My Dead Husband Was Sitting In First Class
Part 2
Two days have passed since the hotel incident.
Parking my car across from Lily’s elementary school, I walk toward the chain-link fence to wait for the bell.
A tall figure in a dark jacket watches the playground from the oak tree.
When I recognize his rigid posture, my blood runs cold.
The dismissal bell rings as children pour out of the brick building.
Lily spots him and drops her backpack on the concrete.
“My dad,” she screams before running toward the fence and scrambling up the metal links.
He catches her as she drops onto the sidewalk, burying his face in her dark hair.
I sprint across the street and demand he put her down right now.
When Craig looks up, his eyes hold a fierce protectiveness.
Lily clings to his neck and claims her dad came back from heaven.
Prying her out of his arms, I tell her he is not her father.
I glare at Craig and warn him to stay away from us.
Turning around, I walk toward my car where Dan leans against the bumper.
Having been my best friend for years, Dan is the man who identified Craig’s body after the crash.
He holds out his arms to hug Lily.
When I notice Dan is staring past me, I follow his gaze to Craig.
Dan does not look surprised, but rather, he looks absolutely terrified.
Craig spots him and breaks into a run toward us.
Dan grabs Lily, shoves her into the backseat, and yells at us to get in.
Leaping into the driver’s seat, Dan slams his foot on the gas pedal.
The tires screech against the asphalt as we speed away.
While Craig fades in the rearview mirror, I stare at Dan.
“You knew he was alive.”
Gripping the steering wheel until his knuckles turn white, he refuses to answer me.
We drop Lily off at my mother’s house before Dan drives to my apartment in heavy silence.
I step inside the living room and demand he talk.
“Craig put you in terrible danger,” Dan says while pulling his shirt over his head.
“What are you doing?”
I back away toward the door and watch him drop to his hands and knees.
“I need you to see this,” Dan says.
His spine arches at a terrifying angle and cracks loudly.
Thick gray fur erupts from his skin as his jaw pushes forward into a snout.
My best friend transforms into a massive wolf right in my living room.
What the hell is going on?
Why would Dan keep this a secret for seven years?
Is my daughter safe around these monsters?
Please tell me what to do before Craig tracks us down!
Part 3
Megan stares at the enormous gray beast crouching on her rug.
Panting heavily, the wolf locks its yellow eyes onto hers with terrifying human intelligence.
As she presses her back against the apartment door, the brass knob digs painfully into her spine.
Bile rises in the back of her throat.
When the beast lowers its massive head, bones begin to crack and snap in a sickening rhythm.
The gray fur recedes into human skin.
Kneeling naked on the floorboards, Dan casually reaches for his discarded clothing.
Sliding down the wooden door, Megan hugs her trembling knees to her chest.
“My seven-year-old daughter knew before I did,” Megan whispers.
She remembers Lily drawing pictures of her uncle Dan as a wolf.
After pulling his shirt over his head, Dan sits on the edge of the coffee table.
“We keep our existence a secret from humans,” Dan says.
Fastening his belt, he continues to explain that they live in packs.
“Like actual wolves,” Megan says.
She traces the wood grain on the floor with trembling fingers.
“Exactly like wolves,” Dan confirms.
He leans forward.
“My alpha is Richard West,” Dan says.
When Megan’s head snaps up, she realizes that Craig is one of them.
Her chest tightens.
“He is,” Dan says.
Rubbing his jaw nervously, Dan admits that Craig committed a massive crime.
Standing up from the table, he paces across the small living room.
“It is forbidden for shifters to have children with humans,” Dan explains.
“The pregnancy almost always kills the human mother,” he adds.
The memory of her pregnancy flashes through Megan’s mind.
She remembers sleeping sixteen hours a day.
She remembers the bone-deep exhaustion.
She remembers Craig pacing the bedroom floor with a haunted look.
“Getting pregnant from Craig should have killed you,” Dan says.
He stops pacing.
“Even if you survived, you could not raise a shifter child,” Dan says.
“Why not?”
