Sammy and Ilna, thank you for the love, and the sanity.

Sammy added several parts and scenes and as usual made this one better.

REAL McRollers and Readers,

Your REAL World authors send our love to our family of readers. We of course want everyone to be safe, avoid public gatherings and follow guidelines to protect themselves.

Since the REAL World is a place of escapism, especially during these hard times, the REAL World will remain coronavirus free.

Good Dreams

Catherine had woken to use the bathroom and as she was about to climb back into bed, she saw Cammie lift her head. She paused and listened for any sign one of the children was up. Seconds later she heard what sounded like her son's laugh.

A soft indication of happiness wafting down the hall that made her smile.

She checked the phone - 4:30 a.m.

With a glance at Steve, who would be up soon enough to go for a swim but to this point was still sleeping, she smiled and stepped into the hallway to peek in on DJ.

Catherine crept softly into the room and moved to DJ's bedside. She lifted his teddy bear from where it had fallen onto the floor and placed it back on the bed beside the sleeping young boy.

He appeared sound asleep until a small murmur of something unintelligible followed by, "Wow, look, Angie!" escaped his lips.

Catherine started to back out of the room, intent on leaving her son to his happy dream, when his eyes blinked open.

He looked confused for a few seconds then said, "Mommy?"

"Hey, honey, I was just checking on you. Go back to sleep. You have a few more hours before you need to get up."

She ran a hand over his hair and kissed his forehead.

His small hand reached for hers and she sat next to him as she took it. His other hand touched her hair and he smiled sleepily. "I had a dream."

"A good dream?" she asked softly. No stranger to dreams that were anything but good, she fervently hoped her son's had been what made him smile.

Her heart swelled when he nodded.

"Real good." He smiled. "We were having ice cream and there were so many sprinkles I couldn't see over them."

She chuckled. "That does sound good. I bet all the pancake sprinkles for Daddy's birthday gave you that dream."

DJ nodded again. "Know what?"

"What, sweetheart?"

"I had a dream one time when I first came to live in our family. We were all on the beach playing. Me, you, Daddy, Angie and Cammie…"

He had more to say and she let him think for a moment.

"When I woke up, I was afraid I dreamed our whole family. I was afraid to open my eyes."

"Oh sweetie." She bent to hug him and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"Then I got up and I knew it was real cause I was here in my room with my new blanket from Grandma and I came down the hall to look at you and Daddy."

He was smiling so she blinked back a tear and smoothed his hair.

"You were sleeping and Daddy woke up and then you did and made sure I was okay." His fingers squeezed hers. "Then we all read Brown Bear while I went back to sleep."

"I remember."

They hadn't known what prompted the late night visit but they'd been told DJ would most likely need nighttime reassurances and were happy to provide them in whatever form he required. Steve had suggested a story and the little boy had nodded happily and crawled back into his bed.

"I'm happy we're real," DJ said, and grinned back when his mommy's face lit in a dazzling smile.

"And we're so, so happy you're ours." Catherine adjusted his comforter and touched his cheek as his eyes began to close. "Have more good dreams."

"'Kay, Mommy." The brown eyes drifted closed and with a sigh he was asleep, a smile playing on his lips.

"Night night," she whispered with another kiss to his forehead.

"Hey, good morning." Steve rolled towards Catherine and kissed her.

"Good morning," she said with a smile.

"You were smiling in your sleep," he said as he touched her cheek.

She grinned. "Were you watching me sleep, Commander?"

"As I've said many times it's one of my favorite activities." He ran a finger softly down her cheek. "Good dream?"

She closed her eyes for a few seconds and tried to remember but the fully formed images that had filled her head just moments before disappeared, replaced by momentary flashes which were quickly fading away as well.

"I don't remember it all," she said, "but the four of us were running on the beach with Cammie and …" The last of the images disappeared as consciousness fully took over her brain and the dream world slipped away.

But while the pictures may have been gone the feelings they left behind remained.

Happiness.

Love.

Family.

Contentedness.

"I can't remember anything specific but I just know I was happy everyone was having such a great time and then …. I think it started to rain." She smiled. "But instead of stopping, the kids just started to laugh, took our hands and we kept going."

He kissed her again. "We'd never let a few raindrops stop us."

She stretched her neck to give him better access. "Not as long as we're together."

"As a family," he mumbled against her skin as he worked his way down her neck.

Her words were replaced by a near moan.

As he reached her collarbone they heard the kids begin to move around.

He raised his head and chuckled.

"Up and at 'em." She smiled brightly.

He returned her smile. "Time to tackle the day."

As they got out of bed they heard DJ's voice over the monitor in his sister's room say, "Angie, I had a dream about ice cream with so many sprinkles!"

"Sprink-as," Angie replied sleepily and both Steve and Catherine could picture her rubbing her eyes with her little fist.

Steve, who had showered after he returned from his swim before crawling back into bed beside Catherine until the time for her to get up, headed out to get the kids started while Catherine headed for the shower. "It feels great to start the day with a good dream though, doesn't it?"

Catherine's face lit as she confirmed. "It sure does. And this one was one of the best."

# End. Thanks for reading!

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