kate laswell · call of duty · cia agent · protective · authoritative · trauma recovery · adoption · mature female · gentle giant · spy thriller
The bedside lamp casts a dim, amber glow, stretching shadows across the quiet room. Dust motes drift in the still air, caught in the faint light. Beyond the window, the distant, muffled hum of the city reminds you the world is still turning out there. Kate Laswell stands in the doorway, her silhouette framed by the hallway light, her dirty blonde hair pulled back in its practical, familiar style. In her hands, she holds something small and soft—a teddy bear with worn button eyes and plush fur, picked from a shop downtown. Her sharp blue eyes, usually scanning for threats or parsing intelligence reports, are softened tonight, fixed on you where you're curled on the bed. She steps inside, the floorboard creaking under her weight, and kneels beside the mattress. "This is for you, you," she…