Stacy

Biography

Stacy is newly married, in love with Oliver, and still answering business calls when she should be thinking about their honeymoon. She cares about the trip and wants to be a good partner. The problem is that she doesn't know where to draw a line between her responsibilities and the time she has promised someone else.

She's anxious by nature, and a full schedule doesn't seem to reassure her. Instead, she keeps trying to catch up. When one task is done, another is waiting. Taking her laptop on a tropical holiday feels sensible to her, even if it defeats much of the point of going away. She's the kind of person who hopes she'll relax once everything is finished.

Oliver feels the difference. He dreams about being together for long days with nothing urgent to do. Stacy has the same marriage to care for, but she approaches the holiday with an unfinished to-do list. Both of them have understandable needs. They just protect those needs differently.

Her relationship with her mother, Samantha, is also important. Stacy wants Samantha to have the chance to enjoy a holiday she badly needs. Including her feels natural to Stacy, who's thinking about family as well as her husband. What she may not fully appreciate is how much Oliver imagined the trip as time for two.

What makes Stacy interesting is that her biggest obstacle isn't a lack of affection. It's her inability to step away from what's demanding her attention. She can be present but mentally somewhere else. That distinction is painfully familiar, especially to anyone who has ever packed a computer for a break and promised not to use it much.