Weeks passed. Jonah slept peacefully. Paige cried every night until her voice grew hoarse. Doctors offered medication and vague explanations. I agreed to everything, desperate for quiet.
Keisha never complained. She walked the halls at night, soothed Paige, sang low melodies, and slept on a mattress near the nursery door. I barely noticed her presence until Delphine planted a seed.
“You trust that maid too much,” Delphine said during dinner. “I saw her in the nursery for hours doing nothing. Who knows what she touches when you are not there.”
Suspicion is easy when you are grieving. I ordered a security upgrade the next morning. Cameras in every hallway, every entrance, and especially the nursery. I told no one except the technician. I told myself I was protecting my children.
Two weeks later I sat alone in my office at three in the morning, unable to sleep. The rain outside felt like a heartbeat on the roof. I opened the security feed and selected the nursery.