Lily trudged through the thick woods in hiking boots, jeans, and a T-shirt. She had started walking in the woods behind her house. As soon as she had learned that Caleb existed on this plane as well, she knew she had to find him.

She hadn’t really prepared well. It was spring, and balmy enough not to wear a jacket outside the woods, but inside them it was chilly and shadowy. She was getting cold. And, frankly, she had almost forgotten which direction she’d come from. She realized she’d better go back.

She turned around and started walking. Next time she’d bring bread crumbs or something. Walking in these woods was kind of disorienting. And there were no paths. The trees were so close together that there was no smooth ground to walk on. It was all sort of lumpy, from roots under the earth.

The daylight got brighter up ahead and she breathed a sigh of relief. Within minutes she had stepped back into her backyard. She stood there breathing heavily, hands on her hips, sunshine glinting off her glowing skin. Her OB/GYN doctor had told her to exercise. It was about time she listened to her.

She walked inside to make herself some lemonade. Maybe she should get herself a compass too. What a weird life she had. She couldn’t exactly tell her friends. “Yes, I spend my days looking for the father of my unborn child who I’ve never met but somehow mystically got me pregnant and lives in the dense woods behind my house.” But as silly as that was, maybe it would all work out somehow.

* * *

Lily went to sleep that night with one goal in mind. To convince Caleb to let himself be known to her in this world. The “real” world. If he could even remember it. The real world was so vague from Alinora.

Suddenly she found herself standing in a mist, in one of her old-fashioned dresses. She seemed to be in a meadow or clearing. She couldn’t see very far, but there was grass under her feet. It was daytime, probably early morning. Just then Caleb stepped out of the mist in front of her, smiling. He stepped over to her quickly and grabbed her by the waist and held her to him and spun her around in a little dance. She laughed. He set her down and looked down at her.

“There you are,” she said.

“And here you are,” he answered. He bent down to kiss her.

“There’s a mist,” she said.

“Sometimes,” he nodded.

He took her hand and led her to a tree stump that hadn’t been visible before. He sat down and pulled her onto his lap.

“I had something to say to you,” she said, trying to remember.

“Really?” he said, sounding intrigued.

“It was important,” she said.

“Mm,” he said, nibbling on her shoulder a little bit through her gauzy sleeve.

She laughed.

Then she stood up as if a thought had returned to her. “Oh, yes,” she said. “I remember.”

He raised his eyebrows and waited.

“You come from the world I come from,” Lily said.

“The world beyond Alinora?” he said.

“Yes,” she answered, starting to pace, trying to remember.

“And I need to find you there,” she said. “But it’s hard. I can’t seem to find you. I mean, I don’t know where to look.”

“Do you need to find me there?” he asked. “You have me here.”

“But we could be happy in both places,” she said. She went and sat on his lap again, and played with the hair at the back of his head. “Our baby can’t be born here,” she said. “The seer told me. I can only give birth in the other world.” She stared off into space, into the mist as she said, “When I’m in the other world, it seems more important. Like it matters more than this one. Do you know what I mean?” she asked.

“I do,” he said, “but I live here.” He brought her other hand to his lips and kissed it. “To me the other world is less important.”

“Caleb,” she said, surprised. “You really won’t let me find you there?”

“Here is what matters,” he said. He kissed her gently. Then more passionately. She forgot about the other world for the moment. It really did seem unimportant here. Especially as he laid her gently in the damp grass and started to disrobe her. The mist was only slightly chilly. Their bodies created plenty of heat as he ravaged her with kisses and gently made love to her in the meadow, their voices echoing through the thick silence of the mist.

She arched her back as a crescendo of pleasure and energy traveled up her body, up her spine. The mist disappeared as she woke to find herself writhing in her own bed. She was awake again. And suddenly realized why. She had to pee right now. She leaped clumsily out of bed and ran to the bathroom.

“Stupid pregnancy,” she said, “waking me up again…” Always at the best moments. Still she smiled at the memory of the mist, still fresh in her mind.

A few minutes later she snuggled up in bed again, hoping to drop into sleep quickly. It didn’t take long for her to return to Alinora. She found herself standing in the middle of their living room. He was at the kitchen counter, cutting fruit.

“There you are,” he said.

“Here I am,” she answered dreamily.

He walked over to her and put his arm around her and fed her a piece of apple. Then kissed her to share the apple with her. She forgot she’d ever been away.

* * *