Waking to the sound of the winds, raging outside her bed room’s window, she sat straight in her bed and stretched a bit to reach her sketchbook on the bedside table…

She loved to catch a fleeing dream, one that had failed to vanish from her mind before her eyes opened in the morning. One that had lingered just a little too long to just be a dream…

She started scribbling, and doodling around… Catching the scene, even ever so vague. The crowd, being in a dense crowd. Feeling so little, people passing by, not paying attention. Why would they?

In her dreams, she rarely felt home, though she didn’t feel lost this time. You were there, she thought. There all along. That’s why she didn’t feel threatened by the people around. She hadn’t looked his way, nor heard him talk. He could aswell have been humming a tune, or speaking softly, the surrounding noise would have covered any sound coming from him.

Suddenly, she had felt warmth around her. Like a blanket thrown over her shoulders on a cold winter’s night. Looking down, she noticed she was holding his hand. Her fingers trembled, she was surprised and delighted with this common yet, long gone and longed for, simple pleasure.

A doubt had taken over her thoughts… Had she reached for his hand? She couldn’t have been that weak, even in the vulnerable state of her dreaming self. She had always sworn she’d wait for him to make the move. Not wanting to look needy.

Debating with herself, not wanting to let go, in fear she would never feel his touch again, though wanting things to be crystal clear, she finally freed her hand from his. She would have felt heart broken again, if… If his large palm hadn’t reached for her a second time, wraping his rough fingers around her little paw with a firm, yet delicate grip.

The crowd was still rummaging around them, probably looking for what she had at that very moment. Peace of mind. Even in the fury, and even in the deafening roar of people rushing, she felt whole and content.

Shaking her from her thoughts, he started walking, pulling her behind. She had no idea where he was leading her, and she didn’t care… Everything went so fast, yet it all felt so still. When they finally paused, she dared looking up to his face. She hadn’t, until this very moment, probably feeling that she wouldn’t allow herself to dream that far. She had feared to find another smile, other eyes looking down on her. Breaking the perfect feeling of being with him again.

She meant to tell him that people would notice them. She didn’t want people to gossip, although she didn’t know what they could gossip about. But her lips were sealed, and he read the worry in her gaze. To reassure her, he tightened his grip around her hand…

The crowd suddenly seemed louder, and louder… Don’t let me go! she thought, but the noise was blurring the contour of his face already.

Waking to the sound of the winds, raging outside her bed room’s window.

She wrote her last impressions, and put her sketchbook back on the bedside table. Pulling the covers back up to her chin, she felt sleep coming her way again. She closed her eyes, hoping he’d be waiting for her, on the other side…