“A single bite from a shifter child kills a human,” Dan replies.
The pieces of the past seven years snap together.
Instead of reacting with joy to the pregnancy news, Craig reacted with pure terror.
“He lied to me,” Megan says.
While she buries her face in her hands, Dan explains that Craig started a relationship against orders.
“He put your life at risk,” Dan adds.
Kneeling beside her, he gently reaches for her hand.
Megan pulls away.
“Is that why he faked his death?” she asks.
“He ran away to escape punishment,” she assumes.
The betrayal burns hot in her chest.
“He did not fake his death,” a deep voice rumbles.
Suddenly, the apartment door swings open to reveal Craig standing in the doorway.
His chest heaves with exertion.
His golden eyes blaze with fury.
“I tracked your scent from the school,” Craig says.
Stepping into the living room, he glares fiercely at Dan.
“I suffered an accident,” Craig says.
Looking at Megan with a pained expression, Craig claims he lost his memories of her and Lily.
“My father decided you should believe I was dead,” Craig continues.
Pointing a shaking finger at Dan, Craig accuses his father of enlisting Dan’s help.
As Megan looks between the two men, her mind spins out of control.
Memory loss.
A fake death orchestrated by Richard West.
A seven-year lie maintained by her best friend.
Dan steps in front of Megan.
“Stay away from her,” Dan growls.
Craig lunges forward.
Grabbing Dan by the collar, he slams him violently against the drywall.
The framed pictures rattle on their hooks.
“You lied to me for seven years,” Craig shouts.
He presses his forearm against Dan’s throat.
“You kept me away from my family,” Craig snarls.
Struggling to breathe, Dan desperately grabs Craig’s wrist.
“You put her in danger,” Dan chokes out.
After he kicks Craig in the knee, Craig stumbles backward.
Dan catches his breath.
“You were reckless,” Dan shouts.
Stepping toward Craig, Dan is interrupted by a furious yell about raising a daughter without a father.
“I protected them,” Dan insists.
Pointing at Megan, Dan insists he protected her from the danger Craig represented.
“You let her grieve for a ghost,” Craig says.
His voice drops to a deadly whisper.
“You never had the courage to tell her the truth,” Craig adds.
Craig tilts his head.
“You love her,” Craig says.
The words hang in the heavy air.
Dan freezes.
His face drains of color.
Megan pushes herself off the floor.
She stares at Dan.
“Is this true?” she asks.
Her voice sounds like breaking glass.
Dan swallows hard.
He refuses to meet her eyes.
“I loved you since the first day I met you,” Dan admits.
He looks at the floorboards.
“I saw you first,” Dan adds.
“I knew the rules,” he continues.
“I would never put your life in danger like he did,” Dan says.
Craig scoffs.
“Is that why you had my memory erased?”
“Did you orchestrate my accident?”
He steps closer to Dan.
“No,” Dan yells.
He glares at Craig.
“You erased your own memory,” Dan says.
Silence falls over the room.
Megan stares at Dan in shock.
“He erased his own memory?” she asks.
She looks at Craig.
Craig looks just as confused.
Dan runs a hand over his face.
“Megan grew weaker every single day of the pregnancy,” Dan says.
He looks at Craig.
“You were desperate to save her,” Dan says.
He walks toward the window.
“You went to see Heather,” Dan explains.
“Heather survived carrying a shifter child,” Dan adds.
He turns around.
“Heather sent you to a magician named Brian,” Dan says.
“Brian possessed the power to grant any wish,” Dan continues.
“He demanded a terrible price,” Dan says.
Megan’s chest aches.
“What kind of price?”
She fears the answer.
“You wished for Lily to be born human,” Dan says.
He ignores her question.
“You wished for Megan to survive the birth,” Dan adds.
He looks at Craig.
“Brian demanded the thing you loved most in the world,” Dan says.
He points at Megan.
“He took your memories of her,” Dan finishes.
Craig drops into the armchair.
He buries his face in his hands.
His broad shoulders shake.
Megan remembers the day before he disappeared.
