Five

Chapter Five

(ONE MONTH LATER)

Mikhail was exactly like someone I knew—hungry, demanding and frankly a pain in the ass.

He was one month old and the most beautiful baby I’d ever seen. Of course he was, being my son and all. But it was the truth nonetheless, he had the perfect shade of brown-black hair and flubbering cheeks that made me run mine against them all day.

But the most distinct feature of all; his brown eyes and the distinct hue of a piercing haze in them, just like someone I knew.

A certain someone who makes my insides churn just at the thought of him.

The birth was painful, unlike anything I’d ever faced, but it was all worth it hearing his cries come toghether. The doctor handed me my baby and I felt like everything was alright in the world, even if he had no one but me to love him.

I was content. Alone. Still content.

Right now, I wasn’t feeling too content seeing as Mikhail hasn’t stopped crying since last night. I had burped him, fed him, swaddled and did every thing the ‘Baby and Me’ book instructed. Still, his wailing squeals could be heard from a mile away. I even had a few neigbors knocking on my door to ask if I was alright, that itself was embarrassing.

At the moment he was still crying. Red nosed, skin the color or almost ripe strawberries and his empty gums all flared up. I was beyond tired, patting his back constantly as we waited in the hospital lobby for his doctor’s appointment.

The pitying stares didn’t make me feel any better, not when I especially looked like I had just crawled out of a hole in the dumpster. I still had my nursing clothes on, my hair was all tied into a messy knot with stray strand s sticking all over my neck, I had two different flip flops on and my eyes had bags enough to fill water in them.

Mikhail didn’t care about my predicament. He kept on crying and crying, whilst my temperament was fraying at the edges, “Quiet Misha,” a name I called him as a term of endearment, “Mommy loves—“

“Miss Earhart?” I heard the doctor call and my head snapped upright, “We’re ready for you now.”

.^.^.^.DOMINIC.^.^.^

“It’s been almost a year,” My doctor muttered as he adjusted his tortoiseshell glasses on the bridge of his nose, “You’re sure your inability to sleep doesn’t have anything to do with psychological problems you’re facing?”

My face morphed into a slight scowl, “I don’t have psychological problems, Doc.”

“We don’t know that—

“I don’t.”

He pressed his lips, “Well it’s my job as a healthcare professional to give you the best advice I can.”

I snorted, rolling my eyes, “I don’t need advice. I just need a doctor’s note so I can get the sleeping pills I need to function.”

Dr Brennan sighed deeply, “Fine. I’ll write you a note.”

“Thank y—

“I’ll also recommend a therapist just in case,” he muttered, avoiding my angry gaze, “You don’t have to take it, but it’s my job to help regardless.”

“I don’t need help.” I grunted.

“You haven’t slept without the aid of a pill in nine months, Mr Volkov. That isn’t normal, you need to speak to someone. A mental health professional.” He responded, writing two notes which he handed over.

I nodded and left his office, crumpling up one of the paper—the one with the therapist recommendation and threw it right into the bin by the hallway. I headed straight towards the hospital’s pharmacy to pick up my pills.

Therapy??

I couldn’t help but snort at the thought.

The only reason I could barely sleep was the fact that my mind kept replaying the night I spent with that demon of a woman. I don’t know what spell she’d casted, but ever since her disappearance I couldn’t sleep without the sound of her soft moans haunting my dreams every night.

Ten months. Ten months since Amelia Earhart and i couldn’t function like a regular human being.

Now here I am, two cities away, just to get a prescription without the news of it leaking to the press.

My new secretary is incompetent. My family keeps nagging me on to marry to secure my line as heir, and employees all walk on eggshells around me like I’m a bomb waiting to detonate.

And it’s all because of her….

Why I’m like this? I simply can’t understand.

.~.~.~AMELIA.~.~.~

“Colic??” I repeated the doctor’s words to myself.

Dr Alvarez, Mikhail’s pediatrician chuckled softly as he rubbed the cheek of my traitor of a son who was sleeping soundly in his arms, “LIttle Mikhail is just gassy, and that makes him fussy.”

“But I always burp him.” I raised my voice slightly in protest, not wanting to seem like an incompetent mother.

Alvarez nodded, his eyes filled with concern for my situation, “You’re a first time mother. Babies cry even when you’ve done everything right. It’s very much okay to be overwhelmed.”

I sniffled, wiping away the tears forming at the corner of my eyes. It felt so nice, the gratification of being a good mother and doing everything right despite Mikhail’s tantrums.

“Thank you,” I said to Dr Alvarez, “Thank you so much.”

He smiled, patting me on the shoulder, “I’ll prescribe a few drugs to help you sleep better at night. Till then, just keep on doing whatever it is to make sure baby Mikhail is safe and healthy.”

I nodded, taking the baby from his arms. My breath froze for a second when he stirred awake for a moment, then he pressed his lips and those beady eyes of his came to a close when sleep took over.

I prayed to whatever god out there that he remained like this till we got to the apartment. I was in dire need of sleep, walking down the hallways like I was a ghost when I suddenly bumped into someone on the way to the exit.

“Hey watch it!” I snapped as my eyes lifted up, “I’m with a ba—

“Earhart??”

Oh God.