A Familiar Prison

Chapter 30

They got back to Katie and Kevin's house and had some lunch. AJ took his laptop to the dining room table and he and Gwen looked at cars together. They found one they liked and made an appointment to go look at it the next day.

AJ started working on a project for work and Gwen moved to the couch, got a book, and started reading. Her phone alerted her to a text, and she saw it was from her sister. All the sudden, everything became muffled, her heart started pounding, and she felt faint. "A— AJ... AJ... AJ!" She started gasping like she couldn't breathe.

"Honey, what's wrong?" AJ looked over to her. Gwen's face was stark white. He came running to her. She pointed to her phone. He looked and only saw a text from her sister. Why would that— oh. At first he wasn't sure why a text from Jessica would elicit this reaction from her, then realized why- her nightmare. It started out with contact from her sister, and ended up with everyone leaving her. With how fragile her mind is right now, she could be on her way to shutting down again. I need to stop that from happening right now! His head snapped back to look at Gwen. "Gwen! Baby, listen to me. I'm right here. Nothing is going to happen. That was all a nightmare. I'm right here Honey. Come here." He embraced her. "Listen to my breathing to help you get calm. Feel my arms around you and my heart beating with you. Close your eyes and imagine a library full of books. Breathe in through your nose, out through your mouth. I'm right here, Honey. Breathe with me." He took some slow deep breaths in and out, she was trying to match his breathing. "There. I'm still right here, It's all going to be alright." He was rubbing his hand up and down her back soothingly to try to help keep her calm. Her breathing started evening out from the panic attack, but then she started crying. He continued stroking her back, holding her and comforting her. "It's okay, I'm right here." He kissed her forehead. "It's okay. Let it all out. I'm right here, Baby. It's all going to be okay."

After a little bit, she was able to calm down enough to talk. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have reacted that way. It's only a text from Jess. I just saw it and couldn't get the nightmare out of my head."

"Honey, you're fine. You have no need to apologize." He looked at the text again. "Why don't you call her, and I'll be right here with you."

Gwen nodded, then called her sister, who was wanting to visit. Gwen agreed, gave her the information, and started pacing. "What if my dream was a premonition? What if she really does think that stuff? I've told Mom and Dad all about what has happened, but what if they didn't tell her and she's mad about it? I didn't tell her because I didn't want to keep rehashing it, and I asked Mom to tell her. Could it have been a premonition? Does that mean—" Gwen was blathering on, and AJ took her face in his hands and kissed her to get her to focus on just him for the moment.

When they broke apart, she closed her eyes, sighed, and wrapped her arms around him. He wrapped his arms around her as well. "Thanks. I know I'm rambling and I just needed to be grounded." She sighed again.

"Think rational Baby— Jess isn't like that, she never would treat you that way."

"You're right. Even if it does start coming true, you're right here. You won't leave me, right?"

"Of course not Honey. I'm yours, forever and ever." He kissed her forehead again. AJ went back to his computer and Gwen decided to sit down beside him and read her book until her sister arrived.