More Time to Dream
More Time to Dream
Wren is cheating on her husband with the man of her dreams. Literally. Nicolai has always accepted he had to share Wren with the waking world, but what will he do when their time together is threatened?
(This story continues in Wakeful Echoes.)
Excerpt:
He joined me at the water’s edge, lifting my chin to look in my eyes. “It’s time you told me.”
“Told you what?” I evaded, trying to avoid his stare.
“Wren.”
He never called me Wren. My eyes locked with his and what I saw in them broke my heart. I burst into tears. “I’m so sorry, Nicolai!”
“Tell me.”
And so I did. Between hiccuping sobs, I told him everything, ending with Tom’s proposal.
“Does he make you happy?”
“Not like you! Nothing like you!”
“Wren. Does he make you happy?”
I couldn’t look at him anymore. Couldn’t witness the hurt I had caused him. Turning away, I whispered, “Yes.”
“Then marry him.”
“What?!” The shock made me face him once more.
“Marry him.” His voice was thick with grief. “You deserve more than what I can give you.”
“No, no, no!” I said, grabbing him in a fierce embrace. “You have given me everything! You are my everything! I don’t need anything else!”
He put his hands on my shoulders and gently held me away. “If that were true, you never would have been with him.”
My mouth opened to protest, but no words came to my defense. I deflated before him. “I love you, Nicolai,” I whimpered, looking at my muddy feet while waiting to hear I had lost him.
“I will accept Tom in your life.”
I lifted my gaze to his, daring to hope.
“But know this: I’ll share you, but I will not lose you.”
Author’s Note:
An aspect of this story hits close to home. Although I didn't initially suffer from "empty nest" syndrome when my kids flew the coop, it became a big problem for me when the pandemic shrunk my world to my living room. My husband did not have the option to work from home and the pandemic made his already hazardous job even more dangerous. Between long hours spent alone day after day, increased worry for him (as well as the rest of my loved ones), and the multitude of horrible things happening in the world at that time, I fell into a very dark place. I, too, wanted more time to dream.
Also found in Choices: Tales of Determination.
