Tori

I sat in the morning sunshine and curled my toes in the fragrant grass. Birds were singing and ice-cold lemonade was sweating in a pitcher by my hand. My daughter, all curls and dimples and long, tripping legs laughed, and the sound seemed to curl up around my heart.

Damien's warm hand slid across my shoulder and under my hair and pressed his lips across my cheek as the girl ran into my arms and showed me her pink basket filled with colorful eggs. "What do you have there, honey?" I asked, touching them with gentle fingers.

She grinned at me, sunburnt and toothless and I felt an answering tug of joy in my heart. I couldn't remember one moment when I had been happier than I was right at this moment.

Something buzzed, right by my head. I sat up with a start and saw the familiar walls and mess of my bedroom.

I laughed and shook my head as half a chocolate bar plopped to the floor from my blankets. I really needed to stop eating chocolate before I went to bed.