The Girl in My Dream

My name is Bryan Andrews, and I'm thirty-two years old. I have dark brown hair and eyes, stand 6"3' and weigh just under 230 pounds. I've never been married because I think that some women my age are full of shit sometimes. As God as my judge, I truly understand that most of them have been hurt by one man or another in their lives; but it doesn't give them the right to take it out all men. My fiancée, whom I really loved, broke up with me because she claimed that I spent more time at work than I did with her. How else was I supposed to pay for the five star restaurants that she liked to dine in, or the tickets for the opera, symphony, and ballet, not to mention keeping her appeased with the latest jewelry, clothes, etc. Yeah, I know I spoiled her and it's probably my own fault, but I believe that when you really care for someone; you do whatever it takes to keep them happy. I guess that makes me an idiot, but that's how I've always been.

Speaking of things which have always been, for as long as I can remember, I've had a recurring dream. It would come to me during sad or dark times in my life, and it was always the same one. When I was young the dream was of a girl the same age as me. She had long blonde hair and big blue eyes, and I somehow knew that her name was Sara. In my dream, we would laugh and play together, making me forget about the darkness that was occurring in my life at that particular time. The funny thing about this dream was, as I grew older, so did Sara. By the time I was twenty, the vision of her beautiful lithe body with flowing long blonde hair and huge blue eyes was eternally etched in my mind, and little did I realize at the time, but my heart as well. And when my fiancée, Kelly, left me yesterday, I again dreamed about Sara last night. In the past when I awoke from dreaming of her, I always felt a little lost and empty. However this time there was something more, a yearning perhaps, but I still had yet to realize it.

Chapter One

I had just gotten off from work that afternoon and was headed to the sports bar down the street to watch the Cowboys play; I live in Dallas, Texas. Anyway, when I pulled my car into the parking lot of the bar, I laughed when I heard my stomach growl and knew it was time to eat. I did the usual hamburger and chicken wings routine, followed by a couple of cold beers. I was disappointed when the Cowboys lost, but still, it did me some good to get my mind off of Kelly, at least for a while anyway. Kelly and I lived together for almost two years, and you would think she would at least have the guts to tell me in person that she was leaving me, as opposed to leaving a "Dear John" letter on the coffee table, fucking cowardly bitch. Needless to say, I was broken hearted and left feeling lost and alone. I did find out later though, that she had been seeing someone else on the side, and he eventually got her pregnant and then left her. I didn't wish any harm on her, but I did feel a small sense of satisfaction when I heard the news.

I went home to an empty house, and as I thought of the time I spent with Kelly as well as the love I thought we shared; I felt the sting of tears in my eyes as they began to roll down my face. However, when I remembered the letter she left, as well as all the bullshit that it contained, my pain turned to anger, making me stomp off to the shower to basically wash her out of my consciousness. Sounds childish, I know, but it actually helped me deal with things a little easier that night. So, when I went to bed, I felt refreshed and ready for sleep.

The moment I was asleep, my dreams took me to a meadow somewhere near my childhood home. It was a beautifully sunny day, and it felt so familiar to me, as it always had, but just like before, I still couldn't quite place where I was. All of a sudden, there she stood, wearing a long white summer dress that had small straps holding it up, leaving her shoulders bare. As I looked into her piercingly blue eyes, the gentle wind whipped her long blonde hair, which was now flowing past her knees and gently about us as she stepped closer to me. "I know you're hurting Bryan," she said, "But it won't be for very long, I promise."

This was the first time she had ever called me by my name, or at least it was the first time I could remember her doing so, and as I looked into her eyes, I breathed, "Sara," making her smile, and warming my heart.

"I've loved you since I was a child, Bryan, and I promise you that one day we will find other," she said, leaning in to kiss my lips.

However, the second before our lips touched, a loud noise violently jarred me, and she disappeared from my sight only to be replaced by the four walls of my bedroom and the sound of my alarm clock. I looked around the room and realized I was awake and it was morning. "Shit," I sadly thought to myself. And the moment I was fully awake, that old empty and lonely feeling began to invade my heart once again. I refused to let it bother me, and in doing so, I immediately got out of bed and got dressed for work.

