A mother installs a baby monitor in her son’s room after noticing he’s constantly tired and restless. What she discovers sends chills down her spine…
“Don’t worry, honey. Everything will be okay. Mommy’s here,” Alicia whispered while cradling her son, Edduin, in her arms. The boy had woken up in the middle of the night, crying uncontrollably.
Alicia moved her laptop and files from the couch to the coffee table and sat down with Edduin, softly singing a lullaby. For the first ten minutes, it didn’t seem to work, but eventually, his crying slowed down, and Alicia breathed a sigh of relief. She gently placed him back in his crib, kissed his forehead, and tiptoed out of the room, closing the door quietly.
“How am I supposed to manage everything like this? I wish you were here, John. I miss you,” she thought, walking into the kitchen to grab a cup of coffee.
Almost a Year Ago…
When doctors told Alicia Silvers and her husband John that they wouldn’t be able to have children, they decided to see the world—shows at the Sydney Opera House, beaches in Honolulu, buffets in Las Vegas, and fjords in Bergen. They were planning a trip to the Bahamas when Alicia found out she was pregnant. The news was overwhelming. She and John returned to their hometown, Fayetteville, North Carolina, to celebrate with friends and neighbors.
Both Alicia and John were orphans who grew up in foster care, and now they were building the family they had always dreamed of. Alicia was a stay-at-home wife, while John worked as the managing director of a company that made parts for household electronics.
They were thrilled at the thought of becoming parents. They had a wonderful life—each other, a beautiful home, and soon, a child. But happiness can be fleeting, and Alicia’s world came crashing down one night.
“Hello, am I speaking with Alicia Silvers?”
“Yes, this is she. How can I help?”
“This is Officer Duncan, ma’am. I regret to inform you that your husband was involved in a fatal car accident on Farm Road Highway. We found your number on his phone. Could you please come to confirm the body?”
Alicia was in disbelief. That very morning, John had left for a business trip. She had begged him not to go, telling him that she had a bad feeling, but he’d assured her she was overreacting.
Alicia was seven months pregnant at the time, and the shock of the news sent her into labor. In her panic, she called her neighbor, Mrs. Hall, who immediately phoned 911. Alicia was rushed to the hospital, where she delivered a baby boy prematurely. He was admitted to the NICU and remained there for several weeks.
When Alicia and the baby were discharged, she took over John’s business to support her son. It didn’t take her long to grasp the company dynamics, given her background with an MBA. The real challenge was managing her responsibilities as a new mother. Little Edduin constantly needed his mother’s attention.
John’s secretary, Madison, was incredibly supportive and suggested Alicia work from home, even helping her set up a home office to be close to her baby.
Though she could have hired a nanny, Alicia wanted to care for Edduin herself. Balancing work and taking care of her son was difficult, but somehow, she managed to do it. Almost a year went by, and Alicia had no idea that another unexpected event was just around the corner.
Present Day…
Around 1 a.m., Alicia grabbed a cup of coffee and returned to her living room to look over her reports one final time before bed. It took about half an hour for her to finish, and she fell asleep on the couch, exhausted.
Suddenly, she awoke to the sound of Edduin crying—it was 8 a.m. She jumped up and rushed into his room, finding him with tears streaming down his face.
“What’s wrong, sweetie? Are you hungry?” she asked, rocking him gently. This was the second time in a week that she’d found him awake and crying uncontrollably during his sleep.
She checked the crib for anything that could be bothering him but found nothing. Hoping it was just a phase, Alicia waited to see if things improved. Thankfully, his sudden crying stopped after about a week, but now Edduin seemed tired all the time. He would yawn frequently, touch his face, and lose interest in his favorite toys.
Worried, Alicia took him to the doctor, but even that didn’t provide any clear answers.
“I’m worried because he seems calm most of the time, but he looks so tired in the mornings,” she said.
“Don’t worry, Mrs. Silvers. Babies go through phases,” the doctor reassured her. “It varies from child to child, but he should be fine soon.”
Even after a week, nothing improved. One afternoon, after putting him down for a nap, Alicia heard strange noises coming from his room—giggling, and what sounded like someone else moving around. She rushed into the room, but no one was there. Everything seemed normal. Edduin stared at her from his crib while the room was completely quiet.
Day after day, the activity continued. Convinced something was wrong, Alicia decided to set up a Wi-Fi baby monitor to keep an eye on Edduin. She sat in the living room, watching the live feed intently.
For the first few minutes, everything appeared fine. But after about ten minutes, Alicia noticed movement—Edduin smiled, and something moved near his crib. Her heart sank. Afraid someone had broken in, she ran upstairs and flung the door open.
Her hands were trembling, and she could feel her heart pounding in her chest—until she realized who the “intruder” was. A small, dirty dog was circling Edduin’s crib, wagging its tail and making soft noises. Alicia exhaled in relief.
When she opened the door, the little dog ran to hide behind the crib, and Edduin giggled. That’s when she understood what was happening.
Alicia and John used to have a dog named Doblo, and after he passed away, they forgot to close the dog door that led into the room. That space used to be Doblo’s playroom before it became Edduin’s nursery. With everything that had happened since John’s death and Edduin’s birth, Alicia had completely forgotten about the door. The little dog must have wandered in and kept playing with Edduin, keeping him awake.
Seeing the dog in such a sad state, Alicia decided to adopt him. She named him Casper, and now Casper is Edduin’s best friend. Thanks to Casper, Edduin doesn’t cry as much anymore, sleeps better, and is a much happier baby—Alicia just makes sure they don’t spend all day together.
What Can We Learn From This Story?
Parenting is never easy, but Alicia’s determination to manage her work and care for her child shows just how much parents are willing to sacrifice for their kids. And let’s not forget to be kind to animals. Alicia gave a lonely, struggling dog a home, and it made all the difference for both of them.
