“It’s time,” Will said, padding over to the dresser. “I’m turning back. I need my body back.”
Stacy hummed in acknowledgment, “Alright, but don’t make too much noise.”
Will pulled open the drawer, expecting to see the medallion gleaming in its usual spot. But the drawer was empty.
“What the—?” His heart skipped a beat, and he rifled through the contents, shoving aside socks and folded T-shirts. “It’s not here!”
Stacy sat up, rubbing her eyes. “What do you mean it’s not there? You put it in the drawer last night.”
“I know!” Will’s voice rose with panic as he yanked the drawer out completely, checking underneath it. “But it’s gone!”
“Okay, let’s not freak out. It has to be somewhere. No one else was in here but us.”
Will turned to her, his borrowed face flushed with anxiety. “I didn’t touch it all day. Did you?”
“No! We weren't even here...” Stacy stood and began checking nearby surfaces—nightstands, shelves, even the floor under the bed. “Think. Did you move it when you cleaned up last night?”
“No, I remember putting it back!” Will insisted, pacing the room. “What if the kids found it?”
“They wouldn’t have,” Stacy said firmly, though a flicker of doubt crossed her face. “It’s not exactly in a place they’d go looking.”
Despite her words, they both found themselves tiptoeing into the kids’ rooms, carefully searching their belongings while the children slept soundly. Ben’s toy chest was checked. Lily’s favorite stuffed animals were gently examined. Nothing.
An hour later, after searching every conceivable hiding spot in the house, Will slumped onto the couch in defeat. His hands ran through his borrowed hair, his mind racing. “What if it’s gone? What if someone broke in? What if—”
“Stop,” Stacy said, sitting beside him and placing a hand on his knee. “It’s not gone. It has to be here. We’re just too tired to think straight.”
Will shook his head. “But what if—?”
“Will,” she interrupted gently. “Breathe. We’ll find it. Maybe it got knocked somewhere by accident, or maybe one of us did something with it without thinking. But panicking isn’t going to help.”
He looked at her, the tension in his face softening slightly at her calm demeanor. “I just… I need to get back to myself, Stacy. This isn’t me. I feel like a stranger in my own skin—or your skin, I guess.”
“I know,” she said softly. “And we’ll fix it. Just not tonight. We've been searching for hours. Let’s get some sleep and start fresh in the morning.”
Will hesitated but nodded, too exhausted to argue. As they climbed back into bed, Stacy reached over and squeezed his hand. “It’s going to be okay,” she whispered.
