Every day this week, my dreams have been smiling at me. Swirling within my mind, cupping my cheeks, beaming at the steps I’ve made. It isn’t often I wake up with a smile dancing upon my lips, with a lightness settling across my bones, lifting them to the clouds. A breath of fresh air within my lungs as full and refreshing as if I had been beneath the sea for ages. My fingertips buzz with my heartbeat, and the blankets upon my body shift as I stretch each muscle, each ligament. I had been within a box, dark and wooden and compressed to the floor miles beneath the salty water. With the strength of my nails, my claws, I managed to break into oxygen, see the sky, see land in the distance. Sputtering and laughing and crying, my dreams celebrate our victory, bringing me assurances, bringing me love. And while I have not made it to land yet, I know it will not be long until my hands grasp the shore, my toes press against sand, and I can dry myself in the sun I missed so much.