I was thinking about that episode this morning while I watched Riley sleeping. He was spread out on his side, his leg muscles twitching rhythmically as he ran in his dreams. I hoped that he was also dreaming about running with the big boys.
It was all so normal, I mean, who hasn’t watched their dog running in their sleep, right? It took a minute for me to remember that it wasn’t always like this for Riley. When he first came home with us he had nightmares. He would yelp in pain and growl and bark defensively in his sleep. He would cry and whimper and make these heartbreaking sounds that let us know that when he closed his eyes he was still battling the horrors of his previous life. He often woke up disoriented and shaking in fear.
These nightmares were a frequent occurrence at first. This morning I couldn’t remember his last nightmare. Had it really been that long? Had it been months? Was it safe to think that the nightmares were done, or had they just been happening when I wasn’t home? I called into the other room to check with my son, and he verified that he hadn’t witnessed any nightmares in a long time either. He came into the kitchen and we both watched Riley sleeping and twitching. My son was smiling. So was I. And Riley was running with the big dogs.