Chapter Text
Lucy shouldn’t be this okay with all the boxes that are crowding Tim’s—their—house. She should definitely be getting to unpacking them and filling all the nooks and crannies of the house. She should be excited about making this house, Tim’s self proclaimed bachelor pad…theirs.
She is excited.
She is excited because finally gets to have this life with Tim..again. She thinks it’s adorable that he bought all the boxes before even knowing her answer. She thinks is cute, that her boyfriend is so determined to make them work again. And he is trying…he really is trying.
She loves him for it and she is so grateful.
The boxes are no doubt daunting and it’s easier to ignore them than actually get started on packing them.
And she has a lot of stuff.
(She didn’t even realize it until she started packing it all up.)
Now all the boxes were in the entryway, the living room, the kitchen and the bedroom. Lucy’s not obvious, she knows it’s bothering Tim and every time she looks at him she can see the frustration he’s trying not to show.
She can feel the tension in the morning when he comes in and goes for the coffee that is already made.
She makes a quip about the vegan bacon which she knows he bought and restocked for her. And then it boils over (finally).
She knows Tim like the back of her hand, she knows he likes things a certain way and he doesn’t like clutter.
She feels bad that their house and the beginning of them living together is filled with… clutter.
And it’s not like she hasn’t taken some things out of the boxes, not counting the clothes or anything like that.
She just wants to make sure everything is perfect and has a place. It was happening just a little slower.
She’s not upset when he is talking to her. He’s frustrated, and his tone softens when he apologizes.
She understands where he is coming from, their house does look like a storage place rather than a house.
They would get there.
They would get there.
***
Lucy thinks about the boxes all day. She thinks of them when they are looking for Samantha, and even Celina notices something is going on.
“Are you okay?” She asks. Lucy looks over at her, and taps the steering wheel.
“How long is too long to leave everything in boxes?” She asks. Celina raises an eyebrow at her.
“Are you having second thoughts about living with Tim? You know I will—” Celina starts but Lucy shakes her head.
It’s not that.
“No,” She says. “It’s not that at all. I trust him and I love him enough to know he won’t change his mind.”
“Then it’s you?” Celina asks. Lucy sighs a little, maybe it was her. Maybe she just didn’t want to unpack because then it was real. She was living with her boyfriend. She was living with Tim, they were really doing this again.
“Maybe.”
“Do you love Tim?”
“Of course I do.” Lucy says. She thinks she has fallen more in love with him as the days went on. She wasn’t sure that was possible but here she was. “I’m finally happy and at home.”
“Then what’s the problem?” Celina asks. “Just unpack the boxes. Then you will be home at last.” Lucy blows out a breath and Celina is right.
It’s that simple.
So why couldn’t she just unpack the damn boxes?
***
Lucy doesn’t see Tim all day, she gets glimpses of him here and there but otherwise it’s just that. She can’t say she loves not seeing him especially after the day she had. Especially after Samantha’s case brought up memories she would rather not remember.
Caleb.
The barrel.
She calls Tim and tells him what happened. “Are you okay?” He asks and there’s worry ringing his voice. She knows what he’s thinking about. She’s thinking about it too.
“I’m okay.” She reassures him. She looks towards Samantha’s room. “I’ll be home later.”
“Take your time.” Tim says. “I’ll be waiting.” Of course he would. She loves him so much.
She’s thinking says bye and hangs up, and makes her way back to Samantha’s room. She would sit with her for a little bit and then go home.
To Tim. To home.
And the boxes.
Oh god.
The boxes.
***
She puts the boxes out of her mind until she walks through the doors. Tim is sitting on the couch, there’s an amazing smell in the air and then of course…the boxes.
Lovely.
She thinks of her conversation with Celina, looks at her amazing boyfriend waiting for her and she just knows.
The boxes have got to go.
This doesn’t feel like home after she had the day she had. This doesn’t feel like somewhere she can just relax.
The boxes are everywhere.
Tim was right this morning, it wouldn’t feel like home until all the boxes were gone. She just wants to start this new chapter of her life with Tim.
Their chapter.
Their house.
She takes a deep breath, wondering how she is going to phrase this. Because despite the tension this morning, Tim was sitting waiting for her. He still had food waiting for her.
In their home.
Well not quite yet.
But soon.
It would feel like home at last. Finally.
She was home.