When the doorbell rang, Peter called out, "Who is it?"

"Delivery."

"I didn't order anything."

"I have an order for one lasagna for Merle Douglas."

Peter opened the door. He saw a young man about sixteen years old standing there. He was well built as if he had been working out. He probably was on the football team at his high school. He was wearing a red cap, red polo shirt, and a black apron that contained the name of the pizzeria, Pizza Planet, black pants, and sneakers.

Peter assumed that Merle ordered the delivery and would be arriving soon. He decided to pay the boy. His name tag proclaimed his name as James.

"How much is it?"

"Peter," the boy said with sudden seriousness. "I'm Merle. This boy stole my life."

"What?" Peter couldn't make sense of what this kid was telling him.

"I'm Merle. I'm your wife. My life was stolen. I need your help to get it back."

"I don't know what type of joke this is? But it's not funny."

"It's no joke. Look at me closely, I'm Merle. You have to believe me."

His wife Merle is a woman in her fifties, a couple of years younger than Peter. She wasn't a thin woman, age and thousands of coffee caked over the years have stretched her figure. Not that Peter didn't love her and thought she was beautiful. This boy at the door didn't look anything like her. He was a boy, young, well built. But after looking at James closely Peter wasn't so sure anymore. There was something familiar about him. Maybe he was Merle after all.

"Let me in, we have to fix this before it's too late," James pleaded.

"Yeah, come on in."

James entered and the door was shut behind him. James put the lasagna onto a table by the door.

"Merle, is that really you?"

"It is, I'm Merle!"

James didn't need any explanation to convince Peter. he was totally convinced that this was his wife.

"I almost didn't recognize you. What happened?"

"I don't know. All of a sudden I was dressed like this making deliveries. When I realized what happened, I drove straight here."

"You're safe now."

"No, I'm not. We have to fix this. If we don't I'll be this boy forever."