He held her tighter than usual.
He cried into her hair.
He told her everything would be fine.
She thought he was just being emotional about the baby.
“You went with me to see Brian,” Craig says.
He looks up at Dan.
“I asked you to bring me back to her,” Craig says.
His voice cracks.
“I trusted you more than my own father,” Craig says.
Dan clenches his fists.
“You did not deserve her,” Dan says.
He looks at Megan.
“He almost killed you,” Dan says.
He takes a step toward her.
“I wanted what was best for you,” Dan pleads.
Megan recoils from him.
She crosses her arms over her chest.
“If you loved me, you would have made the wish,” Megan says.
Her voice sounds cold.
Dan flinches.
“Brian demanded the thing you love most,” Megan says.
She steps toward Dan.
“If you loved me the most, you could have paid the price,” Megan says.
“You could have lost your memories,” she adds.
“Craig and I could have stayed together,” she says.
Dan opens his mouth.
No words come out.
He looks at the floor.
“You did not love me as much as he did,” Megan says.
She points at Craig.
“I do not blame you for not making the wish,” Megan says.
“I am not your wife,” she adds.
“Lily is not your daughter,” she continues.
She glares at him.
“But you watched me grieve for seven years,” Megan says.
Tears stream down her cheeks.
“You held me while I cried over an empty casket,” Megan says.
“You lied to my face every single day,” she adds.
She points at the door.
“Get out,” Megan says.
Dan reaches for her arm.
“Megan, please,” Dan begs.
Craig shoots out of the chair.
He grabs Dan by the collar.
He shoves Dan into the hallway.
“Do not ever come near my family again,” Craig snarls.
Craig slams the door shut.
He turns the deadbolt.
Silence settles over the apartment.
Megan sinks onto the sofa.
She pulls a throw pillow to her chest.
Craig stands by the door.
He watches her.
He does not move closer.
He respects her space.
“I am sorry,” Craig says.
His voice sounds hollow.
“I do not remember any of it,” he adds.
He looks at his hands.
“I do not remember loving you,” he confesses.
The words stab her in the heart.
“I know,” Megan whispers.
She wipes her eyes.
“You gave it up for us,” she says.
She looks at him.
He looks like her husband.
He sounds like her husband.
He is a stranger.
“I want to know my daughter,” Craig says.
He steps toward the center of the room.
“I want to try,” he adds.
Megan nods.
“You can see her,” Megan says.
“We will take it slow,” she adds.
Craig nods.
He opens the front door.
“I will call you tomorrow,” Craig says.
He steps into the hallway.
He closes the door behind him.
Megan curls into a ball on the sofa.
She cries until she falls asleep.
The next morning brings a strange new reality.
Craig arrives at the apartment at nine o’clock.
He brings two cups of black coffee from the corner cafe.
He brings a blueberry muffin for Lily.
He stands in the kitchen.
He wears a casual gray sweater and dark jeans.
He looks too large for the small kitchen space.
Megan accepts the coffee cup.
Their fingers brush against the cardboard sleeve.
A jolt of static electricity sparks between them.
Craig pulls his hand back.
He stares at his palm.
Megan clears her throat.
“Lily is getting dressed,” Megan says.
“She wants to show you her school projects,” she adds.
Craig nods.
He traces the rim of his coffee cup.
“I spoke to my father last night,” Craig says.
His voice rumbles low and serious.
“Richard West,” Megan says.
The name tastes bitter on her tongue.
“He is the alpha of the pack,” Craig explains.
“He makes the laws for all of us,” Craig adds.
“He decided to keep my secret,” Craig says.
“He decided to keep Dan’s secret too,” he continues.
“Why?”
“Because a human knowing about shifters is dangerous,” Craig says.
He leans against the counter.
“My father cares only about the pack’s survival,” Craig explains.
“He viewed you as a threat,” Craig says.
“He viewed Lily as an impossibility,” he adds.
“Shifter genes aredominant,” Craig explains.
“Lily should have been born a wolf,” he says.
“She is human,” Craig adds.
