Eddie - Friday Morning
Eddie awoke on Friday morning, his body covered in sweat. Glancing at the alarm clock, he discovered it was 7:48; he had slept through the night. No recollection of the nightmare or any other dream remained. He could only assume that he had dreamt, and it had disrupted his sleep. Eddie chose not to delve into what had troubled his slumber.
Despite the potential nightmare, he marveled at how remarkably refreshed he felt. In fact, he couldn't remember the last time he'd woken up feeling so rejuvenated.
"Let's not ruin it," he murmured to no one in particular.
Eddie prepared for work with a light breakfast of his favorite: toast with strawberry jam and a pot of coffee brewed from freshly ground Kenya Estate beans from Second Cup, another favorite. After a quick shower, he dressed for work.
It was Friday, marking the beginning of another twelve-hour shift at the pool hall before his days off. Those days off meant he would get to see Colin, his son, tomorrow, bringing a wide smile to his face.
When Eddie arrived at work, he was twenty minutes late. Fortunately, his boss had his back. It was still early, and only one or two of the 24 tables were in use. The night crew had the cleanup duty after the rowdy patrons left, making it more of a babysitting job for the first few hours.
Eddie's boss, Dominic Castillo, called him into the office and gestured for Eddie to take a seat.
"What's up, Dom?" Eddie asked.
"I could ask you the same thing," Dominic replied. "You've been acting strangely lately."
"I'm good, just some..." Eddie paused, reluctant to mention the nightmares. He didn't know what to say. "Just some personal issues," Eddie finally managed.
Eddie knew he needed to confide in someone about these nightmares, as they were eating him up inside. He was afraid that anyone he told would dismiss it as stress or something trivial, but he felt differently. He thought it wouldn't hurt to share.
"Hey, Dom, you're right. Something is bothering me," Eddie admitted.
"I'm all ears," Dom said, raising both hands behind his ears.
Eddie began recounting the series of recurring dreams, leading up to the last one where Colin was abducted. Talking about it made him feel better, like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. They sat in silence for a moment, the occasional sound of someone taking a shot on a nearby pool table.
Then Dominic spoke, "That's some pretty heavy stuff right there." He paused and asked accusingly, "You sure you ain't using again?"
Eddie defended himself, swearing that he hadn't been using anything. More silence followed. Eddie expected Dom to dismiss it as stress related to the divorce or some other issue.
However, Dom sat up straight, gazing directly into Eddie's eyes. "You know my wife believes in all that 'dreams have meanings' mumbo jumbo, swears by it, really." He pointed at Eddie and continued, "Whatever you need, kiddo, just ask. Time off to spend with the boy or anything, just name it."
Eddie thanked Dom for the offer, remarking that he would keep it in mind. He made his way back into the hall and resumed his daily routine.
As quitting time approached, Eddie contemplated going home right away to relax. After all, he would be seeing Colin tomorrow morning.
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