“Well, that was pretty deep. Are you going to keep your appointment?” Larry asked after I filled him in what was going on in my dreams and in my “real” life, ending with the therapy session.

“I don't think so, but I'm not sure. I have a week to think about it,” I said as I sipped a Las Puertas piña colada.

“Well, let me know if you'd like my opinion,” he said.

“I think you just gave it to me!” I laughed. Larry smiled. “I really would like your opinion about a couple of things, though. First, what do I do about the stalker?”

“We don't know he's a stalker. You only saw him twice, and neither time did he try to engage you. Could just be a coincidence. I don't know that there's too much you can do at this point, anyway. That said, what would make you more comfortable?”

“I don't know, man. I can't avoid a guy that might be following me. I could confront him, I guess. Or, maybe you could …” I suggested, only half kidding.

“Want me to hit him for you?” he joked.

“Ouch,” I said, still smiling. “You're right. Here's the deal. If he shows up again, I'll just ask him what he wants, and if I think I'm in danger, I'll just run. I'm sure he wouldn't be able to catch me.”

“Plan,” he said. “What else?”

Before I could answer, the waitress brought our dinners. I asked for another piña colada. I sipped the rest of the first drink and handed the empty glass to her, saying, “Thank you, ma'am” as she carried it away. I then continued with Larry.

“The portal. This is baffling. Why do you think I can't get in? It's a dream, right? I'm in control, no?”

“Maybe something's stopping you? Stress, perhaps? Didn't you say that you learned something like that in your dream workshop?”

That was a good question, and I figured it was time to share some of my dream encounters with the woman. I started from when I first met her on the boardwalk. Without sharing all the intimate details, I finished with the question I asked her while lying on the boat, looking at the portal.

“Holy crap!” he said. “You did meet your dream woman, I guess. Sounds like a really cool experience.” Suddenly, he looked very concerned. “But now I have a question: What exactly are you doing?”

“What do you mean?” I responded.

“Oh, I don't know. My friend Scott thought he might have seen God and maybe even felt heaven. That guy told me that he would do anything to have that experience again and answer some of life's most probing questions in his dreams. So what has he learned?” he asked, teasingly.

“Shit,” I said too loudly as the waitress was returning with my drink. She just smiled, but one of the other two customers in the restaurant gave me a dirty look. “Sorry,” I said to the gentleman, and he got back to his meal. I turned back to Larry. “Sorry, Lar. What I meant to say was f*ing shit,” I whispered.

Larry grinned, but then looked serious. “So, really, what are you doing, Scottie?” he asked again.

“I don't know,” I said, lowering my gaze to the steam coming off my plate.

“You know what? I don't know, either!” he said, while doing the Larry belly laugh. “Honestly, and I could be way out of my league here, so take it with a grain of salt, but I agree with you that you need to explore these dreams more deeply.”

“Thanks. I appreciate your support,” I said. We then finished our meals, including my third piña colada, without talking about anything too deep. That was a good thing, since I wouldn't have been able to concentrate. I was too distracted thinking about what he said while asking myself over and over again if I was dreaming.

My alarm went off the next morning at 6:59. No lucid dream at all. Between that, the therapy session, and possibly too many drinks, I just didn't feel great. I called Karine and told her I wouldn't be in. I moped around the house for most of the day until a loud bang on the door startled me.

“Larry, what are you doing here? Don't you have a class?”

“School's over for the day. Do you even know what time it is?” he asked. I didn't. “I called you at work and they said you were out for the day. Then I called your cell and you didn't answer. I figured I'd better get over here to see if you were okay.”

“Sorry. I'm fine, I just felt out of it and decided to hang home.”

“Well …” he looked me over. “Okay. Anyway, I've been thinking about what you told me about the portals in your dreams. I have an idea about how to get in.”

“Really? What?” I asked, feeling the first sign of enthusiasm that day. Larry is usually a cool character who wasn't in a rush about anything. This time, however, he excitedly jumped right in.

“I couldn't stop thinking about what you told me, and I know I shouldn't have to say this, but I'm going to give you an idea, not a fact.” I nodded, and Larry continued. “When you were telling me about your dream woman, I got the impression you weren't totally comfortable sharing all the details. I think that's significant. Your discomfort makes me think that you're not being true to yourself and you're feeling guilty about that. I think going through the portal is the next step you need to take, but the guilt you feel needs to be dealt with before you will be able to move forward.”

I thought about what he said. “Yeah, could be. I mean, I don't feel good about what I'm doing in those dreams. I don't even know the name of the woman I keep dreaming about. Maybe I need to pass some kind of test or elevate myself to a level that allows me to move forward? That makes sense.”

“If I can be completely honest with you,” Larry continued, “I'll tell you that whether it's your dream or waking life, you probably do need to make some changes.”

“Yeah. You're right. I'll do something different. Maybe even tonight. You really think that's the key to getting through the portal?”

“Yeah, I think the portal is the future. I think that in your dreams, you're acting like a teenager. I mean, you're in the past. So, in order to get to the future, you need to let go of the past.”

I heard him but didn't answer at first. “So, living in the past …” I stopped there and dove back into deep contemplation.

I was barely coherent as I heard myself ask if he wanted to get something to eat before he headed out, but he said he needed to get home quickly as the girls were expecting him for a family meeting about Paula's college options.