Some place happy?

Help you get adjusted

Emily's POV:

      I yawn as I stretch my arms, I open my eyes. What happened last night starts coming back to me as I get up from the chair. Looking over at the bed I see Evan still fast asleep, hopefully this will make him less tired today. His body still looks exhausted, but less than usual. The guilt of not finding out about this sooner is painful. In hindsight it should have been obvious that something was off about his sleep patterns at night.

      I decided to let him sleep in for now. He is due to start school tomorrow, it is best if he starts to catch up on his sleep now. I take a deep breath as I go back to my room to get dressed. I'll have to tell mom and dad about this, they have a right to know. They should be able to help Evan get back on a normal sleep schedule. It is better they know in advance, so they don't freak out in front of Evan.

      I make my way downstairs where I see Leo and Mia eating pancakes, and mom and dad in the kitchen. I greet them with a smile and a wave while making my way to them.

      "Hi honey! We have pancakes for you and Evan on the table. By the way, is he up yet?" I carefully think of how I am going to tell them; I can see by their worried looks that they know something is up.

      "There is something I need to talk to you about." I see dad gesture over to Leo to take Mia out of the room. He nods and does so, taking her upstairs. After a minute he comes down again and sits at the table, ready to take in every word I say.

      "What's going on honey?" dad says gently.

      "Evan's been staying up at nights, because he is having nightmares." Mom's eyebrows go wide as she takes in what I just said. Dad meanwhile looks just as concerned as mom, as they wait for me to continue.

      "I went downstairs to get a glass of water around 2:30 last night. When I went back up I saw a flashlight beam in the hall. Turns out Evan was up, and when I questioned him he told me he was worried about something from his nightmares coming to get him."

      "Wait he was up at 2:30 at night!" Everyone in the room turns to look at Leo. He looks shocked in disbelief as he stands up. I just hope he doesn't accidentally wake Evan.

      "It was only for last night, right?" Dad asks with hope in his eyes, that what he suspects isn't true. They already expect what I am about to say, they see how tired Evan is during the day.

      "He has been doing it long before we adopted him." I say with a sigh. Leo is pacing, while being inconsolable. Mom is in similar shape as she ponders how she didn't notice; dad meanwhile sits down shocked at the realization of what's happening. We are all thinking the same thing, how much longer would Evan have stayed up if I didn't find out. If Evan doesn't sleep at all during the night, then his health could be deteriorating quickly. It will also be harder to get his body to sleep through the nights. But regardless we have to be ready as a family to handle this.

      I tell mom that I am going back upstairs to be with Evan when he wakes up. He might think I left him during the night if he wakes up and doesn't see me there, and I can't bear that thought. Mom agrees and tells me that when Evan is ready, to bring him to her and dad so they can ask him about it. I go up the stairs to Evan's room slowly opening it. Thankfully Evan is sound asleep, I sit back in the chair and take out my phone. Twenty minutes later Evan wakes up and looks around with surprise. It's as if he didn't expect to wake up at all, at least not to things being this peaceful.

      Evan asks me if anything tried to get in the room, I tell him that nothing did. He looks at me confused but also relieved at the same time. I help him get ready for the day and tell him that mom and dad want to talk to him.

      "They know now about my nightmares. Don't they?"

      "Yes, I had to tell them. Don't worry they are not mad or anything, they just want to help with your nightmares." The only people they are mad at are themselves, for letting this happen. I've seen the pain behind their faces, and I share the same pain as well. Evan nods and we start making our way downstairs. Evan is walking slowly; I can tell he is nervous. I give him a reassuring smile that everything is going to be alright. Mom and dad wave at us from the kitchen, Leo has already left to take Mia to school. I'll be leaving soon as well, so I won't be around for the conversation, but I know everything is going to be fine.