The Chaos Walker

Unbalanced

Regis arrived home from the office party, the laughter and chatter of his colleagues still echoing in his ears. As he hung up his coat and loosened his tie, he heard soft voices coming from the living room. He paused, recognizing the voices as Sarah's and Ellie's.

Quietly, he moved closer, not wanting to interrupt. He could see them through the slightly ajar door, sitting on the couch, their heads close together. Ellie was holding Sarah's hand, her small face serious.

"Mom, are you okay?" Ellie asked, her voice filled with concern. "You look really tired."

Sarah gave her a weary smile. "I'm okay, Ellie. Just a little tired, that's all."

"But you're always tired," Ellie said, her brow furrowing. "And you're always out of breath. And you can't taste the cookies we baked. It's not normal."

Sarah sighed, her eyes filled with a mix of exhaustion and affection. "I know, Ellie. It's because of something called Long COVID. It's a condition that some people get after they've had the COVID-19 virus. It means that even though I'm not sick anymore, I still have some symptoms."

Ellie looked at her, confusion clear on her face. "But why? Why can't the doctors make it go away?"

Sarah squeezed Ellie's hand. "They're trying, sweetie. But it's a new disease, and they're still learning about it. But I promise you, I'm doing everything I can to get better."

Regis felt a lump in his throat as he listened. He had known about Sarah's struggles, of course, but hearing her explain it to Ellie brought home the reality of their situation. He felt a surge of admiration for Sarah, for her strength and resilience in the face of adversity.

He stepped back, deciding to give them a few more moments of privacy. He would join them soon so they could each fill the others in on their individual adventures of the day, but for now, he stood back, and quickly composed a version of events that he felt would cause the least anxiety in everyone's lives, his included.

The house was quiet that weekend. Sarah's children were away with their father, leaving her and Regis alone. Sarah was having a particularly hard day, her long COVID symptoms flaring up. "I just can't seem to shake this fatigue, and my chest feels like it's in a vice," she confided to Regis, who was there helping her out, but his mind was elsewhere.

"Mhmm," he replied, "Have you tried those supplements I found for you? All the reviews said they were life changing."

His phone buzzed, shattering the silence. The caller ID flashed 'Jenna', his intern at the engineering firm. A small smile crept onto his face. "Jenna! Don't tell me you are ruining a perfectly good day off by calling your boss. What's going on?" His tone was a bit too enthusiastic for a work call on a weekend.

Jenna explained the issue—a minor discrepancy in their project's budget report. It was something that could have easily waited until Monday. But to Regis, it was a welcome distraction.

Sarah, who had been quietly observing, raised one eyebrow. His change in mood had not gone unnoticed. "Regis, it's our weekend. With Max and Ellie gone, this is supposed to be our time. Work calls should be for emergencies only," she said, her tone sharper than she intended.

Regis turned to Sarah, his eyebrows raised in surprise. He made sure the call was disconnected before replying. "I don't see why you're making a big deal out of this. It's just a quick call," he said, his cheerfulness replaced by annoyance.

Sarah opened her mouth to respond, but Regis cut her off. "And let's not forget," he continued, "how many men at your work are constantly trying to get your attention. You never seem to mind that."