"You did what?"  Karen paced Alex's living room.  Alex had called her shortly after Mort left, begging her tom come over.  "Are you insane?"

"I got scared, Karen," Alex replied, her eyes red and raw from crying.

"He's perfect."

"I know that…God, I know that."

"So what's the problem?"

Alex put her head in her hands.  "I'm not so sure I should tell you."

Karen sat down and rubbed Alex's back.  "Something got to you, Alex.  You can tell me what it is."

"A dream," Alex said, feeling embarrassed.

"A dream?  You broke up with Mort over a dream?"

"I didn't break up with him!"

"He probably thinks that's what's going to happen…"  Karen sighed.  "What was it about?"

"I lost him."

"Mort?"

Alex nodded.  "We were happy and we were living together – here – and I found him…he was dead in his office."

Karen's demeanor softened.  "Oh, sweetie…"  She put her arms around her sister.  "It's not going to happen again."

"It was too real, Karen.  I can't…"  She started to sob again.  "I can't go through something like that again."

"I know that you went through hell, Alex, but the odds of losing someone else…"

"…Are enough."

"Are you going to spend the rest of your life alone?  That's not going to be good for you or Julia."

"It was just so real…"

"It was only a dream.  Look, take a couple of days, calm your nerves, and get him back here.  You can't let him go, Alex, he's exactly what you and Julia need."

"A few days will be O.K.?"

"At this point, I think you need it.  You go get ready for bed.  I'll put Julia down for the night, O.K." 

Alex nodded, her entire body feeling numb.  "Thank you," she said, her voice now hoarse. 

Karen checked on Alex one more time before leaving for the night.  She understood her sister's fears, but she couldn't imagine a dream being enough to send someone that Alex obviously loved so much away from her.  Of course, Karen wasn't privy to the dream herself…