Drowning
Nothing seemed easy anymore. Just putting one foot in front of the other was too much work, too much energy expended. She was trying to tread water in quicksand. Constantly being sucked under, rarely reaching the top. Each breath more difficult than the one before.
She struggled every day with the secrets she kept, the bruises and the aches. No oe could know what she was doing. They wouldn't understand. Hell, she didn't understand. Why did she let herself get sucked into the delusion?
They were both fighting to stay afloat, fight the rising tides. Trying not to drown.