Amanda relaxed back against the sofa cushions and stretched. She must have slept for hours – the TV was off, and she could hear the boys playing in their room. The light streaming in through the windows clearly indicated that morning had arrived – some time ago. What a dream, she thought to herself wonderingly. She obviously needed to stop working so hard, or take a breather more often. She stood up and wandered towards the kitchen, thinking longingly of coffee, and heard a knock on the door.
It was Steve and Jesse. "We brought you breakfast," Jesse said. "As a peace offering for being so grumpy this past week," Steve added, his eyes twinkling.
Amanda blinked, but something in the basket Jesse was holding smelled mouth-wateringly delicious. Far be it from her to say no, she thought, and waved them in. "Mark's not with you?"
Steve glanced back. "He was – he must have stopped for something on the way."
While they set out the food, Amanda told them about her dream. "It was so real, too! And you were in it, Steve, and you, Jesse, and Mark, and Cheryl, and even Chief Masters!"
Jesse shrugged. "You have been working pretty hard, Amanda. And if it can happen to Dorothy, why not to you too?"
Why not, indeed, Amanda thought. "You're probably right. I never left Kansas, I guess."
Mark stuck his head around the door, at his heels a small fluff of fur bearing the satisfied air of accomplished business. "Hey, Amanda! When did you get a dog?"