Husband by Choice

“Ca. Da-Da. Ca!”

Caleb had followed him into the bathroom and pulled on the edge of his Bugs Bunny scrub shirt. Standing on the toe of Max’s gray high-tops, Caleb reached the remote up as high as he could get it, aiming for Max’s hand.

“Ca, Da-Da.”

And because he was sweating and as close to panic as he’d ever been, he walked almost zombielike to the living room and set Caleb up with his favorite movie in the DVD player.

From there he raced through the rest of the house.

She’d been in Caleb’s room. The blanket...he’d left it folded neatly in the crib. It was still there, but bunched. He picked it up, holding it to his chest with one hand while he went into the bedroom next door.

He could smell her there, too. And told himself that she’d reclaimed the room that Chantel’s presence seemed to have taken over.

The hall bathroom had been cleaned. Everything shone.

Max practically ran into their room. She’d have been in his shower, and probably scoured her garden tub, too. Cleaned their sinks and...

Throwing open the door he was only vaguely aware of the television blaring in the other room, of the music and voices associated with the movie he’d seen bits and pieces of many times over the weekend.

He didn’t realize, until he felt the utter emptiness of his bedroom, that he’d been picturing Meri there on the bed, waiting for him.

She hadn’t been in the room. Everything was just as he’d left it that morning. His closet door was still open. Meri hated open closet doors. The faucets in the master bath didn’t shine. His towel was still wadded on the counter where he’d left it that morning. His dirty underwear hadn’t made it to the hamper yet, either.

But more than the lack of Meri’s touch was the stale smell. The absence of her energy.

She’d been home. But she hadn’t come to their room.

Because she couldn’t? Because it had been too hard for her? Because she missed him as much as he missed her and the pain was too devastating to bear?

Or maybe Smith had been with her. Wayne had seen a light on in the house by the beach.

But if her ex-husband had been with Meri, why come here?

And who would kidnap someone and then wait around while she cleaned house?

For that matter, why had Meri come home? And why had she stayed long enough to clean but then left again?

Leaving his room, he strode back to Caleb’s. Maybe she’d left a note. Some sign for him.

And then he was back in his room. Maybe she’d been in there but only to get something. Maybe that was why she’d come home. To collect something she needed.

Which still didn’t explain the cleaning.

He tore from room to room, managing to keep enough of his wits about him to check on their son on a regular basis.

Every time he looked, Caleb was sitting on the floor, the teddy bear Chantel had brought him clutched on his lap, staring at the television set.

He’d have to break that habit. Soon.

But not tonight.

Max checked the kitchen. He checked every room in the house and couldn’t find anything missing.

So he checked the garage. Had she been in her car? Needed something from the glove box?

Left keys for him under the front seat—a sign that she was in trouble and needed help?

That was it! She’d come to ask for his help.