I'm a Master Electrician by trade, but from the time I was twenty-five until now, I've owned my own Electrical Business. In other words, I'm now a contractor and I work for myself. Sometimes the hours can belong, but no matter what, as long as the job is done correctly the first time, the money is always there. Most of the time it's pretty good, but there are some times, more often than not these days, where the money is extremely good. I just wished that I could find a woman that understands the concept of working hard while the body is able, in order to make enough to live comfortably once the body goes to shit, and it eventually happens to us all. My ex's attitude was, to spend now and worry about it later, stupid bitch. Still though, now that she was gone, I'd be able to work as much as I wanted and not have to worry about dinner reservations, or tickets to the opera or some of the other stupid fucking I had to do in order to appease that ignorant cunt. God, I was beginning to hate myself for stooping to her level and her even more for making me think I had to do this to be worthy of her affections. What a shallow bitch, huh? But, I'm not about to bash women, that's not the way I am. Just because I had one bad experience with a woman doesn't mean that they're all bad. For the next two months straight, I poured myself into my work and managed to get a number of things accomplished, one of those being, getting Kelly out of my system...well, for a while anyway. After many weeks of working extremely long and hard hours, me and my crew had finished completing a very complicated, but very successful job my company had been contracted to do for one of the colleges here in Dallas. When it was done, I gave everyone the rest of the day off so that we could celebrate that night.

That afternoon I came home to find a message on my answering machine, from my Mom. Her name is Karen, and my Dad, Samuel "Sam" Andrews, died when I was twenty-seven, due to the fact that a stupid idiot got drunk then decided to get behind the wheel of a car. Although my mother is a very strong woman, after Dad died, I made sure to look after Mom. Besides, I knew that he was looking down on us from heaven and I certainly didn't want to disappoint him.

Anyway, the message from Mom said that she wanted me to call her, and that she needed my help with something so, I immediately picked up the phone and dialed her number. After the first ring, she picked up the receiver and brightly chirped, "Hello?"

"Hi, Mom, it's me," I replied.

"Oh Bryan, sweetie, it's so good to hear from you."

"I got your message, Mom," I smiled, "What did you need my help with?"

"Well, Bryan sweetheart, I'm not really sure how to explain it," she cryptically answered.

"Are you alright?" I asked, concerned, "Is something wrong with the house?"

"Oh, no," she giggled, "It's nothing like that."

"You're killing me, Mom," I laughed, "Tell me what it is."

"How about if I show you? Can you be here this weekend, Bryan?"

"Okay, Mom," I grinned, "I'll see you on Friday afternoon, about two-thirty."

"Thanks, Baby," she smiled, "I love you."

"Love you, too, Mom. Bye!"

"Bye sweetie," and then she hung up.

I wondered what she was up to as I placed the receiver back down on the phone. The more I began to think about it, the more I realized something was definitely up with Mom. I grinned at wondering what it might be.

~~~~~~

I left my home in Dallas that morning and headed to my hometown, a little town about sixty miles south of Houston. I hate flying so; I drove the six and a half hours to see what Mom wanted. Besides, I had given everyone who worked for me the next week off to rest up for the job we were going to begin the following Monday morning. The drive gave me time to thing about things, taking stock of the past few months and everything that had happened. Looking back now, I saw Kelly for what she really was, which nothing less than a spoiled and selfish little girl. Jeez, what a dumb-ass I'd been, huh? Well, that's all over with, and it was time to move on so, that's exactly what I did.

~~~~~~

"Hi Mom," I said, as I walked into my childhood home, "How are you?"

Throwing her arms around my neck, Mom gently hugged me then kissed me on the cheek and replied, "Hi honey, it's so good to see you. I've missed you."

We came into the living room and sat down, and for some reason, Mom was fidgeting and acting nervous. I picked up on it immediately and asked, "What is it, Mom?"

"I'm getting married, Bryan," she blurted out, then began, "Now, before you say anything, I want you to listen. I've been seeing a man named John Ryman for almost a year now. He's asked me to marry him, Bryan, but I told him that I wanted to talk you before I gave him an answer." Then looking at me with pleading in her eyes, she added, "Your father has been gone for over five years now, Bryan."

I smiled and wrapped my arms around her and said, "So, when do I get to meet the lucky guy that's going to marry my beautiful Mom?"

