When Charlie tries to explain what he means, Joy is so upset that I stop that discussion immediately. “We need your Dad,” I say. 

But that doesn’t help. Justin can’t hear us and none of us dares even lean into Colin’s dream. 

“I know who can explain this,” I tell Joy. “We’re going to Grandma Suzy.” 

We leave Justin to play in Colin’s dream and go back to his dream. 

Back home, in our living room, Suzy hears what Charlie told Joy and shakes her head. 

“Oh, my my.” She sits in front of Joy and takes our granddaughter's hands in hers. “Listen, Joy. Did your Dad ever tell you how kids come into the world?” 

Joy shakes her head. “Charlie told me they come out of the stomach.” 

“Yeah, that’s true. But before that. It takes two people to create a child. You need this small cell called an egg, although it’s not like any egg you know. Eggs are found in women. You have eggs inside you that at some point will become fertile.” 

Joy is confused. “Never mind that,” Suzy says. “You have eggs. That’s one half. Then you need another kind of cell that’s called a sperm. Only boys, well, men and teenagers, have sperm. A man and a woman fall in love, and the man gives the woman his sperm.” Charlie is staring at Suzy wide-eyed. I’m thinking this is new to him, too. Me, I’ve heard Suzy explain this age-appropriately to our kids over the years, changing what she says as they grow up. 

“The sperm has to meet the egg,” Suzy says. “And together that creates the first cell of a baby. Then the baby grows inside your uterus. Which feels like the stomach,” she points to it on Joy’s body. “But it’s called the uterus. The woman gets pregnant. The baby grows inside of her and then, when it’s ready, it comes out.” 

“Okay. So I can have a baby when I’m an adult! I told you!” 

“But Joy,” Suzy says as warmly as she can. “You can’t have sperm from a man because you live in the Dream. Everyone is a Dreamer,” she points to Charlie. “Or a dream,” she points to herself. 

Pain and anger flash in Joy’s face, even as she is clearly fighting the urge to cry. “No one can ever get you pregnant. Because you don’t live in…” 

“In the real world,” Joy whispers and I hear her voice crack. “I’m not real,” she says and begins to cry. “I’m not real! I’m not real!” 

“No!” Suzy says. “You’re real! Everyone else is not real!” 

“That’s the same thing!” Joy screams at her and sobs uncontrollably. 

(To be continued…)

—Told by Grampa Walt