When the Flood Took More than Life

Reuben Lane stood in a crisp, sharp police uniform that made him look even more handsome and dashing. Yet, upon closer inspection, heavy stubble shadowed his jaw, and bloodshot eyes betrayed sheer exhaustion.

"You were in a car crash? Why didn't you tell me?"

He looked worried, but his tone was reproachful. Then he naturally crouched in front of Phoebe Graham, ready to help her put on her shoes.

Phoebe instinctively flinched, dodging his touch.

His hands met empty air. Frowning, Reuben looked up and met Phoebe's eyes, which were as calm as stagnant water.

"It wasn't a big deal. Your work comes first." Her tone was flat.

She slipped on her shoes, stood straight, grabbed her discharge papers, and walked out.

As Reuben watched her noticeably slimmer back, a sudden sense of unease gripped his heart.

Somehow, Phoebe… felt entirely different.

He followed her, watching as she handled the discharge paperwork alone, picked up her medicine at the pharmacy, and walked to the bus stop outside the hospital.

He was right there behind her, yet she didn't turn around to cling to him or complain about how late he'd been. She didn't lean into his arms like she used to, run her fingers over his stubble, or remind him to get enough rest and not wear himself out working late.

A sudden wave of irritation and unease surged in Reuben's chest. He stepped forward, caught her by the wrist, and pressed his lips together. Lowering his voice, he asked, "Are you mad about the car crash? Or is it because of Macey—"

"None of that." Phoebe cut him off.

She slowly pulled her wrist free. Her voice was so calm it bordered on cold as she continued, "Reuben, I don't want to bring up the past anymore."

Her wrist slipped away again.

Impatiently, Reuben reached out to grab her. "Then why are you—"

The bus arrived.

Without sparing him another glance, Phoebe boarded the bus and moved down the aisle to stand in the middle.

Reuben pressed his lips together and followed her inside, squeezing behind her to shield her from the surrounding crowd with his broad frame.

As Phoebe looked out the window at the rapidly receding scenery and felt the warmth of Reuben's body at her back, her thoughts drifted back to the first time she met him five years ago.

It was during a holiday. She had taken her saved-up money to buy the latest dress at the local department store.

As she reached the entrance, someone on the street shouted about a thief. Amidst the chaotic crowd, a man in a police uniform leaped forward, kicked a running man to the ground, and subdued him in seconds.

When he looked up, the fierce look in his eyes left Phoebe frozen in place.

Back then, she thought this cop was fierce and terrifying, yet his features were firmly etched in her mind.

The second time they met, Reuben climbed onto a roof to rescue a trapped child. When he slipped and fell, he kept the child tightly shielded in his arms.

His arms were bleeding heavily that day, but he just smiled gently and patted the little girl's head, his eyes shining warmly.

Watching from the sidelines, Phoebe felt her heart skip a beat.

Their third meeting happened when the dance troupe performed at the police station.

She was dancing on stage while Reuben watched her intently from the audience. When their eyes met, her heart raced, and her cheeks burned.

After that day, Phoebe learned that Reuben was being set up on blind dates, so she asked her aunt, who worked in the judicial system, to play matchmaker.

On the day of their blind date, Reuben sat across from her and said sincerely, "Ms. Graham, my line of work is unique and demanding. I might not be able to give a family the attention it needs. Do you mind?"

"I don't mind!" Phoebe answered firmly, her ears red.

Reuben nodded. "I'll treat you well."

True to his word, he treated her well after they married, but he was constantly busy.

Phoebe managed the household chores alone.

When the coal briquettes ran out, a lightbulb burned out, or the roof leaked, Reuben could never make it back in time, so she rolled up her sleeves and learned to fix things herself.

Reuben was kind-hearted. Whenever his precinct handed out subsidies, he always gave them to neighbors who needed them more.

Phoebe supported him without a single complaint.

During her month of recovery after giving birth, Reuben was temporarily assigned to a neighboring city to help crack a major case. He only returned after she finished her month of rest.

Seeing his bloodshot eyes and unmistakable guilt, she simply swallowed all her emotions and didn't utter a single word of blame.

That day, Reuben had held her tight, promising he would carve out more time for his family.

Yet, he broke his promise.

He grew busier and busier because his precinct assigned him a trainee.

A female officer named Emma Cooke always called him "Officer Lane" in a sweet voice, then repeatedly botched her work and caused trouble, forcing Reuben to clean up her messes.

And Reuben went from sounding impatient whenever he mentioned her to speaking of her with an unconscious smile and tenderness.

Phoebe had cried and fought with him over this, only to be told again and again that she didn't understand him.

"Phoebe, she's my comrade, my colleague, my trainee. There is nothing shady between us, and I will never betray you. Stop making a fuss over nothing."

Then, half a month ago, a flood hit. As Reuben evacuated the residents, Phoebe and their one-year-old daughter, Macey Lane, were the last ones left behind.

She stood on the roof holding Macey, waiting anxiously for rescue.

Just as Reuben was rushing toward her, a rescued little boy fell into the water. Emma jumped in to save him but caught a cramp.

At that crucial moment, Reuben changed direction to rescue Emma without a shred of hesitation.

In that exact fraction of a second, a massive wave struck, washing Phoebe and Macey away. When she finally woke up, Macey had already stopped breathing.

Outside, Reuben was comforting a guilt-ridden Emma. "Don't cry. It's not your fault. You bear no responsibility for this. You don't need to feel guilty."

At that moment, Phoebe laughed. She laughed until her entire body shook and tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.

She sat in silence through the entire night, then slipped the divorce agreement in with Macey's cremation papers for Reuben to sign.

On the day of Macey's funeral, Reuben showed up for just a moment before Emma dragged him away again.

The moment he left, Phoebe did two things.

First, she went to the county courthouse to submit the divorce agreement and apply for a divorce.

Second, she applied to her dance troupe for a three-year exchange study program in Marlowe.

Once those two things were settled, she would leave Reuben behind for good, walking away from the home she'd lived in for five years.