Page 5 of Don’t Open Your Eyes

She didn’t have time to discuss her sleeping habits. “Sorry, honey. I’m late. Gotta get going.”

“Okay, have a good day.” He leaned down and kissed her.

She skipped her morning affirmations and thought about her dream. James had never behaved in the way she was dreaming. Sure, he could be a little overprotective, but it was only because he cared so much. It made him happy to look out for all of them. Sometimes it was annoying. But he was always good-natured about it and backed off when she told him to. He was the one who made sure everyone took their vitamins, got their flu shots, and were never a day late for annual checkups. It was freeing in some ways since she didn’t have to worry about those things. She supposed it came with the territory of being married to a doctor. She did wish that he’d let his hair down a little bit more. And she could do without the disapproving looks she got when her second glass of wine at a party turned into a third. James rarely drank, only on special occasions, and then never more than one drink. As a neurologist, he said he knew too much about the brain to subject his own to the effects of alcohol. But all his fussing was because he loved her so much. And he never tried to prevent her from working or placed traditional gender roles on their relationship. He respected her career and knew it meant as much to her as his did to him. And despite the fact that he earned a lot more than she did, and had a nice trust fund from his parents, he never once suggested that she stay home since they didn’t need the money.

Before going downstairs, Annabelle stepped out onto the balcony that overlooked their front yard and inhaled the crisp air. The maple trees were magnificent, their leaves turning gorgeous shades of red and green. Fall was her favorite time of year; she made a mental note to remind James that they were going apple picking that Saturday. She reluctantly returned to the bedroom, grabbed her phone, and went downstairs.

—

At the office, Annabelle’s morning passed quickly in meetings. Her boss, Madeline, popped her head in around noon.

“Do you have time for lunch? Something I’d like to discuss with you.”

Annabelle picked up her phone and scrolled to the calendar. “I’m free till two. Where should we go?”

“Marco’s was sold and it’s under new management. A friend of mine knows the new chef. It’s called Blue Fig now. Today’s the first day it’s open.”

Annabelle’s head snapped up. “What did you say?”

“Marco’s is now called Blue Fig. Just reopened.”

“Did you mention that to me yesterday?”

Madeline gave her a strange look. “Uh, no. I was off, remember? I just heard about it yesterday myself.”

“Oh, someone else must have told me. Okay, I’ll meet you at the elevator in five.”

Annabelle leaned back in her chair, momentarily stunned. She’d dreamed about this. So strange. She must have read about the name change somewhere.

She grabbed her purse and walked to the elevator where Madeline was waiting. They’d been working together at the public relations firm for almost ten years and even though Madeline was Annabelle’s boss, they’d become close friends. She was in her early sixties, an attractive, vibrant woman who was well-respected by the entire team. The two of them had closed down a company happy hour on more than one occasion.

When they were seated at their table, Annabelle was disquieted to see that the tablecloths were the same as the ones in her dream. She ran her hand over the linen fabric. She realized with a start that she’d also dreamt about the blue vase that held sunflowers. She tried to think about where she may have seen them before. It was one thing to know the name—it had most likely been advertised and her subconscious picked it up. But there would be no way for her to know what the new decor was like, unless she’d seen a picture somewhere.

“Madame, would you like a drink?” the waiter asked.

“Club soda, please.”

“Same for me,” Madeline said.

“Am I in trouble or what?” Annabelle joked.

Madeline smiled. “Not at all. I’ll just come out and say it, Derrick and I are moving.”

Annabelle’s eyes widened. “You’re kidding. When? Where?”

“We’ve been talking about Charleston for a while. Kirby and her husband are expecting in the spring, and we want to be close to our grandchild. I’ve accepted an offer with a firm down there.”

The news left Annabelle momentarily speechless. She’d had no idea Madeline was even considering moving. She assumed she would stay at the company until she retired. But if Annabelle’s children lived out of state, she’d be tempted to move too. “I get it. But I’m going to miss you. Are you going soon?”

“I’ve given a month’s notice.”

“Do you know who’s going to take your place?”

“Well, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I was thinking that you might want to.”

“Really? Wow, I don’t know. Have you discussed this with Michael?”

Madeline nodded. “Yeah. We both think you’d be terrific. And I can tell you, he’s great to work for. I think you’d do well with him. You love innovating, and he’s very open to trying new things.”