“At my baby’s three-month checkup, the doctor called me into a separate room and lowered his voice so no one else could hear him, and what he said next made the floor feel unstable beneath my feet.”

“Certainly, babies frequently soiled their clothes.” On her way to the office, Emily called her colleague, Jessica. Jessica had a 2-year-old son. Olivia’s condition has been strange lately, Emily spoke worriedly. “She cries intensely in the mornings, and my husband says, “My parenting is bad. The newborn period is tough,” Jessica said consolingly, but crying only in the mornings is a bit unusual.

“Normally, they cry regardless of the time.” “Really? My son was difficult at first, too, but his crying timing was more random. Maybe she’s reacting to some specific stimulus. That evening, Emily came home early. Margaret had already left and Olivia was alone in her crib. Michael hadn’t come home yet. Emily picked up Olivia. Strangely, her daughter was calm.

The intense crying from the morning wasn’t there. Rather, she showed a relieved expression. Why do you cry so much only in the mornings? Emily spoke to her daughter. Olivia grasped Emily’s finger with her small hand and stared at her intently. That night, when Michael came home, Olivia’s demeanor changed again.

As her husband approached, their daughter’s body gradually stiffened. And the moment Michael tried to hold her, she began crying intensely. Crying again, Michael didn’t hide his irritation. This is really troublesome. Emily carefully observed her husband’s reaction. Certainly, Olivia tended to cry when Michael approached.

But was this just coincidence or did it have some meaning? Before bedtime, Emily was thinking while soothing Olivia. There was some pattern to her daughter’s reactions. Michael’s presence in the morning, time with her mother-in-law during the day, and family time in the evening. Among these, Olivia seemed most at ease when she was alone with Emily.

However, Emily still didn’t understand what this meant. The waiting room at Boston Pediatric Clinic was bathed in gentle morning sunlight. Emily was holding Olivia, waiting for Michael’s arrival. He had promised to rush over after leaving a meeting, but hadn’t shown up yet. “Mrs. Hartwell, sorry to keep you waiting,” Nurse Carol called out with a smile.

“Dr. Johnson is ready for you. When they entered the examination room, Dr. Johnson welcomed them warmly. He was known as a respected pediatrici

an in the area and was a veteran with over 30 years of experience. “How has Olivia been doing?” the doctor asked while checking the chart. “There’s been something concerning recently,” Emily began hesitantly.

“She often cries intensely in the mornings, and my husband says my parenting is bad.” Dr. Johnson raised his eyebrows. Only in the mornings. Crying at specific times is quite interesting. At that moment, the examination room door opened and Michael rushed in out of breath. Sorry I’m late. The meeting ran long. No problem. We just started. Dr.

Johnson smiled. Let’s begin the examination. First came the weight measurement. Olivia was growing well with both weight and height within normal ranges. Dr. Johnson nodded with satisfaction as he recorded the measurements. Now, let me check her heart rate with the stethoscope. The doctor picked up his stethoscope and said to Michael, “Father, could you hold Olivia?” The moment Michael took Olivia from Emily, the atmosphere in the examination room changed.