NOVEL NEXT Chapter 4: Chapter 4: Sleepless
Three in the morning, and Anakin was crying again. Megumi dragged herself out of bed, fumbling in the dark toward the crib. Her new apartment was bigger than her old one – a gift from her parents – but at night, running on two hours of sleep, she still bumped into the unfamiliar corners.
"Okay, okay," she mumbled, lifting her wailing son. "I'm here. What's wrong this time?"
She went through the usual checklist: diaper, hunger, temperature. Anakin just kept crying, his little face scrunched up and red, blonde hair sticking up in every direction.
"You're not wet, you ate an hour ago..." Megumi paced the room, bouncing him gently. "Are you just mad at the world? Because I get that. I really do."
The move to the new apartment had been rough. Her father had helped set everything up before heading back to America to pack up his own place. He promised he'd be back in Japan permanently within two months, but for now, it was just Megumi and Anakin figuring things out together.
Her mother visited daily, bringing food and helping with laundry. Chiyo stopped by between her shifts at UA, always armed with practical advice and baby supplies. But the nights belonged to Megumi alone, and they felt endless.
Anakin's cries softened to whimpers as she walked. She'd discovered early on that he liked movement. The hospital staff joked that he'd be a future pro hero specializing in rescue operations, always needing to be on the move.
"You know," Megumi said, stifling a yawn, "when I was training to be a nurse, I thought night shifts were hard. Turns out they were nothing compared to you, little man."
Finally, mercifully, Anakin's eyes began to droop. Megumi kept pacing, afraid to stop too soon. She'd made that mistake before, thinking he was asleep only to have him start screaming the moment she tried putting him down.
Anakin made a small sound in his sleep, one tiny hand clutching her shirt. In moments like this, when he was peaceful and the world was quiet, Megumi could almost forget her fears about his future. About what his quirk might be, given his strange origin. About how she'd handle being a single mother once the initial excitement wore off and her family had to return to their normal lives.
A floorboard creaked under her feet, and Anakin stirred. Megumi held her breath, but it was too late. His eyes opened, and she knew they were starting the whole process over again.
"Really?" she sighed. "You know, most babies love sleep. I've read about them. They exist."
The sun was rising by the time she finally got him settled. Megumi collapsed onto her bed, knowing she had maybe an hour before he needed feeding again. Her mother would arrive soon with breakfast, full of well-meaning advice about sleep schedules and feeding routines that somehow never seemed to work in practice.
She must have dozed off because the next thing she knew, her mother was gently shaking her awake.
"Rough night?" her mother asked, already moving to check on Anakin.
Megumi sat up, her neck stiff from falling asleep at an odd angle. "Is there any other kind?"
"It gets easier." Her mother lifted Anakin from his crib as he started to fuss. "Though I remember saying the same thing to myself every day when you were this age. Pretty sure I didn't believe it either."
The morning fell into their new routine. Her mother made tea while Megumi fed Anakin. They ate breakfast together, taking turns holding the baby. Her mother did a load of laundry while Megumi showered for the first time in two days.
"Dad called yesterday," Megumi said, trying to brush her hair one-handed while Anakin squirmed in her other arm. "His company approved the transfer. He'll be here in six weeks."
"Good. You need the help." Her mother took Anakin, freeing Megumi to finish getting dressed. "And he needs to learn how to be a grandfather. Your grandmother's been hogging all the good spoiling opportunities."
As if summoned by her name, Chiyo arrived during her lunch break, carrying a bag of supplies from the hospital gift shop.
"I saw these and thought of my great-grandson," she said, pulling out tiny socks with cartoon heroes on them.
"He has enough socks to outfit a small army," Megumi protested, but she was smiling.
"Babies lose socks. It's a universal law." Chiyo picked up Anakin with practiced ease. "Besides, look how handsome he'll be in them."
Megumi watched her grandmother and mother fuss over Anakin, their faces lit up with joy at each little sound he made. For all her worries about being a single mother, her son would never lack for love.
The rest of the day passed in the usual blur of feedings, diaper changes, and brief naps whenever possible. Her mother left after dinner, and Chiyo had long since returned to work. Megumi sat in the rocking chair by Anakin's crib, watching him sleep.
"Your great-grandmother thinks you'll be a hero," she whispered. "Given your family history, she's probably right. But right now, all you have to be is my little boy."
Anakin slept on, one foot poking out of his new hero socks. Megumi leaned back in the chair, knowing she should try to sleep while she could. Instead, she found herself studying his peaceful face, memorizing each tiny detail.
His blonde hair had grown enough to start curling slightly at the ends. His cheeks were getting chubbier, taking on that perfect baby roundness. When he was awake, his blue eyes seemed to take in everything, watching the world with an intensity that sometimes startled her.
A siren wailed somewhere in the distance – a hero or police response to some incident in the city. Anakin stirred but didn't wake. Megumi reached into the crib to gentle rub his back, an automatic gesture she'd perfected over the past weeks.
"Sleep well, little one," she murmured. "Just maybe for more than an hour this time?"
The city noise faded, leaving only the soft sound of Anakin's breathing and the quiet hum of the baby monitor. Megumi closed her eyes, not fighting it as exhaustion pulled her under. Whatever challenges tomorrow brought, they would face them together – mother and son, finding their way one day at a time.