An Interesting Love

Back to Reality?

Word Count: 2,229

I wake up and Henry is looking at me. I go to sleep holding his hand. We walk down new paths and I nuzzle my head into his neck. We dive hundreds of feet below the surface of our pond and open portals to the surface of a mountain. I ask him for fairy grass and he places us in the middle of a field of it. I ask for tulips and a dozen appear in mid-air before my face. I never grow tired of being by his side and he's always excited to see me wake up to his face. My eyes always widen and my hands instinctually grab his cheeks to bring him in for a kiss. I could never get tired of this— but I have a feeling. That same feeling that pulled me into the real world for that one day we got to spend in Spain. I feel the need to see time pass. I feel the need to see people rush to work and enjoy happy hour on a nice patio. I want to see dogs running around in their park while their owners talk about them and their routines. My mom always went to the dog park at the same time each day. She would see the same people and dogs. That ritual was like therapy for her. I miss rituals. I miss feeling like I have control over my body. I don't want to cut myself but I miss the power that came with it. I miss having to brush my teeth and wash my hair and control my appearance. My appearance doesn't change here. It can, if I ask for it, but I don't want someone else in control. I love Henry and I will give everything to him if he asks— but he hasn't asked. He just has control.

I want to go back into the world. I know I will be safe— I can just come right back here if things get tough. If the police ask to question me and I get scared, I will just come right back here. I won't leave Henry's side out there, I know that— I would never want to leave his side. I just need this change.

"Henry?"

"Yeah?"

"I want to go back out there."

I silence ensues. Henry stares straight toward the sky. We're floating on our backs in the middle of a vast ocean. There's no land in sight. The water is dark and I can't see my own feet when I tread, but there are no sharks. There's no danger. I look more closely and find his face relaxed. His eyebrows aren't furrowed or raised, and his lips remain in a straight line, slightly curving at their ends like always. He finally speaks:

"Okay. We can go back out there. Are you going to let the police question you?" he asks.

"Probably not, I don't know what they're talking about and I don't want to get wrongly convicted for a crime. So, yeah, I won't go to the police."

"But what if they look for you?"

"Then we come back here. I just want to go out for a little while to see what time it is and what people are doing," I say.

"Okay," he says, softly.

We lay in silence for another long while, then he speaks again:

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Yes, of course."

"Are you honest with me?"

I take a moment to absorb the question, during which he states, "Because I'm being completely honest with you."

"Yes, I'm being honest with you, always. I've never lied to you, Henry. Why are you asking this now?"

"Because you told me that this was everything. What we have here is everything. I know you meant that, but is it still true now? Do you still think this is everything?"

"Do you?"

"I do. You are everything to me. I can make anything you want here and you can take us across all of it. You can read my mind, you know I'm telling the truth. This is all that I want," he says.