Perhaps...

Perhaps it was a dream, she thought lightly. Every thing was so perfect. This man she was with.. Maybe if she pinched herself she would wake up, but she didn't ever want to wake up. She wanted to stay in this world where the entire world was at peace. There were no wars, no hunger, and no hate. So much love and so perfect!

She sat on a bench watching the early morning sun rising over the green valley while song birds cheerfully were chirping  and flitting from tree to tree. She glanced over at the young man sitting on the bench beside her. She had met him a few months ago and knew that she loved him deeply. He was everything she wanted in a partner. They had met for breakfast on this morning before he went to work.

She smiled and when he looked over at her, he took her hand and softly asked, "Will you marry me darling?"

She smiled again for she loved his accent which was so different from hers and she responded, "Yes, my love."

Her whole life with him suddenly flashed before her eyes, their wedding, their children, their grandchildren, their whole lives with every happiness she would ever feel. She blinked and she was standing at their bedroom window looking out at the mountains and valley cast in a bluish light caused by the morning chill and mists. She was older now. Her love came up behind her and wrapped his arms around moving her long gray hair before her kissing her softly on the neck. 

"You have always made me so happy," he whispered. She turned to kiss him, and studied his finely lined face and white hair. She smiled and then kissed him. Unexpectedly sadness gnawed at her heart for the first time she could ever remember.

"I don't want to leave," she thought silently as they kissed tenderly.

Immediately agonizing grief overwhelmed her, as she woke up in her own bed and tears poured from her eyes. Her love was gone and the heartbreak seemed more than she could bear! She tried to go back! To go to sleep, to get back to that time, that place, that life, but the dream became cloudy and faded away leaving her with a sorrow that she could not shake for days.