"No." Emma choked out the word, tears flowing down her cheeks.

"I missed you so much!"

"I was mever gone Emma." He squeezed her tightly to him, then released her and sat back.

"That must have been some dream."

"It..." Emma shook her head.

“It wasn't. I couldn't have dreamt the last year. I'm dreaming now."

"You need to lay off the wine before bed, hon." Steven whistled.

“Last year? We went to sleep two hours ago."

“It can't be." Emma looked down and saw there was no pendent on her chest, nor was there anything else. A quick peek under the covers showed she was naked, how she always slept after they had sex because she was always to satisfied and sleepy to bother getting dressed.

“Lose something?" Steven reached under the covers and slid his hand along her thigh.

"I'll help you find it."

"I lost you." She grabbed his wrist and pushed his hand away.

“Stop fucking with me."

She wasn't speaking to Steven, but whatever had been messing with her head since they'd moved in yesterday. God, had that only been yesterday?

"I'm right here, Emma." Steven's look of concern was genuine.

"You're really shaken up, aren't you?"

"It just can't be. You can't be alive."

“Sorry to disappoint you." He sighed.

“But you know, Emma I've wanted to talk about what would happen if I did pass and you never wanted to."

Wanted to....past tense. Emma's mind seemed to be functioning clearly for a dream....could this be real?

“Because you're not going anywhere, anytime soon." She responded as she always had because Steven had tried to bring it up many times.

She'd never wanted to talk about it, even when they discovered he was terminal.

"But if I did? Look, we know financially you'd be fine. I have plenty of insurance. The house will be paid and Eric's school. You make great money. There wouldn't be any worries."

“Money wouldn't be what I'd care about."

"But what I'd really want is for you not to be alone."

"I am alone." She forced the conversation to stay in what she felt had to be her reality; the one without her husband.

"Because you choose to be." Steven replied, "You..."

"Then this is a dream and you are dead!" She pulled away from him, sliding over to the other side of the bed.

"You're not my husband!"

Steven shook his head, but with a slight smile.