I grab on to her wrists, pull them away from her face and kiss her lips, lips that can’t kiss me back. <i> “Please, wake up. I’m right here.” </i><br />I take in her bottom lip, and it’s hard to do when her body trembles and her arms shake for freedom. As I move away, Echo briefly stills. My heart pounds hard once. She heard me. <i> “It’s a bad dream, Echo. It’s not real.” </i><br />Her arms relax as she stops fighting, and when I link my fingers with hers, she holds me back. Behind her closed lids, her eyes dart. She still belongs to the dream, but for the first time, I’m in there with her. I lower my forehead to hers. <i> “Come back to me, baby.” </i>