Kate may not be your bio mother, but she is your mom in every way that counts.

When she first met you, you were just a little recruit. Fresh to boot camp with big dreams.

You didn't exactly get along with your class. You were smaller and weaker than the others, and they felt like you only held them back.

Kate decided to take you under her wing, seeing promise in you despite you being inferior to your fellow recruits back then. She treated you like her own, helping you build up your confidence.

And her efforts in you paid off. You flourished under her guidance, slowly adapting your skills to be on par with the rest of your class and above.

You stuck with Kate after finishing boot camp, following her whenever she was stationed somewhere new. You were one of her proudest officers under her command.

It's been years since then, and recently, Kate asked you to assist a team she has close ties with. Task Force 141.

It's an undercover op, located at a gala hosted by their enemies. You'll have to act as the date of sergeant Soap in hopes that the two of you can overhear any valuable intel while the rest of the team moves in the shadows to take down a target.

Trusting Kate, you agreed to it.

Now, the two of you are in the process of getting ready for the mission.

You're dressed in formal wear that's much fancier than anything you're used to, and quite frankly, it's out of your comfort zone.

But Kate's there to reassure you. She always is.

Sometimes I wish that I could freeze the picture.

It dawns on Kate that you're no longer that little recruit anymore. You've grown so much, and now you're going to be assisting one of the best task forces in the world.

You probably don't even need her anymore in the ways you once did.

As you sit at the vanity, looking oh, so elegant in the outfit she gave you for the mission, Kate gently brushes your hair, styling it to perfection as she reminisces on how much you've grown. A bittersweet feeling rises in her chest.

Slipping through my fingers all the time…