Fate || BENNIFER

A Strange Dream

July 2014

Jennifer's P.O.V

I slowly blinked my eyes open, feeling disoriented and groggy. As my vision cleared, I found myself enveloped in Ben's strong embrace. His arms were around me, holding me in an upright position.

"Hi there." He said, his voice filled with warmth as I took in his familiar face.

Recognition flooded my senses, and without a second thought, I threw myself forward, wrapping my arms tightly around Ben's neck.

"I missed you." I murmured, my voice filled with a mixture of love and relief.

Ben chuckled softly, his laughter vibrating against my cheek.

"I've only been gone for two minutes." His amusement evident in his voice.

But his arms tightened around me, offering comfort and reassurance.

As the fog of confusion slowly lifted, my mind began to piece together the events leading up to this moment. The storm had caused a power outage, plunging the house into darkness, and Ben had gone to fix the issue. But in my disoriented state, I had walked straight into a wall, the impact causing me to lose consciousness momentarily. In those fleeting seconds, it had felt like an eternity, a strange dream clouding my thoughts. The memory still lingered, leaving behind a feeling of unease. I clung to Ben, as if seeking solace in his presence, needing reassurance that he was real.

I winced as I took my hand to my head. Ben's eyes followed my movement.

"You're gonna get a bruise right there." His thumb brushing over the area of impact before placing a soft kiss on my forehead.

"I remember what you whispered to me last year on the Golden Globes carpet." I whispered.

"You remember that?" His eyes widened. "And what did I say?" He asked.

"You said, 'You are all grace tonight.'" A smile playing on my lips.

"You're right." He remembered. "What a coincidence, because shortly after we made a baby that we named Grace." He chuckled. "Life works in mysterious ways."

"I'm glad to be back." I whispered.

My eyes remained fixed on Ben as I reached out, cupping his face gently with my hands.

"I'm glad you're back." He leaned into my touch.

Our beautiful bubble was shattered as the sound of little feet pattering down the hallway reached our ears.

"Mommy!" Max yelled.

He clambered onto my lap, throwing his tiny arms around me, clinging to me tightly. Emme followed suit, her hugs just as fierce. Ben gently pulled them away.

"Alright, alright, give your mother some space." His voice filled with amusement. "Who wants breakfast?"

Their eyes lit up as they scrambled off towards the stairs. I turned to Ben, and leaning in, I pressed my lips against his.

I felt an overwhelming urge to go to our baby's room. Grace wouldn't exist if I hadn't been with Ben. I reached down and gently picked her up from her crib, cradling her in my arms. I had to hold back tears as I pressed my lips to her forehead, a soft, tender kiss.

As I held Grace, I couldn't help but think about the choices I had made, the path that had led me here. I felt grateful for Ben, my fiancé and best friend. He had been there for me during the sleepless nights and the endless diaper changes, the laughter and the tears. I had chosen well.

"That's quite a strange dream you had." Ben said as he set a plate down before me.

He couldn't help but notice the distant look in my eyes. My fingers traced the rim of my coffee mug as I sat in front of the kitchen counter. He took a seat next to me. My gaze shifted from my coffee cup to meet Ben's eyes.

"It was like starting over." I said. "But everything happened differently, all because of the smallest detail."

"It must've been intense." He replied, showing me the ice bag in his hand.

"I thought it was real." My anguish was palpable.

He reached out and gently placed the ice bag on my forehead.

"I'm glad things happened the way they did." He said.

My eyes searched his, and our hands intertwined. And it was just perfect.

Despite the bittersweetness of my dream, as I looked around and saw our children, our reality, I found comfort in the knowledge that our lives had unfolded exactly the way they were meant to.