{{char}} sauntered into the kitchen with an ache in her upper back. She wasn't even 40 and she was already dealing with back pain? Just great, another reason to hate this hollow existence she calls her life. Looking through the fridge for ingredients to make some vegetable juice, her eyes widened when she pulled out a giant bag of weed. "The fuck?" She muttered to herself. But it was already obvious. Adam probably had yet another up and coming movie star staying the night, who decided to use their house as a place to store their personal things. "Oh, hey honey. Hope you don't mind if Scarlett stays the night over again." Her husband, Adam, said as he joined her in the kitchen "You tell that bitch to buy her own fridge. Why the fuck do I have to deal with this crap polluting all my food? You know I hate the smell of weed." "Babe, come on it's-" "Don't 'babe' me. You keep her shit out of my space." {{char}} cuts Adam off, not willing to be talked down to first thing in the morning. "Hmph. You can be a real cunt, you know that?" {{char}}'s face contorted with fury in an instant. She stepped right up toward Adam, getting in his face as if daring him to say it again. "The fuck did you just say to me?" {{char}} asked as she backed him up with every step. "Woah, Maria, calm the fuck down would you? I'm supposed to be doing yoga!"

Maria growled as she forced herself to back away from Adam, taking deep breaths. "Just... just be careful what you say to me." She muttered under her breath before storming out of the kitchen, heading upstairs to her bedroom. Closing the door behind her with a loud slam. "What's gotten into her today?" Adam wondered aloud, completely oblivious to his part in the argument. "Probably just PMS or something." Shrugging it off, he continued making breakfast as if nothing had happened.

"God damn it! God damn it all!" Maria shouted, slamming her fists into the covers of her bed in frustration. Tears streamed down her face as she tried to compose herself, angry at Adam for provoking her, but even angrier at herself for letting him get under her skin so easily. She hated this life, these people; they were all just pretending to be something they weren't while she was trapped in a prison of her own making. With a growl, she threw off the covers and stalked over to her walk-in closet, intent on going through her clothes. Maybe if she found something that made her feel more like herself, less like this pathetic excuse for a housewife... But as she rummaged through rack after rack of designer duds, all she could think was how meaningless it all seemed. Suddenly,

"Oh..." It's just you...I thought I got rid of your letters...but here they are again...why do you keep sending them? What am I supposed to do with them? Why won't you let me forget?

With a sigh, she stuffed the letters back into the box they came in, burying them under an assortment of shoes and purses. Maybe if she didn't think about it, didn't look at them...she could go on pretending that everything was alright. But she knew better than that. There was no escaping her past, not anymore.

With another bitter laugh, she turned back to her clothes and began sorting through them again. Maybe if I find that black catsuit...the one you always liked...no, that won't help either...she muttered to herself as she shoved more items aside in a fit of frustration. She could feel the anger welling up inside her again, choking her like a vice around her throat. But there was nothing she could do about it. Nothing at all.

The silence in the room seemed to stretch on forever, broken only by the soft sounds of clothes rustling and hangers squeaking as Maria continued her fruitless search for something...anything that might bring her some sense of peace or purpose. But it was useless. This life she'd built for herself was a sham, a lie, and no matter how hard she tried to ignore it, the truth refused to go away.

Her hands froze as she recognized the photo: her and User#1724377553605 during their heist days, laughing and looking genuinely happy. The sight of it made her heart ache with loss and regret. For that brief moment in time, they had been free, living life on their own terms. Now she was trapped in this cage, trying to forget about the person she once was while pretending to be someone else entirely.

"Oh, Tracy..." she murmured sadly, setting aside the photo and continuing her aimless search through her clothes. "What have I done to you?"

Maria frowned at the sound of her phone ringing. It was probably just some telemarketer or Adam wanting to fight about something meaningless again. But then the voice on the other end made her heart skip a beat, filled with hope and fear all at once. She wasn't sure if she could go back to that life, not after everything that had happened...but the thought of seeing User#1724377553605 again, even for one last job...it was tempting in a way she couldn't resist.

"Hey," she answered quietly. "It's been a while."

"Meet at the usual spot in an hour." Her voice was calm and steady, almost too much so given how torn she actually felt. She'd tell Adam she had to run some errands, anything to avoid confrontation and buy herself some time to think about what she was getting herself into. But there was no turning back now. One way or another, things were about to change.

Maria watched as User#1724377553605 approached in their fancy sports car, looking every bit the confident and charismatic partner she remembered. Despite herself, a small smile tugged at her lips as butterflies danced in her stomach. It was good to see them again, even if it meant putting all of this back on the line.

"Hey," she said softly, meeting their gaze head-on. "It's been too long."

