Alicia held her son Edduin close, softly whispering, “Don’t worry, honey. Everything will be okay. Mommy’s here.” Another restless night had passed, with Edduin crying uncontrollably, clearly uncomfortable. Alicia put her work aside and gently rocked him on the couch, humming a lullaby that seemed to take longer than usual to soothe him.

Once he finally calmed down, she carefully placed him in his crib, kissed him tenderly, and tiptoed out of the room.

As she sipped her coffee, a wave of exhaustion washed over her, and she thought, How am I going to manage all of this? I wish you were here, John. I miss you.

Nearly a year ago, Alicia and her husband, John, had come to terms with their inability to have children. Instead, they decided to travel the world, visiting places like Sydney, Honolulu, and Las Vegas. But just before they planned their dream trip to the Bahamas, Alicia discovered she was pregnant. The couple returned to their hometown of Fayetteville, North Carolina, to share the joyous news with friends and neighbors.

Alicia and John, both raised in foster care and orphans by circumstance, had created a loving home together. John worked as a managing director for a company that manufactured household electronics, while Alicia stayed home. Their life was everything they had dreamed of—until fate took a cruel turn.

One day, out of the blue, Alicia received a phone call. “Hello, am I speaking with Alicia Silvers?” the voice on the other end asked. “Yes, how can I help you?” Alicia replied, already sensing something was wrong. “This is Officer Duncan. I regret to inform you that your husband was in a fatal car accident on Farm Road Highway. We found your number in his phone and need you to come and identify the body.”

At seven months pregnant, Alicia was already on edge, and the news sent her into labor. John had left that morning for a business trip, reassuring her that everything would be fine, but this news was too much. Thankfully, her neighbor, Mrs. Hall, quickly called 911 and helped Alicia get to the hospital, where she gave birth to a premature baby boy, Edduin. He spent several weeks in the NICU before they were finally able to bring him home.

After their discharge, Alicia took over John’s business, applying her MBA skills to keep everything running while caring for her newborn. John’s secretary, Madison, was incredibly supportive, suggesting Alicia work from home to balance her responsibilities. While a nanny could have been hired, Alicia wanted to raise her baby herself, managing both work and motherhood from the comfort of their home.

As the months passed, Alicia settled into a routine—until something strange began happening. One morning, she was jolted awake by Edduin’s loud crying. Rushing to his room, she found him in tears again, the second time that week. Searching his crib, she found nothing that could explain his distress. She assumed he would settle down soon, but his crying continued, and he seemed more tired than usual.

Worried, Alicia took him to the doctor. “He seems so tired all the time, but he’s not sick,” she explained. The doctor reassured her, saying, “It’s just a phase, babies go through this. It will pass.” But even after the doctor’s words, Edduin continued to show signs of fatigue, yawning constantly, and showing little interest in his toys.

A week later, while putting him down for his nap, Alicia heard strange noises coming from his room—giggles and movement. Alarmed, she rushed in, but found nothing out of place. Edduin was calm and still, staring back at her. The strange noises continued, but nothing ever seemed to be there.

Determined to uncover the mystery, Alicia installed a baby monitor to watch over him. The next time she heard the noises, she checked the live feed. Everything seemed normal—until she saw sudden movement. Edduin’s face broke into a wide smile. Fearing an intruder, Alicia rushed to his room, heart racing. But when she opened the door, she was startled by the sight of a small, dirty dog circling Edduin’s crib.

The dog let out a weak whine and scurried behind the crib when Alicia entered. Edduin giggled, and that’s when Alicia realized what had been happening.

Alicia and John had once owned a dog named Doblo, who had passed away. The room that was now Edduin’s nursery had once been Doblo’s play area, and Alicia had forgotten to close the dog door after Doblo’s passing. The little stray had wandered in, playing with Edduin and keeping him awake at night.

Feeling sympathy for the dog, Alicia decided to adopt it and named him Casper. From that day on, Casper and Edduin became inseparable. Edduin was much happier, slept better, and cried less. Alicia made sure to give them time apart to rest, but their bond brought joy back to the household, restoring a sense of peace to Alicia’s life.