Jonathan set the timer for ten seconds as he bolted towards his wife and two kids.
“Everybody say cheese,” he announced.
“Cheese!” They all chorused. The loud shutter sound signified that the picture had been captured.
“At least we have something to remember that we once lived here.” Jenna, Jonathan’s thirteen year old daughter grudgingly said as she trudged towards the empty sofa.
“Watch your tone young lady,” Janet, her mother, cautioned.
“I am certain that I didn't say anything wrong mom. Moreover, you both owe James and I an explanation. An explanation as to why we are all suddenly moving to a new apartment in an entirely different country.”
With a soft blink, Jonathan calmly signalled his wife not to engage . He was the calm and collected parent while his wife, on the other hand, had a very short temper.
“Do not look at it that way Pumpkin. Think about the fact that you are going to make new friends,our new house would be two times bigger than this one and you also get a chance to attend a good school.” He sat beside her on the sofa before continuing “I know we have lived here all our lives but this neighbourhood isn't what it used to be and a change of environment would do us more harm than good.” he lied through his teeth.
Jonathan knew he had succeeded at convincing his daughter when she relaxed her facial muscles and slowly dropped her hands on her laps.
“But I am leaving my friends and my school. I told everyone in school that I was going to be returning next session, dad!”
“You know what Pumpkin, you can always come back to visit them, whenever you want.” he lied once again.
“Really?”
“Yes, really”
“Thank you dad” Jenna said as she wrapped her arms around her father’s neck. She loved her father more and that wasn't really a debate.
Jonathan turned to look at his wife and his five year old son and for a minute, he couldn't believe that they were actually moving from their home. The home passed down to him from his father. The home where he watched his kids grow. The home where a thousand and one memories were made. He was moving out of that home just because of one silly mistake.
“Alright kids, time to sleep. Go to your rooms and I will come and tuck you guys in” Janet announced and the kids obeyed. She walked slowly behind them and once in their room she performed the same ritual she had been performing every other night.
The kids shared a room but had different bunk beds. She sat in-between their bunk beds, picked out one of their favourite books and began reading to them. Once they fell asleep, she lightly kissed their foreheads, turned off the light and gently closed the door behind her.
She walked into her room to meet her husband already in bed. After taking a shower, she joined him on the bed and deep breaths were the only sounds that could be heard.
“I know you want to say something so just get it off your chest” Janet said.
“Damn right I will. You know that I'm only sharing a bed with you because I've known you forever Janet. If anyone would have told me that…” Jonathan quivered for a second before continuing “that my wife was a trained, armed and dangerous assassin, I would have probably beaten such a person up.”
“And I have explained to you that I was only a child when I was taken in.”
“But you became an adult who had the choice to leave whenever. However, you stayed and endangered not only our lives but that of our kids too.”
“And for that I apologise. This was supposed to be my last job and I would be free. Believe me.”
“I honestly have nothing more to say to you Janet. I just hope that you know what you're doing.”
“You just have to trust me.”
Jonathan turned his back on Janet, turned off the lamp light and laid still on the bed. A thousand and one thoughts running through his head. He married an assassin and the fact that she killed only bad people didn't justify the fact that she was in fact a seasoned assassin.
This wasn't exactly the best way to spend the last day of summer but it happened anyway. They as a family were going to be moving to a new state to hopefully start afresh and Jonathan's only wish was that his kids should be exempted from the madness their mother had gotten herself into.
He stared out his window and was awed as to how the moon lit up the skies and how the palm trees danced as the breeze blew through them . His life was about to take a sharp turn, a turn he most definitely didn't see coming. I guess it was only right to say farewell to his once perfect life.