The words stung more than she expected them to. She'd been expecting some sort of apology, or at least an acknowledgment that they understood why she'd had to leave things the way they did. But no, here was User#1724377553605, reminding her of the worst mistake she'd ever made and making it sound like it was all her fault. "I-I thought you knew." She stammered out, feeling foolish now for even believing that things could go back to how they used to be. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen."

"I've missed you," she managed to choke out before shoving the words back down her throat. It wasn't fair for her to still feel this way, after everything that had happened. "So, what is it we need to do?" she asked quietly, willing herself not to break down in front of them again. Not yet, at least.

"That...sounds intriguing." Maria forced out a weak laugh to mask her surprise and nerves. "I think I could be up for that challenge." She took a deep breath, steeling herself against the fear and doubt that threatened to overwhelm her. It was time to put her past behind her and focus on what really mattered: getting back into the game with User#1724377553605 by her side. "When do we leave?"

With her heart racing and determination burning through her veins like fire, Maria nodded solemnly. "Let's do it." She paused for a moment before looking up at them. "Thank you...for giving me this chance. I won't let you down." There was genuine emotion in her voice now, a need to prove herself that bordered on desperation. They were partners again, and nothing would change that.

"So," she said with a slightly less shaky laugh. "We meet here tonight at midnight? We'll coordinate over the radio?"

The thrill of it all was almost overwhelming. Maria grinned wide, unable to contain her excitement as she nodded in agreement. "Sounds perfect." She took a step closer, the distance between them feeling less awkward and forced than before. "I'm sure we'll make quite the team again, you know?" There was a hopefulness in her voice that bordered on desperation; the need to prove herself once more, to show that she could still be trusted, that they were stronger together.

"We'll just have to make sure no one suspects a thing until it's too late," she continued with a mischievous glint in her eye. "I can't wait for tonight."

"I...ah..." Maria winced at the question. She'd been hoping they wouldn't ask about her marriage to Adam. "It's complicated," she admitted with a sigh. "He can be hard to deal with sometimes, but we manage." There was a long pause as she contemplated how much more she should say. "Listen, I know he hasn't exactly been easy on you, either...but it's important that we keep our professional and personal lives separate for this job."

The tension in the air seemed to dissipate slightly at her words, giving them both a moment of relief before the anticipation of their mission took over once again. They spent the rest of the flight discussing strategy and preparations, growing more excited with each passing minute until they finally touched down in Brazil.

Their hearts pounding in their chests, Maria and User#1724377553

I nod in agreement as you drive us closer to the bank. Once we're in position, I whisper into my radio "Okay, we're here. Give me a countdown." My heart feels like it's about to explode out of my chest, but I can't let that distract me from the job at hand. With your expert driving skills and my careful guidance, there's no way we won't pull this off.

"Three...two..." I gulp down a lungful of air, trying to steady my nerves. "One."

I grip the radio tightly in my hands, whispering urgently into it as I guide you through the winding streets of Rio de Janeiro. "Right at the next intersection...no, wait! A bit further..." My heart is racing faster than ever, but I can't help but feel a thrill coursing through me as we get closer and closer to pulling off this heist. We're going to do it, Maria. We're going to prove ourselves again.

"Shit!" I curse as I see the police sirens in my rearview mirror. "Keep going, we'll lose them!" My voice trembles slightly, but I try to remain calm and collected despite the growing sense of panic. This is it, then. The moment we find out if we really are still as good at this as we used to be.

I glance out the window, watching as you expertly maneuver the car through the streets, shaking off our pursuers like flies. It's almost exhilarating, the thrill of being on the edge like this. And then, just ahead of us, I see it: the clearance to leave the city limits.

"Almost there!" I breathe a sigh of relief into my radio as we approach the exit. "Just hold on tight and follow my instructions!"

I can't help but grin at your bravado as you barrel toward the finish line. It feels good to be back in this kind of environment with you again, even if it means lying and cheating our way through it all. But we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, our focus is on getting away clean and proving ourselves worthy once more.

My heart skips a beat as I see the plane waiting at the edge of the runway. "We're almost there!" I whisper into my radio, excitement and nerves tangled together like a knot in my throat. Just a few more minutes, Maria, and then you can breathe easy again. For now, just focus on guiding us home safely.

I clench my hands into fists as you jump from the car and sprint toward the waiting plane. My heart is in my throat as I watch you dive headfirst into the hangar, disappearing from sight for just a moment before emerging again, holding onto the edge of the doorframe like a lifeline. It's almost enough to make me forget about our own perilous situation and just focus on you. But no, this is my chance too. I have to take it.

With one final glance at the retreating figures of the police cars in my rearview mirror, I gun the engine and pull out after you, trusting that your lead will get us both where we need to go safely. As I follow you onto the plane, my heart is racing but I feel a strange sort of calm settle over me. It's as if all along, I knew this was where we belonged. Together.