Rebecca quickly became part of their routine. She arrived at eight each morning, washed her hands before picking Lula up, and asked Sarah about the previous night. During the day, she sent photos of Lula playing on the rug or sleeping in her crib. She wrote down every bottle, diaper change, and nap in a notebook she left on the kitchen counter.
For Sarah, those details mattered. Returning to work had been harder than she expected, and at first she checked her phone often. Rebecca never seemed annoyed. If Sarah called, she answered. If Lula developed a rash or skipped part of a bottle, Rebecca mentioned it. Within a few weeks, Sarah stopped worrying when she closed the front door behind her.
Then, shortly after Lula turned eight months old, something shifted. She began fussing when Rebecca arrived. At first, it was only a whimper. A few days later, she cried hard enough that Sarah had trouble putting on her coat. Rebecca blamed teething and promised to call if anything seemed wrong. That afternoon, she sent a photograph of Lula smiling. Sarah felt foolish for worrying. The next morning, however, Rebecca stepped inside, said Lula’s name, and Lula started screaming.