Impostor Syndrome

Chapter 2: Not Will

She woke that morning, hoping it really had been a dream, one she'd tell him and that he'd sympathize with her over while they talked about imagine-ifs and what they'd do to find each other. And then it might just be a little joke for a while. But he wasn't in bed next to her where he would be under normal circumstances. Not that he didn't occasionally wake earlier than her, but he did so with a kiss and a whisper of what he what he was going to do if not stay in bed: make breakfast, work in the garage, leave for a work emergency. Much the same as she did with him.

She tentatively came downstairs and it was obvious he'd slept on the couch, something Will would have done in this case. Not exactly unique to Will, though, she thought. And then it hit her. How much of how he acted and what he said was simply observed, and when had that observation begun? He didn't know about ing, but he did know about her spiral into depression after–but everyone who knew them from that time knew about that. That was in court records. What could she ask him about their early relationship or perhaps even later that had only been between them–and without making him suspicious; she wouldn't forget last night's reaction. But before she could do that she needed a recording device.

From the smell wafting from the kitchen it was obvious breakfast was being made. Della and Addie were at the table, Addie quietly teasing Della about something that the latter was quietly telling her to "shut up" over. The sunlight streaming in from the solarium windows cast halos around them as it caught the frizz they'd inherited from her. After all the pain of her youth, she'd built as perfect a life as anyone could ask for. It had been a long time since she'd felt her life was marked for strife and violence, but now...Just don't let anything happen to my girls.

Upon noticing her, Della asked, "Hi Mom, you okay? Dad said you had a migraine." She looked and sounded skeptical. Smart as a whip, always had been.

"Yeah," Anne told her. "You know, they happen."

"Did you talk all weird like that one time at Gramma's?" Addie asked. She had an endless fascination with the strange and morbid.

Della elbowed her.

"Uh, I might have said some strange things." She glanced at "Will" from the corner of her eye, but he wasn't watching them. Likely listening, though, she thought.

She sat down as Not-Will brought plates of bacon and scrambled eggs. Convenient choice, since the real Will would have known how each of them liked fried eggs. They ate largely in silence, Della frowning Will's frown and looking to and from each of them.

Anne finished quickly and said, "Hey, I thought you girls could stay with Gran and Gramp for a little while." Will's parents. "Will" couldn't think she meant to run with them and therefore had no reason to object.

In fact, he said, "That's a great idea."

The girls were a year and a half apart, but damned if they weren't like twins sometimes. They frowned and spoke in unison: "Why?"

Not-Will looked at her, and she looked back momentarily, playing the part. "Your father and I have to talk about some things, and it's just better that we're alone while we figure it out."

"Are you getting a divorce?" Addie asked.

"Will" said, "No, we're not getting a divorce" at the same as she said, "We haven't made any decisions yet."

What an odd thing for him to say, she thought. He didn't make promises he knew he couldn't guarantee. But this brought up another question: what was this thing's goal?

Della didn't say anything at all but looked troubled.

"So Gran and Gramp's," Not-Will said. "You okay with that?"

"Yeah, whatever," Della said, and Addie shrugged.

"Okay," Anne said. "So each of you pack a suitcase of clothes and anything you want to have access to while you're there."

"Well, let me call them first," Not-Will said. "Make sure it's okay with them."

"Right, yeah, call them," she said. "And if they can't, then Gramma?"

The girls looked at each other. No, that wouldn't be ideal but they'd be safe enough.

"That's a little far," Not-Will said. That wouldn't have been his main concern.

She shrugged. "It's summer. A week in Quebec might be interesting."

He inclined his head in something of an agreement. "I'll call my parents first."

"Yeah."

He left the room to do so and she stifled a sigh of relief. Della leaned forward and whispered, "Mom, what's really going on?"

Addie strained forward in curiosity.

"Later," Anne said quietly. "It's not a good time now."

"Did Dad do something bad?"

"What did he do?!" Addie asked a little above a whisper.

"I will tell only what you need to know for now. I can't tell you anymore than that."

"Mom, we're not little kids, we know some parents cheat or commit fraud or whatever."

"It's a little more complicated than that. I will let you know if I think you need to know. For now, please leave it."

Della rolled her eyes and headed to the living room. Addie followed, glancing back as if she'd catch a stray morsel of juicy information.

But this told her something: that they were also suspicious of whatever it was. If they hadn't been, one would have followed him to ask. It's not just me, she thought, though she wondered what he'd said or did to tip them off. Maybe it was only her own reactions. It wouldn't be the first time they'd become suspicious of a man after she'd recoiled. She remember the bus driver. But still, Will was their father and they loved him deeply. As much as they also loved her, she didn't think they'd immediately turn against him with such little information as they had unless they also felt off.

Get the girls to Will's parents or else on a train to Gatineau. Go to Jen's, cellphone off, figure out if any spyware on her devices and remove them if so, call up Liss, tell them both everything, and then figure out what to about it. Hell, maybe this Will was a robot. She hadn't considered that initially, but it was no less crazy than the other "possibilities". "My husband's been replaced by/being mind-controlled by an alien." "My husband's been replaced by a fairy." "My husband's been possessed by a literal demon." "My husband's been replaced by a robot." "My husband's being mind-controlled by the government/by a foreign government." "My husband's had a traumatic brain injury that otherwise has left him completely unscathed but he's not acting like himself." "My husband has been replaced by his long-lost evil twin." Yeah, that all sounded completely insane.

God, where was he? The real one? Was he even alive? She stopped that train of thought. She needed to keep it together, first for her daughters, and then for the real Will if he was out there somewhere. She knew if he was, he was fighting his hardest to get back to them. Did he know an impostor was in his place? She could only imagine what he must be going through. Let me get our girls to safety. And then I'm coming for you, wherever you are.