I raised my eyebrows and harrumphed softly. “Yeah. You aren’t the first person to make that observation.”

“I am certain of that.”

“So…you’re going to make me say it, aren’t you?”

“We cannot discuss this fully until you do.”

“I don’t want to.”

“All right, start there. Why not?”

“Because if I do…well, if I do then that might make it real. I can’t let it be real. Hell, I came here so you could tell me that it’s not.”

“I understand that.”

“Okay then. So you obviously know what it is. Just tell me I’m being paranoid, and we’ll be done with all this.”

“Me telling you what you want to hear will not fix the issue. You know that, Rowan.”

“Okay, so what will?”

“You facing your fear.”

“Facing my fear? Are you kidding? Haven’t I faced enough of those for one lifetime?”

“Actually, my friend, you have come nose to nose with more fears than anyone I know, and I commend you for that. But, by the same token, you have turned and run from just as many, if not more.”

“Some of them just don’t need facing, Helen.”

“Perhaps you are correct. It is true that some fears are transient. However, this one is not, and it will haunt you if you run from it. You know this. That is why you are here now.”

I slowly twisted around and looked out at the scattered clouds in the sky. It was now a given that we were going to veer down this road whether I wanted to or not.

“All right,” I finally agreed as I hung my head. “I’m afraid the woman in the nightmare might be Felicity.”

CHAPTER 2:

Felicity.

Felicity Caitlin O’Brien, to be exact-my wife, and unequivocally the greatest love of my life.

It sickened me that this vile thought could even cross my mind. And, that exact thought was also the very reason why I had gone to great lengths to hide this recurring nightmare from her.