A missing person returns
I could feel my heart start to break as I watched the smile form on his face. It started as a small twitch at the corner of his mouth before evolving into an all-out grin.
“She’s alive?” he questioned, a hint of uncertainty still in his voice.
“Yes Mr. Holman, she’s alive and well,” the detective responded with an earnest smile. Probably happy to have the ability to deliver some good news for once. “She might need some time just to get used to things again, but the important thing is that she is alive and well.”
“I can’t believe it,” he ran his hand through his hair as he turned to face me. Then, he froze. My husband froze once he saw me. The smile that had been on his face just seconds ago faltered as his eyes met mine.
The detective followed his gaze, equally as uncertain. “I will get going then,” he said, “Leave you two to it. I will be in contact with you tomorrow about the next steps. Goodnight Mr. Holman, Mrs. Holman.” he nodded in my direction and turned on his heel, heading back towards his car.
“It’s great news, right?” I tried my hardest to put some enthusiasm into my voice.
“The best,” he replied, he finally seemed to process the information enough to shut the door, leaving just the two of us, alone, in our home. But now it wasn’t just the two of us. She was here too. The idea of her stood somewhere between us.
“James,” I started.
“Where does this leave us?” He asked, interrupting me.
Now it was my turn to freeze, “What do you mean?”
“I’ve just been told that my wife is still alive, after seven years,” he paused. “Does this make me a bigamist?”
The whole situation was so strange that it made me want to laugh. “I’m still your wife.”
“Yeah but our marriage was based on me being a widower…” he trailed off.
“I’m still your wife,” I repeated, my tone as dead as we thought his other wife to be no more than 10 minutes ago.
“This is a lot for me,” James ran his hand back through his hair as he let out a sigh. “I need to get some fresh air or something,” he didn’t say another word before grabbing his keys and heading out the door. In the pit of my stomach, I knew he was going to visit her. From the moment he was told she was still alive, I knew that he would be pulled like a magnet towards her. I turned and grabbed the mirror off the wall, letting the primal scream rip out from inside of me and I brought it crashing down to the floor. Tiny shards of glass are flying in all directions. I stood in silence, my chest rising and falling as I tried to take it all in. How could she do this to me? How could she come back and ruin my life? None of this should have been possible.
***
“You turned my life upside down,” I said, my teeth clenched together as I made my way into her hospital room. “I had everything perfect, and then you came back.”
The eyes of the woman in front of me widened in terror. She scrambled to the other side of her hospital bed like a frightened animal. “Where’s James?”
I smiled, “He’s gone, won’t be back for a while. But don’t worry, I’m here to look after you.”
She looked like she was going to faint, her already pale complexion going a few shades whiter. “I… I don’t want any trouble,” she stuttered.
“And I don’t want any trouble either,” I took a few steps closer and she tried to get as far away from me as possible. “I just want my husband back.”
“I haven’t done anything,” she was tearing up.
“But now you are back he doesn’t want me anymore. After everything I had to go through to get him.” I sat down on the corner of her bed, “What I don’t understand about when you went missing is that they said they found so much blood that it was impossible that you could even still be alive,” I tilted my head to the side slightly.
“Miracles,” the woman replied, “miracles happen. I survived.” She hugged her knees to her chest.
“Huh,” I said, I looked down at the spotless bed sheets before looking back up to her. “I think you’re right there.”
I watched closely as her body seemed to relax at my words, “Yes, yes, they do.”
I shot her a small smile, “I think they must do,” I said slowly, “because I know for certain that I killed James’ first wife, so I don’t have any idea who you are.”
Her eyes went wide in shock and she tried to jump out of the bed to get away from me, but she was too slow.
***
I rubbed James’ shoulders as he leaned forward on the chair. He held his head in his hands. “But what do you mean that she just up and left?”
The detective moved uncomfortably in the chair opposite him. “The hospital staff went to check on her and found her gone.” He sighed, looking far older than he had the day before, “We will open a new search. We will find her.”
“I just, I just don’t know what to do,” his shoulders shook as a sob shook his body.
I sat on the arm of the chair and leaned down, pulling him towards my chest, “Don’t worry baby, we will figure this out together.” I rocked him back and forth as his body continued to shake. “Shh, come on now,” I cooed, “you don’t need to worry. I’m here.”
