Living Without Dreams

Chapter 18 - Night Talks

“I have something to show you,” Greg told Susan just before they too were ready to turn in, the night after Zackary’s birthday celebration.

“What is it?” Susan asked.

“Up in the attic. We finished with the IKEA furniture today,” Greg said. “The room actually looks furnished.”

“Let’s go see,” Susan said with a smile.

Greg escorted Susan up to their attic office with a sense of pride and accomplishment.

“What do you think?” he asked as he turned on the stairwell light plus the one lamp they had for the room.

Most of the room was still hidden in deep shadows, but there was enough light for Susan to see that all of the furniture had indeed been put together, the boxes were all off the floor, and they now had two functional desks plus ample storage cabinets in the room.

“I think this looks really good,” Susan told him as she walked a little further into the room. “I can’t wait to see it in the daylight … oh! You brought me up a chair!”

“I thought you could use one of the folding chairs until yours gets here,” Greg told her.

Susan grinned as she sat down in the dark at the desk they’d decided would be hers and tried it out.

“I should actually be able to do some work this week!” she said happily. “This is so much better. Thank you Greg.”

“You’re welcome, Susan. I’m glad you’re pleased,” he told her looking pleased. “Shall we try out the window route and the tunnel for getting to our bedroom?”

“You mean instead of going all the way around?” Susan asked.

“I suspect that is why the tunnel is there,” Greg pointed out.

“I guess we could,” Susan said as she got up to kiss him.

Greg returned it, but he held her slightly away from himself and pulled away much more quickly than she expected him to.

“How are you tonight?” she asked with a hint of concern.

“Attempting to be cautious. I do not want another repeat of last night,” he explained.

“And I suppose I’m not helping by kissing you,” she realized.

Greg arched his brow. “I always love kissing you,” he assured her as he opened the window to the tunnel, which was the quickest way back to their room.

Susan regarded her husband thoughtfully as they both climbed through.

“Greg, can I ask you something?” Susan said.

“I believe you just have,” he replied in a teasing tone.

“I’m being serious here. You’ve said in the past that if there was something I don’t understand or am curious about, that I should just ask you about it instead of trying to guess. Do you still feel that way?” she asked as they walked back to their room.

“I do. What is it you want to ask, Susan?”

“I’ve read that the kind of thing that happened to you last night is sort of a big deal in Judism. Is that true?”

“It is. I went to sleep with unpure thoughts which led to its occurance. The event is evidence of my sin,” Greg told her.

Susan stared at him in confusion. “But you were dreaming about me!” Susan protesed. “You called me ‘Marie’, so I know you were.”