“How will I manage everything like this? I wish you were here, John! I miss you!” the woman thought as she proceeded to 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 have children, they decided to travel around the world. Shows at the Sydney Opera House, tranquil beaches in Honolulu, tables and buffets in Las Vegas, and majestic fjords in Bergen.
They were going to schedule a trip to the Bahamas when Alicia discovered that she was pregnant. She and John were overjoyed and returned to their hometown Fayetteville, North Carolina, to celebrate the moment with close friends and neighbors.
Alicia and John were both orphans, and they were raised in foster care. Alicia was a stay-at-home wife, while John worked as the managing director of a firm that made parts for household electronics.
They had all they could have wanted in a happy marriage. They had a wonderful home in a lovely area, they enjoyed each other’s company, and now they had the delight of becoming parents. But sadly, this happiness didn’t last long, as Alicia’s world came crumbling down one fateful evening.
“Hello? Am I talking to Alicia Silvers?”
“Yes? How may I help?”
“This is Officer Duncan, ma’am. I’m sorry to inform you that your husband was killed in a terrible car accident on Farm Road Highway. We got your contact number from his phone. We’d appreciate it if you could come and confirm the body as soon as possible.”
Alicia couldn’t believe what she was hearing! That morning John had left telling her he was going out of town for a business meeting. She didn’t want him to leave and had told him she didn’t feel right about it. But he’d convinced her that she was overreacting and that everything would be fine.
Alicia was 7 months along with her pregnancy at the time. When John insisted on leaving for his meeting, she relented and kissed him goodbye. He’d promised to return soon, but when she heard the terrible news, she couldn’t bear the shock and went into labor.
Thankfully, she quickly dialed her next-door neighbor, Mrs. Hall, who rushed to her house and called 911. Alicia was immediately rushed to the hospital, where she gave birth to a baby boy. However, due to his premature birth, he was admitted to the NICU for some time.
When Alicia and the baby were discharged from the hospital, she took over John’s business and began working to support her son. Understanding the company dynamics didn’t take her long because she had an MBA. Problems arose because Edduin was very small and constantly demanded his mother’s attention.
John’s secretary, Madison, was extremely helpful to her and understood her situation, so she suggested that Alicia work from home and assisted her in setting up her workspace so that Alicia could care for her baby.
Yes, Alicia could have hired a nanny to look after the boy, but she didn’t want to do that. She wanted to look after her baby on her own, so she started working from home. In that way, somehow, Alicia managed to look after her son and work simultaneously.
Almost a year passed like that. Little did Alicia know she’d soon have another trouble knocking at her door.
The present-day…
As Alicia made a cup of coffee and proceeded to the living room, she arranged all her files and decided to take a final look at the reports for the day. It was around 1 a.m. It took her half an hour to wrap up the work, and the woman retired on the couch due to tiredness.
Suddenly, she awoke at 8 o’clock in the morning due to Edduin’s crying sound. She jumped to her feet and dashed over to him, where she discovered him with tears streaming down his cheeks like a waterfall.
“What happened, honey? Are you hungry?” she asked as she started rocking him. This was the second time in a week that Alicia had noticed Edduin was restless and crying uncontrollably during his sleep.
She looked inside his crib to see if there was anything that was poking him, but she couldn’t find anything. Finally, she concluded that he might be fine after a while and decided to wait and see if the crying continued.
Thankfully, Edduin’s abrupt crying stopped after a week or so, much to her relief, but he appeared to be very tired every day. He kept yawning and touching his face whenever she held him in her arms or tried to play with him, and the toys he’d previously adored seemed uninteresting to him.
Worried, she contacted a doctor about it, but even that didn’t seem really fruitful.
“I’m worried because he seems really calm most of the time, doctor, but he also looks tired in the mornings. Why is that so?” asked Alicia, worried.
“Don’t worry, Mrs. Silvers. Babies seem to have a phase,” the doctor advised her. “Perhaps Edduin is going through the same.”
