What Day Is It?

Dear Diary,

What can I even say? Today was AMAZING! I don’t know if it was something in the air, the water, or what, but everyone and everything has been perfect. I can’t remember the last time I’ve felt so relaxed and refreshed, and just… wonderful!

It started the moment I opened my eyes up this morning. I woke up to quiet! Blessed quiet! No kids in my face begging for food, no Brian snoring loudly in my ear. Just quiet! Sure I was dreaming, I closed my eyes and managed to sleep for another 20 minutes before I finally got up.

I made my way to the kitchen where I expected to find the leftover mess from whatever chaos I had managed to avoid, but the kitchen was spotless! The cereal was put away, the milk was capped and in the refrigerator, and two little bowls and spoons were washed and neatly drying on the drying rack. What’s more, there was a note! “Check the oven” it said, with a little heart at the bottom. In the oven was a warm plate of pancakes, bacon, and eggs- my favorite, just waiting for me!

I tell you, I was beyond touched! I couldn't figure out what was going on! It wasn’t my birthday, or me and Brian’s anniversary. It wasn’t mother’s day or any other day that would ordinarily warrant such treatment. I headed into the living room to ask Brian what was going on, but all I found was a note there as well, folded on the side table near the door. “Taking care of the boys! Enjoy your breakfast!” was all it said.

Well you know I smiled and grabbed my plate. I wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth!

The amazingness didn’t stop there. I ate in the living room, in front of the TV and was 4 episodes into the latest season of my favorite reality show when I realized I hadn’t been interrupted once! No whined request to change the channel to something with singing, talking animals, no shouted questions as to the whereabouts of a laptop or glasses, or keys, or a sock. I had watched 4 solid 45 minute long episodes of a TV show in a row and I knew everything that was going on! I hadn’t missed anything!

Still thankful but starting to find it a little weird, I got up and headed to the backyard, where I assumed the rest of my family to be. No one was there, but to my surprise, the lawn was neatly mowed, all of the lawn games and toys were put away, and the pool looked like it has been recently scrubbed. In awe, I wandered on to the deck, where I found the third note. “Out for a walk with the boys! Enjoy the peace and quiet!”

I’m telling you, literally the best day! I practically jumped into my bathing suit and was out lounging by the pool in what felt like seconds! I’m pretty sure I fell asleep because the next thing I knew, it was late afternoon and I was feeling a bit peckish.

Ready to re-embrace family life, I headed into the kitchen where I encountered yet another note. “Saw you lounging by the pool and didn’t want to disturb you. Took the boys out for a drive. See you soon! XOXO.”

12 year of marriage and I’ve never seen this side of Brian before. Makes me want to marry him all over again! And get this, on the counter next to the note... was a sandwich! Turkey club just the way I like it with a bag of Doritos and a can of coke just sitting there. I mean, swoon!

After chowing down, I headed downstairs to the gym and had a full workout. I’m talking 50 minutes of cardio, a whole Arms by Autumn video, and a yoga cool down session. I can’t remember the last time I’ve gotten a full workout in my own home. After that, I wandered back upstairs where I completed that whole backlog of stuff from work, knit a little more of that sweater I’m making for mom for Christmas, and wrote 15 pages of my novel. It’s almost time for dinner and Brian and the kids should be back any time now.

I gotta tell you, it’s been the absolute best, most amazing, perfectly wonderful day!

-Amy

Agent Marks pulled the paper from the tray the moment it finished printing. After skimming quickly through the entry, he turned his attention to the subject behind the glass. No 8453190 sat in a chair in front of a computer, her glassy eyes staring at something only she could see, an eerie smile stretched across her face. Every once in a while an eye or finger would twitch, but now that she’d finished her entry, she was mostly still.

Agent Marks rubbed his moustache and glanced at the wall. What day was it? Day 364 of the study. Almost an exact year since No. 8453190 had been put into this chamber under his watch. The 364th “best day ever” that she had written about. One day he’d figure out what made her and the thousands of other women like her suddenly freeze and retreat into their own minds. Until then, he’d continue to watch and study and hide in this dark underground lair with the rest of the world's scientists for the day when the world up above returned to normal and the new alien overlords had been defeated.