Chapter 4 - The three nights she slept
The first three nights with the nurse had gone well.
Her name was Felicia Barnes.
Registered nurse.
Forty-four.
Worked postpartum home support after eleven years in maternal-child nursing.
Felicia’s notes were not hospital medical records, but she maintained professional visit summaries.
Night one:
Theo fed at 10:14 p.m., 1:08 a.m., 3:57 a.m.
Alessandra slept approximately five hours in divided blocks.
Hydration encouraged.
Snack prepared at 2 a.m.
Night two:
Four hours and forty minutes total sleep.
Assisted with positioning because Alessandra’s incision remained painful.
Night three:
Five hours and ten minutes.
Felicia wrote:
Mother appears visibly stronger this morning. Encouraged continued daytime rest and avoidance of heavy lifting.
Then service stopped.
Felicia later told us:
“I thought the family changed plans.”
“Did Alessandra say that?”
“No.”
“Did Colin?”
“Yes.”
“What exactly?”
“He said his wife was becoming too dependent on overnight support and they needed their home back.”
Miriam asked:
“Did he say Alessandra wanted the cancellation?”
“Yes.”
Felicia hesitated.
“Actually, he said ‘we decided.’”
We.
A useful word.
Alessandra had not decided.
She had been asleep when Colin sent the cancellation email.
She discovered it the fourth night at 8:15 when nobody arrived.
She asked:
“Where’s Felicia?”
Colin said:
“Your dad only paid for three nights.”
Then:
“He thinks we need to start acting like parents.”
Alessandra believed him.
Why?
Because I had opinions about almost everything.
That was uncomfortable to admit.
I had paid for schools.
I had bought her first car.
I had insisted on certain doctors when she was younger.
I had commented on apartments.
Jobs.
Men.
Especially men.
Colin’s lie fit an existing version of me.
May you like
That gave it power.
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