A Key Secret

“We don’t have time for this,” Laura narrowed her eyes. “Daddy will be home any minute.”

“Dunno,” Tyler buried his little hands deeper into his pockets.

“Liar!” Jason pointed to Tyler, then to the coffee table. “My keys were right here.”

Tyler shrugged and stared out the window at Jason’s truck. Jason began to search in more unlikely places.

“Laura, if he finds me here, we’re all dead. Do you understand that?”

“Stop,” Laura choked, kneeling to her son. “Where are they?” Tyler’s eyes lifted, and Laura understood.

“You want Daddy to find Jason here?” Laura shook her head. “Daddy won’t go away, and Jason won’t be able to buy you ice cream anymore.”

Tyler started to cry. “Don’t w-want Daddy to go away! Tired of ha-having a secret daddy! I want my daddies to meet so they can b-be friends and we’ll all live together!”

Jason stopped turning the couch cushions over. “It doesn’t work like that, bud.”

Headlights illuminated the room.

“He’s home!” Laura held her breath.

_______________________________

She bolted upright in the bed, gasping for air. Jason stirred next to her. “Bad dream?” he mumbled.

“Yes,” Laura breathed, relieved.

“Wanna talk about it?”

“No....I....I don’t remember anything,” She lied. “Go back to sleep.”

Jason's breathing slowed and Laura’s heart raced as she slipped quietly out of the bedroom. She stared for a while at her sleeping son on the couch. Her eyes drifted to the coffee table, where Jason’s keys posed a question in her mind: is this what she really wanted?

Without thinking too much about it, Laura snatched the keys and marched back into the bedroom. She eased back into the bed and without waking Jason, she tucked them into her pillowcase. Tomorrow she would find out.