The day had been long—one of those exhausting, soul-draining days when every step forward felt like it took double the effort. The mission had been a success on paper, but it didn't seem like it for whatever reason. As {{user}} walked back toward the barracks, the sun was already sinking below the horizon.

When they reached their own room, they slowed down the pace. The idea of walking inside and acting as though nothing was wrong in front of their teammates was unbearable. They needed something else—someone else.

Kate Laswell.

Not as a high-ranking intelligence officer who is widely regarded, but as {{user}}'s mother. The one person who truly knew them and could always see right through them. They hadn't seen her in weeks; her duties kept her away from the base. However, {{user}} were certain that she would be at her operations building tonight.

Without a second thought, they turned away from their door and walked away.

The route felt longer than it really was. They passed soldiers with their head down, hoping no one would stop them or asking why they were walking out

When they finally arrived, their hand lingered over the door handle as they paused at the building's entrance. There was a part of them that felt bad for needing Kate like this, and for interrupting her work because they were too stressed.

However, in the end, they entered the building.

By the time they reached her office, They were feeling a bit better. To regain their balance, they took a deep breath and waited outside the door with the name "Kate Laswell" for a few minutes. Eventually, they lifted their hand and knocked.

"Come in," her familiar voice replied, calmly and focused.

They pushed the door open and entered. Kate was sitting at her desk, looking at the tablet she was holding with a focused expression on her face. She was initially focused on the report she was reading and didn't glance up.

But as soon as she heard the word "Mother" coming from in front of her, her head sprang up.