PART 2:
One evening, while Camille was resting beside me, I asked whether my mother had upset her.
She quickly shook her head.
“She is helping us,” Camille said. “I do not want to sound ungrateful.”
Her answer did not reassure me.
It frightened me.
The Camera That Kept Going Offline
Before Micah was born, I had installed a nursery camera connected to my phone.
It allowed me to check on Camille and the baby during the day.
During the second week of Darlene’s visit, the camera began losing its connection every morning.
The first time, my mother said the internet must have failed.
The second time, she claimed she might have accidentally touched the power cord while cleaning.
By the fourth time, I knew something was wrong.
The camera was mounted high on the wall. Its cable ran behind a heavy cabinet. No one could unplug it by accident.
I decided not to confront her without evidence.
Instead, I purchased a small battery-powered camera disguised as a digital clock. It stored its own connection and did not depend on our home network.
Late that night, after everyone was asleep, I placed it on a bookshelf in the nursery.
The next morning, I told Darlene that I had an important meeting and would be unavailable until late afternoon.
I kissed Camille, touched Micah’s tiny hand, and left the house.
But I did not go to work.
I drove several streets away, parked near a quiet public garden, and opened the hidden camera feed on my tablet.
For nearly an hour, nothing happened.
Camille rested in the nursing chair while Micah slept nearby.
Then, at 9:12 a.m., my regular nursery camera sent an alert.
Connection lost.
On the hidden feed, the door opened.
My mother walked into the room.
She went directly to the wall camera, reached behind it, and removed the cord.
There was nothing accidental about it.
I felt my stomach tighten.
For the first time, I saw the expression she wore when she believed no one was watching.
There was no warmth in her face.
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