The babysitter

A break

Lucy woke up to the relentless blaring of her alarm clock. Groaning, she rolled over and slammed her hand on the snooze button. Her body ached from weeks of grueling physical training at the police academy, and her mind felt like a tangled mess of worry and exhaustion.

Between the academy's demands, Emma's crying fits at home, and the increasingly strained dynamic with Ashley still hovering around, Lucy felt like she was being pulled in a hundred different directions.

She dragged herself out of bed and stumbled into the kitchen, where Tim was already pouring coffee.

"You look like you wrestled with Kojo and lost," Tim said, handing her a mug.

Lucy gave him a tired smile. "I feel worse than that. Training's been brutal, and Emma..."

Tim nodded, his face softening. "She cried all night again. I tried everything, but she kept asking for you."

Lucy sighed, sinking into a chair. "I don't know how much longer I can keep this up, Tim. Between the academy, Emma, and... everything else, I'm running on fumes."

Tim sat across from her, concern etched on his face. "You need a break, Lucy. Even just for a day."

Lucy shook her head. "I can't. I'm behind on the physical training, and if I miss a single day, I'll fall even further back. And Emma... she needs me."

"She also needs you to be okay," Tim countered. "You can't pour from an empty cup."

Later that morning, Lucy was at the academy, sprinting laps around the track with her fellow recruits. The instructor's voice boomed over the loudspeaker, barking out commands and pushing them to their limits.

"Pick it up, Chen! You're lagging!"

Lucy gritted her teeth and pushed harder, her legs burning with every step. But her mind was elsewhere—thinking about Emma, about the tears she couldn't seem to stop, about the way Ashley's presence only seemed to make things worse.

By the time the session ended, Lucy was doubled over, gasping for air.

"Chen, you okay?" one of the recruits asked.

She nodded, wiping sweat from her brow. "Yeah. Just need a minute."

But deep down, she wasn't so sure.

That evening, Lucy returned home to the sound of Emma crying once again. Her heart sank as she dropped her bag by the door and hurried into the living room.

"Lucie!" Emma wailed, reaching for her.

Lucy scooped her up and held her close, whispering soothing words into her ear. "I'm here, Em. It's okay. I'm here."

Ashley stood awkwardly nearby, looking frustrated. "I tried everything, but she wouldn't calm down."

Lucy bit back a sharp reply, too exhausted to argue. Instead, she focused on Emma, who was clutching her tightly and hiccuping through her sobs.

By the time Emma finally fell asleep, Lucy felt like she could barely keep her eyes open. She sat on the couch, staring blankly at the wall, when Tim walked in, his expression unreadable.

"You're burnt out," he said, sitting down beside her.

Lucy nodded wordlessly, too tired to argue.

"Take tomorrow off," Tim said firmly.

"I can't—"

"Yes, you can," Tim interrupted. "I'll handle Emma. You need to do something for yourself, Lucy. Go for a hike, get a massage, I don't care. Just... take a break."

Lucy hesitated, but the exhaustion weighing her down was too heavy to ignore. "Okay. Just one day."

The next morning, Lucy found herself standing on a quiet trail just outside the city, the crisp air filling her lungs. She hadn't been hiking in years, but as she took her first steps up the path, she felt a small sense of relief wash over her.

The sound of birds chirping and leaves rustling in the breeze was a welcome change from the chaos of her daily life. For the first time in months, she felt like she could breathe.

As she reached the top of the trail, she sat on a rock and looked out over the city. The view was breathtaking, the skyline glittering in the sunlight. For a moment, she allowed herself to simply exist, without the weight of expectations pressing down on her.

She pulled out her phone and snapped a quick photo, sending it to Tim with a simple caption: Thanks for pushing me to do this.

A reply came almost instantly: You earned it. Now don't rush back.

Lucy smiled, tucking her phone away. She wasn't fixed, not by a long shot, but for the first time in a while, she felt like she might be okay. And that was enough.

When she returned home that evening, Emma ran to her as usual, but this time, Lucy felt a renewed sense of strength as she held her close.

"I missed you, Lucie," Emma said softly.

"I missed you too, Em," Lucy replied, kissing her forehead.

She glanced at Tim, who gave her a small nod. For all the challenges they faced, they were in this together. And somehow, they'd make it work.