Tonight with Dodge was like a dream come true.

Something about him is different.

What I feel when I’m with him is something I’m not used to... It’s safe. And even though my problems are still there when we part ways, while I’m with him, everything else seems to fade into the background. And even if it’s just for a little while, I almost believe I have a normal life.

After bringing Dodge back to his home, I surrender the keys to his car and say goodnight.

I’m just about to step away from the front door when he reaches for my hand. “Nathan, I had a really great night tonight.”

“Me too.” I step up to his chest, wanting to be close to him even though my heart is pounding,

“If you need anything, you know I’m right here.” He points to his door. “Just across the street.”

“I appreciate that.”

“I’m serious. Even though I don’t know everything that’s going on, I know things aren’t copasetic between you and your family. So, if you just need to escape for a little while, I’m happy to keep you company. There’s a spare key under the mat, if you need it. Day or night.”

His generosity is overwhelming. “I might just take you up on that offer.”

“I hope you do.”

“Thanks, Dodge.”

“You’re welcome.” Dodge leans in and presses his lips gently against mine. This kiss is different than before. Earlier, our kiss was about lust and fulfilling a need we both had.

This time, his kiss is sweet, romantic…passionate. It’s just another way that Dodge is different. He’s kissing me like I’ve never been kissed before, but I hope it’s a way I’ll be kissed many times again.

After saying goodnight, I walk back into my mother’s house. Everything is quiet, so I step upstairs to check her. A small light is glowing from the crack in her door. I tap it gently, not wanting to disturb her if she’s resting. “Mom. Are you still awake?”

When I step inside, I’m glad to see she’s sleeping soundly. After turning off the lamp on her bedside table, I close the door and head down to the living room.

Once I put my makeshift bed back together on the couch, I lay down and close my eyes. Thoughts of my evening with Dodge flood my brain, making it impossible to sleep.

Besides, staying in this house still causes me anxiety every time I look around. My happy memories with Dodge slowly change, and I’m faced with the nightmares of Joseph coming at me all those years ago.

The clock on the mantle ticks the minutes as I stare at the ceiling. After an hour of tossing and turning, Dodge’s invitation starts sounding better and better. It’s hard for me to rest in this place. If want to sleep, I need to get out of here.

I debate with myself for another ten minutes, wondering what Dodge would think if I did just walk over to his place and asked to sleep on his couch.

There is only one sure way to find out.

The night air is brisk as I cross the yard in the dark and quiet neighborhood. As I step onto Dodge’s porch, the front door opens, and he greets me in a pair of sweatpants. His body looks amazing with the waistband of his sweats riding low and showing off the V that trails to his cock.

“Can’t sleep?”

I shake my head. “I was thinking maybe I could sleep on your couch.”

He ushers me inside. “You’re not going to sleep on the couch. You’re welcome to sleep in my bed. I can stay on the couch, if you want.”

“I can’t take your bed. Can we share it?”

Dodge grins. “I think that can be arranged.”

He escorts me up to his room and pulls back the covers. I slip between the sheets as Dodge climbs in on the other side. “Would it be pathetic if I asked you to hold me?”

“It wouldn’t be pathetic at all.” He scoots closer to me on the mattress, allowing me to snuggle into his chest. His broad arms encircle me as I find comfort in his grasp. After the hour of lying restlessly on the couch, it doesn’t take me long to fall asleep in Dodge’s protective arms.

“Good morning.” Dodge is in the kitchen when I finally head down. “I made breakfast.”

The island is covered with bacon, eggs, toast, and an assortment of cereals along with orange juice and milk. “Are you expecting an army to stop by?”

“I didn’t know what you liked, so I thought I’d have a little of everything prepared.”

“You didn’t need to do all this.” I wave my hand at the spread. “You’ve already done so much for me.”

He ignores me and pulls a dish of butter from the fridge. “Did you sleep okay?”

“Yeah.” I yawn and stretch my arms out. “I did, actually.”

“Good.”

“I should go and check on my mother first. Will all this hold for a few more minutes?”

“Absolutely. Should we bring your mom something? Do you think she might want some eggs?”

I shrug. “She might.”

“Okay, let me grab something to put them in and we can take it over.” Dodge finds a plastic container to put a small helping of eggs in before we walk back over to my mother’s place. When we step inside, I stop and listen for sounds coming from upstairs.

It’s silent. “She’s probably still sleeping.”

Dodge goes straight to the kitchen. “I’ll just get a plate to put these on and grab something for her to drink.”

“Thanks.” I ascend the stairs, noticing the crack in the door that I’d left before heading to bed last night. Only this time, instead of light seeping through the crack, I’m met with darkness. Apparently, Mom hasn’t gotten up yet. All the drapes in her room are still pulled shut, so I walk over to the one farthest from her bed and open it, allowing the morning sunshine to pour through.

She’s always loved the sunshine, so hopefully the bright and sunny day will bring a smile to her face as she eats breakfast.

“Good morning, Mom. Dodge made us some breakfast. Are you hungry?”

She doesn’t respond. I get closer to the bed while trying not to startle her. “Mom, it’s time to wake up and eat something.”

She doesn’t move a muscle. I hate to wake her, but I know she has to keep her strength up if she’s going to get better.

“Mom, time to wake up.” I jostle her shoulder but immediately pull back my hand. What should normally be warm, pliant skin is hard and cold to the touch. “Mom?” Moving closer to her face, I listen for the sounds of her breathing. When I don’t immediately hear anything, I know somethings wrong.

“Dodge!”

His frantic steps sound as he races up the stairs to me. “Nathan? What’s going on?”

“It’s my mother... I think...”

Dodge places his hands on my shoulders and pulls me away from the bed, then he steps into my spot. With his index and middle finger, he checks for a pulse on her neck. When he doesn’t find one, he looks up at me. “Nathan, I’m so sorry.”

Dodge doesn’t have to say anything else. My mother’s fight with her cancer had finally ended. As if something inside me shuts off and a different mode turns on, I nod and take a deep breath. “I need to call Joseph.”

“You call him,” Dodge says. “I’ll call her doctor.”

I know in my head that I should be feeling a loss. Some type of emotional breakdown seems appropriate for my mother’s passing. But it just isn’t there. I loved her. There’s no question about that. But the woman lying silently in the bed in front of me was just as responsible for my suffering in life as Joseph. Even at the end, that didn’t change.

I go through the motions of calling my brother to let him know what’s happened. Then I straighten up the room, putting her robe in the closet and removing the empty water glass and tissues next to her bed.

One nightmare from my past has finally ended, and maybe now I can finally deal with the other one.