I was so exhausted I was asleep in minutes. I was in such a deep sleep the stewardess had to shake me to wake up after we landed. I looked around the empty plane—she had let me sleep until everyone was gone. Thinking that was odd, I got my overhead bag and walked alone into the terminal, then outside to catch a cab home.
Still tired and groggy, I opened my front door and dropped my bag and kicked off my shoes right at the door—too tired to unpack. I wanted a bath and more sleep. I’d slept on the plane, but it felt like I’d had a 10-minute nap. All I wanted now was to sleep until my daughter and husband got home.
I showered and it felt good to get into my own bed. I planned for a long sleep when I was awakened by a shrill scream. There stood my daughter Amy, staring at me as though I was some monster, and screaming.
“Amy, what is it, what happened?”
“Who are you?” she screamed.
“Amy, for heaven’s sake, it’s Mommy. What’s wrong with you?”
“You’re not my mother! Get out of my daddy’s bed.”
She ran down the hall and slammed the door. I couldn’t imagine why she was so mad at me. I knocked on the door but she screamed for me to go away. Then I heard her sobbing into her phone, “Daddy, there’s a strange woman in your bed, please come home right away.”
I went back to the room, confused and upset. Something was wrong with my daughter and I couldn’t help her. I’d just wait for Paul—he’d straighten it all out. It was only minutes before I heard him drive up and bound up the steps to Amy’s room. I could hear their muffled conversation but couldn’t make out anything they said.
He came storming down the hall, “Who are you? What are you doing here? You scared my daughter to death and I’m calling the police.”
Oh, no. Paul didn’t know me either. What was going on here?
“Paul, for heaven’s sake, it’s me. What is wrong with you both?”
“Leave now and I will not call the police,” Paul hissed.
He followed me to the door, picked up my bag and handed it to me. I walked out in a daze. Where could I go? They were kicking me out of my own home. I sat on the curb, next to a bus stop sign. I guess I was thinking I’d get on the bus and go, only God knows where. I leaned against the sign and closed my eyes. I guess I dozed off because suddenly someone was shaking me vigorously. “Miss, wake up, we’ve landed. Wake up.”