I dreamed last night...

Angel,

I had a dream. I dreamed that I bought you a big beautiful cottage on a private lake. It sat on a slope at the end of a bay - tall, light wood and glass, with a view of the lake. Most of the shore is rugged, but here is a beach, a diving platform to swim to -  and a wide dock with chairs - the kind of dock that draws you down at dusk and dawn with a coffee. It is the kind of dock that insists on quiet in the twilight and insists on noisy boisterous children running, jumping and splashing in the day. I dreamed that the cottage was everything you want in a cottage - large family space, large kitchen, full gym, lawn with room to play... the perfect place.

In my dream there is only one other cottage on the lake. It can be seen from your dock - down the bay, just before the point. The cottage is green wood and the dock is large - but from here that's all you can tell. That is my cottage and I will stay there for the summer.

In my dream I bought the cottage for you without telling you. I arranged to have you picked up at work, driven to the island airport. From there a float plane flew you to our lake, landing and docking in front of your cottage. The whole time BBMing me wondering what the hell was going on - and me trying to convince you to trust me and comply.

When you finally step onto your dock the pilot unloads a bag I arranged to have packed. He hands you the keys and tells you the place is yours - the keys to the truck you will find on the kitchen table. He climbs back in, shoves off, and is down the lake and in the air leaving you stunned.

Bewildered, you carry your bag to the cottage.  On the table you find the promised keys, a road map with a red dot showing you where you are, and a note from me. The note explains that the cottage, everything in it, and the truck all belong to you - yours to do with as you want. You explore a little, finding a fully stocked fridge and pantry. Beds and linens, toiletries, cleaning supplies - everything you could need to stay here very comfortably.

You text me that you can't believe it, you're overwhelmed, and nervous about being alone and that Kevin and Jess don't know where you are. I reply that you should go to the dock and wait - trust me. When you get to the dock and squint out over the lake you can make out a canoe paddling toward you. After a few minutes you can see that it is me in the canoe and I am grinning at you. I slide the canoe onto the beach, step into the shallow water and walk up to you taking you into my arms for a minute. I can tell that you have a million questions so I set you down in a chair, I sit beside you.

I tell you that it all belongs to you - your family knows that you are here and I have arranged for them to fly in tomorrow. I tell you that I can get them here tonight if you want - but as I say it we both know that we both want this one night alone. I will leave before they arrive and never know I was there. I offer to bring anyone you want - sisters, mom, anyone you want...

Still in shock, I take you by the hand and lead you up to your cottage. Knowing that you must be hungry, I bring you a beer and start to cook for you. You sit at the counter, watching me as I work. We talk and tease and fall into our easy rhythm. I stop between tasks to come around behind you to touch you or steal a kiss. Some of our kisses linger and there is a look in your eye that puts us in danger of a burnt dinner... Soon...

After dinner we take our coffee and a blanket down to the dock. The night is clear and has cooled but isn't cold. The moon is fat and silver - and the stars are coming out. Once the moon dips below the horizon there will be so many stars that it boggles the mind to think how many there must be. We spread the blanket on the dock and lay on our bellies to easier drink our coffee.  After a short while I stand up and begin stripping down. Once naked I walk to the end of the dock and dive in. You stare in dis-belief. Never having been skinny dipping, I have to convince you while hanging to the end of the dock. Finally persuaded, you walk to the beach and begin to disrobe. I watch you from the water and I notice the effects of the cold on your body. You stand naked on the beach, shy and exposed – feeling self-conscious  but putting on a brave face. You are stunningly beautiful and I ache just to see you there. I walk out of the water toward you, take you by the hand, and lead you back into the water. It is surprisingly warmer than you expected and you relax a little.

Together we float and talk and play. I feel your smooth wet skin against mine and we come together in a kiss. You are buoyant in my embrace and I feel your legs wrap around my waist. We bob in the lake under the moon and stars making love in a slow rhythmic waltz. The world contains only us…

In my dream we spend the night together – we leave ourselves completely open to each other and we are moved.

In the morning, after breakfast and with the sun shining warm and bright, I leave you for my own cottage. A short while later the float plane lands, bringing with it your excited family, bounding and screaming to see you. You greet them on the dock. After everything is off the plane, you watch it taxi down to the far dock and can barely make out a figure climbing in. You watch the plane take off, circle once and then disappear over the horizon.

Me.