I was sound asleep and cuddling with someone in my bed when the phone rang in the middle of the night.
I heard a woman on the answering machine sobbing and saying she needed to talk to me. Who in the world-?
He said “I think it’s your mother.”
It was very familiar and casual like we were together or something.
I jumped out of bed and I tried to dial my mother’s number. It was some sort of complicated PBX extension mounted on the wall.
My companion hit the “outside line” button for me.
My sister answered the phone.
I asked what was wrong and if mom was okay.
She started unloading about how bad things had gotten.
I told her look, it’s your decision. This is what happens when you put a bag of dope in your arm, and if you like what you’re getting out of it then keep doing it.
I said I don’t even want to talk to you.
“You lie. And you lie. And you lie, and you lie.”
I slammed the phone down onto the receiver.
He was not even slightly fazed by this interaction.
We went back to sleep. I had a dream within my dream.
My companion was at my side and he felt like he belonged there.
When I woke up he was there.
We were out walking around somewhere together.
It was early. There was a little mist on everything.
The sky was grey and the grass was soaked.
Perfect hoodie weather.
The grass and the trees made me think we were somewhere in the Midwest or the Northeast.
We crossed a street.
I told him about the dream I had.
He said he felt the same way.
My heart soared.
I kissed him.
Then I woke up alone in some Holiday Inn in fucking Texas.
I mumbled “Fuck,” instantly remembering who and where I was.