Doors

They sat in front of the Grand Canyon, both quietly lost in their own thoughts.  The sun seemed to be taking its time to set or, perhaps, the silence was getting too loud for him.
"This is it, isn't it?", he asked, still looking at the canyon.  She leaned on his shoulder, in response, and held on to his arm as she closed her eyes.
"Is there someone?", he asked.
"There is a dream of someone," she said quietly, quoting Meg Ryan in You've Got Mail. Then she straightened up, gave him a peck on the cheek and stood up.  He caught her hand and she responded with a tight squeeze as she walked away.
She walked towards the tree, her face streaked with tears as she reached for the door and walked resolutely through.

"I was hoping you would not come back from that one," Marina sighed as Aurora buried herself in her waiting arms. "Speak to me, child," she whispered.
"I understand it, Marina.  The Oracle is teaching me how to ask properly ... to know what exactly it is I want and tell him so. When I entered into this test and he asked me what I wanted, I thought I had answered correctly, 'You alone know what is best, Ancient One'."
Marina stroked the young initiate's hair as she sobbed.
"But I'm tired ...," she said, lifting her head to look back at all the doors behind her, "I'm tired."
"Perhaps," Marina began, gently turning Aurora to look at her, "the Ancient One does not want you to know what you want and tell him.  Is that not foolish, when he knows already?"
The young initiate looked down at her feet and shrugged.  Marina took both the girl's hands in hers and said, "Be still, Aurora. Ponder upon it and let your heart speak."
Aurora sobbed for a moment more and then was quiet.  She calmed her breathing as she looked into Marina's warm hazel eyes.  She had found out long ago, that looking at her mentor's eyes is an effective anchor for her.  Somehow, it calmed her spirit.
And then it dawned on her.
Marina smiled as she saw the girl's eyes light up, and waited.
"Of course! He wants me to understand what I need vs. what I want ... so that, when I am face-to-face with the gift, I will recognize it and treasure it." She looked up and down the corridor at all the closed doors and groaned.
Marina laughed and clapped her hands, "That's right!"
"How can you find this so amusing?  As it becomes clearer to me, I will have to go through, not just the unopened doors, but also the doors I've gone into before --- ", the girl said exasperatedly, adding with a whimper, "because I could have missed the gift the first time."  She shook her head, looking about in panic.
With a smile, the older woman gently touched the initiate's cheek to guide her gaze towards her. "This is not a time-bound test, Aurora. You forget that the Oracle has command of Time. He bends and stretches it, as needed."
"Right," the girl replied and then marched away toward her chamber.
"Where are you going?", Marina asked.
"To find out what I need.  And I'm getting it straight from the Source!", the girl yelled back as the star-riddled door closed behind her.

"Such a stubborn and impatient one," the voice said, "but she will be ready once she comes out of her chamber."
"She is mine," Marina said without looking.
"That, she is." A slight smile.
"Shall I release the doors?"
"Yes," the Oracle said, "It is time."

Not In the Cards

"And what about kids?", I asked.
"Oh, it's not in the cards for us", he said.  I looked at my brother sideways and saw the pained look.  He was the one who always wanted kids.  I was always the free-spirited one.  That's why we hadn't talked in 10 years.  I left for Italy the day after he got married.  He had a new adventure to embark on ... and I wanted one of my own.
"It is now," I said, "looking back at my sleeping 3-year old."
"Jane ..." he started.
"I know. I know!  It's only for a few months until I find myself a stable job and a place suitable for a jumping jelly bean!"
We laughed, like the old times. 
"I noticed he's a handful", David said, rolling his eyes.
"Just like you," I said, sticking my tongue out, "that's why I named him after you."
"You know I have no problem taking him.  It's just ... I haven't talked this with Sarah yet.  Let me talk to her first, okay?" I nodded, looking out the window.
"Do you remember what mom used to tell us?' I asked.
"About what?"
"God would not plant a desire in my heart that cannot be realized"
"St. Therese of the Child Jesus.  Yeah," he said.
"When do you stop hoping and start accepting your fate?" I brushed a stubborn tear that managed to escape.
He massaged my neck and my lips quivered as the full onslaught came.
"I just wanted someone who will hold me for the rest of my life," I managed between sobs.
"An Italian," he said and we both cracked up as I punched him playfully.
"I think God mixed up our fates," I said.
"I think He did it on purpose," he said. He had tears in his eyes as he pulled me close for a quick hug.
"I bet He did," I said.
"We're good," he said.
"Awesome."

