During what I thought was just another ordinary hospital visit, my husband’s nurse quietly pulled me aside and said, “Please, when you go back to his room, check under his bed.” I had no idea what awaited me there, and the discovery I made compelled me to reach for my phone and dial 911.
As I write this, I’m still in shock. Part of me finds the situation absurd, yet another part can’t stop replaying the tension of that night.
My husband, Ethan, has been in the hospital for over a week following surgery to repair an old hip injury. While he’s gradually recovering, the process has been incredibly challenging. Balancing work, caring for the kids, and ensuring his comfort has turned my days into a whirlwind.
That morning, my son Tommy asked, “Mom, when is Dad coming home?” as he stirred his cereal.
“Soon, sweetie,” I replied, trying to hide my fatigue. “He needs to get stronger first.”
“But I miss him,” added my daughter Sarah, her lip quivering. “It’s not the same without him.”
“I know, baby. I miss him too,” I said, pulling them into a tight hug and drawing strength from their warmth.
Typically, I visit Ethan in the mornings or afternoons while the kids are at school. However, last Friday, my dad kindly offered to watch them for the night—an offer that felt like a lifeline, as I couldn’t recall my last full night’s sleep. I decided to surprise Ethan with an evening visit, hoping to brighten his day.
When I entered his room, he looked up from his phone and froze.
“Hey,” I said with a smile as I set my bag down. “You weren’t expecting me, were you?”
He blinked and laughed nervously. “No—I mean, didn’t you come earlier today?”
“I did, but I had some extra time, so here I am. I miss you.”
“Sam…” he whispered, reaching for my hand but hesitating. “You shouldn’t… I mean, you must be exhausted. The kids—”
“The kids are with Dad,” I interrupted, noticing something odd in his expression. “They miss you a lot. Sarah even cried this morning.”
His face fell. “God, I hate this. Being stuck here while you handle everything…”
I tried to lighten the mood. “Isn’t that what marriage is about? In sickness and in health?”
He smiled weakly, but his eyes seemed distracted, as though he carried a secret.
“You alright? You seem off tonight,” I asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” he replied quickly, fiddling with his blanket. “How are the kids?”
We chatted briefly while I peeled an apple for him—his favorite snack—but his short answers and the constant glances at the door unsettled me.
“Remember when we first started dating? You used to bring me apples every day because you believed an apple a day keeps the doctor away,” I recalled, hoping to ease the silence.
He forced a laugh, but it sounded strained.
“Please, Ethan, talk to me. Are you in pain? Should I call a nurse?” I urged, reaching for his hand again.
“No!” he blurted out, then softened. “I’m really fine—just… tired.”
I tried not to overthink it—surgery takes a toll, after all.
On my way to throw away the apple peelings outside the ward, I bumped into Carla, one of Ethan’s friendly nurses, who usually put me at ease. Today, however, she appeared anxious.
She stopped me in the hall, glancing nervously down the corridor. “Can we talk for a moment?”
“Of course, what’s up?” I replied.
Her hands trembled as she fidgeted with her ID badge. “I really shouldn’t, but… we’re not supposed to get involved with patients’ personal matters, yet…”
“Carla,” I said, gently gripping her arm as my heart raced, “you’re scaring me. Is something wrong with Ethan? Did the tests show something?”
She quickly shook her head. “No, it’s not medical. It’s…” She hesitated, lowering her voice further, “Please, when you go back to his room, look under his bed.”
I frowned. “Under his bed? Why?”
“Just trust me,” she pleaded. “You’ll understand when you see it.”
“Carla, please, if something’s wrong, just tell me. I can handle it.”
“I can’t say more,” she whispered, glancing over her shoulder. “But you need to know. Just… look.”
Then she turned and walked away, leaving a pit of dread in my stomach.
Unsure of what to make of her words—was Ethan hiding something?—I called after her, “Wait!” but she was already gone.
Taking a deep breath, I returned to Ethan’s room, trying to act normal despite my shaking hands. He was lying in bed, absorbed in his phone.
“Everything okay?” he asked as I sat down.
