The Unspoken Currents

Waves of What-Ifs

(A.N. Ahhhhhhh you ready?)

The day before the trial arrived faster than Becky anticipated. The past weeks had been grueling, but as Becky stood in her office, looking over the last set of documents, she felt a deep sense of satisfaction. They were ready. More than ready. The Nexis case would be a win, and they both knew it.

Freen entered the office, her face lit up with the same confidence. "We're going to kill it tomorrow," she said, dropping her bag onto the chair.

Becky leaned against her desk, smiling. "There's no doubt about it."

There was a pause as the weight of their preparation lifted, leaving space for something else. Relief. Excitement. A sense of freedom, at least for today.

Freen stretched her arms above her head, glancing out of the office window. "You know," she said casually, "I was thinking we should get out of here. Just for a little while. Clear our minds before tomorrow."

Becky raised an eyebrow. "And where do you suggest we go?"

Freen grinned. "Remember that beach we used to talk about? The one we said we'd drive to when we were older, no plans, just us and the ocean?"

Becky's heart skipped a beat. She hadn't thought about that in years. They used to make promises about the future when things were simpler, back when they believed they'd always be together. The idea hit her with a wave of nostalgia and something else she didn't want to name just yet.

"Let's do it," Becky said, surprising even herself with how easily the words slipped out.

Freen's grin widened, and within the hour, they were in Becky's car, heading toward the coast, the city shrinking behind them as they drove along the open highway.

The wind whipped through the car's open windows, the salty air growing stronger as they neared the beach. Freen leaned her arm out of the window, her hair blowing wildly in the breeze, and Becky couldn't help but steal glances at her, the carefree look on Freen's face stirring something inside her.

They didn't talk much at first, letting the music fill the space between them, but there was a comfortable ease in the silence—an understanding that they were both happy to just be there, away from the pressure, away from the expectations.

When they finally reached the beach, the sun was beginning to set, casting the sky in hues of pink and orange. Becky parked the car, and they both stepped out, the sand soft under their feet as they walked toward the water.

Freen kicked off her shoes, smiling as she felt the cool sand between her toes. "I forgot how much I love this place," she murmured, her voice almost lost to the sound of the waves crashing against the shore.

Becky smiled, slipping off her own shoes and joining Freen by the water's edge. "It's exactly how I remember it."

They stood there for a moment, just watching the waves roll in, the air heavy with the scent of salt and the sound of the sea. It felt like time had slowed down, like they had slipped back into a version of themselves from years ago when things were simpler.

"Do you remember the list we made?" Freen asked suddenly, her eyes on the horizon.

Becky chuckled, nodding. "Yeah. We had all these plans... the beach, traveling the world, and trying every food in Thailand."

Freen laughed softly, shaking her head. "We were so young."

"Yeah," Becky said, her voice quieter now. "But we were happy."

There was a pause, and then Freen turned to face her, a soft smile on her lips. "Do you think we would've done it? If things had been different?"

Becky met her gaze, her heart beating a little faster. She didn't need to ask what Freen meant by 'different.' She knew. "I don't know," Becky admitted, her voice barely audible. "But I like to think we would have."