42. amelia
42
AMELIA
M y eyes rested on the page in my notebook that I had just filled with scribbles. My handwriting was large, slanted, sprawling, and nearly illegible to anyone else. Yet each word was vividly clear to me, just as the dream had been fresh in my memory.
Over the past few weeks, I had been extremely tired and would typically fall into a dreamless sleep, but last night, my imagination had taken a wild ride. So wild, in fact, that I now was in an almost unbearably good mood, which really wasn't the norm for me. I had to admit, though, that the baseline of my mornings had significantly improved since I met Gray.
He slowly began to stir next to me, which meant that within seconds, his arms would snake around my waist, yank me back down into a lying position, and press me so tightly against his chest that I momentarily couldn't breathe.
My book had slipped to the floor in his maneuver, and just then, I heard the pen plummet down too. However, he distracted me from that by burying his nose in my neck and taking a deep breath.
"How about we just stay in bed and cuddle for the rest of the day?" he asked me, his voice irresistibly husky, which made it almost impossible to deny him anything.
"I'm afraid Wilder will drag you out of this bed by your feet if you stand him up."
Not just that. He would probably also give me hell for not having kicked Gray out myself.
He grumbled as if he was just now remembering that he had arranged to meet with Wilder. I let out an amused laugh.
No one had forced him to agree to a meeting with Wilder on his very first free weekend after countless weeks… or years, as one may see it.
"And now, don't suggest that you guys could have your date right here in bed, Gray." Although the thought amused me, I wasn't exactly keen on sharing the bed with anyone other than Gray.
"Alright. Give me five minutes and you'll be rid of me, little one."
"Who said anything about getting rid of you?" I exclaimed indignantly. And my dream clearly told a different story. Although he had no clue about it… "Should I tell you what I just wrote in my dream journal?"
"Do you want to share that with me?"
In all the months it had been on the nightstand—even when it was open—Gray had never glanced in the direction of the book. Facts like these reminded me of how respectfully we treated each other in this relationship.
"I wouldn't ask you if I wasn’t ready to tell you about it," I muttered, twisting my head so I could see him out of the corner of my eye. "But you can't laugh at me."
His seriousness was palpable. "There's nothing I would laugh at you for, Amelia."
He said that now… Quietly humming, I tried to find the perfect way to start my dream, only to realize there wasn't one.
"Okay, so, you know those movies where everything in the flashbacks is soaked in warm colors, slightly blurred? As if it's a hot summer day, soft music in the background… that's exactly how it felt," I began.
Gray nodded as if he knew exactly what I was talking about.
"You entered the frame, but you weren't alone. There was a little girl on your shoulders, and that laughter…" Lost in thought, I rubbed my chest. "Don't get me wrong, I'm not even sure if it was yours or… whatever. Anyway, it was a few minutes before the wedding ceremony started. Down in the clearing. Everything was decorated with flowers, and only the closest people to us were there. Interestingly, I didn't recognize a few of the faces… but somehow… everything was so peaceful, and that indescribable feeling of happiness… I woke up when it was time to walk toward you."
His hand slid along my arm to mine, which I was still using to massage my breastbone. His touch was followed by a liquid fire, as if only he could make me feel truly alive.
By now, I knew that. Initially, it felt as if Gray constantly electrified me, but what I truly felt was life itself. With every heartbeat, with every emotion racing through me, he reminded me that I was a breathing, happily existing being. A person who had finally settled deeply into themselves, ready to enjoy whatever fate threw their way.
Fortunately for me, it had been Gray who had brought about all these changes. Perhaps a bit of pain had been necessary at first, but being here now, lying next to him in bed without any doubts and able to talk about my dreams, it had been well worth it.
He wrapped his large hand around mine, sending butterflies fluttering through my stomach.
"Should I tell you a secret, little one?" he whispered to me.
I held my breath and nodded, knowing full well that whatever was about to come from his lips could only be something good.
"I can't wait to put a ring on your finger."