Bump in the Night

Last night right before midnight, I had just turned off the light and closed my eyes, lying in bed next to Lauren, when I heard a NOISE. This doesn't usually happen with Ryan home. I don't notice noises, or if I do, he usually causes them. Or I can tell myself he did. Or if he didn't, I feel safe with him there and I know nothing will come to get me. But last night, I was the big adult in the house. Lauren was sleeping blissfully. You know the saying "my blood froze"? I really felt that way. I was paralyzed with fear. The noise I thought I heard was the sound someone makes when they shut the folding doors in front of the washing machine, which is right outside of our bedroom door. It was loud and rattly, and it was inside my house.

I was frozen in place, absolutely still, for about...well it felt like 10 minutes but was probably 60 seconds. In that time, I did not hear a single other sound, so I slowly exhaled and then turned on the night light. I went back to sleep and slept fitfully until daylight. Then all day, I was thinking about the noise and wondering what it could have been. Our walls are pretty thick, but maybe I heard our neighbors open their door, through the bathroom window. At least, that was my working theory until Lauren was playing with her toys, and then left the room and later, when she wasn't anywhere near it, I heard her play kitchen sink go off. It is supposed to sound like gurgling water, but it suspiciously sounds like rattling doors, like what I heard in the middle of the night. Mystery solved, but I can't say I will be sleeping any better until we get a dog. Or at least until Lauren's "doggy" comes home.