I found him with his feet up on my couch.  I said, where have you been?  He didn’t answer, just smiled at me and reached up to pull me into his arms.

I was really happy to see him.

But a bit confused, too.

I’m married, I said.  Panicking, I twisted around to see his reaction.  My lover meets my wife, oh god!  But he just nodded, his eyes crinkling at the corners, and I stopped being afraid.  I know that look.

He knows all about her.  He thinks it’s funny.

And then I suddenly remembered hard wooden pews and all of us in uniform... and it’s too hot... and someone hands me the whole box of Kleenex... but I don’t know who, because I can’t see...

No, I thought, that’s a mistake.  Got to be.  I mean, he’s right here, isn’t he?

That’s when I felt the bastard laugh.  Yeah, I got it.  The joke’s on me.  I thumped his leg.  Asshole!  He just laughed harder.  Years dead, and still playing games.

I woke up in my own bed, feeling his arms still wrapped around me.

I looked at my sleeping wife.