The spouse in dreams is the chosen family — the daily other whose dream-appearances process the living relationship: its tendernesses, frictions, and fears. Dream-spouses acting out of character usually dramatize a feeling about the bond, not a fact about the person.
Positive Resonance
The bond's depth processed, tenderness rehearsed, the daily other honored
Shadow Aspect
Fears staged as facts, the dream-argument carried to breakfast
Nuances
Spouse in danger: the bond's preciousness felt as fear
Out-of-character behavior: a feeling dramatized, not a report
The early days revisited: the bond's origin consulted
Reaching for them: the daily other sought in the dream-dark