My wife has been peeking at me from around corners and behind furniture. It's gone from weird to terrifying

We’ve been married four years. My wife is the most turmoil-free woman I’ve ever met. I am so lucky to have her. The first time I saw her I thought she was beautiful, and when I got to know her I realized she was also the nicest, most patient person I’d ever met; and she’s even more beautiful on the inside than she is on the outside.<br><br>I received the happiest news of my life six months ago, when we learned she was pregnant. Our beautiful little girl is due any day now, and we’re both excited and terrified.<br><br>We’re also a little worried, because something strange has started happening.<br><br>It began two months ago, and I still can’t figure out what’s happening or why my wife is doing it.<br><br>It started off relatively subtly, and I honestly thought it was just a joke.<br><br>I’d be walking down the hall in the early morning, on my way to work, and I’d see her peeking at me from around a corner.<br><br>I would go in the kitchen to look at the fridge, and she'd be peeking over the top of the refrigerator, just staring.<br><br>She’d be hiding behind the couch. Sometimes it was just her face I’d see. But sometimes it would be both her face and her hands. She’d have a few fingers up on each hand, like she was trying to summon something evil.<br><br>It was so weird. At first, I laughed. She would scamper off before I could catch her. And then I would see her again, in the main bedroom or something, like she forgot that she was hiding.<br><br>After a few days I realized that she was actually hiding, and that it wasn’t a joke.<br><br>Then it went from odd to terrifying.<br><br>She'd hide in the garden out the back. In the dead of night, I’d see her looking in at me through the window, and the only reason I could see her was because of the moonlight that reflected off her face.<br><br>I’d go to the car in the morning, and when I turned back around to look at the house, I’d see her peeking out of my office window on the second floor.<br><br>I went up to our bedroom once, to get something for work, and when I opened up the wardrobe, she was hiding in there. Just staring.<br><br>It got to a point where every time I opened a door, I’d expect to see her hiding in there. Every time I turned a corner. Every time I looked into a mirror.<br><br>It got to a point where I was too scared to leave my room even after she’d called me down to have dinner. Every time, I’d expect to see her peeking out at me. She’d be standing next to the bed when I opened my eyes in the morning.<br><br>I finally couldn’t take it anymore. I sat her down last night and asked her what was going on. She just smiled and said everything was OK.<br><br>That just sent chills down my spine. I asked her again to please tell me what was going on.<br><br>She just looked at me for what felt like ten minutes, and then she said that I shouldn’t worry about it. I asked her why she kept hiding, and all she said was that it was for our daughter.<br><br>I don’t know what she means.<br><br>I was so relieved when I went to sleep last night and she didn’t pop out from under the bed.<br><br>When I opened my eyes, I expected to see her standing in the corner of the room.<br><br>Finally, she wasn’t.<br><br>I smiled. It was over. Maybe she’d just actually listened to me for once. Maybe she understood how frightening it was.<br><br>I jumped out of bed.<br><br>I was still smiling. <br>I was so happy it was over, and I could actually stop being afraid to go about my day.<br><br>I went to the main bathroom to take a shower, and as I walked in, I could see myself in the huge mirror in front of me.<br><br>And I could see my wife standing behind me.<br><br>She had her hands on my shoulders, and was peeking out from behind my head. It was probably the creepiest thing I’d ever seen.<br><br>I turned around and she was gone.<br><br>I spun back around. She was back in the reflection, standing behind me.<br><br>I must have jumped a mile high. My heart started racing, and I could feel the sweat on my face as I spun around and grabbed her. <br><br>I hugged her as tightly as I could. I said nothing. I could barely breathe, let alone talk. I shook, and she shook along with me, and she giggled.<br><br>I wanted to shake her. I wanted to yell at her and say that this wasn’t funny. I wanted to express how scared I was and tell her to please stop.<br><br>I didn’t. All I could do was hug her, tremble, and pray that it was the last time I’d have to go through that, and that one day soon, she’d be back to the beautiful woman I’d married.<br><br>&#x200B;