Like any hopeful beauty, she dreamed day and night. But what she saw was not just a happy ending. No, it was much more than that. She saw what she wanted and needed with all her heart. It wasn’t to make or add to her happiness but to enhance it.
At night, amongst the many paintings and countless stories, she laid in bed. She didn’t see the white picket fence with flowers blooming all around. She didn’t see kids running across the yard or hear a baby crying through the window. She didn’t even see her own fame and glory. What she saw was not what everyone told her to dream.
There was a dog though. He slept on an old worn out leather chair he had claimed when he was a puppy. They tried to throw it out but he had hopped up on it and sat there like a royal king being carried around by his loyal subjects. The picture is hanging on a wall if you don’t believe it.
There was a man too. He didn’t claim a chair, instead he slept in the bed beside her holding her close. Yet, throughout the night, he would toss and turn either curling up in a ball, lying on his belly or submerged in the sea of blankets. It wouldn’t be for long though.
Because in the morning, he would wake up, stretch out and glance down to see her curled up in the crook of his arm. He was checking if she was awake or still drooling along his chest.
Of course she felt his subtle movement and stirred in her sleep. A dampness would reach her attention and as she moved to wipe her mouth, he would chuckle softly.
Embarrassed, she quickly tried to hide the evidence but it would always be too late. He caught her and even though it was a hassle to wash his shirt every day, he didn’t really mind. But, he never would admit it. He took too much pleasure teasing her about it as she tried to hide her actions by rubbing her eyes or pulling the covers up to hide her beautiful face.
Still, the top of her head would peak out tempting him to lightly tussle her hair. And as his chest rose and fell, she brushed her face against him purring all along.
Once he would stop, she would climb atop his waist and peer down at him. A smile would brighten her eyes and the final rays of the early morning sun would push through the blinds. He would check the time and the dog would begin his morning stretch before clumsily walking over to poke his nose between the sheets.
The man would jump away from the cold wet nose only to pat him on the head. She then would rub his ears just the way he liked it.
The satisfied pup would then curl up on the rug just below them and patiently wait as the man taunted her out of bed with the idea of coffee and sweets. It sounded good to her but it wasn’t until he said the magic phrase that would finally pull her out of bed. Chocolate croissants were always a weak point of hers and he knew her well.
They shared one final kiss in the misty morning air and that would always be the moment her eyes would flutter.
It wasn’t just a dream any more.
© 2016 Jessica Santos