“But how long will it take for him to be fine? I’m really worried about him.”
“Don’t worry much, Mrs. Silvers. There is no such time frame, but everything will be fine. It varies from one baby to another.”
Thinking it was one of those phases, Alicia hoped Edduin would be fine soon. But even after a week, there was no relief, and Edduin just looked more tired with each passing day.
One afternoon, Alicia decided to check on him after putting him to sleep and heard a strange noise coming from his room. It seemed as if Edduin was giggling and there was someone in his room. At first, she thought it was just her suspicion because she burst open the door but didn’t find anyone inside.
Edduin was staring at her from his crib, and the room was strangely quiet. She looked in the bathroom, inside the cupboard, and under the bed, but no one was in the room.
Alicia returned to the living room, thinking it was work-related stress, but the activity continued the next day and the next. Every day, Edduin would jolt awake from his sound sleep, giggling or simply staring around the room.
Thinking something was off, Alicia installed a Wi-Fi baby monitor inside to keep a watch on Edduin and sat in the living room, watching the live feed.
She fixed her gaze on the screen, watching it intently, and everything appeared to be fine for the first few minutes. However, after about 10 minutes, she noticed a sudden movement in the room and Edduin’s lip tilting in a smile.
Fearing that someone had crept into Edduin’s room, Alicia dashed to his room and slammed the door open. Her hands trembled, and she shivered in terror as she realized her baby wasn’t alone in the room.
However, Alicia heaved a sigh of relief when she saw that the visitor was no one but a cute little dog circling Edduin’s crib. He appeared dirty and weak, and he made a low sound that was difficult to hear.
When Alicia opened Edduin’s door, the little dog hid behind Edduin’s crib. Edduin began to giggle, and that’s when Alica understood what had happened.
It turns out that Alicia and John had a pet dog named Doblo, and they’d forgotten to close the dog door in the back of the room after he died. That room used to be Doblo’s game room, but it was converted into a nursery for Edduin after he died.
Since a lot had happened after John had left for his heavenly abode and Edduin was born, Alicia completely forgot to close the dog door. And that’s how the little dog got into the room, playing with Edduin all the time and refusing to let him sleep.
Alicia felt terrible for the poor animal after seeing it in that state and decided to adopt it. Casper, as she named him, is now Edduin’s best friend. A huge thanks to little Casper, now Edduin doesn’t cry as much, sleeps well because Alicia makes sure the two don’t spend all of their time together, and is a much happier baby.
What can we learn from this story?
Becoming a parent is not an easy task. Alicia managing her work and looking after her baby simultaneously is an excellent example of how parents go above and beyond for their children.
Learn to be kind to animals. Alicia adopted the dog after seeing he was in a terrible state.
At 50, I was ridiculed by a young colleague, but I ended up teaching her a valuable lesson
At 50, I thought my career was behind me. But when I joined a fast-paced startup, I quickly became the target of a young colleague’s jealousy. What unfolded was more than a battle for respect. It led to a shocking twist that changed everything.
Losing my husband left me feeling like a ship adrift. The days blurred together, and it seemed impossible to find purpose again.
The psychology degree I’d tucked away years ago suddenly seemed like my last lifeline. So, I dusted it off and decided it was time to use it in my 50s.
When I landed an internship at an IT startup, I could hardly believe it. Technology wasn’t exactly my field.
But I thought, “Why not? Maybe this is the fresh start I need.”
My new boss, Liam, was 28. Sharp, ambitious, and a bit too focused on one thing. Success. Profits, growth, numbers.
People? Not so much.
During our first meeting, Liam barely looked at me. I could feel the skepticism rolling off him.
“So, I was thinking,” I began cautiously. “It might help if we focus on building stronger connections within the tea…”
Liam interrupted me, “We’re growing fast. I need results. What exactly are you suggesting?”
“Well, it’s about creating a balance.”
“You’re an intern, right? Just listen and repeat,” he said, already turning back to his laptop.
That was it. The conversation’s over. I left the office feeling deflated.
