Husbandry by Allie Ritch

have
been the same. A piece would have always been missing. Like a slap in the face,
it came to me that I’d feel the same if something happened to any one of them.
    “Which hospital?” I asked, overcoming my paralysis. “Where
are you?”
    He gave me his location and Chuck’s room number.
    “Okay. I’m on my way. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” I
hung up and ran for the door.
    Then I cursed when I remembered I didn’t have the car. I
needed to call a cab.

Chapter Five
    The hospital had multiple entrances, and I wasn’t sure which
one was closest to where I needed to go. I had the cab driver drop me off at
the central door and paid him quickly before I rushed inside. A blast of cold
air washed over me, tainted with a chemical smell.
    “Fila.” A woman walking toward me called my name.
    I was so focused on getting to Chuck that I almost didn’t
recognize my neighbor, Ginger Hutchinson. She worked as a nurse here, though
only part-time now that she was getting older.
    The small, auburn-haired woman clasped my hands and spoke to
me with her usual calm, authoritative tone. “Chuck is going to make a full
recovery. Nothing life threatening. I was just up on his floor to check his
status.”
    Although Chad had already relayed this prognosis, I felt
like I could breathe for the first time since I’d heard Chuck was hurt. Ginger
wasn’t the type to sugarcoat things. If he’d been in serious danger, she would
have told me. Then I noticed she wasn’t wearing her nurse’s uniform—something
I’d always seen her leave and come home in when she was working.
    My brain finally came back online. “You’re the neighbor who
found him. You saw him fall.”
    She nodded. “He took quite a tumble off the ladder. I called
an ambulance to be safe, though he made a fuss about it once he realized what
was happening.”
    “Thank you.” I pulled her into a quick hug, unable to
express how grateful I was. “I’m so glad you were the one who was there. You
knew exactly what to do.”
    “Go on.” Ginger looked a bit embarrassed by the praise. “I
know you’re anxious to see him. Go to the third floor and take a left. The room
numbers are marked. Chuck already has company up there. His…brother?”
    Her hesitation was clear, as was the gleam of curiosity in
her eyes. I was already so worried about Chuck that I didn’t have much room for
dread. My coworker, Liz, now knew the truth, so why not come clean to my
neighbor? As a nurse, Ginger had probably seen it all.
    “His genetic likeness,” I corrected her. “My other husband,
Chad. I’m not sure if you’ve met all three of them yet. There are Chuck, Chad,
and Charles.”
    She stared at me, unblinking. “You have three husbands?”
    “Yes.”
    A tense moment passed before she blew out a loud breath.
“Oh, thank goodness. I thought I was losing my mind.”
    “I’m sorry?” I was sure I must have missed something because
she sounded happy.
    “Well, I don’t mean to sound like I’m spying on you, but I
like to people watch. On my days off, I see all the comings and goings on the
block while I sit at my front window or work in the garden. So I notice things.
Like your husband having facial hair, and then shaving it, and then having it
reappear again. His hair length changes too. He leaves in a suit, and five
minutes later I see him working in the yard in jeans. I was starting to worry I
was going senile.”
    “Sounds to me like you’re still as sharp as they come.” I’d
had no idea she’d been paying such close attention. It was easy to see how
she’d be confused.
    “I can’t tell you how relieved I am.” She appeared to
conduct some sort of internal dialogue before she returned a decisive nod. “It
all makes sense now. Go on. You’d best go see to your husbands. Please give me
a call later and let me know how Chuck is doing. You know I’m right next door
if you need any help.”
    “You’re an angel.” I couldn’t believe my good fortune