The coffee cup trembled in Leo’s hand, sloshing lukewarm liquid over the rim. He hated Mondays. Especially this one. He stared at the email again: Subject: “Project Chimera - Urgent.” His stomach knotted. He hadn't slept well in days. He reread the body. *Deadline moved forward. Status report due Friday. Significant discrepancies in Phase 2 data.* He needed to talk to Maya. He needed to understand how she possibly saw that day at the beach the way she did.
The phone rang. It was her. "Hey, Leo! You got that email? Wild, right? Beach day prep never felt so important." The lightness in her voice grated on him. He felt like his head was going to explode.
"Maya, we need to talk," he managed, his voice a strained whisper.
"About the presentation? Totally! You're thinking the same thing, right? That the way the tide pulled us under the waves was the moment that changed everything?" He ran a hand through his hair, a nervous gesture he hadn't noticed he had. He thought of the taste of salt water, the panic, the desperate struggle to get above the surface. He felt a wave of dizziness.
"I remember something different," he said quietly, gripping the phone harder. He focused on the knot in his stomach.