“My father could not understand how that happened,” Craig says.
Megan sips her bitter coffee.
“Because of the magician,” Megan says.
“Because of Brian,” she adds.
“Yes,” Craig says.
He looks toward the hallway.
“My father exiled Dan from the territory last night,” Craig says.
Megan lowers her coffee cup.
“Exiled?”
“Dan broke the highest pack law,” Craig says.
“He lied to the alpha about a bloodline,” Craig explains.
“He kept a West child hidden from the pack,” Craig adds.
“He is a rogue now,” Craig finishes.
“He has no pack,” Craig says.
Megan processes this information.
She feels a twinge of pity for Dan.
She remembers his betrayal.
The pity evaporates.
“Good,” Megan says.
Craig looks at her with a mix of surprise and respect.
“You are fierce,” Craig says.
“I am a mother,” Megan replies.
Lily runs into the kitchen.
She wears her favorite sparkly pink sneakers.
She carries a stack of construction paper.
“Look at my volcano,” Lily shouts.
She shoves a red and orange paper blob into Craig’s hands.
Craig sets his coffee down.
He holds the paper like a fragile artifact.
He studies the messy crayon scribbles.
“This is magnificent,” Craig says.
He kneels down to Lily’s eye level.
“Did you use real lava colors?”
Lily giggles.
“It is just crayon, dad,” Lily says.
She pats his cheek.
Craig closes his eyes for a second.
He leans into her small hand.
He cherishes the physical contact.
He opens his eyes.
“We should hang this on the refrigerator,” Craig says.
He searches the kitchen counters for tape.
Megan watches him rummage through the drawers.
He does not know where anything is kept.
He used to live here.
He used to know every hidden corner of this apartment.
Now he is a guest in his own life.
Megan swallows the lump in her throat.
She opens the top drawer.
She hands him a magnet.
“Use this,” Megan says.
Craig takes the magnet.
He pins the volcano drawing to the stainless steel fridge.
He steps back to admire it.
The days turn into weeks.
A new routine establishes itself.
Craig arrives every afternoon.
He brings groceries.
He brings small gifts for Lily.
He tries to cook dinner on a Thursday night.
He buys expensive steaks from the butcher.
He stands in front of the stove.
Smoke fills the tiny kitchen.
The fire alarm screeches overhead.
Megan rushes into the room.
She waves a dish towel at the plastic smoke detector.
Craig curses under his breath.
He turns on the exhaust fan.
He opens the kitchen window.
“I burnt the food,” Craig says.
He looks at the charred black meat in the skillet.
He looks defeated.
“You never knew how to cook,” Megan says.
She pulls the smoking pan off the burner.
“You always ordered takeout,” she adds.
Craig rubs the back of his neck.
“I wanted to try,” Craig says.
“I want to take care of you both,” he adds.
Megan drops the dish towel on the counter.
“We can order pizza,” Megan suggests.
Lily cheers from the living room.
“Pizza is the best,” Lily shouts.
Craig smiles.
“I will pay for the pizza,” Craig says.
They sit on the floor around the coffee table.
They eat greasy slices of pepperoni pizza.
Craig eats three entire boxes by himself.
Megan watches him polish off the last slice.
She remembers his insane metabolism.
She remembers how he never gained an ounce of weight.
“You still eat like a starving bear,” Megan says.
The words slip out before she can stop them.
Craig freezes with a crust in his hand.
“A starving wolf,” Craig corrects.
A small smile plays on his lips.
Megan feels a blush creep up her neck.
“Right,” Megan says.
She looks down at her paper plate.
“Do you remember anything at all?”
She keeps her voice low.
Lily watches a cartoon on the television.
Craig wipes his mouth with a napkin.
He leans back against the sofa cushions.
“I remember the feeling of something missing,” Craig says.
“I woke up in the hospital seven years ago,” he explains.
“The doctors said I suffered a massive concussion,” he adds.
“My father said I crashed my car,” Craig continues.
“I knew my name,” Craig says.
“I knew my family,” he adds.
