(Mia's POV)
I hear Char crying in her sleep in the middle of the night, waking me up. "Char sweetheart?" I whisper. "Char? Are you ok baby?" She doesn't respond, her eyes are still shut and she's crying and shaking hysterically. "No!"She screams in her sleep. "No please no!" I gently rub her back in an attempt to wake her up but it doesn't work. She's still crying and shaking in her sleep, I try everything I can to wake her. "Char?"
I whisper quietly. A little louder. "Char? Char wake up baby you're having a nightmare..."
Her eyelids flutter open, her body shaken and her face panicked. "W... what?" "Shhh... shhh it's ok," I whisper holding her shaking body in my arms. "It's ok none of it's real you're safe." I place her hand in my palm, clasping her fingers over mine. "Take my hand... it's not real... I'm real see?....shhhh you're ok."
"M... Mia..." she shivers, her eyes still full of tears. "S... sorry." I cuddle her even tighter, stroking her back gently to try to calm her down. "Sweetheart stop apologising will you, it's fine." I feel the goosebumps down her cold arms. "You're freezing bless you, come on snuggle in properly, it will do you some good." I open the duvet up and she rolls herself over so she's laying right on me, her rapid heartbeat beating against my chest. "Mia I'm scared," she cries shaking in my arms. "It's still not gone away.... I can still see it... every time I close my eyes it's... it's still there." Shhh... it's just a bad dream," I whisper continuing to rub her back. "You're alright... I'm here, we're in bed... you're in my arms... it's safe."
Her voice is almost as shaky as her body. "I... I can't go back to sleep. W.. what if I dream that again?" "You won't baby I promise," I whisper kissing the top of her head gently. Her shoulders start to relax and the shakes slow down as I do. I plant one more kiss in the same spot. "Do I need to take you on a little house tour to prove to you there's nothing there." She looks up at me sleepily, her eyes all red and puffy but her lips almost forming a smile. "Maybe.." I pick her up in a cradle and carry her out of bed. "Alright then, come on." I take her down the empty corridor, showing her the bathroom, opening the door to the twin's room a fraction so she can see they're still safe asleep. I then take her to the next floor to the other girls' rooms to see them safely tucked in bed too.
"See? Nothing... it's all quiet." "Ok," she whispers, her voice hoarse from all the sleep screaming. "The neighbours probably thought you were being murdered you screamed so much sweetheart." Char laughs slightly as I wipe some tears from her face. "Wait I... screamed in my sleep? I'm so sorry I..." "If you don't stop apologising for things that aren't your fault I might have to physically tape your mouth shut Charlotte Victoria," I interrupt. "Do you need to check downstairs as well or can you go back to bed?" "Could we..." she asks. "If that's ok? I... I just want to make sure because in the dream when I went downstairs there was... and I..." Her whole face goes pale as she talks about it and I can just about make out the tears forming in her eyes in the dark. "You don't need to talk about it,"
I whisper. "It's clearly scaring you to think about it so let's go see downstairs and if... when... nothing is there I'll try everything to get you even an ounce of sleep."
She takes a long, deep breath to calm herself back down. "Ok." I give her a cheek a kiss before carrying her downstairs and showing her the empty hallway and living room. I feel her jump in my arms as we enter the kitchen. "What's that noise Mia?" "Sweetheart it's fine it's just the fridge humming," I reassure her. "Look." We enter the room completely. "Nothing... nothing at all." "You're quite sure no one's here?" She whispers. "I swear on everything," I tell her. "No one else is in these four walls apart from the girls, me and my very sleepy wife who needs to go back to bed." "Thanks my love," she yawns. "Could you just maybe show me outside the door again? Just one more time I need to be certain."
I carry her out the kitchen and to the front door, opening it to reveal nothing but lit lampposts and passing cars with the moon in the sky. "It's a pretty moon tonight," Char yawns pointing up at it. "Mia can we moon bathe in the garden... please." I look at her irresistible puppy eyes and sigh. "Alright then I'll grab us a blanket. I'm assuming you still want to be carried?" She nods with a wide grin. "Yes please love of my life." I boop her nose playfully. "Half asleep and you're still being cheeky hey?" I grab us a blanket from the living room before heading outside and setting us down in the garden. Char lies on my lap while we gaze up at the full moon, shining over us and the many stars scattered around the night sky.
"Mia?" Char mumbles. "Mmm," I hum. "I feel better now." "I'm very glad to hear it sweetheart," I say kissing her forehead. She lets out a long yawn, her words slightly muffled into it. "I just feel really safe right now. It's the first time my mind's shut off all night." "Would a dream catcher help with the nightmares?" I ask running my fingers softly through her locks. She looks puzzled. "Dream capture?" "I mean you don't have to," I mumble. "It's just it might keep those thoughts in your head at bay for a little while so you can finally get some rest, poppet." She lets out a breathy laugh. "Poppet?" I swallow, trying to figure out myself what I'd just said. "Yeah... poppet. I think it suits you. Do you like it poppet? Sweetheart? Baby? Angel? Which do you rather?"
"All of them," Char smiles sweetly. "I love all the gushy little nicknames you call me." "Can I have my goodnight kiss again?" She asks sitting up to look at me. "Please?" I respond by holding her cheek and leaving a soft kiss on her lips. "Goodnight poppet." "Goodnight," she smiles lying back down on me. I stroke my fingers through her hair, watching the moon and stars as I do. I hum a faint, soft tune under my breath to relax her until she finally closes her eyes and drifts off to sleep. Once she's completely fallen asleep in my arms, I wrap her in the blanket and carry her up back to bed, giving her a forehead kiss as I tuck her in.
I then get in next to her, wrapping my arms around her in a warm embrace. She looks so still and peaceful, her eyelids firmly shut and her body perfectly relaxed. "Goodnight Lotts," I whisper in her ear kissing the edge of it. "I love you so much, sweet dreams now." I hear a faint reply of "goodnight Mimi," as I shut my eyes. I keep one eye slightly open until I know for sure Char is completely asleep. I then close my eyes, cuddling closer into her as I drift off as well.
