I Can't Break Free {Stephew}

Never Separate

"Okay, what do we do?" Stephanie's voice echoed inside Matthew's head.

"I have to tell you."

"Okay, tell me what?"

"No, I mean...I have to tell...you."

"Oh. Matthew, are you sure that...this is so weird. That I'll understand?"

Matt let a smile escape his lips.

"You're my lifelong best friend and partner. Of course, you will."

Even if he couldn't see her, Matthew could feel Steph smiling.

"Okay, then. Tell her. Uh, me, I mean. Gosh, this is so confusing."

Matt laughed.

"Let me know if you need anything, and please...be careful."

Matt walked out to the living room.

"What do you mean?! YOU CAN'T HOLD HIM!"

Matt peeked around the corner, seeing Steph on the phone.

Steph had the phone on speaker, so Matt could hear the man's reply.

"Uh, ma'am, again, I have no idea who you're talking about."

"YOU MEAN-"

"I mean," the man seemed to be getting annoyed.

"That we do not, nor have we ever had, a Jason Parker here."

"BUT OFFICER JOHNSON JUST ARRESTED HIM! DID HE NOT CHECK IN?!"

"Ma'am, Officer Johnson went on holiday three days ago."

"I KNOW YOU HAVE HIM! AND UNTIL YOU RELEASE HIM, I WILL NOT-"

Matt could hear a beep as the phone hung up.

"DAMMIT!"

"Uh, Steph?"

"WHAT?!"

Matt jumped back slightly, alarmed by his wife's tone.

"Sorry, honey, I'm just stressed out." She said quickly, walking over to Matt.

"Uh, I know it's probably not the best time, but I've got something to tell you."

"Okay, like, sit-down-news?"

"Uh...yeah."

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"So, there it is."

"Matthew, is this a prank?"

"No, Steph, I swear, it's not a prank.

"I believe you."

"You do?"

"Yeah, it sounds crazy, but...I believe you."

Matt couldn't contain his happiness. He leaped forward, kissing his wife firmly on the lips, then pulling her into a hug.

When they separated, Steph, looked thoughtful.

"But wait, if this is your dream, can't you just...choose to wake up? Or to get Jason back?"

Matt shook his head.

"That would make sense normally, but this isn't really my dream. It's more like an extreme hallucination that I can't stop living."

Steph nodded.

"But that's not what scares me most. I've lived this before, and it was bad enough. But I prepared myself for it. I had a feeling, near the end, that it was going to end badly. Sometimes, I got the feeling that it was all just a nightmare, but it felt so real that I didn't think twice about it. Then, I learn that it didn't happen by accident, and it was a hallucination, just like this time. I never wanted to go back here. But what REALLY scares me, more than anything else, is that it's not happening like it did the first time. Things are different, and this time I can't make any mistakes, or I won't wake up."