text: He sat on the couch. Eyes plastered to the TV, but not retaining anything he was seeing. His stomach growled at him, but he didn’t have the energy to move an inch, much less eat something. His eyes were red and swollen from crying. Tears were already pooling in the corners waiting for the next bout of sadness. There was a hole in his chest. A hole that was now pumping out numbness to every corner of his body. What happened? Where did I go wrong? How can I fix this? These thoughts bounced across his damaged mind consuming him. His mind was a hellscape. Where once there was happiness, there was now despair. Only sorrow’s ugly shadows remained where joy’s light once shone. Nightmares sat taunting him on the pieces of his once unbroken dreams. He cried, pleaded to God, the universe, anyone that would listen, to give him another chance to make it right. He was suddenly jolted back to reality, confused by his new surroundings. Wait these surroundings aren’t new. I know this restaurant! He thought, still processing what was happening. He looked across from him in the booth and there she was. His heart sank. There she was. It suddenly hit him. This is our first date! Were his cries answered? Does he have another shot at making this work? “Are you still with me over there?” she said, slightly puzzled. “Oh...uh yeah sorry.” He said followed by an awkward laugh. “So....siblings?” She said getting the conversation back on track. “Um...yeah, one brother.” He quickly quipped. Is this possible? Am I really being given a second chance? Still confused he gleefully went along with the rest of the date. I won’t spoil this chance I’ve been given. The next few months flew by, as if no time was passing at all. Awash in the pure ecstasy of being with her again, he was able to relive the good moments he had already had with her. Fixing any of the mistakes he had made the first time around. Being there for her when he was not before, giving her space when before he smothered her, thoroughly enjoying moments he had once taken for granted. What was once months flying by was now years. He had now long passed the point where this relationship had failed the first time around. He was living the dream. Living from happy moment to happy moment. Every day he thanked...whoever...for allowing him this unbelievable opportunity. For allowing him to make his dreams come true. He looked down at the ring. He couldn’t believe this moment had finally come. He quickly hid it away in his pocket as she returned from the restroom. She sat down across from him in the booth. The same booth where he had once been given a second chance. His body was exploding with emotion, joy, anxiety, bliss, nerves. He motioned behind her, “Is that a new painting over there?” She turned to look as he went to the side and onto one knee. “I don’t think s....Oh my God!” she turned back around and knew what was happening. Tears welled in her eyes as a smile stretched across her face. “You make me the happiest man in the world. Honey, will you marry me?” He felt almost relieved, but couldn’t be fully until he heard the response. He looked at her wide-eyed waiting for her reply. “As if you don’t already know the answer. Ye...” The shrill sound of the alarm clock pierced through his ears. He got up from the couch and looked around confused by his new surroundings. Wait these surrounding aren’t new. The TV was still on playing the show he wasn’t paying attention to. His eyes still swollen from the tears they shed. Still groggy, he instinctually went to his phone to text her about the crazy dream he just had. He went to messages, went to her name.