Maybe I am too old for this.
I needed a fresh perspective, so I called Jake my best friend.
Jake had always been the one to pull me through, even in my darkest moments. After my husband passed away, there were days when I couldn’t even get out of bed. But Jake was there, encouraging me when I couldn’t see past the grief.
We agreed to meet at our usual spot, a quiet café around the corner from my place. It was one of those cozy spots where time seemed to slow down.
Jake was already there when I arrived.
“Hey, Mary. You look like you’ve got a lot on your mind,” Jake said, waving me over.
I sat down. “I don’t know, Jake. This new job… It’s harder than I thought. Liam’s young, and he’s all about numbers and profits.”
“Liam, huh? The 28-year-old boss you told me about?”
I sighed. “Yeah. He’s not focused on people. I suggested some ideas, but he brushed them off.”
“Sounds like he’s missing the bigger picture,” Jake replied. “You’ve been through a lot. You know how to bring people together, how to help them connect. Why not use that?”
I looked at him, confused.
“What do you mean?”
“Remember that emotional support program you wrote as your thesis? Why not offer that as the team-building event? It’s what you know best, and it works.”
I thought for a moment. He was right. The program had given me back my strength after losing my husband.
“Maybe you’re onto something,” I said, a bit more hopeful. “I’ll pitch the idea to Liam.”
Jake grinned. “Now you’re talking. And remember, if anyone can get through to a guy like him, it’s you.”
With renewed confidence, I approached Liam the next day. After explaining the team-building event, I watched his face, hoping for some spark of interest.
“Alright, Mary. Let’s give it a shot,” Liam said, though his voice lacked the enthusiasm I’d hoped for.
“Thanks, Liam. I’ll make sure the team will benefit from it.”
Suddenly, my eyes caught Lora, who’d been standing just outside the office, clearly eavesdropping on our conversation. She stepped into my path before I could walk by.
“Team-building, huh? Sounds like a big project,” she said, her eyes glinting with something I couldn’t quite place.
“It should be a good way to get everyone more connected,” I said, trying to stay upbeat despite the uncomfortable tension I felt with her.
“Liam agreed to this? Surprising, he’s not really into this soft stuff.”
I shrugged lightly. “He’s willing to try, so that’s something.”
She paused for a moment, then smiled again, a little too brightly.
“Hey, since you’ll be busy organizing all the activities, why don’t I handle the logistics? I’m good at that kind of thing.”
There was something about the way she said it that made me hesitate. Still, I didn’t want to come across as untrusting, especially since I was new.
“That will be helpful,” I said. “Thanks, Lora.”
“No problem! I’ll take care of everything.”
I had no idea at the time that she had her own agenda. I was just grateful for the help.
The day of the team-building event was supposed to be my chance to prove myself. But when I arrived at the venue, there was nothing. No decorations, no people, and no sign that an event was planned.
Something was wrong. As I stood there, staring at the empty space, my phone rang. It was Liam.
“Mary, where are you? Everyone’s here, waiting. You said you’d be running this thing, and now you’re not even here!”
Panic surged through me. “What!? Liam, I’m here at the location I arranged. No one’s here.”
“What location?” His voice hardened. “The whole team’s at the new place Lora said you picked.”
Lora. Of course.
It was a setup, and I had walked right into it. That was her way of making me look incompetent in front of Liam.
“I’m on my way,” I managed to say before hanging up.
I dialed Jake. “Jake, I need your help. Fast.”
“What happened?”
“Lora changed the location for the team-building without telling me. I can make it work. But it has to be my territory, not Lora’s one. I need you to bring everybody to my house.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll be there soon,” he said without hesitation.
I rushed home. I had just enough time to pull things together.
I set up tables on the terrace, lit lanterns, and made the garden feel as welcoming as possible. My nerves were on edge, but I wasn’t about to let that situation get the best of me. Not yet.
Jake arrived with the entire team packed into his van. The employees spilled out, looking confused but intrigued by the cozy setting.