“Yeah, just took out some trash,” I replied, though Carla’s words echoed in my mind: “Look under his bed.”
I needed a reason, so I pretended to drop the apple peelings. “Oops,” I murmured as I crouched down.
Then I saw it—my heart nearly stopped.
Under the bed were a pair of eyes staring back at me.
At first, I thought I was imagining things but no—a woman was crouched there, staring at me as if caught red-handed.
“What the—” I shouted, jumping to my feet. “Who are you? What are you doing under my husband’s bed?”
Ethan’s heart monitor began beeping faster. “Wait, Samantha, it’s not what you—”
“Don’t you dare ‘wait’ me! After everything we’ve been through? Ten years together?” I snapped.
“Sam, please—” he began, but I interrupted, “What is she doing here, Ethan?” My hands trembled as I grabbed my phone. “I’m calling the police. Is this some kind of joke?”
The woman scrambled from under the bed, her face red as a firetruck, clearly mortified.
“Please!” Ethan panicked, reaching for my phone—his IV tugging uncomfortably. “Samantha, stop. It’s not what you think.”
“Not what I think?” I repeated, my chest tightening as tears welled up. “There’s a WOMAN under your bed, Ethan! What else should I believe? That she just dropped her contact lens?”
“Miss Samantha, I can explain—” the woman began.
“How dare you?” I yelled, backing away. “How long has this been going on? Is this why you’ve been acting so strange, Ethan?”
The heart monitor’s beeping grew louder. Ethan shifted in bed, swinging his legs over the side and gripping the mattress for support as he stood unsteadily, his gown fluttering.
“Please, just listen to me,” he pleaded, his voice trembling. “I can explain.”
“Explain what, Ethan? That you’re cheating on me in a hospital room while I’m at home, juggling the kids and everything else?” I demanded.
“No! God, no. It’s not like that,” he insisted, glancing at the woman, who looked like she wished she could vanish. “Tell her,” he urged.
After a long pause, she mumbled, “I’m a wedding planner.”
I blinked in disbelief. “A… what?”
She straightened, avoiding my gaze. “Ethan hired me to help organize a surprise wedding. For you.”
I stared, utterly confused. “A wedding? For me? What are you talking about?”
Ethan sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “It’s true. I’ve been working with her to plan a real wedding—for us.”
“But why all the secrecy? Why hide her under the bed like some rebellious teenager?” I asked.
“Because you weren’t supposed to be here!” Ethan’s voice broke. “We’ve been planning this for months.”
The wedding planner nodded awkwardly. “We were finalizing every detail—your favorite colors, the flowers, everything. When we overheard you talking on the phone outside the ward, we panicked about spoiling the surprise. So he told me to hide under the bed. I’m so sorry for the misunderstanding.”
“I found our old wedding photo the other day,” Ethan continued, his eyes glistening. “Remember? City hall, you in that simple white dress, me in my dad’s old suit? You deserved so much more than that rushed ceremony.”
I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry. The anger from moments before now melted into a tender ache.
“You… you were planning a wedding?” I whispered.
Ethan nodded, reaching for my hand. “I know it sounds crazy, but I just wanted to surprise you—to give you the wedding day you always dreamed of, before anything else went wrong.”
I squeezed his hand, my heart full. “You are insane! Do you know how close I came to calling 911? I thought the worst was happening.”
Ethan offered a sheepish smile. “Yeah…sorry about that. Not my brightest idea having Jessica hide under the bed.”
Jessica, the wedding planner, mumbled another apology before slipping out, leaving just the two of us.
After the door clicked shut, Ethan reached for my hand. “So… what do you think? Are you still mad?”
I squeezed his hand and laughed softly. “Mad? No. But you owe me a proper explanation—and maybe a drink when we get out of here!” Then, in a softer tone, “And Ethan, I don’t care if our first dance is in wheelchairs when we’re 90—as long as it’s with you.”
He pulled me close, his tears dampening my shoulder. “I love you,” he whispered. “Even after ten years, I fall more in love with you every day.”
“I love you too,” I murmured, chuckling. “But next time you plan a surprise, maybe don’t hide the planner under the bed!”