It was all too fleeting. From the moment Mary woken up from her dream the feeling of something being missing started to spread.
It is still the same, months after that first vividly real experience. She met him and they spent the briefest of eternities together. Now when she dreams, she is always searching, always hoping only to wake up missing him.
This is related to Part 1 and the parts before
In the months since last seeing him, since she stopped going to the psychiatrists and just focused on being herself. Mary has started doing a lot more online work and last was her final week at a brick and mortar store.
She had excitedly planned her days down to the second. She very quickly found out that her wants did not necessarily care for her schedule.
It was only Wednesday and she is already off schedule, some would say behind by 2 days worth of work. Mary just shakes her head and reminds herself she can catch up no problem. First she really needs to go the book signing from an author she has never heard of. "I bet they are good." She muses as she locks the door and starts to head downstairs.
Getting to the shop there is a pretty big crowd, Mary wonders if they are also procrastinating then laughs slightly before frowning as a means to chastise herself.
"Ok, so the line is pretty long for this one," she thinks. "Maybe, nah, it is ok. I will grab a drink and a copy of the book so long."
Mary heads over to the makeshift drink stand, and after establishing that they only have soda she got a sugar free one at the very least. "At least they had something." She thinks as she turns around to grab a book from the conveniently placed rack.
Getting back in line, she turned the book over to read the jacket.
"A story about dreams, and how shared experiences link even the most unlikely of people.
"Well that was short. I like it." Mary says and opens the book to start reading while she waits.
Our dreams are much more than we can ever imagine. Some people can glimpse the future in them, others ...
Mary stopped reading. "My future." She thinks. "My future." She repeats.
Without thinking about it she stepped out of the line, and started for the door. Absent mindedly she takes a $20 note and throws it to the cashier just waving the book without stopping.
Getting outside, she pauses for a second and crosses the road. Mary looks up and sees the coffee shop down the road. "Yeah," She says aloud and heads to it, throwing her diet soda in the first trash can she passes.
"A large coffee, with cream please." Mary says blandly. The cashier must have known it is best not to offer choices and just did as told. Mary takes her coffee and goes to sit down.
Ten minutes passed with her just nursing her cup, staring out the window. Her mind felt blank. The only thought she could pin down was the thought "What am I thinking."
This frustrated Mary even more, then she focused. "Future. Gift. Dreams."
"Should I let go?" She whispers, then takes a sip of her coffee.
"I need something. What do I need?" She asks herself in a whisper again.
Her eyes darted across the room and outside the window, looking frantically for something to react to. Something has to break the pressure, cause release.
"You can't quit now!" Someone shouted from behind her.
"I can, look how I am walking to the door." Another person replied calmly.
"Oh, and where will you go? You won't get your months pay you know." The first person replies still unnecessarily loud.
"I don't know, but it sure is towards my future." The second replied, and Mary now looking behind her watches as he opens the door then pauses.
"The future of being a bum on the street." The first man quickly retorts to get the final word in.
Mary gets up, and locks eyes with the guy about to leave then starts towards the door leaving her coffee on the table and holding her book to her chest. He smiles as she approaches and holds the door for her. "Will you be my future?" She says anxiously. Without missing a beat he replies, "That is my gift."