A dream of Aubrey

Based on a dream.

"Aubrey?" The name fell from my lips with the weight of every awful feeling I'd had since she had left. There she was standing in front of me. Real as she was two and a half years ago. It was like she materialized. Or the world had materialized. There was nothing before her. And nothing after. Aubrey was everything. 

She didn't look surprised to see me at all. Like she had planned to stand before me.

"How did you get here Aubrey?" 

"I live here silly." She smiled. 

I couldn't understand. Aubrey had dumped me like yesterdays garbage years ago. It ended with a broken promise. A promise she made of her own accord and broke without a second thought. Not even face to face, instead it came along with the shame of a text message break up.

But now it was different. As if that awful incident had never come to pass. With a struggle I tore my gaze off of her beautiful face and observed my surroundings. It was... an apartment? Of course, but not one to be recognized. 

"Remember Alex you're working for Paul this afternoon."

'Paul!! The landscaper?' I thought in confusion. He never hired me though.

Like a punch to the gut it hit me, 'This is what would have come to pass if I had stayed in San Bernadino.'

Aubrey ran into my arms and hugged me tightly. Shakily I wrapped my arms around her, ran my fingers through her hair and caressed her gently. The joy. The peace I felt. It was nothing like I'd ever felt before. Even when we had truly been together. This was a level of happiness that questioned my humanity. 

But then it started to fade. The walls of the apartment became void and formless. And Aubrey turned a startling grey and then vanished.

My heart was crushed. It had been a dream all along.

Author's Note

I just dumped out this story as a way of venting my feelings. I had a dream about an ex of mine a few weeks ago. The only ex I dated face to face. It was painful.