𝓢𝓪𝓷𝓭𝓶𝓪𝓷'𝓼 𝓓𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓶

𝑴𝒐𝒓𝒑𝒉𝒆𝒖𝒔'𝒔 𝑩𝒊𝒈 𝑺𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓

Twenty

Enjoying the peace, I flipped to the next page of the book I'm holding, reading every line one after the other to connect the dots of the story.

"Do you mind if I accompany you?"

Like the familiar voice compelled me to, my head shot up to look at the man towering over me. He was blocking the sunlight from its attempt to blind me with its extreme sunshine and to bask me in its grace, like a contrasting work of art regarding light and dark.

"Morpheus..." I called, moving a hand to run it through my pearl white hair which has now been straightened. "You're here."

"I have come to feed the pigeons," He said, lifting the loaf of bread he's holding in his right hand. "And to see how you're doing."

At that, I smiled and began to adore his casual appearance and boyish antics of trying to gain my attention.

"Well... I suppose it would be rude of me if I do not provide you with the company you hope for." I said, patting the empty space on the bench beside me.

He obliged almost immediately to my invitation. Practicing delicate caution, he sat next to me.

I gave him a smile before I went on to reading my book once more and he went on his business to feed the birds that started flocking near his black leather shoes clad feet.

"How have you been, Morpheus, now that you have rebuilt your realm once more?" I asked after noticing how he kept giving me side glances every now and then.

"All right," He said simply. "I have been all right."

"That's all I get?" I asked, closing the book and placing it on my lap to face him, giving him my full attention. "After months of being apart, you're 'all right'?"

"What do you want me to say, Kat? That I am miserable by not having you around my realm as you have chosen to live here in the waking world for the meantime?"

I blinked away the ache I felt in his words when he stared back at me. "If... If that's the truth."

"When you asked me for a favor, I did not expect it to be a request to depart from The Dreaming and opt to stay with the humans. Since I cannot resist you and I aim to honor your wishes, I agreed without further question."

"I am most grateful for that," I said. "Let me be clear about something, though, Morpheus. I am not abandoning you or The Dreaming and my ongoing responsibilities in it. I am merely asking for a time-off to ease the qualms of my own after everything we have been through for over a hundred years."

What I hid from him is the fact that I am aiming to create a bit of space between us as I contemplate about the choice the White Witch told me before.

I do not have the heart to let him know of it yet. But I soon will, in due time.

He sighed. "You are right. I apologize. I did not come here to argue or make you upset. I meant it when I said I have come to check on you. I want to make sure you are doing all right."

"I know," I smiled again, completely forgetting about being upset at all. "I am glad you're here."

He stared at me. "I'll take it you are having a good time down here, blending in with the mortals." He moved his eyes down on my spaghetti-strap A-line blue dress and pair of white heels.

"I'm trying to, and I confess I've found quite a few things to like down here," I took it upon myself to elaborate when his brows furrowed. "Take that house I had chosen to reside across the art gallery, which I reckon you're familiar with already as I have found you lurking nearby quite a few times before. Then there's this interest in music that sparked in me recently. I've been fond of spending time reading in this park and waiting for the musicians to arrive."