Chapter Text
It seemed like a pretty promising day, with that pleasant autumn breeze and the falling leaves, leaving a lovely orange hue on the paths. Alfred was driving home with the peace of knowing he had a whole week to be with them—no work calls, no paperwork, no sudden trips—just him and his beloved family.
As he drove, he sang along to Sunny by Boney M, one of his and his wonderful wife Anya's favorite songs. Ah, Anya, the ever-beautiful and adored Anya. He was already eager to get home and spoil her, to shower her with kisses and caresses. He would use the rest of the day to love her and the rest of the week to take his family on a beach trip. They’d book a luxury hotel, eat lobster... He was excited to give them the news, already tasting it in his mouth and imagining his wife’s large hands exploring every available inch of his back—a dream come true.
Soon, he could start to see his house: a nice, quiet suburban two-story home with many rooms. Its design was modern yet cozy, and at a very good price. But of course, it was the golden age of the '70s. What more could you ask for? Alfred was more than satisfied with his life.
When he arrived home, he parked his car and hopped out, carrying a box of donuts he’d bought after leaving the office. As he pushed the door to enter, he had some trouble opening it. It was usually always unlocked, but he tried to ignore it after unlocking it with his key, staring at the lock longer than necessary.
Ignoring the tingling sensation that crawled up his spine—a bad feeling that swept through him—he concluded that all his coworkers' chatter about insecurity was influencing him too much.
However, when he entered his home, instead of being greeted with laughter, kisses, and hugs, he was greeted with... nothing. He stood at the door, observing the empty desert that was now his sweet home.
Alfred took a few steps toward the kitchen and began anxiously looking around. "Kids?" he asked, setting the donuts on the counter and walking down the hallways.
“Baby, are you here?”
Nothing. There was no one in the hallways, the living room, the backyard, or the bedrooms. "Did I arrive too early?" he wondered, returning to the kitchen to check the clock, which he could still hear despite the eerie silence. Unhappy with the loneliness, he grabbed a donut and took a bite, leaning against the kitchen counter, wondering what could have happened. "That's weird... it's already one o'clock…"
Alfred raised an eyebrow, enjoying the glaze while imagining what could have happened, though he stopped when the theories forming in his head grew darker and darker. Maybe working in national security was melting his brain.
Looking at the fridge, he noticed a note, which pulled him out of the uneasy state that was starting to soak him. Feeling silly, he took the sheet and read it after adjusting his glasses: "Maddie will pick up the kids and watch them. I had to run an errand in the city. Take care, and I'll see you later, love. Yours, Anya."
Alfred laughed loudly, feeling foolish for getting scared so quickly, waving the paper in front of him like a lottery ticket, taking the final bite of his donut with more ease.
He relaxed and forgot all the silly thoughts he'd had as he reread his wife's beautiful cursive on the paper. He was still too young to be a paranoid old man.
Too much paranoia, but he was a privileged white American man working at a major U.S. security agency—he had reasons to fear. There were many things outside his little paradise that were extremely dangerous.
Still, what was wrong with him? They lived in the safest neighborhood, the best area—he made sure to get the safest one. How could his mind dare to think a madman had kidnapped his family in less than a minute? This was America, the safest country in the world! Those things didn’t happen there—or at least not on his watch. He was a rising secret agent; nothing could be an obstacle for him.
He put the note in his jacket pocket and decided to head out again with a new goal in mind. Maybe Anya was already back with Maddie, doing things any woman in that era should do, like chopping down trees or hunting with her bare hands. Typical hobbies of Anya, ones he never dared question for a single minute.
He thought about not saying anything and showing up as a surprise. Besides, it had been a while since he’d spent time with his twin sister, Maddie. Maybe hanging out would be fun; there was always fun with her.
Alfred drove about ten minutes to the neighboring suburb, finally arriving at Maddie’s house, grateful she didn’t live too far away. He got out of the car and approached the door.
When he knocked, he was greeted by his twin sister, holding her little baby, Sofia, who smiled at seeing her dad and reached out her arms toward him, though the girl’s face showed no trace of excitement.
“Oh, Alfred! What a joy to see you. I thought Anya would arrive first, but I guess you beat her this time.”
Maddie stepped aside to let him in with a slight smile, handing over the restless baby. The first thing Alfred did was take his baby into his arms, covering her with kisses, until Maddie's words caught his attention.
“Oh... Anya hasn’t come back?” Alfred asked, sounding a bit disappointed, looking confused at his sister until several loud shouts like "Dad!" called his attention.
Stepan and Julian, his ten-year-old twins, ran from the living room to hug him tightly. Austin, at fourteen, didn’t bother getting up to hug his dad; a quick glance was enough before returning his attention to the pretentious book he was determined to read.
He was in the throes of adolescence, where he hated everyone and was a bit irritable. But Alfred understood, so he didn’t hesitate to ruffle his hair, feeling the twins cling tightly to him—he had missed them.
“Hi, Uncle!” came one last cheerful greeting from the living room from his nephew Jamie, who sat beside Austin, content with the simple company.
“Hi, kids! Hi, Austin! Hi, Jamie!” Alfred greeted happily, not skipping a single hello, as Maddie made her way toward the kitchen.
“What were you saying, Mads?” Alfred asked, walking behind her with a smile, his kids laughing as each clung to one of his legs, lifted off the ground by their father. Sofia, the baby, simply held onto him tightly.
“Well, I was saying I thought Anya would get here first… you know. It’s… I don’t know, odd to see you off work so early, and she’s usually punctual,” Maddie explained with slight timidity, embarrassed for not being heard at first but… she couldn’t expect much of Alfred’s attention, already divided among all his children.
The smile faded from his face again, but it was just a delay, he convinced himself as he took a sip.