Perhaps it was a dream, she thought. Perhaps if she pinched herself, she would wake up. But she didn’t want to wake up. She wanted to stay in this dream world where…
… this man, 6’3”, strong and handsome, with short, light brown hair and hazel eyes, had rescued her. Here she was sitting on the edge of a bed, not her bed, and not his bed either. He had told her that she could sleep in this room, and he would take another one in the home of his parents. They would have breakfast in the morning and then pick up his parents from the airport. They were flying in from Europe. She would go with him.
He was kind to her – kinder than she had ever had someone be to her. And he was respectful. This was highly unusual. She could not remember the last time a man had actually respected her, not in all of her 20 years of life. In fact, none had. He did not ask her for what was not his… unlike every other man who came into her life.
Having had everything taken from her, she had been walking, aimlessly, feeling like one lost and lonely lamb in a city of wolves, wondering where she was going to sleep that night, and there he was. His car was red, his badge was shiny. His smile spoke of trust. He offered a ride. She refused and he assured her it was alright. How could she refuse again when the badge spoke of authority and trust? His tender smile and his gentle eyes communicated assurance, even peace and safety. She dared to trust.
And here she was, having showered for the first time in days. He had offered her a clean towel and a new toothbrush. After her shower, she donned the same clothes she had worn for days. She came out of ‘her’ room, and he said, “Lovely girl!” That was all. And then they had a lunch that he had prepared. He asked no questions. How strange! It was so simple, so pure. In this dream world, where there was a mother and a father who loved each other, and a son to feel proud of, she felt out of place, yet welcomed.
All dreams come to an end… don’t they? Oh, that this one would last! She knew it would not last. Not for her. After all, she was a rescue. Perhaps one of many, she thought. Perhaps, this gallant knight had done this before. After all, his parents had new toothbrushes... was that just in case he found another someone off the street?
From the parents’ reactions after they met her, it appeared that this was not the first time their son had dragged in a stray. The parents were accepting… so naturally that it unnerved her. Why were they so accepting and so kind to her?
She stood in front of the dresser mirror before sleeping that night. She touched her face to see if she was awake or actually dreaming. She turned around and looked at the room. As she steadied herself against the dresser and looked around, she noticed a delicate white doily on the dresser, delicate lamps on the night stands, and extra pillows on the well-dressed bed. It was all so surreal.
“Is this a dream? Is it possible that this dream could become her new reality?” she wondered again. Unlike her familiar nightmares, this dream was unfamiliar. A complete family… what a strange thing it was. Not something she had experienced. Would she wake up tomorrow only to find this dream come crashing down? Probably. But for tonight, she would sleep in someone else’s bed. She would trust that, at least for this moment, someone cared.
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