Echos of a Genius | Spencer Reid

Family

Stephie

I noticed it this morning as soon as I walked into the office: the Narcotics Anonymous meeting flier was gone from the board. A strange spark lit up inside me, equal parts hope and anxiety. Spencer's desk was empty, the absence of him making the room feel colder, lonelier.

Without giving it much thought, I headed straight to Hotch's office, pushing the door open without knocking. The urgency in my chest was suffocating, and I needed answers now.

"Where is—"

"He took some time off. He'll be back in a week." Hotch's voice was calm but laced with understanding, his eyes fixed on me with that sharp, all-knowing gaze of his. I breathed a sigh of relief, though I wasn't sure what kind of relief it was—whether I was relieved that Spencer was getting help or that he was simply away. I hadn't talked to him in weeks, and the tension between us hung in the air like thick smoke. It was hard to imagine things ever going back to how they were before.

"Congratulations on the engagement, Stephie," Hotch added, his tone neutral but pointed. I glanced down at my left hand as if I had forgotten about the ring. The diamond sparkled, mocking me in a way, and I froze for a moment.

"Yeah, thanks, Hotch," I replied with a forced smile before turning on my heel and walking out. *I'm actually engaged*, I thought to myself, as if saying it would make it feel more real.

Austin had been ecstatic, his mother even more so. She was already in full wedding-planning mode. The date had been set for two months from now—without consulting me. It felt like I was watching someone else's life unfold. The idea of getting married made my stomach twist into knots, and I kept telling myself it was just nerves, but deep down, I knew it was more than that.

———

"I don't like that dress," Jamie, Austin's mother, barked again as I stepped out of the dressing room, now wearing the fourteenth dress of the day. She had dismissed every single one with a sharpness that made my skin crawl. I glanced over at Emily, who was lounging in a chair, arms crossed, looking as fed up as I felt.

"I thought the fourth one was adorable," Emily chimed in, rolling her eyes for the hundredth time. I smiled at her, grateful for her patience. The fourth dress *was* adorable—it was the one I actually liked. But Jamie had hated it. In fact, Jamie seemed to hate every dress that wasn't her vision of "perfect."

This entire process was exhausting, and I would have lost my temper at Jamie by now if it weren't for Austin's eagerness. This wedding was more important to him than it was to me, and I hated admitting that.

"Hey," Emily called out, suddenly standing with a mischievous grin spreading across her face. "We've got a case. Get changed."

I didn't need to be told twice. I dashed back into the dressing room, peeling off the suffocating layers of fabric faster than I thought humanly possible. The relief was almost instantaneous. I could've hugged Emily right then and there.

As I changed back into my regular clothes, Jamie's voice echoed behind me, her words making my stomach turn. "Soon you won't have to worry about that anymore. You and Austin will be married, and your only job will be to take care of the kids, cook, and clean! Isn't that wonderful?"

I stopped, staring at my reflection in the mirror, her words cutting through me like a dull blade. *That's not what I want*, I realized, but I swallowed the lump in my throat and forced a smile as I emerged.

"Yeah... wonderful," I mumbled, my voice hollow.

———

Back at the office, the normalcy of being there felt like a breath of fresh air. Emily's fake case had been the perfect excuse to escape, but now that we were back, I couldn't shake the feeling of dread creeping back in. I wasn't sure if it was the weight of the wedding or something else, but the feeling lingered.