Bella Hartley stood by the kitchen window, fingertips pressed lightly against the cool porcelain mug she'd forgotten to drink from. Morning sunlight filtered through the glass, washing the kitchen in a soft gold that felt almost too serene for how restless she truly was.
Behind her, Richard sifted through the mail.
"Another travel brochure," he said, setting a glossy pamphlet on the counter. A sun-soaked couple laughed on the cover under the headline Reignite Your Romance.
Bella exhaled softly. "They're persistent."
Richard laughed, but it was a tired sound—one that mirrored how both of them felt. Their marriage wasn't broken; it had just… dulled. Years of quiet routines, silent dinners, and parallel evenings scrolling on their phones. A life that looked stable from the outside but felt hollow on the inside.
Before either could attempt a deeper conversation, Bella's phone buzzed loudly.
KELLY.
Bella straightened a little. Kelly didn't call early in the morning unless something was urgent. She answered quickly.
"Bella?" Kelly sounded breathless. "Okay, don't freak out."
"That's a great way to start," Bella replied.
"It's fine. Everything's fine. Mostly. Sort of."
In the background, Bella heard chatter—teenage chatter—and a door closing.
"What's going on?"
"Mark surprised me with a last-minute holiday. Like, flights booked, bags nearly packed. But the person who was supposed to stay with Evan just cancelled on me. Completely bailed."
Bella blinked. Evan—her cousin—was eighteen now. Old enough to stay home alone for a day or two, sure. But a full week? Kelly had always been protective, especially after Evan's difficult year—senior stress, a breakup, and losing his direction a bit.
"You need someone to take him in?" Bella asked.
"Yes. Just for a week. He likes you and Richard, and you two have the space. I hate asking, but I'm out of options."
Bella hesitated. She loved Evan—smart, creative, a little lost, with more worries in his head than an eighteen-year-old should carry. But the idea of someone staying with them… breaking the stillness of the house… interrupting the routine that had become both comfort and cage…
Maybe that was exactly what they needed.
"Yeah," Bella said softly. "He can stay with us."
Kelly released a sharp breath of relief. "Thank you. Seriously. I'll bring him over tomorrow. He'll behave, I promise. Or—well—mostly."
After she hung up, Bella turned to Richard.
"Evan is coming to stay with us for a week."
Richard raised an eyebrow. "The teenage one?"
Bella nodded.
Richard leaned back against the counter, thinking. "The house hasn't had that much noise in a while."
"No," Bella murmured. "It hasn't."
Their eyes met—not tense, not resigned, but curious. Something in the air shifted, subtle but real. A spark of unpredictability. A change in the rhythm.
For the first time in months, Bella felt something stir awake inside her.
Not dread.
Not routine.
But possibility.