Page 46 of When Love Is Lost and Found

We parted ways at the door with a simple good night.

That was almost two hours ago, so I'm not surprised when the phone rings and Mrs. Linder tells me Noah is staying with them tonight.

"Should I bring him a change of clothes for tomorrow?"

"No," she says. "I packed a few of his things in my bag, so we're good. He already took a bath and changed into pajamas."

"Great," I say. "Then I'll see you in the morning. Have a good night."

"Good night."

I turn the light off and feel myself dozing immediately.

"Jimmy!" The name sounds far but frantic as I struggle to rise from the depths of sleep.

"Jimmy!"

There it is again! This time I open my eyes and focus on what I think I hear. I listen intently, wondering if it was just a dream.

"Jimmy, please hang on!"

No, that's real. I sit up in bed and switch the light on. I manage to control my breathing and try to listen carefully.

I feel cold, tiny goosebumps forming on my skin when I hear, "I got you, Jimmy, I got you. No, Nooo!"

It's Jon! He's having a nightmare! I jump out of bed and walk to the adjoining door. Should I go in? I knock twice, but there's no response. I can hear movement and what sounds like grunting. I slowly turn the knob and find it unlocked. I push the door open, and the light from my room immediately illuminates the space. I see Jon's tall frame lying on top of the covers. He's wearing jeans but no shirt. He's shaking his head back and forth as if wrestling with demons in the depths of a hellish nightmare.

"Jon," I whisper, approaching slowly. "Jon, wake up."

He doesn't hear me.

I sit on the edge of the bed and gently shake his shoulder. His skin is warm and flushed.

"Jon, please wake up," I say, trying to be as gentle as possible. "It's me, Sharon."

When he opens his eyes, they're filled with sheer terror, and I feel my heart break.

"It was only a dream," I say, stroking his shoulder. "It's okay. You're okay."

I can't help myself. I throw my arms around him, feeling incredibly protective of him and sad that he has to go through this.

"You're okay, Jon. I'm here. It was just a dream."

"It was just a dream," he says breathlessly. "It was just a dream."

"That's right," I say, rubbing his back. When he wraps his arms around me and buries his face in my hair, I close my eyes and let myself get lost in this moment. I don't know what I feel right now, but I know I never want to let go.

We remain in a tight embrace, so close that I can feel his heart pounding next to mine.

When he pulls away and looks at me, the panic in his eyes is gone, but I still want to hear it from him. "Are you okay?" I ask, searching his face for the answer.

"I'm so sorry," he says, trying to catch his breath. "I haven't had a nightmare that intense in almost a month."

"Don't be sorry," I say. "It's not your fault."

"I'm so glad Noah wasn't here to witness it," he says, running his fingers through his hair. "It would've scared him. Did I scare you?"

"No, I'm okay. You were calling Jimmy's name."

---