chapter 34

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While Hobi lay across town thinking of her, Izzy tossed and turned, fighting the dreams even as she sank into exhaustion

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While Hobi lay across town thinking of her, Izzy tossed and turned, fighting the dreams even as she sank into exhaustion.

Some nights in her dreams she made all the right decisions this time around, felt elusive hope that things would be different, but it never lasted after the first moments of waking.

When she dreamed about that time, which was often, she would run to catch a train that was pulling away. Or sometimes she dreamed she lost her keys and could not start her car. Often she dreamed she went to the wrong airport, or missed her plane. As exhausted as she was, she finally slept.

In the early morning hours she tossed and tried to make sense of the ringing by her head. Maybe it was her alarm and she had to hurry or she would miss her flight.

She fought to wake up, something new and important just out of grasp this time. The alarm falling silent, she was granted a brief reprieve.

She fell back into the dream, an airport scene coming back into focus. She ran. She was late. She was going to miss the plane. It was just like always, she was helpless to stop it.

She stood at the window as her plane pulled away and slowly lifted into the sky. She was rooted into place, lost and scared. At this point in her dreams she would usually gather her bag and struggle to find her way home.

This time she turned to retrieve her luggage and her breath stopped for a moment.

There, standing on the concourse waiting with her bag in his hands was Hobi, his smile radiant, his arms open wide, waiting for her to rush into them. She took a step and then the buzzing began again.

This time she felt herself dragged awake, no matter how she fought to stay in the warmth and safety of her dream. Groaning, she found her phone and silenced the alarm. She felt the heaviness of grief settle over her as it always did after the dream.

Then, as she came fully awake, she blinked into the early afternoon sun and she remembered.

She was here, and so was Hobi. It was not a dream at all. This time, it was real. Well, at least the hope of it was.

She squealed as she remembered she was supposed to call him today and he had offered to show her around his neighborhood.

Was she ready for that?

She shook her head. After all this time she refused to allow those doubts to creep in.

She reached for her phone to see she had a missed call from him and a message.

"I have gone to do my weekend errands. Just call if you want to visit the area. I will be around the neighborhood this morning. After 1 I will be available all day for you! I hope you call."

She looked at the time. It was almost noon. She noticed that Hobi had checked in at a couple of locations not far from the loft. It would not be hard to find him once she got to the area and it would be 1 or after by the time she got ready.

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