Feelings left unexpressed

I had the weirdest waking nightmare this morning. It was 5:00 and I woke up. I was just awake probably because I went to sleep early-ish that night. Anyway, I reach for my phone to check the time, maybe start a podcast and notice that I got a message. That's odd, it's 5am. Who's trying to message me after midnight?

It was Tony. At 2am he sent me a simple one line message. "Hope your doing well"
I hadn't heard form him since he left so this sounded like an Thinking-of-you-but-unsure-on-the-boundaries-now thing. But maybe that's me projecting because that's how I feel.

I sent back that work is crazy but I'm okay. Then asked "How are you?"

That's where reality ends and my nightmare begins. For some reason in my mind he got really upset that I would say that. And accused me of trying to control him, the situation, emotions. I don't know.

Weirder still, even half asleep and unable to differentiate reality from dream my brain was like "That was an over-reaction." and all I could say was something like, "I was literally just returning the sentiment while leaving an opening if you wanted to talk about things, but go off I guess."

I don't think I got a response to that. But I did go to work and someone who wants to work the banquets for the summer and I would love to have back on the team, laughed in my face and denied ever wanting to work with me again. Dream me was shook.

In real life, we had a normal conversation about work stuff that progressed at the rate of one text every couple hours. I told him I'd listen if he wanted to talk. And he thanked me.

At least we're talking again. I'm happy for that.