"Oh Bryan," she smiled, hugging me, "I knew that you would understand, and I love you very much."

"You never answered my question, Mom."

"What honey?"

"When do I get to meet him?"

"Oh," she giggled, "We wanted to take you out to dinner tonight, because John wanted to meet you. I hope that's alright."

Of course it is," I said, kissing her cheek, "What time and where?"

She had previously written down everything I needed to know on a piece of paper and quickly presented it to me. Then giggling like a schoolgirl, Mom said, "I'm going to go shopping for a nice new dress to wear to wear for my men this evening. If you're hungry, there's some left over chicken in the fridge," and then she was off, and gone, leaving a trail of more girlish laughter in her wake.

Watching my mother walk away from me made look at her, if only for a brief moment, from a man's perspective and not a son's. Mom and Dad got married right out of high school and Mom was barely eighteen when I was born. Therefore, she was only fifty. She stood about 5'9" and was built very beautifully, large bust, trim waist and hips. She'd always worn her dark hair long and down around her shoulders. Mom had brilliantly bright blue eyes that had always been a comfortable familiar to me as a child and also as I grew up. All-in-all, my Mom was still a very beautiful woman, and I know that Dad would have wanted her to be happy and not spend the rest of her life all alone, and I didn't either. I was glad that Mom had found happiness, and I was quite sure that the man she had taken up with was a good guy. I also knew that he'd better be good to Mom, or he would have to deal with me, and I'm like any other man where their mother is concerned so, I'll leave it at that.

Chapter Two

I sat and waited that evening in the bar of the restaurant that Mom had instructed me to go to. I hadn't been there long when I heard a slight rustle of voices coming from the entrance. And as I turned to look, what I saw made me smile proudly. There stood Mom, escorted by a tall, nice looking gentleman, whom I assumed was John. She wore an elegantly fitted, black evening dress that was definitely designed to show off a woman's body, yet in very subtle ways. I thought she looked beautiful as she walked into the bar with every male eye in the place upon her. Mom smiled as soon as she spotted me, and then they made their way toward me.

"Wow! You look really beautiful, Mom," I said, kissing her cheek.

"You know just what to say to make a girl feel pretty, honey. Thank you," she replied, hugging me. Then she turned to the man with her, and smiling brightly, said, "Bryan Andrews, I like you meet my boyfriend, John Ryman."

I extended my hand to John, and as we shook hands, I smiled and said, "It's nice to meet you, sir."

"Feel free to call me John. It's nice to finally meet you, Bryan," he replied smiling, "Your Mom has told a lot about you."

"Was it good?" I asked grinning.

"As a matter-of-fact, it was," John chuckled.

I laughed, and then placing my arm around Mom's shoulders and gently squeezing her, replied, "You can be fairly sure that it's bullshit then." Mom laughed, and then shortly afterward, we were led to our table by the maitre'd.

All throughout dinner, John was attentive to Mom and I was grateful that she'd found a nice guy to love her and take care of her. My first instincts about people have always been right, even when I was a little boy. John told me that he had also lost his mate. His wife had died prematurely from breast cancer. I saw a silent strength within him, reminding a lot of my own father. He was as nice as he was sincere, and whenever he and Mom looked at one another, I could tell that they were in love.

My heart told me that John was a good man, and it was reaffirmed when, after Mom had excused herself from the table to go freshen up, John looked at me and said, "Now Bryan, I've already asked your Mom to marry me, but before she says yes, I need to ask for your permission first."

"Aw hell, John," I laughed, "Mom's a big girl. If she wants to marry you, then you don't need my permission. All I want is for her to be happy. As long as she is, then so am I, and that's all that matters."

"Thanks Bryan, I'll be very good to her, and I'll treat her like a queen," said John, "I swear by all that's holy, I will."

When Mom returned to the table, John got on his knees in front of everyone, and with engagement ring in hand; he smiled and openly asked her to marry him. Of course Mom said yes through a flood of tears, as well as to the applause of everyone in the house.

