Kids. They keep you on your toes, don’t they? Lee is in a little phase right now where he is afraid of everything. He heard a sound in the bathroom last night and wouldn’t go in until D went and checked it out. He randomly tells me that there are monsters in his closet, behind me, outside, etc. But never, ever, ever has he told me that there was a person somewhere there wasn’t one.

I would like for you to keep that in mind as you read what unfolded yesterday morning…

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It’s 4:30 A.M.

D left to go duck hunting an hour ago.

Lee comes running full speed into my room, slamming the door shut behind him. He crawls up from the bottom of the bed and puts his face right up against mine, “Mom.”

“Lay down, we’re not getting up right now,” I tell him.

“Mom. Mom. Mom. Mom. Mommmmm get up!” he’s whispering quickly and in a panicked voice.

“Lee!” I snap at him.

“Mom, there’s a boy in the kitchen,” he says (Lee calls all males “boys,” regardless of their age).

“What?” I ask him.

“There’s a boy in the kitchen,” he says once again.

Not thinking clearly yet, I snatch him off the bed and put him in my closet. I tell him not to say a word or move a muscle and I’ll be right back. I close the closet door. I walk over to D’s side of the room and get the pistol from the top of his dresser, take a deep breath, and open the bedroom door.

To my right, the laundry room door is closed. I take a few quick steps into the dining room. Bear is watching me from his kennel. A few steps more and I can see the entire kitchen, no one is there. I can hear my heartbeat in my ears now.

I glance over the living room, the entryway, nothing. Quick steps to the hallway. The bathroom door is open, but the light is off. I reach in and flip the switch and stare directly in front of me at the mirror to check behind the door. Empty.

Knowing that Lee is safe in my room, I go straight to Evie’s room next. I open the door slowly and reach for the lamp on her dresser. Empty. A few more deep breaths and I throw open her closet door. Empty.

I head back down the hallway to Lee’s room where I do the same thing. Calming down a bit now, I head back to the living room. Out of the corner of my eye I see movement and turn to see Sophie sitting on the couch. Sophie. Who should be in her kennel. Who I know D locked in her kennel the night before.

My heart speeds back up.

Sure, it’s mostly because I almost just hurt one of my favorite animals in the entire world. But it is also because I have convinced myself that someone who isn’t suppose to be in my house, is in my house.

I know what you’re thinking at this point. This crazy woman thinks someone broke into her house and let her tiny dog out of it’s kennel…? LOOK NOW! It was early! That’s the only defense I have for myself.

In a fit of aggravation, just completely pissed at this point, I start flipping on lights and swinging open doors until everything is on and everything is open. I check all the windows and outside doors.

Everything is locked.

Doors are dead-bolted.

I stop and take a few deep breaths. I’m thinking a bit more rationally now. He probably just saw a shadow. Or maybe he just had a bad dream. I go back into our bedroom and put the gun away. Picking Lee up out of the closet, I bring him with me to turn the lights off and shut the doors.

“See buddy, there isn’t anyone here. We’re safe,” I tell him.

We settle down to watch cartoons for a bit. “I wonder how Sophie got out,” I say aloud. “I don’t know Mommy,” he says as he pulls her onto his lap.

When I relay this series of events to D later on, he tells me that Lee probably let Sophie out of her kennel before coming into my room, which was why he was in the kitchen. Not having considered this or asked Lee any questions about why he had been in the kitchen, instead launching straight into attack mode earlier, I shake my head at my husband, “Surely not,” I tell him.

He then turns and asks him, “Hey Lee, did you let So So out of her kennel this morning?”

“I did,” Lee tells him.

And even though D doesn’t make fun of me and instead reassures me that he would have reacted the same way, the smile on his face says otherwise.

Having had time to reflect, I can say that I will most definitely get up and look around if it happens again, but I can also assure you that I will be quite a bit calmer. Jeez.

xxx A