Midnight Lovemares

Daniel sitting on his living room couch with his girlfriend Teresa at 2:30 a.m. watching tv. “So we’re still on for my family’s dinner tomorrow right?” Teresa asked. “I don’t know” Daniel started with exhaust. “You know I can’t stand your mom”. “Hardy har” Teresa responded unaware that Daniel was serious in his rebuttal. “I’m like dead serious” Daniel began. “I really can’t stand being around your mother, she’s too big on the nosy questions.” “But you promised you were going” Teresa responded with annoyance.

“It was a vague promise at best” Daniel exhaled. “How long are you going to keep doing this?” Teresa asked. “Doing what?” Asked an annoyed Daniel. “Flaking on me and breaking promises. I’m your girlfriend, Daniel. You have an obligation to me just like I have an obligation to you.”

“Oh don’t be so dramatic, T. It’s not that big a deal.” Teresa angrily got up off the couch and went upstairs, leaving Daniel alone. He then nonchalantly stretched out across the couch and went to sleep. When Daniel opened his eyes to what he thought was the morning he found himself standing in his living room while the sun shined through the curtains. The living room was now empty, void of the furniture that filled it what seemed like only minutes before. At first he looked around and did not see anything, but when he looked out of the living room window he saw Teresa getting in a cab with packed bags that she threw in its trunk. She briefly looked at the window and saw Daniel. She stared at him with a frown of disappointment and got into the cab as it pulled off. An alarmed Daniel quickly ran out of the house and tried to chase the cab down while calling out for Teresa.

“T! COME BACK! T! COME BACK!”. Suddenly he opened his eyes and found himself back on his living room couch in a nervous sweat. The time was 3 a.m. and her realized the sinking experience he just felt was a bad dream. Daniel took a sigh of relief and went back to sleep with comfort that Teresa was just upstairs.

The next night Daniel and Teresa having dinner at the Greenwood Cafe. “No that’s not a good idea” Daniel said mid conversation. “Why not?” Teresa asked. “Because that leaves a little less time for us” Daniel replied. “Daniel I’m trying to move up in my career. It’s only two more hours that I would be at work”. Daniel shook his head arrogantly in disagreement. Teresa angrily rose up from the table and went to the bathroom as Daniel let out a sigh of frustration. Later that evening Daniel was sitting on his living room couch when he heard a knock on the door.

He got up to open it with a curious train of thought. We opened the door he found himself at an empty train station. He walked into the station and found no one in sight, just a lone train. He looked through one of the windows of the train and found Teresa sitting in one of the seats by herself, looking out of the window, but not at her. “TERESA! TERESA!” He called out, but did not get a response. The train slowly started taking off. As it sped up Daniel tried to chase after it while yelling for Teresa. The train departed off into the night as a breathless Daniel looked on with despair.

Daniel eyes suddenly opened and he found himself laying on the couch in his living room. The time was 3 a.m. and he realized it was yet another dream. Only this time he did not feel a sense of relief, but worry. Daniel’s mind pondered on what these seemingly real dreams meant. He slowly laid back down with a lot on his mind.

Later that evening Daniel and Teresa were at Walmart together shopping for a cookout that Daniel’s family was having, which he reluctantly agreed to attend. “”Should we get regular paper plates or the disposable trays? You know your family loves to cook” Teresa asked. “I guess we could go with the regular plates. They’ll have plenty of aluminum foil for wrap so they’ll be fine, plus I don’t plan on being there very long”. “Why not?” Teresa asked. “Because my family annoys me just as much as yours” Daniel responded.

“Gosh Daniel” Teresa exclaimed angrily. “When are you gonna realize that life is bigger than just your comfort level? I’m so sick and tired of this one sided relationship”. “What are you talking about? Daniel asked timidly. “I have to go, I can’t be around you right now. I need to do some self reflecting”. Teresa walked away from Daniel and left the store as he anxiously chased after. When Daniel walked through the exit after her he did not find himself outside, but inside of a church.

He was also no longer wearing his plain clothes, but a tuxedo. He was bewildered at this bizarre transition. It looked like a wedding, but no one was there. He made his way to the altar wondering where was his bride. On the floor in front of him he found a ring. After picking up the ring and investigating it he looked ahead and saw his would be bride in a dress. It was Teresa. She was as beautiful as he had ever seen. Daniel looked at her with a smile, but she had tears in her eyes. He knew in his heart that the tears were caused by him. With one final glance of sadness on her face she turned away and walked out of the church leaving him at the alter.

Daniel desperately ran after hoping to get her back, but when he made it outside she was gone. There was nothing left in the night, but Daniel by himself in the cold. Once again Daniel opened his eyes in a cold sweat on his living room couch at 3 a.m. realizing it was once again a dream, but for him this was not enough. Daniel realized that there was a message in this reoccurring dream he was having about Teresa leaving him. “If I don’t get my mess together and stop being selfish I’m gonna lose Teresa” he thought out loud.

He quickly raced upstairs to his bedroom where Teresa slept peacefully in his bed. He then frantically shook her out of her sleep. “Teresa! Teresa! Get up baby!” “What in the heck are you doin, Danny?” “Baby I’m sorry” Daniel exclaimed. “Sorry for what?” asked a confused Teresa. “I’m sorry for being selfish. You’re right there is more to the world than just my comfort level”.

“Teresa I’m gonna do better because I love you and I don’t want to lose you. You’re everything to me. I want you to be all you can be and take that promotion at your job. I want us to spend more time with our families regardless of how much they get on my nerves”. Teresa let out a huge laugh of appreciation and gave Daniel a big hug and a kiss. “I love you, Daniel”. “I love you more T, now get up we have to go”. Daniel said hastily while dragging Teresa out of the bed. “Where are we going?” Teresa asked. “We’re going to that 24 hour Walmart. We gotta make sure we got the right paper plates or my family is gonna chew us up.”