SEVEN YEARS AGO.
It had been a hard few months for the Bradford household. The constant arguing, temper flare ups, it was unhealthy. Isabel had turned back to drugs, and Tim had turned to the gym to seek some peace in his chaotic daily life.
His last punch connected with the punching bag, sweat droplets running down his face and encapsulating the navy tank top he was wearing. His muscles were tired and strained but it took away from the pain at home. He heard a sudden buzzing of his phone. Wiping his forehead swiftly, he took off the gloves and threw them on the ground. He walked over to a small wooden bench and picked up his phone, "Isabel." It read.
"What's up?" He asked as he answered.
"When are you coming home? Natalie's here." Isabel said, clear impatience in her tone. Natalie was their divorce counselor throughout the process.
"You never warned me otherwise I wouldn't have left." Tim said, mirroring the impatience.
"Just hurry back." She said before hanging up abruptly.
Tim let out a grunt of annoyance and grabbed his stuff, making his way out of the gym and drove home. He soon arrived and made his way to thr door, he walked in to see Isabel sat on one side of the sofa, and Natalie on the opposite side, an ordinary sight his eyes had become accustomed to.
"Sorry I'm late, I didn't know you were coming." He said as he took his seat next to Isabel, sweat still slightly dripping.
"Don't worry, I came unannounced, I'm sorry." Natalie said, she had a soft and comforting voice, perfect for her occupation. Tim gave her a nod in acknowledgment and glanced at Isabel.
"What was so important?" Tim asked, taking knowledge of Isabel's silence and Natalies solemn expression.
"It's happening on Wednesday." Natalie broke thr noise after a long pause. "You've got your house Tim, correct?" She asked.
"8th Avenue, yeah. I started to move my stuff last week." He said with a nod.
"Good." She replied. "We just need to sign thr papers then you're free to depart and finish how you please." Natalie said, letting the words hang in the air.
Wednesday soon came around and it hit like a brick. Tim glanced around the shithole that Isabels house was. The memories came flooding into his head. Making out on the kitchen counter which was now flooded with pills and dirty dishes, watching cheesy rom coms on the sofa where dirty blankets and pillows had taken over.
He exhaled deeply a final time before departing and never going back.
His new house was calm, composed, a complete juxtaposition to Isabel's. It was modern but spoke a lot. He entered, greeted with a moderately sized foyer, a doorway on the left leading to a living room, a doorway on the right leading to a dining room which presumably led onto the kitchen. Not presumably, he knew it did.
He'd studied the house. The layout plan. He knew every nook and cranny like the back of his hand. This place was second nature to him now.
He breathed out, almost a sigh of.. relief?
A sigh of relief, a fresh start, fresh house, fresh ambitions.
Dragging the suitcase through the house, his eyes darted over every feature he'd spent countless minutes admiring and perfecting in his head. The place was spotless, yet lifeless. Lonely.
It was mainly monotone, maybe the odd splash of colour in a bedroom or bathroom but didn't matter; he was only sleeping in one room. The master bedroom. The king size bed expanded across half the room, a walk in wardrobe on the right and an en suite luxury bathroom on the left. He sighed contentedly and perched on the edge of the bed, glancing around his new bedroom.
The change from beer bottles to candles and minimalistic ornaments was refreshing, like that of turning a fresh page in a book.
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SURPRISE? // CHENFORD.
Fanfiction"I'm sorry, I didn't even know-" Tim attempted to tell her, hurriedly and panicked. Lucy silenced him with a finger on his lips, "You know I'm here for you, and him. Always." After Tim and Isabel's divorce, they went no contact. She'd gone to reha...
