Who's there?

         Beth was enjoying the morning of her day off. She had plenty of time to get started with her day. Five days a week she had to hit the ground running at six o'clock. Today she could shower at leisure and then enjoy her breakfast.

         Her mother had wanted her to give up the apartment or at least sublet it while Peter was in Iraq. She had really campaigned to get her way about that one. But Beth had stayed in the apartment. Mom said she worried about her all alone there in that neighborhood and thought Beth should come home for her mother's peace of mind if nothing else. Beth was not giving up Peter's home, he would have that to come home to. "You can get an apartment when he comes home," Mom pleaded. "YOu could be raped or murdered living there alone! Why won't you listen to reason?"

         Beth did not want to move back in with her parents and siblings. She liked living here by herself.

         Now with Peter's return coming closer she was glad she had kept the apartment. She was finishing up her shower. If she had been in her mother's house someone would be pounding on the door by now accusing her of hogging and reminding her other people have to get in there too.

         She turned off the water and was about to step out of the tub when she froze. She heard a noise. Someone was in the apartment. But there couldn't be anyone else in there! The door was still deadbolt locked since last night. Nobody could get in a window because she was on the third floor and there was a grating on the window by the fire escape. Whoever it was knew she was in the bathroom because the shower was clearly audible in the rest of the apartment. And the bathroom door wasn't locked. Why should it be when she was alone in the place? Hurriedly she locked the door but that wasn't much safety. Why hadn't she brought her cell phone in here with her? Why had she felt so safe she would not even take precautions? She could hear her mother saying, "I tried to tell you but would you listen? Now do you still think I don't know what I'm talking about?"

         She was hurriedly dressing she did not want whoever it was to find her naked. There was nothing she could use for a weapon. No escape from the bathroom except through the only door into the hall.

         She heard footsteps in the hall coming closer. The lock was no protection anyone with a screwdriver could open it from outside. Whoever it was was standing right outside the door now. She was sure from the sound of the footsteps that it was a man out there.

         Then a voice spoke. "Beth are you in there? I caught an earlier flight and wanted to surprise you,"

         She burst out the door crying joyfully, "Peter!"