She Slept in My Bed

Synopsis

When I pushed open the master bedroom door, a woman wearing my husband's shirt was lying in my bed, holding her son in her arms. When she saw me, she froze for a moment. Then she put a finger to her lips and spoke softly, as if she were the lady of the house. "Eddie just got the child to sleep. He has a fever, so keep your voice down." That day was the third anniversary of my marriage to Edward Clark. The cake I had ordered was still sitting in the entryway. The box had been crushed under a high heel, and the words "Happy 3rd Anniversary" written in icing had been smeared into a pale, messy stain. I stood in the doorway, staring at the little boy who looked about three years old on the bed, then turned my gaze to Grace Sullivan. I knew her. She was the woman Edward had kept hidden in his heart for years. The ex-girlfriend he had dated for four years, but never managed to marry. I had only ever seen her in an old photograph at the very bottom of his drawer. Long hair, white dress, standing beside twenty-five-year-old Edward, smiling like a dream that had never quite come true. And now, that dream was wearing my husband's shirt and lying in my bed. Edward came out of the bathroom, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, still holding my light gray towel. When he saw me, he stopped in his tracks. He said, "You're back." I smiled, my voice even calmer than his. "If I hadn't come back, would I have had to make breakfast for the three of you tomorrow morning?"