The grass is warm, and as I cross the field, I know that I’m dreaming. Not that I really care right this moment.

It’s funny. I know what my condition is, it seems that being in a coma isn’t quite as senseless as I thought it’d be. I knew soon after Dr. Gordon hooked me up to the monitors what was going on. I even heard Freida and Su Lin come by to tearfully beg my forgiveness for what they did.

Not that I think I can blame them. Freida… for years, she’s stood by my side, and there’s no way that I could ever be upset with her. Pissed off? Sure. Before Su Lin entered my life, Freida was the only woman who could ever actually piss me off. But she’s my friend, and I trust her like she really is my sister.

And Su Lin… the woman who came into my life and somehow, without me even meaning to, captured my heart. I didn’t tell her, because I didn’t want to saddle her with a ghost. Yet it seems she saw through it, or maybe just her love was powerful enough that she didn’t care.

I let myself drift in my dream, something I’ve been doing more and more of. When you’re lying in a hospital bed, even one that’s moved back into your own house… there’s really a lot of down time. Su Lin and Freida can’t spend twenty four hours a day with me, and quite frankly, laying on my back with tubes all over me sucks. Also, being in my limited coma reality hurts like a motherfucker.

So I come here, back to the grass field. I formed it early on in this little unplanned vacation at the end of my life (I’m still not convinced that all of the treatments are going to do anything), and I guess it’s the place that I most want to be.

In the distance I can see a house, not one like I have now with a full estate, but a simpler home, almost a cabin. Well, except for the big honking satellite dish sticking out of the roof, but dammit, this is a dream and I’m allowed to mix things up.

Behind the house is a lake, a deep sapphire blue that is almost the perfect opposite of the sky. I know because I’ve spent hours swimming in that lake, which is so cold that sometimes it knocks the proverbial breath right out of me.

But right now what I see standing about halfway through the field is even more breathtaking. Su Lin’s here, wearing a simple outfit of jeans and t-shirt that still makes my heart speed up and the blood rush through my veins. She’s beautiful, and all I want to do is to hold her in my arms and to tell her how she makes me feel.

I start running, crossing the field as she stands and laughs, her lightly tanned skin glowing in the sunlight as she opens her arms. I sweep her off her feet, swinging her around again and again as we kiss, giggles and laughter and the sounds of joy filling the air as we share our hearts and souls with each other.

“Well, I guess I should come visit you here more often,” Su Lin says with a chuckle as I set her down. I give her another kiss on the lips, and she pulls me closer, our tongues caressing each other and her fingers running through my hair. “Mmm… for sure I have to visit more.”

“How are you… oh yeah, I’m in a dream,” I muse, wrapping my arms around her narrow waist. “There’s no way that you’re this small. Last time I saw you….”

“I got bigger,” Su Lin says with a laugh. “But I’ve been busting my ass the past three months, my love. You’ll be very happy with what you find.”

“What do you mean, three months?” I ask. “I haven’t been in a coma for three months, you’d still be pregnant!”

Su Lin chuckles, reaching up and stroking my cheek. “Time is funny here, Rick. You know that. What seems like a day for you in here is more like a week out in the real world. You’ve been under for almost nine months yourself. I kinda find that ironic, don’t you?”

Nine months? But if I’ve been in this state for nine months… “What about the babies?”

“You’ll just have to wake up and see, won’t you?” Su Lin teases me. “That’s why I’m here, Rick. It’s time to wake up, honey.”

“Wake up?” I ask, suddenly for the first time in my life truly afraid. “But I don’t want to wake up. Waking up is pain… and dying. I want to stay here with you.”

“And I with you,” Su Lin says. “But I want to be with you in the real world. You trust me, don’t you?”

“I do,” I whisper, taking her hands. “I trust you with my very life.”

“Then come back to me. Wake up, Rick… wake up….”

“… Rick, open your eyes honey.”