“But a huge piece of my mind feltempty,” Craig explains.
He taps his temple.
“Like a room with all the furniture removed,” he says.
He looks at Megan.
“I felt this phantom ache in my chest,” Craig says.
“I searched for you in crowds,” he confesses.
“I did not know who I was looking for,” he adds.
“I just knew I was looking for someone,” Craig says.
Megan bites her lower lip.
“You saw me on the plane,” Megan says.
“You did not recognize me,” she adds.
The memory still stings.
“My brain did not recognize you,” Craig says.
“My wolf recognized your scent,” Craig admits.
“My wolf went crazy when you slapped me,” he adds.
He touches his cheek.
“You hit very hard,” Craig notes.
Megan offers a small, genuine smile.
“You deserved it,” Megan says.
“Idid,” Craig agrees.
He reaches across the table.
He picks up their empty soda cans.
“I will take the trash out,” Craig says.
He carries the greasy boxes to the kitchen.
Megan watches his broad back.
He tries so hard.
He does not remember their past.
He is determined to build a future.
Three months pass in a strange blur.
Craig visits the apartment every day.
He takes Lily to the park.
He pushes her on the swings.
“Higher, dad,” Lily squeals.
She pumps her legs in the air.
“Not too high,” Megan calls out from the bench.
Craig catches Megan’s eye.
He pulls back his push.
He respects her boundaries.
He never questions her rules.
He brings Lily a new cartoon notebook.
Lily flips through the pages.
She shows him her crayon drawings.
He praises every single stick figure.
He listens to her stories with intense focus.
He looks at Lily with absolute wonder.
He watches Megan when he thinks she is distracted.
Megan catches his gaze sometimes.
His eyes hold curiosity.
His eyes hold a growing hunger.
He is falling in love with her again.
Megan keeps her distance.
She avoids his casual touches.
She withdraws when he leans too close.
She cannot bear the thought of starting over.
She cannot bear the thought of losing him twice.
A knock sounds at the apartment door on a Tuesday evening.
Megan sets her coffee mug on the counter.
“I will get it,” Megan says.
She opens the door.
The hallway is empty.
A small white envelope rests on the welcome mat.
Megan bends down.
She picks up the envelope.
Her name is written in familiar handwriting.
Dan.
She glances over her shoulder.
Craig and Lily sit on the living room rug.
They build a tower out of wooden blocks.
Megan slips the envelope into her pocket.
Waiting until Craig leaves and Lily falls asleep, Megan sits at the kitchen table.
With shaking hands, she pulls the envelope from her pocket and tears open the flap.
A short note falls onto the table.
“Megan, you were right,” the note reads.
“I did not love you the way you deserved,” Dan wrote.
“I want to fix everything,” the note continues.
“I kept this from you for seven years,” Dan added.
A second, older envelope slides out of the first one.
The paper is yellowed with age.
Her name is written in thick black ink.
It is Craig’s handwriting.
Megan’s breath catches in her throat.
She opens the old envelope.
She pulls out a folded sheet of notebook paper.
“My love,” the letter begins.
Megan presses a hand over her mouth.
He called her that sweet nickname.
“Before I met you, I was a shadow,” Craig wrote.
“I had everything and nothing at once,” the letter continues.
“You knelt beside my broken car with grease on your cheek,” he wrote.
“You refused to tell me your name,” the letter says.
“You said rich boys like me were trouble,” Craig added.
“You were right about that,” he confessed.
“I should have told you what I am from the beginning,” he wrote.
“You deserved the truth before you gave me your heart,” the letter says.
Megan traces his handwriting with her fingertip.
“I chose fear over honesty,” Craig wrote.
“Now you are carrying our child,” the letter continues.
“The pregnancy is killing you,” Craig added.
“You grow weaker every single day,” he wrote.
“I searched everywhere for a solution,” the letter says.
“I found a magician,” Craig explained.
“Our daughter will be human,” he promised.
“You will survive the birth,” he wrote.
“The price is what I love most in this world,” the letter continues.
