The babysitter

The recording

Tim Bradford stood in the guest room, his movements slow and methodical as he tidied up the space Lucy had once called her own. The room, though now quiet and undisturbed, still felt like it held traces of her presence. The sheets were neatly tucked in, the pillows fluffed, and everything was where it should be. Yet, no matter how much he tried to bring order to the space, it felt empty without her.

His mind wandered as he absentmindedly folded a shirt from the dresser drawer. The wedding was a distant memory, but its effects lingered. He had thought that he could move on from this—he had thought that time would heal everything. But now, as he stood in the place where so many of their shared moments had taken place, he wasn't sure anymore.

He bent down to pick up a stray sock on the floor, and that's when he saw it. A small, unmarked envelope tucked into the corner of the drawer. It was thin, almost as if it had been tucked away hastily and forgotten. Curious, he reached for it, his fingers brushing the smooth paper before pulling it open.

Inside was a small flash drive.

His heart skipped a beat. Why would Lucy leave something like this behind?

Tim hesitated for a moment, his eyes flicking to the door as if expecting someone to walk in. There was no one. It was just him in the room—the silence enveloping him like a suffocating blanket. With a sigh, he slipped the drive into his pocket and left the room, making his way to the living room where his laptop rested on the coffee table.

His hands were slightly shaky as he connected the drive to his laptop, waiting for it to load. When the file appeared on screen, labeled simply, "For Tim," he clicked it, unsure of what he was about to hear. The screen flickered for a moment before the recording began.

A voice filled the speakers—one he recognized instantly. It was Lucy's.

"Hey! It's me!" her voice was cheerful, almost teasing. "By the time you hear this, you'll be having your sergeant exam soon. Based on some of our conversations, I know you're a kinesthetic learner. You need to be active when listening. I know Rachel has been helping you study, but she isn't always here. So, I'm gonna help you out. Read by the best employee you have."

Tim blinked, his heart thumping in his chest. He listened carefully as Lucy's voice continued, offering study tips and advice, all framed in the same kind of friendly, familiar tone he had come to cherish. She spoke about strategies, ways to remember key details, and even gave him practical advice about staying calm during the exam. It was clear she had put thought into this—almost as if she wanted him to succeed, even after she had left.

Tim's mind drifted back to the time when Lucy had been preparing for her own big exams. It hadn't been long before they started working together, and she had often mentioned how she struggled with studying. He remembered how she would pace around, her hands moving rapidly, as if the only way she could retain information was through action. That was when she had first identified his kinesthetic learning style. She had helped him by suggesting ways to engage his body while studying—writing things out, using flashcards, and even walking around the room to make the information stick. It was a method that worked for him, and it was clear that she had used it herself.

But hearing her voice now, recorded, was different. It felt like a reminder of everything she had done for him—and everything she had left behind.

The recording continued, offering more practical advice, but as the seconds ticked by, Tim's thoughts began to swirl. Was this Lucy's way of telling him she was still thinking of him? Or was it just an act of kindness, something to help him with his exam and nothing more? There was something bittersweet about it, something that made his heart ache.

He let the recording play through to the end, then sat back in his chair, his fingers running over his lips as he tried to process everything he had just heard. The words she had spoken, the care in her voice—it was all so familiar, and yet, it felt so distant now.

A strange feeling washed over him—like the loss of something that was never truly his to begin with.

Tim closed his laptop with a soft click, his mind racing. He hadn't expected this. The drive had been a simple, almost insignificant thing, but the impact it had left on him was anything but. He had never imagined that Lucy would leave behind something like this—a parting gift that felt more like a last attempt to help him succeed in the life she had moved on from.

It was clear now, more than ever, that Lucy had made her decision. She had chosen her path, one that didn't involve him. She had moved on—gotten married, started a new life. But this recording, this little piece of her, felt like a tether, a reminder of what had once been.

Tim couldn't shake the feeling that she had left a part of herself behind, not just in the recording, but in the way she had impacted his life. She had been more than just a babysitter, more than just a friend. She had been a confidante, someone who understood him in ways that no one else had.

And now, as he sat there, his mind reeling with emotions he hadn't known he still had, he wondered if he had ever really known what he wanted. Did he want to move on, like Lucy had? Or did he want to hold on to whatever piece of her he could still grasp?

Tim stood up abruptly, walking over to the window, his hand pressing against the cool glass as he looked out at the city below. The noise of the street below was muted, distant, like a world he no longer belonged to.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a door opening behind him. He turned to find Rachel standing in the doorway, her expression concerned but kind. She had been there for him through so much—quietly supporting him, offering comfort without question.

"Tim," she said softly. "You okay?"

He didn't answer right away, his eyes drifting back to the cityscape. "I don't know," he admitted finally, his voice low. "I thought I was... but now, with this..." He gestured vaguely to the laptop, to the recording that had shaken him more than he cared to admit.

Rachel stepped into the room, her presence grounding him in a way that was both comforting and unsettling. "Lucy wanted you to do well on your exam. She always had your back."

Tim nodded, a bitter taste in his mouth. "I know. But it's more than that, isn't it? This... this is more than just a study aid. It feels like... she's still here, even though she's gone."

Rachel said nothing at first, then walked over to him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Maybe it's not about her being gone," she said quietly. "Maybe it's about you moving forward, with or without her. You can't keep holding onto something that isn't yours anymore."

Tim's eyes closed for a moment, the weight of her words sinking in. He had been holding onto the past, to Lucy, for so long that he hadn't realized how much of himself he had left behind. And now, with this recording, with this final act of kindness from her, he was left with a choice.

He could either move on, as she had, or continue to live in the shadows of a life that had already moved forward without him.

And as he stood there, feeling Rachel's hand on his shoulder, he realized that the choice was his. It always had been.

But deep down, he knew it wasn't going to be easy.