I blink, my dream field dissolving into the cruder, artificial light of fluorescent lamps. I’m dazzled at first, but I know that I’m in a hospital room. I feel a familiar hand in mine, and look over to see Su Lin, dressed almost exactly as I envisioned her. She’s more gorgeous than ever, and I feel tears come to my eyes as I give her fingers a squeeze. “Hey.”

“Hey,” she whispers. There’s a flurry of motion on the other side of me, but right now I’m only able to focus on one thing. “How was your nap?”

“Good,” I whisper, my throat feeling a little dry. Without even a second thought, I know what I need to say next, the words that I should have said months ago. “I love you.”

Su Lin blinks, then smiles softly. “I knew there was a reason I insisted on you getting treatment. I love you too.”

I continue to look in Su Lin’s eyes as the nurses and doctors finish checking on me before I lay back. I notice Gordon is there, looking a few pounds lighter but happier still. “Guess I worried it off you Doc?”

“Something like that. And your wife got me a Versa-Climber for my birthday, told me that if I didn’t beat her in a ten minute challenge by the time you woke up, she was going to make sure… what was it you said, Su Lin?”

“I threatened to make sure your genetic line ended with you,” Su Lin said, snipping her fingers like scissors. “I asked all about how to do vasectomies with a sword.”

Gordon grins, and I lean back, relieved they’re getting along. “Anyway, I think she spotted me a few meters, so I’m safe for now. Now Rick, I don’t want to rain on your parade, but it’s going to be a long way back. You halfway wasted to a skeleton before your coma, and then spent nine months in bed.”

“So no Mr. Olympia for a while? What about the babies?” I ask. “I want to see my children.”

Su Lin glances at Gordon, who nods. She grins and gets up, patting my shoulder and giving my cheek a kiss. “They’re hanging out with Freida. I’ll go get them.”

Su Lin leaves, Gordon turning to me as soon as the door’s closed. “Rick… I know this might be her place to tell you, but your wife… she was so brave. Even after what happened.”

“What happened?” I ask. Gordon starts, and is only able to cover the basics before the door opens again, this time with Su Lin carrying a squirming little child in her arms, Freida behind her with another. “Su Lin….”

Su Lin looks at my face before giving Gordon another raised eyebrow. “I was going to tell him. Prepare thyself for pain,” she says half crossly before shrugging. “Rick, I’m fine. Harvey’s out on bail of course, but even his team of lawyers is telling him to plead out, according to the DA. And of course I’m going after him on the civil side too… his lawyers have already said they want to settle.”

“Trying to take all of K-S for me?” I ask. “Later… let me meet my children.”

Su Lin smiles and comes forward, setting a little bundle in a pink shirt and gray shorts in my arms. “Meet Roxanna Meixiu Kelley. Roxy, say hello to Daddy.”

“And before you get too comfortable…” Freida says, “meet Alexander Jahlong Kelley. Alex, Daddy.”

The twins look at me with big eyes, both of them staring at me with rapturous fascination as I look at them the same way. They’re so beautiful, both of them with the rich dark hair of their mother, but I can see slight differences. Alex has my chin while Roxy has eyes more like Su Lin’s than mine. Alex reaches up with a tiny, chubby little fist and grabs a hold of my beard, apparently they’ve let it grow some. “Ow!”

Alex laughs, and Roxy joins in. I smile through the pain and hold them close, kissing them both on top of the head. “Thank you,” I whisper, looking at Su Lin. “Thank you, my love. I promise you, I’m going to be a good husband and father for the three of you.”

“I know,” Su Lin says, kissing my forehead. “For now though, rest. We’ll get you home soon, and then the hard work starts.”

“What hard work?” I ask, my arms both relieved and missing my children as soon as they’re lifted from me.

“Simple,” Freida says as Su Lin gives Alex a kiss on the cheek. “She and I have a bet to see who walks first, you or them. My money’s on Roxy. She’s a spunky little one.”