Bedtime Reads Novels & Stories

She mumbles and I nod. “He will love it. But you need to sleep for now. I will read you a bedtime story.” I offer, retrieving a book. There is a happy look on Annika’s face as I flip through the book. I begin to read her the book and I'm not even halfway done when she falls asleep.

After tucking him in, I turned to leave, eager to go and continue with Malcolm, but with no noise this time around. “Mommy...” Leo suddenly called. I stopped in my tracks, flicking my gaze at him. “Yes, baby?” “Can you read me a bedtime story, please?” he asked nicely. “Yes, sure,” I plastered a smile on my face as I sat next to him. “I don’t have any books here, so it’ll be from my head.” He nodded. “Okay.” “What’s taking so long?” Malcolm asked through the mind-link. “Bedtime stories,” I responded.

Xavier said as I settled Loise in bed. “Okay,” I nodded, because I had something to ask him as well. I nodded and picked her bedtime stories. It was a Sleeping Beauty retelling. Xavier’s POV I never thought I’d attend a book reading, talk less of one for little children, yet here I was watching Nicole read bedtime stories about a sleeping knight and the princess who came to save him. “You do this to make her sleep at night?” I asked. “Yes, you should also try it since you have that thing… insomnia,” Loise said.

Richard made sure the motel room door was securely deadbolted and chained and saw to it that Katie brushed her teeth, then he snuggled his daughter into bed and read to her from Stellaluna, stroking her hair until she drifted off to sleep. He kissed her forehead and watched the 10:00 PM news, before clicking the TV off and laying the remote on top of it. Kicking off his shoes, he went to the window and gazed through the vertical blinds into the lacey darkness, into that September night. His headache was mostly gone. The Imitrex had worked, or the Excedrin, or the combination of both; only a slight tug at the back of his scalp remained. Jesus, were those bats? he wondered at once.

Remember to brush your teeth. She sits up, sipping at her cocoa. After a while, setting the empty mug to one side, she gets up and goes to the bathroom. She returns a few minutes later with a rim of wet hair at the top of her forehead and wearing pink pyjamas with Bambi and Thumper designs on the fabric. Climbing into bed, she watches the light under the bedroom door. When the light goes out, she reaches under her pillow and pulls out a flashlight and a book: 'Fifty Great Science Fiction Stories.'

The twins are already sleeping, and this little genius needs to sleep too. - I don't want to sleep, I'm big. - Even grown-ups take a nap. Look at Lucifron. Lucifron had fallen asleep on a book. Alexander giggle. Kevin and Mark take the children to their room, leaving Ryan and the couple alone. Ryan takes the book his son gave him. How did that book end up among children's books? Even the paper cover was from a children's book. Ryan reads the back cover of the book, “The Little Mermaid”, then the cover reads: “Catastrophic Prophecies”.

⸻ Toward evening, I set the house: half the lamps out, every second candle lit, doors closed, grates silent. The nurse begins the bedtime rhythm — no story, no melody, just a low, steady murmur. The children have tuned to it these past weeks. In the suite, Nyra flips through her journal. She doesn’t intend to fill it — just pins two words beside the date. I step closer. “What did you write?” I ask. “Measurement holds.” She looks up. “That’s enough for today.” I sit beside her. No embrace — the whole day’s been cadence; let it stay so.

When it was time for bed, I walked him to his room and sat in the chair beside the bed. “Would you like me to read you a story?” I asked. He nodded, picking out a book about space. I read slowly, using different voices for the characters, just as I had seen Marcus do during visits. Liam listened closely, his eyes growing heavy. When I finished, I closed the book and stood up. “Alright. Time to sleep. The light will stay on low if you want it, and my room is just down the hall. If you need anything—water, a light on, or even just to talk—you knock, okay?”

I had drunk several bottles of mineral water while on the bus. Therefore, I felt the urge to get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. When I groggily opened my eyes, I noticed that Kathleen wasn't in bed. On my way to the bathroom, I passed by the living room and saw a dim, red light flickering from the room next door. It was just the two of us at home—could Kathleen be in there? If it was her, what was she doing there this late at night?

“I’ll always stay with you, bambino. Now, go to sleep and once you’re out I’ll disconnect.” “I love you.” I sigh gently, tired, and already fading out quickly. “I love you so much more. Sleep.” Jake props up his laptop too so both his hands come into view behind his head as he gets comfy. I snuggle into the cushion and close my eyes. “Talk to me until I sleep.” I yawn again, hearing a small noise that sounds like he’s laughing under his breath. “Could you be any more adorable, baby? … I’ll read to you if you like? I have a Stephen King book with me.” He sounds happy amused; I could listen to that voice forever.