Dreamwalking: I Dream In Color

"Your father said there might be snakes," she said, "There aren't any snakes, right?"
"There are," he said matter-of-factly, "But they're more scared of us."
"Are you sure?"
"Yup. They slither away when they see humans"
Somehow, that didn't comfort her, but she trudged on behind him, looking warily about.

A few minutes later they entered the trail and she stopped as a wave of familiarity hit her. 
"Ryan!" she screamed, chasing after him, "I've seen this place ... !"

"What?" he screamed back, barely slowing down.
"I've dreamed about this!  In my dream, I stepped out of a log cabin into a woods that looked just like this.  And I remember saying, 'I'm dreaming ... and it's in color!"
She looked around, feeling more certain by the second that this unplanned trail hike is what she dreamed about just a couple of weeks ago.

"Oh, my God,! That was you ... the guy in my dream!"
"Seriously?! I was in it, too?"
"Yeah!"
Whoa! I just got goosebumps!"
Still  recovering from the discovery, she panicked as a detail from the dream came back to her, "In my dream you walked too fast and left me ..."
"You know I am not gonna leave you, right?", he said, picking up the pace.
"Right," she said, rushing to keep up with him ... just in case.

He took her to several beautiful spots, including the overlook she flew over in her dream.  (Yes, she could fly in her dream).  Of course, she didn't fly, but stepped on a ledge.  Close enough.  In her dream, the overlook was tinged with the color of sunset.  The sun was still high up in the sky for a sunset.  But right then, the overlook was peppered with yellow flowers. A beautiful and equally breathtaking substitute.

And, as promised, he didn't leave her.  It was a good thing not all dreams came true, because this reality was so much better.  

Dreamwalking: The Visitor

I blink my eyes open and find myself lying down at the edge of a huge bed with two other women. They are both asleep.  I hear a rustling and look up.  A man sits on a chair by the bedside.

"What are you doing?", I ask.
"I'm watching you," he says.
"Have you been here long?" I ask.
"Been here awhile," he shrugs.

I sit up to look at him properly, since I'm straining my neck.

"There is a flower ... ", he starts tentatively, "I think that she has tamed me ..."

I perk up at the familiar line. I say nothing and he continues.

"I traveled through life and met a number of flowers, all roses, all beautiful.  Yet I found myself telling each one ---

You are beautiful, but you are empty.  One could not die for you.  To be sure, an ordinary passerby would think that my rose looked just like you - the rose that belongs to me.  But in herself alone she is more important than all the hundreds of you other roses: because it is she that I have listened to, when she grumbled, or boasted, or even sometimes when she said nothing.  Because she is my rose."

And then it clicks.

"The Little Prince!", I exclaim. He smiles.

"Wherever I am, I look up at the stars and think:  The stars are beautiful, because of a flower that cannot be seen," he finishes and looks at me.

I hear soft music playing.  "Do you hear that?" I ask. He strains to listen.

... It's been so long / I don't know what to say / I've traveled 'round through deserts on my horse / But jokes aside /  I wanna come back home / You know that night / I said I had to go / You said you'd meet me on the sunny road ...

I stand up.

"It's time, meet me on the sunny road", I whisper as I take a step towards him and look up to brave his eyes.

We stand just an inch apart, looking at each other, breathing ...

1, 2, 3 ...

We kiss.

I blink my eyes open and find myself lying on my bed, facing a blank wall.