Holding It All

He'd just lay there, drifting in and out of consciousness. The world outside drowned out to nothing more than a dull buzz. There was never a warning or sign that he was about to go into one of those types of dreams. It'd begin like any night. He'd slide down in between his comforters and relax, letting his breathing slow and become deeper. His eyes would just naturally shut. But then he'd feel it coming. That wall of silence. Bringing with it something different - unlike the night before. There was no use resisting it, trying to open his eyes at the last moment. This was not a normal dream. Once the cascade had come, he had to just let go and become engulfed. He was gone. Lost within.

It wasn't every night that he dreamt geographically.

One of the very first times had been about the oceans. He had always loved water as a child. Growing up around the sea. Constantly running in and out of the waves. Splashing the cool water against his tanned skin. Hundreds of hours of giggles combined with the crashing surf. But now, gliding high above in his dream, the water represented something else. It reminded him of her eyes. How deep and magnificent they were. The colors radiating outward towards him. Within them came life. The sun shown brightly against the cresting waves, twinkling back into his eyes. It was if the oceans were her's, looking back at him. Acknowledging his presence.

The time after had taken him a bit to realize he was zooming across the plains of Africa. Long and spread out, but drenched in warm radiant sunlight. Below him all he saw was miles and miles of sand. Pure, smooth, beautiful sand. As he flew high above, all he wanted to do was dip down, close enough to reach out and stroke it - let his fingers run between the granules - feel it against his skin. He bet it was as soft as it looked - silky to the touch. Pristine. Untouched and perfect. Absolutely inviting. It was only a few moments before his eyes shot open the next morning that he realized it had represented her skin.

His favorite dream thus far had been spent in Europe. It was the first in which he wasn't alone. There were other people. Lots and lots of people. Wandering about, continuing on with their daily lives, as if it wasn't strange he was floating around in the air right before their eyes. Many of them even interacted with him. Speaking to him in their native tongue - to which he was surprisingly able to reply. Everyone was so intelligent and polite. Asking him where he came from, what were his goals, details about his family. He felt welcome. Part of the society. Here, he wasn't just a visitor. He was one of them. As the dream continued, he didn't want to leave. Their wit was charming and infectious. Their intelligence stunning. It didn't take him long to decide this had to be her mind.

As the dreams kept occurring, he fell asleep each night hoping he'd stumble into another part of the world. And of course he did. But as it happened more and more, the details became smaller and smaller. More refined. He spent a night flying along the coastline of Peru - to which he only realized a few days later was the curve of her back. An evening in Alaska turned out to be how cold her feet got at night. The pungent floral aroma and rooftop canopy of the Amazon couldn't have been anything else other than her hair. Slowly but surely, piece by piece, and bit by bit, as he slept, she was being built from his memories.

And tonight it was all going to culminate. As he closed his eyes and felt the wall approach, he was surprised to reopen them and still be in his bed. Not floating above some land mass or body of water. It only took a few moments to realize what his arms were wrapped around. Her. Lying there next to him. In all her glory. Warm and inviting. The crest of her back tucked perfectly into his waistline. He could feel her breathing. See the rise and fall of her shoulders.

Even if it was just a dream - he couldn't ask for more.

The world was in his hands.