When I woke up on my birthday, I didn’t expect to wake up next to the wrong woman! Everything felt confusing that day, and I even got a hug from my wife’s friend’s children who called me their father! I thought I was going crazy until later that day when everything finally made sense.
I woke up to the faint sound of birds chirping, my face nestled into a pillow that smelled unfamiliar, like lavender and sandalwood. As I blinked sunlight streamed through a window I didn’t recognize. My heart skipped a beat as I turned my head and froze.
This wasn’t my bed. And lying next to me wasn’t my wife, Erica, but her BEST FRIEND, Eliza…
Panic coursed through me. “This has to be a dream,” I whispered to myself, my voice barely audible.
I won’t lie, the worst thought also occurred to me, that I might’ve somehow cheated on my wife. But how could such a thing happen? I love Erica!
My mind raced through a fog of guilt and confusion. I stared at Eliza’s sleeping face, hoping for some sign that this was a mix-up, but nothing about the situation felt right. My heart pounded in my chest as I tried to piece together how I’d gotten here.
At that moment, Eliza stirred, her eyes fluttering open. She smiled warmly when she saw I was awake, leaned over, and kissed me lightly on the forehead. “Happy birthday, darling!” she said with a content sigh.
“Darling?” I repeated, my voice cracking. I froze momentarily, then sat up abruptly, clutching the sheets as if they were my only tether to reality! I did recall that it was my birthday, but I couldn’t understand why Eliza would call me her “darling!”
“Eliza, what’s going on?”
She laughed softly.
“What’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost. Come on, Matt, don’t be weird, starting with your birthday shenanigans.
You’re getting older, not amnesia or forgetfulness. I’ll get started on breakfast.”
She slipped out of bed, grabbing a silk robe from a nearby chair. As she walked out of the room and down the stairs, I was left staring at the space she’d just vacated.
…The story doesn’t end here, it continues on the next page 👇