The event was going better than I could have imagined. People paired up, laughing and chatting, their usual office facades dropping away. The atmosphere in my garden seemed to work its magic.
Liam, who had always been so serious and closed off, was finally loosening up. He moved from group to group, engaging in conversations, and even smiled.
At one point, I noticed Lora and Liam paired up. I edged a little closer, curious about their conversation.
“This place is really nice,” Lora said, glancing around the garden.
“Yeah, I have to admit, it’s… different from the usual corporate events.”
Lora laughed lightly. “Different is good, right? Sometimes, I think we all get stuck in our little bubbles at the office.”
Liam leaned back in his chair. “You’re right. I didn’t realize how much the team needed this. We’re always pushing for results, overlooking something important.”
I saw them both letting their guards down. For a moment, I felt a pang of satisfaction.
Maybe this event will bring them closer together in more ways than one.
I caught Lora watching me from across the garden. Even with the evening going smoothly, I had a feeling this wasn’t the end of her games.
***
As the evening wound down and people began to leave, I noticed Lora with Liam near my wardrobe. Lora glanced around casually and then reached for a stack of papers. She picked them up, flipping through the pages briefly.
“Hey, Mary,” she called out. “What’s this? Something important?”
Liam’s face turned red with anger when he noticed the papers in Lora’s hands. He grabbed the documents.
“What the hell are these doing here?” he snapped, glaring at me. “I prepared these for a meeting with investors. I left them on my desk, Mary.”
I opened my mouth to explain, but he didn’t give me a chance.
“Don’t pretend to be the innocent intern. It’s obvious now. You’re here working for the competition, aren’t you? I trusted you!”
“No, Liam, I…” I tried, but he cut me off with a dismissive wave.
“We’ll talk later. Stay out of my way for now.”
With that, he turned and left the room. I turned to Lora.
She smirked. “I didn’t think those documents were THAT important. I just wanted to teach you a lesson.”
“A lesson? You’ve ruined everything!”
Still, I believed the real Lora, the one I’d seen laughing with Liam earlier, was still in there somewhere. But at that moment, she chose to be her worst self.
I sank into a chair, feeling utterly defeated. Jake came over, resting a hand on my shoulder.
“Everything happens for a reason, Mary. Don’t give up just yet.”
When I received a message from Liam asking me to meet him the next day at the office, I didn’t know what to expect, but I decided to go there with my head held high.
The next afternoon, I arrived at the office with a heavy heart, and when I walked in, I saw both Liam and Lora there.
“Mary, I… I need to apologize,” Lora began, her voice shaking slightly. “I was the one who moved the location for the team-building event. I wanted to make you look bad, and… I also planted those documents on your desk.”
“Why?” I asked, barely able to believe what I was hearing.
Lora sighed, dropping her gaze to the floor.
“I was jealous. I thought you were drawing Liam’s attention away from me, and I let that cloud my judgment. But after the team-building event and after hearing what you said… I realized how wrong I was.”
Liam, who had been listening quietly, stepped forward.
“She’s telling the truth, Mary. And honestly, I’m thankful for what you did.” He turned to me, his tone softer. “That evening in your garden, I didn’t just feel like the boss anymore. I felt like a regular person again. I started noticing things I hadn’t in years. It was a wake-up call.”
He glanced at Lora and winked, making her blush and giggle nervously. I couldn’t help but smile. It seemed that the casual, relaxed atmosphere of that evening had done more than I could have hoped for.
Liam then turned back to me. “Mary, your methods really worked. So, from today, I’d like to make it official. You’ll be the company’s emotional recovery coach.”
I was stunned for a moment, then broke into a wide smile. “Really? I… thank you, Liam.”
Liam added, “And we’ve got more to celebrate. The morning meeting with the investors went great. So, I’m inviting the whole team to stay after work tonight for pizza. From now on, let’s make it a tradition!”
I laughed, feeling lighter than I had in weeks. The weight of uncertainty was gone. I had found my path and could focus on helping others do the same.
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