It was deep in the night. Though the window was wide open the air in the room was stuffy and humid. Dannys sleep was restless. A full moon was sending grey light on his muscular chest which was covered with a film of hot sweat not only caused by the temperature.
[In his dream the day was hot and sunny. The Central Park was crowded with happy people enjoying the wonderful weather of a summers day. Children played with their parents, students sat together chatting and letting the sun burn their skin, and couples all ages strolled around. Danny took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of his childhood summers he had spent here, playing with his friends. He heard the laughter and watched some boys playing some kind of football with their own rules until he heard a well-known voice calling his name. He turned around.
Leaning on a tree, Lindsay stood there, barefoot, wearing a light white summer dress and her enchanting ‘Montana’-smile. He waved and she ran over to him. When she reached Danny and teasingly wrapped her arms around his neck, he took her and whirled her around so that her feet flew through the air. She gave her clear silvery laugh and kissed him deeply when he finally let her down. For a moment they just stood there, ambracing each other and feeling the love between them.
"Wonderful day, isn’t it?” Danny asked finally. She nodded smiling and took his hand, pulling him for a slow walk. They strolled for a while, smelling the sweet scent of summer in the air, until Danny pointed at some children playing with a ball. “Reminds me to my childhood summers”, he said. Seeing only the kids, he first did not notice that Lindsay was looking at him watching them. Her eyes sparkled seeing him so happy and melancholy the same time. When he finally noticed, she grinned. “Shall I tell you something? I love you.”, she wispered and leaned her head against his chest, pulling his arm around her shoulder. He placed a gentle kiss on her hair. “How about your summers? Was there something else than fishing and hunting in Montana?”, he asked then. Lindsay looked down and laughed low-voiced. “Actually, not that much. When I was little we had the farm, I had my brothers and the children from the neighbourhood. We had ponys, did I tell you? It was great just t ride around. There were many secret places where we played we were magicians, or cops and robbers. It was wonderful. I can still smell the scent of hay. It means summer to me. Well, and then...My brothers used to work and I hung around with the girls. End of the dream.” Her voice faded out and her eyes sticked to the ground. “I’m sorry, Linds.”, was the only thing Danny could have said in this moment. “I shouldn’t have asked that.”
“No, it is okay. Really.” She shook her head and her brown eyes fixed him, filled with love and despair the same time. “You know, it is a part of my life, but I am over it. And it was you who helped me to cope with it. Really, it is alright.” She smiled and then it was okay.
He put a gentle kiss on her temple and lightly squeezed her hand.
Only a few feet away was a man selling drinks and snacks. “Want some coffee, Cow Girl?” Danny asked and went to the man. “Hot drinks are the best when it is this weather.” Lindsay followed him. The eyes of the man – he was around fifty – sparkled happily when his sight fell on her. “Ciao, Signore. Wanta some ice creama for your bella Signorina?” he said, his voice loud and friendly and with a cute italian accent. Lindsay nodded, smiling to the man who still looked at her as if she was a very worthwile painting. “Think I’ll take some strawberry, Dan. I don’t think coffee is that good."
"Samm strawberry for the pretty lady” said the man and gave it to her. “It is a wonderful day, isn’t it? Bambini can play and Mommys and Daddys can relax”, he twinkled to Lindsay and then to Danny. Danny was confused. When he took his pocket to pay, the salesman rapidly shook his head. “Noa, isse free for bella signorina.” He smiled at her for a last time and made his way. When he was gone, Danny wispered, “what a curious guy.” He looked at Lindsay. She was licking some melting ice cream from her fingers and shroug her shoulders. “Why? I found him friendly.” “Yes, but he was so...well, I don’t know. And why don’t you want coffee?”
Lindsay looked up from her eyes cream, grinning amused. “Danny, come on. Don’t you know Italians love children?"
Danny still did not know what she was meaning. “I do, but you aren’t a child.” Lindsay was just a step far from bursting into laughter. “Oh, Dan. Maybe they also love Mommys and Daddys, then?” “But you are also not a Mummy...” Danny did really not know what she wanted to tell him. Now, Lindsay really birst into laughter, unable to stop. “Not yet. But every idiot can see that it will only take a couple of weeks till I am, forgot it?” He looked at her as if she was mad. “Danny?” Finally, he bowed his head. Lindsays left hand was lying on her swollen stomach. Had that belly been there a few minutes ago? Danny did not understand what was going on.
“Lindsay... you... are pregnant?” Again she burst out into laughter. “You are kidding me, Danny. Of course I am. For seven months now, remember? And that is why I don’t drink coffee. Because the little one is really active without.” Still grinning, she took his hand and put it on the side of her belly. He felt a slight movement under his palm.
He understood, and from one second to the other his heart seemed to burst with happiness.
That was what he felt when he woke up.
Confused he looked around but the bed was empty. Not knowing what was real and what to believe and what to do with the loving, happy feeling inside he got up. A low noise made him go for the living room. The picture he saw there against made his heart want to explode of the happiness inside. Face to the window, Lindsay sat in the rocking chair, asleep, and in her arms her – his – their little daughter, sleeping with the tiny thumb in her mouth. The bright moonlight was filling the room with blue light and made them seem an enchanting portrait. On his tip toes he got over to them. Placing a sweet kiss on the temple of the woman he loved, his hand fondled the babys stomach. Lindsay woke up. Sleep was in her eyes when she looked up at him. “You’re up?”, she wispered. He nodded and smiled before he carefully took the baby out of her mothers arms. The child gave a low giggle but did not wake up. “Come to bed, Linds.” Slowly and sighing she stood up and followed him to the cradle in which he carefully layed the child. Embracing each other, they watched their daughter sleeping for a moment bevore they got to the bedroom to spend the rest of the night in each others arms.
