Fixing A Broken Compass

Saturday Night Take Me Out To The....

"Constantly anticipating everyone's needs is exhausting."

                                Miles POV

Miles woke up already exhausted.

Although that had been the case for the last few months. At this point, he had to be aging twice as fast. Right? Oh man, he was becoming a grumpy old man wasn't he?

Should he start charging rent and scowling at his coffee?

It took him a few minutes to figure out why his chest was so tight, why his hands were clenched in the sheets.

Another nightmare. Again.

He flexed them his breathing shallow, voices, hands, the sound of scissors, sharp and too close.

He sucked in a breathe chewing on his lip as he blinked at the ceiling.

He looked like a whole new person.      

He didn't recognize who he was anymore. If he were in a comic now's the time he'd probably put on a mask and start solving crimes.

Instead, he was fighting diapers and bath time.

He'd get used to it.

Right?

He'd get better at it. For them. Wouldn't he? What if he couldn't?

Light flickered through his curtains, soft and gentle. Willow was curled into him her hair falling onto her face and blowing up every time she took in a breath. Reggie was still asleep.

That was good.

They were good.

He carefully maneuvered out of bed rubbing at his chest as though he could push away the panic. He couldn't help but notice his chest stayed the same. It always seemed to lately.

Like any wrong move and he'd be on the brink of a panic attack or-

Willow didn't stir just curled the blanket tighter around herself. He paused for a moment to watch her sleep.

She'd woken up a couple of times last night. One of the times Miles had gone to the bathroom and she was so panicked when he got back.

Sometimes she'd wake up with tears down her face bad dreams.

Sometimes she'd wake up panicked.

Right now she looked steady. Peaceful. He cupped her cheek gently.

Fingers brushing the hair out of her face.

He stood and looked at Reggie who was lying sideways in the crib his little belly rising and falling.

The past few weeks it seemed like he'd been on a rampage. His sleep schedule was all over the place. It's like he just hates his crib lately. He'd wake up more often. Take longer to get back to sleep. It was... a lot.

For both of them.

Change in routine. The daycare and school. Miles would get used to it. The odd hours the up the down the short naps.

He stood and looked at Reggie who was lying sideways in the crib his little belly rising and falling.

They were fine.

His hands were shaking.

He reached for his phone.

Three missed calls.

Avery. Avery. Avery.

Texts stacked underneath that took him a moment to decipher.

Avery: Please answer.