Chapter 6
Louisa gave me a look.
"With that look, you could be on a magazine cover," she teased.
"Oh, come on," I said.
On the way to the venue, Luke was unusually quiet in his car seat.
Luke: [The car's moving. This is fun.]
His inner voice was relaxed and carefree.
When we got to the venue, it was already pretty crowded.
There were brands from the mother and baby industry, parenting experts, media reporters, and parents who had brought their kids for assessments.
As soon as Seth walked in, he instantly became the center of attention.
The Turner Group had a mom-and-baby product line valued at billions of dollars, so today's forum was pretty much his turf.
I followed behind, holding Luke in my arms.
"Mr. Turner, is this your son? He's such a good-looking kid," someone complimented.
"Wow, he looks more lively now. Didn't you say he used to cry all the time?" another person remarked.
Luke felt uneasy with all these strangers around him.
[So many people here. It's so loud.]
I held him a little tighter, keeping some of the hands trying to touch him at bay.
"Let him settle in a bit first, thanks," I said to the crowd.
Some people looked at me with curiosity. "And who is this?"
"I'm Hailey Goodwin, Luke's nanny," I replied.
The person nodded. "Oh."
That single "oh" said it all.
My clothes were cheap, I wasn't wearing any jewelry, and I looked too young.
By two in the afternoon, the parenting experts' roundtable was up next.
Four well-known industry pros took their seats on stage.
One of them was Jenna.
She'd swapped into a sharper business suit today, her hair styled in a bun with not a hair out of place.
Jenna began, "Hello, everyone. I'm Jenna May, a certified parenting consultant in Amroka, specializing in early intervention for infants and toddlers aged zero to three..."
Her introduction was flawless.
The audience broke into enthusiastic applause.
During the roundtable, Jenna spoke eloquently, backing up her points with plenty of research and statistics. Everything she said was spot-on.
Then the host threw out a question.
He asked, "Ms. May, what unique insights do you have when it comes to emotional management for babies and toddlers?"
Jenna smiled. "That's a great question. I think the heart of emotional management for babies and toddlers is building a secure bond.
" Caregivers need the right expertise and proper training, not just winging it."
She paused, glancing at me in the crowd. "It's not about trusting your instincts."
Some people chuckled.
I knew Jenna was taking a jab at me.
Luke wiggled suddenly in my arms.
[I don't like the sound of that lady with glasses.]
After the forum wrapped up, there was some time for mingling.
Jenna walked over.
Fiona trailed behind her.
"Ms. Goodwin, I didn't expect to see you here," Jenna said.
"Ms. May," I replied.
"What capacity are you here today?" Jenna asked.
"I'm here as Luke's baby nurse," I answered.
"Ah, a baby nurse," Jenna echoed.
Jenna pushed up her glasses. "So, what did you think of the roundtable discussion just now?"
"I don't have an opinion," I replied.
"Is it that you don't have an opinion, or that you didn't get it?" Jenna shot back.
Fiona let out a little laugh beside her.
With Luke in my arms, I was about to walk away.
"Hold on," Jenna stopped me in my tracks.
"Earlier, a parent brought in a four-month-old baby who's been crying nonstop. Even the three experts here couldn't get him to stop," Jenna said.
She pointed toward a pair of anxious young parents in the corner.
"Since you're so good at going with your gut, why don't you give it a try?" Jenna challenged.
Everyone was watching.
This was a trap.
If I couldn't do it, it'd show I only got lucky before.
If I did manage it, things would be different.
I looked toward the corner.
A baby was crying her heart out in her mom's arms.
[It hurts. My head hurts. The light is too bright. It hurts so much.] The baby's thoughts echoed in my mind.
I could hear the baby's thoughts in my head.
It was not her tummy.
It was not her head.
And the way it felt...
My expression suddenly changed, worry flashing across my face.
"Move aside," I said.
I handed Luke to Louisa and rushed over to the parents.
"Hi, I'm Hailey, Luke's nanny. What's your baby's name?" I asked.
The mom's face was streaked with tears.
"Her name's Amy. She's been crying since this morning, and we don't know what to do," the mom said, her voice trembling.
"Did Amy hit her head recently?" I asked.
"No. Wait, the day before yesterday, she rolled off the bed while turning over, but she didn't cry, so I figured she was fine," the mom said.
I reached out and gently pressed on Amy's soft spot.
She started crying harder.
Amy: [It hurts right there. It hurts so much.]
My heart was pounding.
"You need to take her to the hospital immediately," I said, my voice urgent.
"What?" the mom blurted out, stunned.
"Go. Right now," I insisted.
I turned to Jenna. "You're the expert, so you should've seen it too. Her soft spot is swollen, and she's been crying nonstop.
"This isn't about her emotions. It's an early warning that the pressure inside her skull is building up."