The Rebounding Photograph

True story…
“Look at what I found in my book,” Mary said.

Half asleep, I rolled over and looked. It was a photograph of our son Kyle, sitting next to Chuck E. Cheese.

“Cool,” I said, smiling, as I turned over with the idea of falling back asleep.

As I drifted off, my brain suddenly kicked into gear. I spiraled back and asked to see it again.

“Where did you find that?” I asked.

“In this book, a marker, I guess,” my wife answered.

“Isn’t that one the paperbacks we bought at the Sally-Anne?” I asked, referring to the Salvation Army.

“Yes.”

“And you found a picture of Kyle in it?”

“Yes.”

“Were you using the photo as a book mark or something?”

“No.”

“So how did it get into the book?”

“I don’t know.”

There was a length of silence between us before she offered, “I read this book a long time ago.”

“When was it published?”

“Nineteen-ninety-eight…you don’t think?” she asked.

“Yeah, I do think. I believe you bought the same book you read years ago and had at one time used that particular photo as a book mark,” I answered, “And you know how I don’t believe in coincidences.”