Sweet Dreams

“Sweet dreams,”

is what she says to me,

after checking in,

to make sure I made it across the country safely. 

‘Sweet dreams’ . . . As if anything about my dreams could be sweet right now. 

She’s not being sweet to me, she just feels guilty. 

She has no idea what hearing ‘sweet dreams' means to me. 

I can’t respond to that. I can’t pretend like this isn’t the end. 

I have to let go of hope, or be poisoned by it. 

I have to let her go. 

She deserves freedom. 

She deserves time. 

And I deserve . . . I expect that I don’t deserve much, despite what she says.

I long for her to love me when she is whole,

But until then,

I have to let her go. 

So,

Sweet dreams, kid.

CH 12/18/25