My Cousin's Playing House

I pushed past the stunned maid and strode inside.

The warmth in the living room vanished.

Laura's paintbrush clattered to the floor. Her eyes widened.

No joy. No tears. Just a flash of panic before she pulled herself together.

The man on the couch stood.

He wore my silk pajamas, the ones Laura had picked out for me during a research trip abroad.

Same height. Same build. Even the way he adjusted his glasses matched mine.

"Laura, do you know this lunatic?" he asked in my usual tone.

Even his voice sounded exactly like mine used to.

Five years of radiation exposure had damaged my vocal cords, leaving my voice rough as sandpaper.

His sounded just like mine five years ago.

I rushed toward Laura and reached for her wrist.

"Laura! Look at me. I'm Calvin! Who is he?"

Before I could touch her, he stepped between us and shoved me hard in the chest.

I stumbled into the entryway cabinet, knocking a vase to the floor. It shattered.

Years at a desk and radiation sickness had left me weak. I was no match for him.

"Who the hell are you? You think you can barge into my house and start trouble?" He stood in front of Laura, every bit the protective husband.

I pointed at the brown spots on my slightly distorted face and yelled, my voice raspy. "I'm the lunatic?

"Laura, look me in the eye! Five years ago, you said you'd know me no matter what I looked like!"

Laura laughed coldly and peered around him.

She looked at me like I was rotting garbage. "Calvin's right here. Who the hell are you, some creep with botched plastic surgery?

"Posing as a scientist to scam us? Look in the mirror. You're a damn mess."

My hands shook as I pulled out my ID and research credentials and slapped them on the table.

"Are these fake, too? The federal government issued them!"

The man smirked, pulled out his wallet, and tossed two IDs identical to mine onto the table.

Then he set down a custom lighter engraved with "C&L."

Laura had given it to me the year we decided to have a baby, to help me quit smoking.

"These fake IDs just keep getting worse."

He toyed with the lighter, mockery in his eyes.

I panicked. My mind went blank. I blurted out details only her husband would know.

"Laura! You have a red mole on your right shoulder! Our first date was at the diner behind campus. You wore a white floral dress!"

"Shut up!" Laura shrieked, her face flushing. "You sick stalker! You've been spying on me! Call the cops! Honey, have him arrested!"