"Sami, over here!" Someone yelled.
He turned his head but he couldn't make out who was yelling. There were so many people with cameras screaming his name. Blitzes went off constantly and nearly blinded him.
"Smile, Sami," a voice said.
He looked to the side and saw his manager Grisette. She wore a grey suit that matched the grey frame of her glasses. Behind those glasses her dark brown eyes looked cold despite her smiling at his success. Her dark blonde hair was pulled back in a tight bun. She reminded him of a school teacher that used to scare the living daylight out of him.
"I said smile!" She growled.
He smiled again and tried to turn in all directions when he heard his name being called. It was all getting to be too much for him.
"Hold up the award," she said.
"Grisette, I don't think I can do this anymore," he said.
"Of course you can. Hold up the award and smile. Remember, you wanted this," she said.
He held up the award and kept smiling. He felt his smile was getting more and more fake as the blitzes kept going off. He had asked for this. He had chosen the life in Hollywood. He had been offered a movie role that required him moving to the busy city, and he had left everything he loved behind. All for fame and an award. His smile faltered and he slowly lowered the award.
"Smile!" She commanded.
"I need to go," he said.
"Smile, damn it!" She growled in his ear.
He dropped the award on the ground and everyone gasped. Everything went dead silent after that gasp. Grisette looked angry. He turned to looked at everyone in front of him. No one was taking pictures anymore. They all just stared at him, and it felt like the walls were closing in on him.
"I don't want this," he said. "I gotta go."
He pushed forward to get through the crowd of people but they moved in closer together and refused to let him through. He elbowed people and even clawed at some but he felt them move in tighter and tighter. He was surrounded by people that wanted him to stay in this place.
"Smile, Sami!" Grisette yelled.
"Let me go!" He screamed. "Seawillow!"
Sami sat up fast and felt his heart beat fast in his chest. Sweat was dripping down his forehead. He looked around and found himself in his bedroom. It had been a dream. A nightmare to show him what would have happened if he had taken the offer instead of retreating to a quiet farm life with the love of his life.
"Seawillow," he mumbled.
He jumped out of bed and hurried through the house until he found her in the garden hanging up wet laundry to dry in the sun. Her light blonde hair hanging loose and her bright blue eyes glistening in the sunlight. He ran to her, wrapped his arms around her, and swung her around.
"Sami!" She laughed.
Her laugher made him smile. He put her down and kissed her.
"Yuck! Morning breath," she complained.
"I'm sorry. I just needed to kiss you real fast before starting my day," he said.
"You're cute," she said.
"You should have woken me up when you got up," he said.
"I let you sleep in. You were up late," she said.
She smiled at him and it made him feel warm and happy.
"I love you, Seawillow," he said.
"I love you too, my adorable boyfriend," she said. "Are you okay? You don't usually act like this."
"I had a bad dream and woke up to happiness. I love our farm life. I made the right call moving here with you," he said.
"I think so too," she said.
She grinned at him and he leaned down for another kiss.
"That breath still stinks," she laughed.
"I'll go brush my teeth and take a shower," he said.
"I'll finish hanging up the laundry while you're gone," she said.
"Thank you, darling. I'll vacuum the house later," he said.
"That sounds lovely," she said.
He walked back inside the house and out in the bathroom. He stared at his mirror image and broke out in a smile. A real smile. Nothing like the fake smiles from his nightmare.
"I love my life," he said.