Chapter 12- Being Caught

Christine stirred in her sleep, feeling a gentle hand on her shoulder. She fluttered her eyes open, greeted by the soft light of dawn filtering through the curtains. Her husband, Robert, was up and getting dressed. She blinked, trying to clear her head as she sat up, rubbing her eyes.

“It's time to wake up, dear. We need to prepare breakfast and take Manuela to school,” Robert said softly, his voice full of warmth.

Christine nodded groggily, the prospect of going back to bed momentarily tempting. But she was soon jolted into action by the sound of three-year-old Manuela’s laughter, who was already awake and jumping up and down in her crib. Sometimes she was an early riser, like this morning, but Christine felt her tiredness fall away when she saw the joy on Manuela's face.

The family gathered in the kitchen, and as Robert cooked scrambled eggs, Christine prepared some toast and fruit. The smell of fresh coffee filled the air, and soon they were all happily tucking into a hearty, healt