Echoes of Us

Chapter 7

Married life with Tim turned out to be even better than Lucy had imagined. After years of navigating their professional relationship and the complicated dynamics of their personal lives, they had finally found their rhythm.

Their home was modest but full of warmth—an old craftsman house with creaky floors and big windows that let the sunlight stream in. It wasn't perfect, but it was theirs, and that was all that mattered.

Tim had softened in ways that surprised Lucy. He still had his gruff, no-nonsense exterior at work, but at home, he was different. He smiled more, laughed more, and took every opportunity to show Lucy how much he loved her.

He would come up behind her in the kitchen and wrap his arms around her, resting his chin on her shoulder as she cooked. They'd spend lazy Sundays curled up on the couch, watching old movies or playing with Kojo, their dog.

But despite how perfect everything seemed on the surface, Lucy couldn't entirely shake the feeling that something was off. It wasn't anything Tim did—he was everything she had ever wanted, and more.

But sometimes, when she was alone in the house, she'd catch herself staring out the window, her thoughts drifting. There was an emptiness there that she couldn't quite put her finger on, a sense that something was missing.

She dismissed it as post-wedding blues or the adjustment to married life. After all, she had been through so much—maybe it was just her mind finally relaxing after years of stress.

Tim, of course, noticed her moments of quiet, her occasional far-off looks. "You okay?" he'd ask, his brow furrowing with concern.

Lucy would smile and brush it off. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking about work, I guess."

But the truth was, it wasn't work that occupied her thoughts. It was this strange, nagging sense that her life—this perfect, idyllic life—was somehow too good to be true.