Hat tip to Smitty for the idea.

When Dylan fell asleep last night he didn’t know he would be visited by his parents. As soon as his REM cycle kicks in any moment now…

Dylan’s father, Abe, died suddenly about ten years ago. Heart attack. When Dylan thinks about it in hindsight, they probably all should have seen the signs. But hindsight is 20/20, right?

Dylan’s mom, Judy, died more recently – only about two years ago. Cancer. But as far as cancer goes, it ran its course in just two months from diagnosis to her last breath – time enough to say goodbyes, but just.

An only child, Dylan took losing his dad hard, but losing his mother devastated him. “We were on the same wavelength,” he would tell people. Friends who he grew up with knew exactly what he meant. Those who didn’t know his mom – like Ellie, his girlfriend snoring softly next to him in bed – nod their heads and imagine what Judy must have been like based on knowing Dylan. “I’m sorry I never met her,” is generally said in response. And they know Dylan, so they really mean it.

The visit will start as soon as Dylan’s REM cycle begins – these things are hard to accurately judge, particularly as Dylan and Ellie’s cat, Pogo, decided to walk across Dylan to get to the crook of Ellie’s knee. Okay, just a second now…

While Dylan didn’t know this visit was going to happen when he fell asleep last night, Judy and Abe knew. It was a week ago – or was it two days ago? Time is funny on the other side. The exact time isn’t important, but they were visiting the Cliff Palace Pueblo cliff dwellings in Arizona.

“This is extraordinary!” Abe exclaimed examining the balcony house. “Why didn’t we stop here when we drove through Arizona in… was it ’85?”

“It was ’84,” Judy corrected. “And it was because Dylan was embracing his ‘terrible twos.’”

Abe laughed at the memory. “I remember that now. We stopped for exactly twelve minutes at the south rim of the Grand Canyon and then, we were back on the road with him crying inconsolably.” He smiled sadly at the memory. “Poor kid…”

“We weren’t thinking that at the time,” Judy said.

“No, I think we both wanted to sell him on the side of the road,” he laughed. “Judy, do you want to visit Dylan?”

“Always, Abe. But… I mean, I don’t want to, well, I don’t want to haunt the boy.”

“No, I understand. But, you know, we haven’t seen him in a while… well, it seems like a while at least…”

“It’s been a week. Well,” Judy looked at watch, “maybe a week on this side… What’s that for him? I can’t seem to get the conversion right…”

“Five or six months,” Abe said.

“Oh, that long?”

“Time’s strange. It’s slippery,” Abe nodded.

“Don’t I know it. Don’t I know it…” Judy took a few steps to the edge of the plateau. “That’s not too soon, then,” she said. “How should we visit, Abe?”

Abe furrowed his brow in thought. “What if it were just a normal day… a normal high school day for him?”

“That would be nice, wouldn’t it?” Judy agreed.

From Mesa Verde in Arizona, they visited the Temple of the Sun in Teotihuacán, Mexico, where they settled on exactly which night they would visit Dylan. “I’m so glad we don’t have to walk all these stairs,” Abe said gratefully.

“You’re right about that,” Judy said. “So just a normal day, right? Not like his birthday or Christmas?”

“Well,” Abe said looking across the complex, “We could do his birthday, but then it’s the event and we just want to spend time with him, right?”

“Good point, Abe. I’m new to all this…”

“I know, honey,” Abe said. “But I’m glad you’re here. Even if that means you’re not there…” they exchanged the same bittersweet look they’d been trading since Judy crossed over.

I’d like to tell you about some of the other pre-Columbian ruins Judy and Abe visited between then and now, but Dylan’s REM cycle is about to start. Judy is in the kitchen making pancakes in the memory Dylan has of their house as it was when he was in high school. Abe is still in their bedroom getting ready.

Dylan’s alarm clock went off after having been slapped into snoozing several times. Realizing he can’t put it off any more, he climbs out of bed and puts on the shorts, tshirt, and Vans on the floor. He grabs his backpack and heads out into the hallway where he smells… “Mom? Are you making pancakes?”

“Yes, honey,” Judy smiles to herself, fighting not to cry. “Blueberry – your favorite.”

“Aww, mom, I’m going to be late. I overslept!”

“Nonsense, Dylan. You’ve got time for pancakes. Come on now.”

Dylan drops his backpack by the front door and retreats back into the kitchen.

“Have a seat,” she motions to the breakfast table with one hand as she flips a pancake with the other.

“That smells amazing, dear,” Abe says entering the kitchen adjusting his tie. He kisses Judy on the cheek and takes a seat opposite Dylan. “Anything going on today at school, Dylan?”

“Umm…” Dylan tries to recall anything about school but nothing comes. “No, nothing really.”

Judy places a plate of steaming pancakes in front of him. “Butter and syrup are there,” she says returning to the griddle.

“What’s the occasion?” Dylan asks capping the syrup and diving in to the stack.

Judy and Abe exchange the look.

“No occasion,” Judy says. “Just seemed like a good idea.”

“I agree,” Dylan says through a mouthful of pancakes.

“Dylan, not with your mouth full,” Abe admonishes.

“Sorry, dad,” he takes a sip of orange juice. “Meetings today?”

“Yes,” Abe says. “District manager is in town. Should be boring.”

“Sounds boring,” Dylan agrees before eating another forkful.

Judy places a plate of pancakes in front of Abe. He isn’t hungry – well, he’s never hungry any more – but he really just wants to watch his son eat pancakes. Judy, too, stares at Dylan from across the kitchen. After a moment Dylan notices and stops chewing mid-bite. “Umm, you guys okay? What’d I do?”

Abe gives him a warm smile and then starts cutting into his pancakes. “You haven’t done anything, Dylan.”

“It’s just nice to have you both here for breakfast,” Judy says, grateful she is facing away from him so he can’t see the tear escape and trace a line down her cheek.

Dylan takes another bite then absently looks at his watch. “Oh crap,” he swears, “I’m really late now!” He pushes the chair back and pops up. He steps around the table and hugs Abe. “Good luck with your meeting, dad.” Abe squeezes him briefly and fights the desire to hold the hug as long as he possibly can.

Dylan moves across the kitchen, kisses Judy on the cheek and hugs her tightly. She, too, resists the urge to hold him too long. “Thanks for breakfast, mom!”

“There’ll be leftovers in the fridge after school.”

“That’s great,” he says, moving out of the kitchen and towards the door. Abe joins Judy at the edge of the kitchen as Dylan picks up his backpack. “See you guys later!” He opens the front door, waves, and disappears outside, the door closing behind him.

Judy and Abe stare after where he disappeared.

“This is hard,” Judy said letting the tears roll unchecked down her cheeks.

“It doesn’t get much easier,” Abe puts his arm around her shoulder.

“It’s worth it, though,” Judy says nodding her head.

“Yeah…” Abe says.

Judy sighs, then says, “Chichen Itza?”

“Yes,” Abe agrees, “Let’s go,” and they both disappear from the kitchen of Dylan’s memory of the house.

When Dylan fell asleep last night he didn’t know he would be visited by his parents. But as he hits snooze on his iPhone he thinks back on the dream of eating pancakes with his parents. His heart hurts a little knowing it was just a dream, but it felt so real… He knows he’s going to cherish this dream for as long as he can.