When I asked them about their wedding plans, Mom told that they wanted to fly to Las Vegas to get married, spending their honeymoon there as well. The following week I was dropping them off at the airport and wishing them well.

~~~~~~

Christmas was almost upon us and Mom and John had been married for a little over six months by this time. I could tell by the way she acted that Mom was happy. John is a good guy, whom I'm really glad married Mom. They were always going to different places together, enjoying each other and spending every waking moment in close quarters of one another. As I watched them when I would go visit, it made me long for the companionship that I had been missing. After Kelly left me, I was so torn up about it that I poured myself into my work. I would work ten, sometimes twelve hours a day, and then come home to an empty house, eat something and then go to bed. I never went out anymore, whether it was with the guys that worked for me or the few friends I'd made since moving to Dallas.

By now though, I'd managed to exorcise all the thoughts of my ex from my soul, but in doing so, all that remained of my heart was a desolate and aching void. However, I swore that I wasn't going to get emotionally involved with another woman for long time, if ever again. Little did I know that I would be eating those words before long?

The week before Christmas I got a call from Mom, asking if I was coming home for the holidays. "Of course I'm coming home for Christmas, Mom," I smiled into the telephone receiver.

"I've got a very special surprise planned for you this year, honey," said Mom suspiciously.

Knowing how my mother was, I grinned and asked, "What kind of surprise are we talking about here, Mom?"

"Bryan, honey," she giggled, "I love you, but it wouldn't be a surprise if I told you, now, would it?"

"I guess not, Mom," I laughed, "I'll see you two in a couple of days then. Oh, and be sure to tell John that I said hello, okay?"

"I sure will, sweetheart," Mom smiled, "He'll be tickled to hear it. Bye sweetie, I love you."

"I love you, too, Mom," I replied and then hung up.

~~~~~~

As I drove home a couple of days later, I smiled at remembering the Christmas Party I threw for my guys at work the night before. They were all given five-figure bonuses for all the hard work they had put in that year. I was very proud of my guys and they me. That's probably why we all worked so well together. Because of the excellent job we did on our last one, the company managed to secure a multi-million dollar contract with the state of Texas to install HE-Argon light fixtures in all the colleges and schools in the greater Dallas area. This would definitely put Andrews Electrical Company (my company) head and shoulders above the rest, and I was very proud.

The closer I got to home, the more I wondered exactly what kind of surprise Mom had in store for me. I remembered the year I turned sixteen. Mom had been telling me that she and Dad had "a special surprise" planned for me that year at Christmas. The Special Surprise turned out to be a rebuilt, convertible, 1972, Pontiac GTO that had a 400hp engine under the hood. All the bells and whistles were included, new stereo, new interior, classic mag wheels, the whole nine yards. I remembered being very excited about it and couldn't wait to get behind the wheel. Dad even had it painted my favorite color, midnight-blue. I ended up having to sell it to have enough money to start my business, but Mom and Dad always understood in their ever-loving way.

~~~~~~

"Merry Christmas, Bryan, it's good to see you again," said John as soon as I walked through the front door.

Shaking his hand, I smiled and replied, "Thanks John, Merry Christmas to you, too."

"Hi honey, welcome home and Merry Christmas," said Mom, from back in the kitchen. John led me into the living room, and sitting on the coffee table was a big box, wrapped in neon red wrapping paper, with big white ribbons. On top was a big tag that read: Open Me Immediately, Bryan.

"What is this?" I asked grinning.

Mom came into the living room giggling and said, "Open it, baby."

As I raised the lid and looked inside, I saw a little blonde bundle of hair with two big brown puppy eyes looking back at me, with a lot of licking and tail wagging. Reaching into the box, I picked the little guy up and held him in my arms. I wouldn't have admitted it to anyone at the time, but the moment I looked into that little fella's eyes, it was all over with. He looked like he might have had a little Labrador in him, but when John informed me that Mom went to the pound and picked him out; I knew he was a mixed breed. "He sure is a cute little guy," I said, amidst the onslaught of affectionate kisses coming from the puppy, "What's his name?"

"Well, he's your dog so, it's up to you what you name him," Mom smiled.

I held the puppy up and looked him right in the face, and the first thing that came to mind was, "Sparks, I'm gonna name him sparks," I said.

"That makes sense," laughed John.

"What do you mean, honey?" Mom asked him.

"Think about it, sweetheart," smiled John, "Bryan is an electrician....you know, electricity, sparks."