“My husband, Ethan, has been in the hospital for nearly a week now,” recovering from hip surgery. I usually visit during the day, but with my dad watching the kids, I decided to surprise him at night.

When I walked in, Ethan looked startled. “Didn’t you come earlier today?” he asked, clearly nervous. I brushed it off, but something felt off—he seemed distracted, distant, and kept glancing at the door.
Later, one of his nurses, Carla, stopped me. Her voice was hushed: *“Look under your husband’s bed.”*
Back in the room, I faked dropping an apple peel and looked.

**There were eyes staring back at me.**
A woman crawled out from under the bed, embarrassed. “Who the hell are you?” I yelled. Ethan stammered, “It’s not what you think.” The woman added, *“I’m a wedding planner. Ethan hired me to plan a surprise wedding… for you.”*

I didn’t know whether to scream or laugh. Eventually, I cried—then laughed.
As Jessica left, Ethan reached for my hand. “Still mad at me?” he whispered through tears. *“I love you… even after ten years, I fall more in love with you every day.”*