“He demands my memories of you,” Craig wrote.
Tears blur Megan’s vision.
“I will not remember how your hair smells like rain,” Craig wrote.
“I will forget the sound of your laughter,” the letter says.
“I will forget the feeling of your hand in mine,” he added.
“I am giving them up,” Craig wrote.
“A world where you exist is better than a world without you,” the letter says.
“I will find my way back to you,” Craig promised.
“I may not remember your name,” the letter continues.
“My soul will know yours,” Craig wrote.
“I hope you let me love you again,” the letter finishes.
Megan rests her head on the kitchen table.
She cries until her chest aches.
A week passes.
Megan keeps the letter folded in her pocket.
She carries it everywhere.
She touches the paper when she feels anxious.
Craig sits at the dinner table on Sunday evening.
Lily shows him her new notebook.
“I am going to write wolf stories in here,” Lily says.
She flips to a fresh page.
“Wolves are the best animals,” Lily adds.
She smiles at Craig.
“Like you, dad,” Lily says.
Craig smiles at his daughter.
“I am glad you think so,” Craig says.
He looks across the table.
He meets Megan’s gaze.
His warm smile lingers.
Suddenly, his expression freezes.
The glass of water slips from his fingers.
It shatters against the hardwood floor.
Water splatters across the baseboards.
Craig does not blink.
He stares at Megan.
His face drains of color.
His eyes grow wide.
“dad?”
Her voice wavers with concern.
“Are you okay?”
Craig ignores her.
He stares at Megan with terrifying intensity.
Megan’s chair scrapes violently against the floor as she rounds the table.
Her hand trembles before finally settling on his shoulder.
It is the first deliberate touch in three months.
Craig blinks.
Focus returns to his amber eyes.
He looks up at her.
He opens his mouth.
He closes it again.
“What is it?”
“My love,” Craig whispers.
Megan stops breathing.
Her heart slams against her ribs.
The nickname hangs in the heavy air.
His gaze holds a different light now.
It holds recognition.
It holds seven years of lost time.
Megan shakes her head.
She fears this is a dream.
Craig raises his hand.
His fingers tremble.
He reaches for her face.
He tucks a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
He twists the ends between his fingers.
The familiar gesture breaks her heart open.
He used to touch her hair like that every single morning.
“Your hair is not pink anymore,” Craig says.
His voice cracks with emotion.
Tears fill his eyes.
Megan remembers the bright pink dye from seven years ago.
“What is happening?”
She looks between her parents in pure confusion.
“I like your natural color,” Craig says.
He drops her hair.
He looks at his lap.
Guilt washes over his features.
He opens his mouth.
He wears the exact same expression from the day she announced the pregnancy.
He wears the expression of a man preparing to apologize.
Before he can utter another apology, Megan fists her hands in his collar and yanks him upward, crashing her lips against his.
He gasps against her mouth.
His arms wrap around her waist.
He pulls her against his chest.
He buries his hands in her hair.
He kisses her with seven years of starving desperation.
Lily squeals.
She claps her small hands together.
Megan breaks the kiss.
She rests her forehead against his.
Tears stream down her cheeks.
Craig wipes them away with his thumbs.
He cries just as hard.
She stares into his amber eyes.
She sees the love shining there.
He came back to her.
He kept his promise.
“Your father is home,” Megan tells Lily.
She never takes her eyes off Craig.
“He is home,” Megan says.
THE END
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If you enjoyed this story, read this one: My foot caught in the dirt, and before my new, infuriatingly slow reflexes could react, a shoulder slammed into my chest, sending me sprawling. The pack whispered their disgust from the sidelines, mocking the fierce warrior who was now trapped in a weak Omega body. As I lay there, I realized my brokenness was going to destroy the Alpha who loved me.
Disclaimer
This story is a work of fiction inspired by real events. Names, characters, and details have been altered. Any resemblance is coincidental. The author and publisher disclaim accuracy, liability, and responsibility for interpretations or reliance. If you would like to share your story, please send it to [email protected].
