In Her Dreams

not wanting to hurt this warrior’s pride. Clearly, he’s been very brave in this broken world. “I can see that.”
“My dad sucks,” he says with a sigh, almost to himself. “But you’re just some stranger trying to get in my mom’s pants.”
I cock my head. “No, I’m not. And please don’t talk about her like that.”
Joey looks to the side. “I didn’t mean it bad. That’s what all the kids say about their stepdads. I don’t want one. They seem mean.”
“Stepdad?”
“It’s when your mom gets married,” Joey says glumly.
People in the dream fae realm don’t have stepparents, but I’m not going to tell him that yet.
“I’m not trying to do anything but love her,” I say. “Give her everything she always should have had.”
“She has me,” he says, and his small hands tighten into fists. “She doesn’t need another monster around.”
“I’m not a monster,” I say. “How can I prove myself to you? Because you are the most important man in her life. I can see that. I’ll need to prove myself to you if I want to stay.” I nod. “You’re a strong warrior, Joey. You should be proud of how you’ve protected your mom.”
His eyes meet mine warily, and there’s a twitch at the side of his lips as if he’s trying not to be happy about what I said. He puts a grumpy look on. “I mean. I tried.”
“You’ve done awesome!” I say. “But what about a teammate? It can be hard protecting someone by yourself.”
He shakes his head. “I’m not that weak.”
“Weak?” I laugh. “I have teammates for most of my missions. Working together doesn’t make us weak. It makes us stronger.”
“You really are a weirdo,” he says. He sighs. “But you don’t seem that bad.”
“I’m not bad,” I say. “I couldn’t hurt a fly.”
He looks me up and down. “That’s kind of what I’m afraid of, to be honest. I mean, you’re huge, dude. But you seem really… nice.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
He shrugs one shoulder. “With men like my dad around, being nice… it doesn’t work.”
I lean in a bit, hoping to look more casual than the rage inside me lets me feel as I address this subject. “How often is he around?”
“Not that much,” Joey mutters. “But when he does show up, everything goes to crap.” He cracks his knuckles. “I’m getting big, though. He’s going to regret it when he shows up again.”
I carefully adjust my posture. “I mean, sure. But when you’re at school, wouldn’t it make you feel better to know someone could make sure he’s not around?”
Joey lifts a shoulder. “But you could be bad as well.”
“I get that,” I say, understanding that it’s very complicated for this young man to have me around him.
I think perhaps Jen was right, and I should have stayed away.
But what do I do, torn between this tiny warrior’s pride and my fear for his mother’s safety?
“I’ll tell you what,” I say, standing and brushing off my knees. “My name is Reve. You or your mom ever need me, you just say my name, and I’m there.”
Joey screws up his nose in confusion. “What do you mean? Like a genie?”
I laugh. “Kind of. I do make wishes come true.”
Joey eyes me hesitantly. “Any wish? Even for, like, someone to be dead?”
My heart pounds because I’m assuming he means his father, and I’m right to be worried. “Any wish.”
He drops his head again with a rueful grin. “I guess I don’t mind a genie being around.” He grabs an action figure next to his bed and studies it, then looks over at me again. “Are you like a superhero or something?”
I guess I should be glad that human children still have so much capacity to believe in everything.
“A bit like one.” I guess because I’ve seen a few movies with Jerrek.
“Do you beat up bad guys?”
I nod slightly. “When they need it.”
He makes a “psh” sound and shakes his head. “I doubt it. You’re too nice.” He sets the figure aside and turns to look at me. “But maybe after Dad, you’re what she needs. Someone really nice and patient.” He rolls onto his back again. “I can protect all three of us.” He’s quiet for a moment. “I do have one wish, though.”
“Anything,” I say because I can already feel love welling in me for this little warrior who’s so fierce and good, just like Jen.
It almost seems too good to be true that I get to have this good little warrior in my circle too just because I get Jen.
However, I know I’ll have to prove myself to him. To both of them.
“Make me strong,” he says, looking at his superhero again. “Make me able to beat him. My dad I mean.”
My heart clenches painfully because I feel his need to protect like a sword going straight through my chest.
It’s a natural urge for a warrior and needs to be guided.
He’s already a good little man, but at this age, he should be worried about other things than needing to be in fights.
But there is one thing I can promise him, knowing who his mom is.
“You’re definitely going to be strong,” I say firmly. “I don’t even need to grant a wish for that.”
He rolls over to face me. “Make me strong now. You’re a genie, right?”
I move my hand toward him, waving it. “There, you’re strong. You just need to believe it and let yourself keep growing.”
In truth, this little dream warrior will be terrifyingly strong. He just doesn’t know it yet. He already is mentally.
But as for dealing physical punishment, that is my job as a fully grown warrior.
And I mean to protect him as well as his mom.
But for his pride, he doesn’t need to know that yet.
“I do think I’m pretty strong, though,” he says, looking up at the ceiling. “Sometimes I think I have a superhero inside me.”
“You do?”
He nods. “Sometimes I don’t think I’m a human. But something with wings. That’s crazy, right?” He’s still watching