Kate lay in the hammock green leaves a canopy overhead, the sounds of birds twittering in the hedge and someone’s lawn mower eating grass a few lawns away. She held a book in her hands but the story had failed to hold her attention. After re-reading the same paragraph three times without it penetrating her brain, she lay it open, face down on her chest. She closed her eyes breathed deeply the scent of lilacs and fresh cut grass floating on the breeze.

Kate awoke with a start peering into creamy caramel colored eyes in a weathered bronze face surrounded by black wavy hair graying at the temples. He leaned back moving farther from her lips. Had he kissed her? She raised her hand and touched her lips a faint warm moistness lingered. His smile caused her heartbeat to quicken.

A chuffing noise drew her attention over his shoulder. A horse in saddle and armor grazed on her lawn. Her eyes flew back to the man before her, moving beyond his face to his pauldron covered shoulders, his breastplate and chain mail hauberk. He held a helmet in his hand.

“Who are you?”

“Madam, I am Sir William the Brave. I have kissed your lips to awaken you and whisk you from your life of drudgery.”

Kate pinched her arm. “Ouch! Okay, this is supposed to be real.”

Sir William took her hand in his. “Of course I am real.” He helped her to sit. “Shall we go?”

“Where will you take me?”

He raised her hand to his lips placed a kiss soft and tender. “My lady, my palace awaits you. I am your knight in shining armor.”

Kate stifled a laugh. “This must be some kind of joke. If you are my knight in shining armor, you’re about thirty years too late. I’m a married woman.”

“You are an unhappily married woman in this world. In my world, I have been awaiting your call many years. My heart has yearned for you so imagine my joy upon hearing your call today. I came as quickly as I could. It is never to late for a knight to rescue his lady. Please, let’s be off.”

Kate, still considering the possibility she was dreaming or that one of her friends had set up this great trick, arose, gasped as the knight lifted her upon his horse then mounted behind her. Her heart seemed to long for this knight or was it just the excitement of her childish hope in a real “happily ever after”?