Nightmares

Davis has been having nightmares. Sometimes as often as 4 or 5 times a week and sometimes less. Last night he had three. The house will be sleeping peacefully and then all of a sudden, screams. He yells for Mommy. So I leap up and run into him, freezing in my wispy nightgown and bare feet.
"Shhhh, it's okay. Mommy's here."
"Hold me! Where's the bad friend?"
At this point, I don't know whether to tell him that the bad friend is gone or that I will go find him. So I go back to the reassuring.
"Shhh, Mommy's here."
"Where's Daddy?"
"He's in his big boy bed. Mommy and Daddy will be right here in their big boy bed."
"Nooooooooooo. I want you here in my big boy bed. I need you. Hold me."
And so I do. And I whisper sweet nothings in his ear. And then I try to sneak out. To more crying.
"Nooooooooooo. Hold me. I need you. Tell me a story. Get me a tissue."
And so I do. Until he falls asleep. 45 minutes later the house will be sleeping peacefully when it all starts over again. This time he is devastated that the elevator has gone down without him. Who knew that my two year old dreams of elevators and getting left behind? I try to reassure him that this is a dream and that all will be right with the world if he just goes back to sleep. But then again, with the night he had, will it?
I hope this phase passes. It breaks my heart. Sweet little boy.