Spring. When temperatures rise and winter’s side-of-the-road-snow slumps melt, a trickling stream grows across the property and pools into a tiny frog pond.

This greenish brownish pond is home to little frog friends and zillions of micro mosquito monsters. At dusk, the air is alive with swooping bats who feast on buzzing mosquitoes.

One fine spring evening, I return home from work. It is around 7:30 PM. Still light outside. I walk into the kitchen. Matt (husband) is sitting at the granite counter, grey lap top open, beer in hand. Renee (roommate) is bustling about the kitchen, opening cabinets, stirring pots, cooking herself dinner.

“Heyyy, what are you cooking?” I ask.

“Chicken tortilla soup with avocado and bacon and corn,” answers Renee.

“Smells amazing. How wa-“

“Did you forget to flush this morning?” Interjects Matt.

“What?” I’m confused.

“Did. You. Forget. To. Flush.” Matt repeats.

“What? No!” I exclaim, while thinking, Oh my god, did I?

“I think you left something in the toilet.” Matt says, frowning.

“Yeah, it’s pretty gross.” Adds Renee, as she chops up an avocado.

“In the guest bathroom?” I ask.

“Yeah, it’s nasty.” Matt answers.

“But I don’t even use that bathroom! I swear I didn’t!” I protest. Because I really don’t use that bathroom.

“You should go check it out.” Says Matt.

I stomp my feet over to the guest bathroom and notice something dark in the toilet.

I look closer.

What is that? I think.

What…

The…

My face is directly over the toilet. I peer at the dark thing in the toilet bowl.

Is it…

MOVING?

It is.

Because the dark thing is not what one might expect to find in a toilet.

Nor is it what my roommate and husband led me to believe was in the toilet.

It’s a bat.

“AAHHHHHHHHHHHHH” I shriek.

I run out of the bathroom and stand in the kitchen, hyperventilating, my arms in my shirt sleeves, wringing my clothing with angst. Matt and Renee are doubled over in laughter, their faces red and crying.

After the panic subsides, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the beautiful gift Matt and Renee gave me: a great story.