and I just stood there for hours. Enjoying each other's company.
*                                          *                                              *
  Zach and I decided to go meet Townsend at the hospital. They were checking up on him. Zach stopped to get snacks while I made my way to the room.
  I walked in and saw Townsend sitting on the bed acting bored. Abby's hair was in a high ponytail as she spoke with the doctor. Ed nodded to me as Abby turned around.
  "Hey squirt," she said as she winked at me. The doctor rambled on and on about medications. I looked at Ed, he rolled his eyes. Abby nodded at every word that he said. "Thank you, doctor Baker. We'll do exactly as you say."
  The doctor was out the door when Ed mumbled "no we won't." Abby have him a mom look and he backed down.
  "You will do as the doctor says, Edward," she warned.
"Because you did everything the doctor said when you were shot, Abigail?" Ed tested. Abby glared at him and he shut his mouth.
"How are you?" I asked. Ed shrugged.
"I think the cane is a bit much. I can walk just fine," he grumbled.
  "I beg to differ. You looked very wobbly when you fell down yesterday. Besides, you won't be able to walk for a few days. Your knee surgery is too much," Abby snapped. Ed sighed. Zach walked in holding coffee for everyone. He patted his fathers shoulder.
  "How ya doin, big guy?" He asked. Ed gave him the thumbs up. Zach's eyes lingered on the wound. I knew Zach felt guilty.
  "The worst thing about this is having to get taken care of by her," Ed said as he gestured to Abby. Abby cut her eyes. Ed should have been scared. I was scared. "Love you, darling."
  "That's more like it," Abby said.
  "Hey Ed, Anna got a body guard," I said, changing the subject. He cocked an eyebrow at me. "Kira Shane." Abby put her hand to her mouth.
  "Oh that's not happening," Ed said as he tried and failed to get up. Abby grabbed his arm in an effort to get him to sit down. "Do you remember the mission she went on with Zach? He almost died! Kira is the last person that should be a body guard. She only cares about herself." Abby nodded.
  "It takes a certain type of person to be a body guard," Abby said. I thought back to when she was Macey's guard. Abby had jumped in front of a bullet for her. "Kira Shane is not one of those people." I nodded.
"When are we going to get her a new one?" Ed asked. "I don't trust that family. Not a single one of them."
  "We can't. The trustees helped pick her out. My mom didn't have a say," I replied. Ed sighed. I knew it wasn't all in my head. I knew that Kira was not meant to be a guard.
  "I've got a mission for you, Cameron," Ed said. Zach and Abby nodded. They knew it was their time to leave. I sat down and Ed shook his head. "No, I want to take a walk."
  "Ed, you can't," I laughed. He grinned and pointed to the wheelchair. The next thing I knew I was wheeling Ed down the halls.
"I seem to recall us doing this exact thing. I remember us being in different positions, though," Ed chuckled. I smiled. After my junior year Ed had wheeled me around my school. Ed was the one who let me know that Zach was still alive. That was when I finally realized that I liked Agent Townsend.
"The irony is not lost on me," I laughed. Ed told me all about the mission. It was a joint with MI6. I was going to be working with Bex. I was excited.
  Zach and I got home. We walked through the door and all of a sudden Zach pressed me against the wall and started kissing me. For a second I wondered if he was leaving on a mission. The last time he had kissed me like that he left for a mission that he barely made it back from. He finally pulled back for air.
"What was that for?" I asked. Zach grinned and fingered the tips of my hair.
"Fun," he replied. I smiled and then looked to the ground. I squinted as I saw a post card. It was from Roseville.

Cammie,
We need your help. Something is not right. I don't know if it's safe to reveal information. It's been going on for a while. May be connected to Chase. Please come to the Academy. And please come alone.
                                                 -Bree

  My mouth dropped as I read it. I checked my calendar and prepared when I should leave. Something was telling me that Bree would eventually be a member of my family.
  "I'm going to leave in about a week. I don't know how long it will take," I told Zach.
  "Where are you going?"
     "Home."