He Plays Dead, and I Make It Real
Three months after my husband, Josiah Erikson, disappears in a skiing accident, I spot him in a bar.
He's laughing freely with an arm slung casually around his "best friend", Monica Jones' shoulders. "Good thing you came up with the idea. I'd almost forgotten what freedom feels like."
One after another, his buddies clink glasses with him and ask about when he plans to reappear.
He looks down and thinks about it before saying, "In a week. I'll show up once she's gone completely crazy searching for me."
Standing in the shadows, I watch him savor his freedom, then call my friend who works at the state vital records office.