As the night got older none of the girls nor women could sleep a wink. Huddled together in the couples bedroom upstairs with the door locked it gave them some security.
Even after multiple offers, Natalia refused to sleep on the large bed with the family. She didn't want to take space away from the girls who desperately needed some comfort. Using a spare mattress instead with extra blankets Natalia had her own bed on the floor.
With a cartoon playing to fill in the empty noise of the room the couple laid on the bed holding onto their little girls besides them.
While Kaila laid in the center of the bed, Faye and Lauren laid on the outer sections. All three girls desperately clinging onto Lain and Nina.
Nobody spoke a word since the incident.
After washing up for the night their only focus was the cartoon that lowered the high tension in the room. As the couple tried to encourage their girls to sleep, Kaila and Lauren were drinking bottles of warm milk while Faye had hers in a sippy cup.
Hours upon hours passed and still everyone was wide awake. Even after their milk the girls couldn't stop thinking about the terrifying situation. Especially Lauren and Faye.
Practically laying on top of Lain, Lauren laid her head against the woman's chest listening to the rhythmic beating of her heart. There was nothing else that she wanted to hear. Feeling Lain breathing at a steady pace kept the girl in alignment. Copying her breathing pattern, Lauren kept herself calm.
Meanwhile, Faye was sat besides Nina snuggled tightly into the woman's side. With her head against the woman's shoulder, Faye couldn't even focus on the characters on the screen. In her head all she saw was the faces of the intruders.
Strong and defined, their facial features were hard to forget. She cursed herself for spending all that time staring at them in fear instead of acting in defense.
She felt helpless unable to protect, not only herself, but the little girl she was suppose to help Natalia watch. In defeat she couldn't bring herself to look up. Her eyes laid down in her lap as she ran through the scenario a thousand times over. All playing out the same way.
She was stuck on the floor terrified as she watched the people who broke into their home approach her with no resistance.
Yet while the girls had an uneasy heart, the women couldn't even feel theirs. Feeling broken by the scene they blamed themselves for their absence. While it was all fun and games, they cursed their outing with Kaila. They loved their little girl to pieces, but by leaving their other girls all alone they failed their duties to keep them all safe.
Lain had a hard time wrapping her head around the situation, but Nina had the worst of it all. Not only did she put her girls at risk—but she put her mother's life on the line as well. Natalia may be able to put up a decent fight, but with her older age came a higher chance of a fatal injury. One Nina couldn't be able to live with herself if it occurred.
The night went on and so did their minds. Still nobody said a word even as they noticed the sun beginning to rise outside their bedroom window.
Thankfully, with the suns presence the three girls eventually found themselves asleep. With the uncertainty that the darkness provided no longer a threat, they felt safe to shut their tired eyes.
Even Natalia managed to finally get more sleep. Up til now she had managed to get an hour or so of shut eye. But every little noise that the house made forced her awake.
Checking outside to see the sun rising over the tall trees in their backyard, Lain finally spoke for the first time all night long. "Do you think they'll come back?" She whispered as she asked her wife.
Not knowing for certainty of the answer Nina felt guilty not being able to protect her family. Shrugging in response Lain sighed as she wrapping her arms around Lauren's small body on top of hers. "What do we do?"
"I...I don't know." Nina answered trying to hold back a stray tear.
"We need to move out. They've seen where we live. Who's to say they won't show up again unannounced? Well never be able to leave the girls alone again."
"I know we should, but this is our home babe. It's where we shared our first kiss...had our first baby...it's where we've built our lives together...and I...I don't want to see this place go." Nina admitted selfishly.
While only walls and paint, this house was a pivot point in the couples relationship. It was a gift they'd always treasure. While most kids were gifted a car when they became of age, this home was a gift from Lain's mother in celebration of her daughters graduation. Having obtained a degree in university, her mother wanted to gift her daughter something special.
And after Lain accepted the gift, the couple remodeled the new house together.
Building it to their needs and desires they turned this gracious gift into the starting place for their relationship to blossom.
It felt almost as a betrayal to watch it go.
"I know..." Lain sighed as she laid her head back letting her eyes travel around the room her and Nina spent so many years decorating together.
Memories filled every inch of this house. It wasn't fair for one instance to take all those happy memories away from them. "Babe, I'm scared." She hiccuped wiping the tears dripping from her eyes. "What if they come back? What are we going to do?"
"If they show up here again I'll break their faces." The woman said as a fiery spark grew in her body.
"That's not going to help us. It might just be an incentive for them to continue coming back here."
"They said something about a service right? A follow up?" Nina went off topic as she raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah I think so. Why?"
"Babe I need to ask you a favor." Lain sat up as soon as she saw the insane look on her wife's face from the idea brewing in her mind. "Watch the girls for us today. I've got to go do something."
"What?! Babe no! You're not leaving us! Not after what happened last night! I want you here."
"It'll be a quick trip babe, I promise." The woman reached over Kaila's sleeping body as she grabbed her wife's hand. "I'll be back before they even wake up."
"But-but what if they come back?" Her wife asked with a quiver in her voice.
"They won't."
"How do you know?"
"Because they won't have the time to spare."
"What are you going to do?"
"Just watch the girls babe. I'll be back soon. I love you." Nina bent over towards Lain before pressing a long and passionate kiss onto her lips.
Before Lain even had a chance to speak her wife was rearranging Faye so she was laying besides Kaila. After tucking her little girl in, the woman walked out of their room. But before she left she took one last look at her family. Everyone in this room she held dear to her heart, she would do anything to make sure they were safe.
No matter what crazy plot she'd have to carry out in order to do so.
Quietly walking along the bottom floor of the house, the woman made sure the coast was still clear. Checking every lock on the doors and windows, she felt relieved as she washed up in the guest bathroom. Throwing on spare clothes she had in the room, Nina grabbed her keys and phone before walking out the front door.
After triple checking that she locked the door behind her, Nina started the engine of the car before she drove off.
Circling around her neighborhood a few times, she wanted to make sure her family was safe. Especially without her presence around. After she was sure the men were no longer a threat to them, she left the area.
Driving at a high speed she raced out of the city. Staying on high alert Nina sped her way out towards the edge of town. Her adrenaline was starting to grow thicker. The further out of town she got the less afraid she became. Instead a feeling of rage emerged.
She felt violated from those men who felt as if they could breach her private life and personal space. What was suppose to be a place of sanction and security turned to an infringement on everything she held true.
With her red eyes she watched the straight path ahead of her that lead out of town.
Having nothing but her thoughts to motivate her, Nina's one and only concern was the safety of her family. She drove with no fear for herself. Nothing of that nature even slipped her mind.
But the pain that had occurred to her, was the pain those men would be feeling as soon as she got to her destination.
Which didn't take much longer.
About an hour drive out, the car came to a halt as she stared ahead of her. Different in the daylight, it was still the same run down looking building her wife and her had visited so many months ago.
And sitting right outside the doors to the building sat the same car she watched the men drive off in last night.
Shutting the engine off, Nina opened her door and stepped out. Bawling her fist as she marched her way towards the door.
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Let me know what you think. Thanks Lexx signing off