Chapter 5

"Mr. Oliver, how many days old is the baby?"

"Two."

"Has he had his heel prick test yet?" I asked, curious.

"What?" he replied, as if he had no idea what I was talking about.

"It's an essential test done in the first days after birth. It helps detect certain illnesses early."

"Here's what we'll do: today we'll buy everything he needs, and tomorrow we'll take care of all the medical tests. Alright?" he said, a bit impatient.

"Alright."

The rest of the ride was quiet. When we got to the capital, our first stop was a store to buy a car seat and a crib. After that, we went to the civil registry office. I sat near the exit, watching the street while Oliver waited to be called. For a moment, I thought the baby's mother might show up to help register him—but she never did.

There were still three people ahead of Oliver, so while he waited, I got an idea. I saw a women's clothing store next door and decided to check it out and buy a few essentials.

With the baby in my arms, I picked out some underwear, five blouses, three pairs of pants, and two dresses. I didn't try anything on—just asked for my size and had everything packed. The store also sold shoes, so I got two pairs of sandals and a pair of sneakers. I also grabbed a small travel bag and had everything packed inside.

Right next door was a pharmacy where I bought some personal hygiene items. It all took less than twenty minutes, and I returned to the registry office with a full bag. Oliver was already done.

We went to a pharmacy and bought diapers, bottles, teething rings, a hygiene kit, and formula. Afterward, we stopped at a baby clothing store and picked out everything he needed. I chose most items in bigger sizes, knowing he'd grow fast. Oliver didn't care about the prices—in fact, he told me to buy the best brands.

We'd been out for over two hours when the baby started crying.

"Seriously? This kid is crying again?" Oliver groaned.

"It's normal, sir. Babies this age eat every two hours. Could we stop at a café? I'll ask them to sterilize the bottle."

We stopped at a small restaurant. I explained the situation to the waitress, who kindly sterilized the bottle and even warmed up the water for the formula. After I fed the baby and he fell asleep again, we finished the shopping.

"Where do you live? Let's grab your things," Oliver said.

"No need—my mom dropped them off for me. I asked her to when we were at the registry," I lied.

He gave me a suspicious look but didn't say anything. We headed back to the estate. When we arrived, one of the staff was already waiting and helped carry all the bags to my room.

There was a lot to organize, but I'd have time. The good thing about newborns is they sleep most of the day.

I grabbed the baby's new clothes and went looking for the laundry room. Since we had appointments the next day, I wanted him to wear something clean and new. I hand-washed everything and set it to dry.

Meanwhile, I went to the kitchen to heat water for a thermos and bring it up to the room. There, I met a woman.

"Good afternoon!" I greeted politely.

"Good afternoon," she replied, eyeing me curiously. "You must be the nanny."

"Yes, that's me. I'm Aurora."

"I'm Lucy, one of the house staff. The boss told me you were here, so I prepared lunch for you."

"Thank you so much."

After serving me, Lucy left the kitchen. She didn't seem like much of a talker. I was alone, watching the baby on the monitor Oliver had just installed. When I finished eating, I went upstairs and started organizing the baby's things in the wardrobe. Among the bags, there were even some toys.

While I was putting things away, I noticed the smell of smoke from outside. Curious, I peeked out the window and saw Oliver burning clothes in a large barrel. I quickly closed the window, afraid he'd catch me watching.

Later, when I went down for dinner, I grabbed the now-dry clothes and ironed them. I took them back upstairs and put them away. My mind kept racing with theories, but I chose not to overthink things for now.

I hadn't assembled the crib yet, and it was already nine at night. I decided to leave it for the next day and sleep with the baby in bed.

I took a shower and changed into the pajamas I had bought. It felt strange that Oliver hadn't shown up at all for the rest of the day—not even to check on his own son.

At ten o'clock, I lay down next to that tiny little being and kissed his forehead—because his parents weren't around to do it.

In that moment, I felt something special for that baby.