[In his dream the day was hot and sunny. The Central Park was crowded with happy people enjoying the wonderful weather of a summers day. Children played with their parents, students sat together chatting and letting the sun burn their skin, and couples all ages strolled around. Danny took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of his childhood summers he had spent here, playing with his friends. He heard the laughter and watched some boys playing some kind of football with their own rules until he heard a well-known voice calling his name. He turned around.
Leaning on a tree, Lindsay stood there, barefoot, wearing a light white summer dress and her enchanting ‘Montana’-smile. He waved and she ran over to him. When she reached Danny and teasingly wrapped her arms around his neck, he took her and whirled her around so that her feet flew through the air. She gave her clear silvery laugh and kissed him deeply when he finally let her down. For a moment they just stood there, ambracing each other and feeling the love between them.
"Wonderful day, isn’t it?” Danny asked finally. She nodded smiling and took his hand, pulling him for a slow walk. They strolled for a while, smelling the sweet scent of summer in the air, until Danny pointed at some children playing with a ball. “Reminds me to my childhood summers”, he said. Seeing only the kids, he first did not notice that Lindsay was looking at him watching them. Her eyes sparkled seeing him so happy and melancholy the same time. When he finally noticed, she grinned. “Shall I tell you something? I love you.”, she wispered and leaned her head against his chest, pulling his arm around her shoulder. He placed a gentle kiss on her hair. “How about your summers? Was there something else than fishing and hunting in Montana?”, he asked then. Lindsay looked down and laughed low-voiced. “Actually, not that much. When I was little we had the farm, I had my brothers and the children from the neighbourhood. We had ponys, did I tell you? It was great just t ride around. There were many secret places where we played we were magicians, or cops and robbers. It was wonderful. I can still smell the scent of hay. It means summer to me. Well, and then...My brothers used to work and I hung around with the girls. End of the dream.” Her voice faded out and her eyes sticked to the ground. “I’m sorry, Linds.”, was the only thing Danny could have said in this moment. “I shouldn’t have asked that.”
“No, it is okay. Really.” She shook her head and her brown eyes fixed him, filled with love and despair the same time. “You know, it is a part of my life, but I am over it. And it was you who helped me to cope with it. Really, it is alright.” She smiled and then it was okay.
He put a gentle kiss on her temple and lightly squeezed her hand.
Only a few feet away was a man selling drinks and snacks. “Want some coffee, Cow Girl?” Danny asked and went to the man. “Hot drinks are the best when it is this weather.” Lindsay followed him. The eyes of the man – he was around fifty – sparkled happily when his sight fell on her. “Ciao, Signore. Wanta some ice creama for your bella Signorina?” he said, his voice loud and friendly and with a cute italian accent. Lindsay nodded, smiling to the man who still looked at her as if she was a very worthwile painting. “Think I’ll take some strawberry, Dan. I don’t think coffee is that good."
"Samm strawberry for the pretty lady” said the man and gave it to her. “It is a wonderful day, isn’t it? Bambini can play and Mommys and Daddys can relax”, he twinkled to Lindsay and then to Danny. Danny was confused. When he took his pocket to pay, the salesman rapidly shook his head. “Noa, isse free for bella signorina.” He smiled at her for a last time and made his way. When he was gone, Danny wispered, “what a curious guy.” He looked at Lindsay. She was licking some melting ice cream from her fingers and shroug her shoulders. “Why? I found him friendly.” “Yes, but he was so...well, I don’t know. And why don’t you want coffee?”
Lindsay looked up from her eyes cream, grinning amused. “Danny, come on. Don’t you know Italians love children?"
Danny still did not know what she was meaning. “I do, but you aren’t a child.” Lindsay was just a step far from bursting into laughter. “Oh, Dan. Maybe they also love Mommys and Daddys, then?” “But you are also not a Mummy...” Danny did really not know what she wanted to tell him. Now, Lindsay really birst into laughter, unable to stop. “Not yet. But every idiot can see that it will only take a couple of weeks till I am, forgot it?” He looked at her as if she was mad. “Danny?” Finally, he bowed his head. Lindsays left hand was lying on her swollen stomach. Had that belly been there a few minutes ago? Danny did not understand what was going on.
“Lindsay... you... are pregnant?” Again she burst out into laughter. “You are kidding me, Danny. Of course I am. For seven months now, remember? And that is why I don’t drink coffee. Because the little one is really active without.” Still grinning, she took his hand and put it on the side of her belly. He felt a slight movement under his palm.
He understood, and from one second to the other his heart seemed to burst with happiness.
That was what he felt when he woke up.
Confused he looked around but the bed was empty. Not knowing what was real and what to believe and what to do with the loving, happy feeling inside he got up. A low noise made him go for the living room. The picture he saw there against made his heart want to explode of the happiness inside. Face to the window, Lindsay sat in the rocking chair, asleep, and in her arms her – his – their little daughter, sleeping with the tiny thumb in her mouth. The bright moonlight was filling the room with blue light and made them seem an enchanting portrait. On his tip toes he got over to them. Placing a sweet kiss on the temple of the woman he loved, his hand fondled the babys stomach. Lindsay woke up. Sleep was in her eyes when she looked up at him. “You’re up?”, she wispered. He nodded and smiled before he carefully took the baby out of her mothers arms. The child gave a low giggle but did not wake up. “Come to bed, Linds.” Slowly and sighing she stood up and followed him to the cradle in which he carefully layed the child. Embracing each other, they watched their daughter sleeping for a moment bevore they got to the bedroom to spend the rest of the night in each others arms.
