Gone

Gone

Susan woke from her dream, trying desperately to hold on to it. Every time she dreamed it, she wished it was real. In it she was married to Charlie.

Her real marriage, to Davis, was over. They’d been in love, or so she thought, planning their life, their family. After years of trying, she found out Davis had a vasectomy before they met. He hadn’t told her because he was afraid he’d lose her. All those years, trying to have children, it was too cruel to forgive.

In her dream she and Charlie had two children, a boy, Billy, and baby Sally, six months old. She had been holding Sally when she woke up, so it was even more painful. She needed to leave Davis. She would tell him today. Feeling calmer at the decision, she drifted back to sleep.

Suddenly she woke up. She could hear Sally crying and flew out of bed to get her. Charlie woke, “Bring her here Honey,” he said, “We can cuddle!”

“Me too!” came a voice, and Billy ran out of his room to join them.

As she walked back with the baby, Susan remembered her dream. It was so sad, she was in an unhappy, childless marriage, and had just decided to leave her husband when she woke up. Shaking it off, she climbed in bed with the baby and gave Billy and Charlie kisses.

In his office, Davis sat at his desk looking out over the city. He was rich, powerful, but he’d give it all up in a minute if he could just get Susan back. Why had he lied to her? She was so angry when she found out, she’d just driven off, but where had she gone? Three years now with no trace, she was gone, just gone.