When a woman installs a baby monitor in her son’s room to track his restlessness and fatigue, she discovers a sudden movement that shocks her.
“Don’t worry, honey. Everything will be OK. Alicia said, “Momma is here,” holding her baby Edduin. The boy woke up at night and kept sobbing.
Alicia eventually had to take her files and laptop from the couch to the front table and sing Edduin a lullaby on the couch. Alicia was relieved when that worked after 10 minutes.
She gently placed Edduin back in his crib, kissed his forehead, closed the door quietly to avoid waking him, and went to work.
“How will I handle this? I miss you, John! The woman thought, “I miss you,” as she went to the kitchen for coffee.
Almost a year ago…
Alicia Silvers and John traveled the world after doctors told them they couldn’t have children. Sydney Opera House performances, Honolulu beaches, Las Vegas buffets, and Bergen fjords.
When Alicia was pregnant, they were planning a Bahamas vacation. She and John were thrilled and celebrated with family and friends in Fayetteville, North Carolina.
Orphans Alicia and John were reared in foster care. Alicia stayed home while John managed a company that created electronics parts.
Happily married, they had everything. They had a nice home in a lovely region, enjoyed each other, and now were parents. Unfortunately, Alicia’s world collapsed one terrible evening.
“Hello? Am I speaking to Alicia Silvers?
“Yes? How can I help?
Ma’am, this is Officer Duncan. Unfortunately, your husband died in a Farm Road Highway vehicle accident. We received your number from his phone. Please confirm the corpse as soon as possible.”
What Alicia heard shocked her! John told her he was leaving for a business meeting that morning. She didn’t want him to leave and told him she felt bad. But he assured her she was overreacting and everything would be alright.
At the time, Alicia was 7 months pregnant. She kissed John farewell as he insisted on departing for his meeting. She was devastated when she heard the dreadful news and went into labor after he promised to return soon.
She luckily alerted her next-door neighbor, Mrs. Hall, who ran to her house and called 911. Alicia was hurried to the hospital and gave birth to a boy. He spent time in the NICU due to his preterm delivery.
Alicia took up John’s business after the hospital discharged her and the infant to support her son. She understood company dynamics quickly because she had an MBA. Edduin’s small size and continual need for his mother caused problems.
Madison, John’s secretary, was really supportive and understood her predicament, so she suggested Alicia work from home and helped her set up her workplace so she could care for her kid.
Alicia could have hired a nanny for the boy, but she didn’t. She started working from home to raise her child alone. Alicia somehow managed to work and raise her son.
Like that, almost a year passed. To her surprise, Alicia soon had another problem knocking on her door.
In the present…
Alicia made coffee and went to the living room to organize her files and review the day’s reports. Around 1 a.m. The exhausted woman finished the work in 30 minutes and fell asleep on the couch.
She woke up at 8 a.m. to Edduin wailing. She leapt to her feet and ran to him, finding him crying like a waterfall.
“What happened, honey? “Are you hungry?” she inquired, cradling him. Alicia had noticed Edduin was restless and weeping uncontrollably during his sleep twice in a week.
She searched his cot for anything poking him but found nothing. She concluded that he might be fine and waited to see if the crying continued.
She was relieved when Edduin stopped weeping abruptly after a week, although he seemed fatigued every day. He kept yawning and stroking his face when she held him or played with him, and he stopped like his old toys.
She worriedly consulted a doctor, but nothing worked.
Doctor, I’m anxious since he’s quiet most of the time yet fatigued in the mornings. So why? worriedly asked Alicia.
Don’t worry, Mrs. Silvers. The doctor said babies go through phases. “Perhaps Edduin is experiencing the same.”
“How long until he’s fine? I worry about him.”
“Don’t worry, Mrs. Silvers. There is no deadline, but everything will be alright. It differs by baby.”
Alicia hoped Edduin would recover quickly, thinking it was a phase. Edduin looked tireder every day after a week of no relief.
Alicia checked on him one afternoon after putting him to sleep and heard an odd noise in his room. It appeared Edduin was laughing and had someone in his room. She assumed it was her suspicion because she burst open the door but found no one.
The room was eerily silent as Edduin stared at her from his cradle. Nobody was in the room when she checked the bathroom, cupboard, and bed.
Alicia returned to the living room, thinking it was work-related stress, but it happened again the next day. Edduin would wake up giggling or looking around the room every day.
Since something seemed strange, Alicia put a Wi-Fi baby monitor inside and watched the live feed in the living room.
For the first five minutes, she watched the screen closely and everything seemed fine. After 10 minutes, she observed a room movement and Edduin’s lip tilting in a smile.
Alicia ran to Edduin’s room and closed the door, fearing someone had broken in. She shook and trembled as she realized her kid wasn’t alone.
Alicia breathed a sigh of relief as she saw an adorable dog circle Edduin’s cot. He looked unclean and frail and made a low, hard-to-hear sound.
The small puppy hid under Edduin’s cot when Alicia opened the door. Alica realized what happened when Edduin laughed.
After their dog Doblo died, Alicia and John failed to close the dog door in the back of the room. When Doblo died, his game room became Edduin’s nursery.
Alicia forgot to close the dog door after John died and Edduin was born since so much had transpired. And that’s how the little puppy entered the room, playing with Edduin and keeping him awake.
Alicia adopted the animal after seeing its condition since she felt sorry for it. As she named him, Casper is Edduin’s best friend. Thanks to Casper, Edduin cries less, sleeps better because Alicia limits their time together, and is happy.
What can this story teach us?
Being a parent is hard. Alicia’s work-life balance and baby care demonstrate how parents go above and beyond for their children.
Be gentle to animals. Alicia adopted the dog after seeing his poor condition.