I woke at 3 AM from a dream I could not remember.

Only the feeling of it. A sense of purpose that was not mine and a love that absolutely was.

I sat up in the dark and tried to remember. The dream dissolved like smoke through fingers.

I was left with the residue and no way to tell where one ended and the other began.

For several minutes, I remained still, waiting for another piece of the dream to return. I remembered the warmth of someone's presence, the certainty that I needed to protect ...