Faith's eyes popped open when male laughter rumbled up from downstairs and woke her. Searching for Bill, she rolled over and found the bed empty. The blanket and sheet seemed to have fallen off. A chill shivered through her, as she turned on the bedside lamp.
"Bill," she hissed, thinking maybe he was in the bathroom, and then realized the laughter from sounded like his.
'Where are the sheets?' she wondered, kneeling on a bare mattress. 'How could they be stripped off without waking me up?'
A man began talking -- low and indistinguishable. He seemed to go on at length about some incoherent topic until she heard her name spoken, "Faith is..." followed by more unintelligible words.
Her heart pounding, she wondered, 'Who could Bill be talking to?' and searched on the floor and under the bed for her flannel nightshirt. Giving up, she tiptoed to the closet for a robe, only to discover it was empty. Not even hangers were on the metal rods.
Anxious about her nudity, she hurried to the dresser, yanked open the drawers and found them all empty. Panic reached an almost uncontrollable level, when she looked at the half open bedroom door. On the inside knob hung a familiar white negligee, it had been a gift from her husband for their first anniversary.
"Wear this at your own risk," he'd warned. The filmy lace was practically transparent in normal light, and had always been Lou's favorite come-and-get-me tease.
A little better than nothing, she cloaked herself in the mid-thigh gossamer and crept to the top of the stairs to listen, forgetting about the loose board on the landing. All conversation stopped when the squeaky wood tattled under her weight.
A familiar voice said, "Faith, are you awake?"
Afraid to be seen and fearful of what she might see, Faith turned to dart into the bedroom and bolt the door, only to find it already locked. Running frantically down the hall, she pushed on all four doors and every one was locked. Confusion and disbelief weakened her legs. Stumbling backward for a supporting wall, Faith bumped a family portrait, sending it crashing on the floor.
"Don't be afraid, Faith. It's just me and Bill down here." After a short silence, he continued, "Don't you want to see me again, after all these years, Sugar?"
Worried about her sanity, she thought, 'How could it be Lou? Lou's dead.'
"I've come back one more time to see you, Faith," the disembodied voice answered.
Timidly clutching the wispy garment closed, Faith stepped down the stairs just far enough to bend at the waist for a quick peek. Standing next to the couch was her husband, Lou, looking young and strong in a green polo shirt and tan pants.
"See, Sugar," his voice said, "It's me. And Bill's here too."
Bending a little farther, Bill's white socks and navy sweatpants appeared, standing in front of the chair directly across.
Lou turned in Bill's direction, and said, "She's embarrassed. Can you believe it?" Shaking his head, he added, "God I've missed her so much."
Backing away, Faith tried to yell, "I'm not decent," but no noise would come from her mouth.
"Faith, I know you're wearing my anniversary gift. I put it there on the door. Let me see you in it one more time. Please, Sugar?" Then as an afterthought, he added, "I know you've slept with Bill. I'm cool with that. Hey, I've been gone for over six years. And I know you can't live your life on a memory." There was a brief pause, and then, "Bill and I have been talking about you. And, from what he tells me, you've got him hooked pretty deep, Sugar. He won't admit it, but I know he'll worship you from now on, just like I did."
Heart pounding in her ears, she tentatively moved down the stairs, shyly hugging herself while staring at her bare feet. The silly thought, 'I wish my toenails were polished. Lou loved red toenails,' flashed through her mind.
"I loved your body any way I could get it, Sugar. You know that," Lou said in answer.
Shocked that even her thoughts were not private, she felt totally exposed and a heat began rising in her face. A furtive glance into the room, as she descended clumsily, revealed Lou's beaming face, a soundless fire, and Bill, standing with his back turned, staring into the dancing flames.
