Chapter 65

At 4:30 PM, Alan's phone blasted its ringtone, jolting him out of bed. With a mix of anxiety and hope, he snatched it up, only to hear two words before the caller hung up: "All Clear."

Relief washed over Alan like a tidal wave. Susan was safe. With a newfound lightness in his step, he headed to the bathroom for a quick shower. Fresh and clean, he descended to the kitchen, still dripping wet and stark naked, and sneaked up behind his wife, enveloping her in his arms.

Susan's initial startle turned into a sigh of relief as she recognized Alan's touch. But before she could fully relax, she felt his fingers undoing her jeans. "Alan, what's gotten into you?"

"What do you think, Mrs. Robbins?"

"We don't have time for this, dinner's almost ready."

"Almost means it's not ready yet." With a mischievous grin, Alan reached over and turned off the oven.

"Alan, you'r