The restless sea matches my wandering mind. Joints ache from exhaustion having worked the boatyard all day, yet somehow sleep evades me. The window is cracked open just enough to allow the humid air out, but it also lets the sleepless noise of the city in. Waves crash in the distance, boats rock and clash into the dock, and the marathon drinkers cackle with laughter outside the pub.

I need to sleep. Food won’t magically appear for us If I don’t have energy to work. Losing Avery to the last raid sent me into a spiral— my son misses his mother. I do too. Keeping him fed and alive is my only motivation, but these restless nights are a hindrance for that goal.