relieve him of his responsibilities, but the part of his mind that operated his mouth and, more importantly, his heart would not let him leave Dreama until she was well again. He wanted a Dreama of sound mind and healthy body, so that he could leave with a clear conscience.
Javier
looked in the mirror. His face was furrowed with lines, his once flat belly now a small paunch. If he looked carefully in the mirror, if he stared long enough, he could still find bits and pieces of his old face. Javier had learned to live his life in cycles, cycles of fun and exuberance which left him exhausted, cycles of dark and quiet where he worried for Dreama’s very life. Javier had made peace with all of this, or at least he had forgotten about the life he once hoped for, so when Javier passed Ivy on the street one afternoon, she seemed like something from a dream, not someone from his
past. “Ivy?� he whispered as she passed him. She slowed down and turned around, seeking the source of the voice and looking right through him. In an instant Javier realized that he was no longer recognizable. He turned then and walked in the opposite direction. He caught up with Dreama at the bookstore around the corner. When she saw him, her face opened in that familiar smile. He held the door for her, and she slipped her arm through his as they stepped back onto the sidewalk, bound for home.