Alicia gently rocked her son Edduin in her arms, whispering, “Don’t worry, sweetheart. Momma’s here.” It was the third night that week he’d woken up crying uncontrollably, and nothing seemed to calm him down—until she moved her laptop and files to the coffee table and curled up with him on the couch, softly humming lullabies until he finally drifted back to sleep.
After placing him carefully back in his crib and kissing his forehead, Alicia returned to her work. She grabbed a cup of coffee, her mind weary and her heart heavy. “I miss you, John,” she whispered. “I don’t know how much longer I can do this alone.”
Nearly a year had passed since that awful night.
Back then, Alicia and her husband, John, had just found unexpected joy. Doctors had told them they couldn’t conceive, so they’d set off to explore the world—Sydney, Honolulu, Las Vegas, and the fjords of Norway. Their next stop was going to be the Bahamas. But then Alicia found out she was pregnant. Overwhelmed with joy, they returned to their home in Fayetteville, North Carolina, ready to begin a new chapter.
But their happiness was short-lived.
Alicia had been seven months pregnant when the call came.
“Is this Alicia Silvers?” the voice on the line asked.
“Yes?” she answered, puzzled.
“This is Officer Duncan. I’m very sorry to inform you… your husband was in a fatal car accident this evening.”
Alicia’s world collapsed in an instant. John had left that morning for a business trip. She had begged him to stay, sensing something wasn’t right. But he’d smiled, kissed her, and assured her everything would be fine.
The shock sent Alicia into early labor. Thankfully, their neighbor Mrs. Hall was quick to respond and called an ambulance. Alicia gave birth to Edduin, but he had to be admitted to the NICU for several days.
After they were both discharged, Alicia made the brave decision to take over John’s company. She had an MBA, and with the support of John’s loyal secretary, Madison, she quickly adapted to the business. Madison even helped her set up a home office so Alicia could work while staying close to her newborn son.
Hiring a nanny never crossed Alicia’s mind—she wanted to raise her child herself. It wasn’t easy juggling motherhood and management, but she was determined.
Nearly a year passed.
And then came another challenge.
One night, after finishing some work around 1 a.m., Alicia dozed off on the couch. She was jolted awake at 8 a.m. by the sound of Edduin crying. Rushing to his room, she found him in tears, visibly distressed. It wasn’t the first time. Over the past week, Edduin had woken several times each night, crying or fussing, and Alicia was growing concerned.
She checked his crib for anything that might be causing discomfort—but found nothing. Then she noticed something else: during the day, he seemed constantly tired, uninterested in his favorite toys, and frequently yawning.
Alicia took him to the pediatrician. “He seems fine, physically,” the doctor assured her. “Babies go through sleep phases sometimes. It should pass.”
But it didn’t.
Another week went by, and Edduin’s behavior didn’t improve. Alicia felt helpless. Then one afternoon, as she passed his room, she heard soft giggling. Curious, she peeked inside—but the room was empty except for Edduin, lying quietly in his crib.
This strange occurrence repeated the next day… and the next. She would hear laughter or light noises, rush in, and find no one there. Concerned and puzzled, Alicia decided to install a baby monitor with a live feed to keep an eye on him during naps and nighttime.
She sat in the living room, eyes glued to the screen.
At first, everything seemed normal. Then, about 10 minutes in, she noticed something: a faint movement in the corner of the room, and a small smile appeared on Edduin’s face.
Alarmed, Alicia sprinted to the nursery, heart pounding, fearing the worst.
But what she found stunned her.
A small, scruffy dog was in the room, circling Edduin’s crib and wagging its tail.
At first, Alicia was frightened—how did a dog get into her house? But then she remembered something.
Before Edduin was born, she and John had a beloved pet dog named Doblo. After he passed away, they’d converted his old playroom into the nursery. There had been a small dog door that led outside—and in the chaos of the past year, Alicia had completely forgotten to seal it.
The dog, a skinny and dirty little thing, had somehow made its way inside through that door. At the sound of Alicia entering, it hid behind the crib. Edduin giggled again, clearly familiar and comfortable with his furry friend.
Realizing the dog had been sneaking in and keeping Edduin up at night, Alicia felt a wave of guilt. He looked like he hadn’t eaten well in days, and his gentle demeanor tugged at her heart.
She decided to adopt him.
She named him Casper, and he quickly became Edduin’s best friend. From that day forward, Alicia made sure they played together only during the day, so her son could sleep peacefully at night.
Thanks to little Casper, Edduin became a much happier baby—and Alicia finally had a little more peace in her life.
What can we learn from this story?
Parenthood is full of challenges, and single parents like Alicia often go above and beyond to provide love, care, and stability for their children.
Kindness matters—especially to animals. Alicia chose compassion and gave Casper a new home, and in return, gained a loyal companion for her son.