Chapter 85 : A Little Help

Chapter 85: Chapter 85 : A Little Help

The first few weeks after Catlyn Gresham Turner was born were nothing like Clara and Ashley had imagined.

They had expected sleepless nights, but they had never realized how exhausting caring for a newborn could be. Catlyn cried whenever she was hungry, tired, uncomfortable, or simply wanted to be held.

And whenever Clara or Ashley finally managed to calm her down, she would fall asleep in their arms. The moment they placed her in her crib, however, her eyes would open again.

"How does she know?" Clara whispered one night as she stood beside the crib.

Ashley sat on the edge of the bed, her hair messy and her eyes half-closed.

"Maybe she can sense when we’re trying to escape," she replied weakly.

Clara glanced at her.

"She’s not even a month old. She can’t possibly be doing that on purpose."

Catlyn suddenly began crying again.

Both women closed their eyes.

After a moment, Clara sighed.

"I’ll get her."

"No," Ashley said, immediately standing up. "I’ll do it."

"Ashley, you’ve barely slept."

"I’m her mother."

"So am I."

Ashley looked at her, too tired to argue.

Clara walked over and gently picked up their daughter. Catlyn continued crying, her tiny hands moving restlessly.

"Shh... Mama’s here," Clara whispered as she rocked her.

Ashley watched them from the bed.

She loved Catlyn more than she could explain. Every time she looked at her daughter, her heart filled with tenderness.

But she was exhausted.

Her body was still recovering from childbirth, and her mind seemed trapped in a constant state of anxiety. She worried whenever Catlyn cried, whenever the baby slept too long, and whenever she felt she wasn’t doing enough.

Even when Clara offered to help, Ashley often refused.

She insisted on changing every diaper, preparing every bottle, and soothing Catlyn whenever she cried.

At first, Clara had admired her dedication. After a few weeks, however, she began to worry.

Ashley was barely sleeping. She often forgot to eat, rarely wanted to leave the house, and sometimes sat silently for long periods while staring at Catlyn.

One afternoon, Clara found her sitting on the nursery floor with Catlyn asleep against her chest.

Ashley looked completely drained.

"Hey," Clara whispered, careful not to wake the baby. "Have you eaten anything today?"

Ashley shook her head.

"I wasn’t hungry."

Clara crouched beside her.

"Come on. I’ve told you several times not to forget to eat. What would happen if you fainted from hunger while you were alone with the baby?"

Her tone was sharper than usual, leaving Ashley little room for excuses.

"Give her to me. Go eat something, then get some rest."

"Wait a few minutes. I’ll put her to bed when she’s sleeping more deeply, then I’ll eat," Ashley explained, gazing at the baby as if she were her entire world.

"Stop being stubborn. You haven’t slept properly in weeks. You’re exhausted all the time, and you barely take care of yourself anymore."

"I’m taking care of our baby," Ashley replied defensively.

"I know you are. But who’s taking care of you?"

Ashley remained silent.

Clara placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I know you’ve refused several times, but I think we should hire a nanny."

Ashley immediately stiffened.

"No," she refused.

"Ashley"

"No, Clara. We don’t need one. I don’t want a stranger raising our baby."

"That’s not what I’m suggesting," Clara explained. "We’d still be her mothers. A nanny would only help us."

"I don’t trust strangers."

Clara didn’t like the idea of someone else caring for their daughter either. But she also knew Ashley couldn’t continue living like this.

"You wouldn’t have to accept anyone immediately. We could interview several people, check their references, and choose someone together."

Ashley shook her head.

"I don’t want anyone else taking care of her but me."

Clara stared at her, hurt and frustrated.

"Listen to yourself. I don’t even recognize you anymore. What about me? Don’t you trust me to take care of our daughter too?"

Her harsh tone made Ashley reconsider her words.

Without saying anything else, Clara left the nursery and went to their bedroom, angry. She went to bed without even eating dinner.

A few minutes later, Ashley quietly entered the room and climbed onto the bed. Clara was lying with her back turned toward her.

"Clara, have you had dinner yet?" Ashley asked.

There was no answer.

For several seconds, Ashley stared at Clara’s back. Her wife was pretending to sleep, but Ashley knew she was still awake.

"Fine. We’ll hire a nanny," she finally agreed under pressure.

"Okay," Clara replied, still facing away from her.

Over the next few days, Clara and Ben searched through countless applications and recommendations. Ben had already helped find a nanny for his own son, so he knew what to look for.

However, Ashley’s requirements were extremely strict. In the end, they selected only two women for interviews.

One of the candidates was a middle-aged woman who had worked as a nanny for more than twenty years. She had also previously cared for Ben’s younger sister.

Ben personally recommended her.

"She’s extremely reliable," he explained. "She practically raised my sister when our parents were busy. She’s patient, organized, and knows exactly what she’s doing."

Clara was impressed by her experience and believed she would be perfect for the job. Since she already knew that no candidate would ever seem good enough for Ashley, she decided to make the final decision herself.

Ashley, however, remained cautious throughout the interview.

The nanny answered every question calmly and confidently. She knew how to handle newborns, understood feeding schedules, and explained how to recognize different types of crying.

"I don’t like her," Ashley declared after Clara made her decision.

Clara frowned.

"Why?"

"She acted like she already knew everything about Catlyn."

"That’s not what it is. She simply knows a lot about babies after spending twenty years taking care of them. That’s all," Clara explained.

"Maybe. But I don’t want someone telling me how to raise my daughter."

Clara sighed.

"Ashley, you agreed to meet candidates. We did. She’s the best person for the job."

Ashley looked toward the nursery.

"I don’t know."

"We can try it for a few days. If it doesn’t work, we’ll reconsider."

Ashley remained silent before finally nodding.

"Only a few days."

The nanny began working immediately after being hired.

From the first morning, she proved to be competent—perhaps too competent for Ashley’s peace of mind.

She knew how to hold Catlyn, soothe her, and organize her routine. She also noticed things before Ashley did, such as when Catlyn was becoming sleepy or needed to be burped.

At first, Ashley simply observed her.

Then she began interfering.

"Catlyn usually drinks a little more than that."

"She doesn’t like sleeping on her side."

"Are you sure you should hold her like that?"

The nanny never became annoyed. She always answered respectfully and followed Ashley’s instructions.

But Ashley still couldn’t relax.

Whenever the nanny took Catlyn from her arms, Ashley watched closely. Whenever she entered the nursery, Ashley found an excuse to follow her.

Even when Catlyn smiled at the nanny, Ashley felt uncomfortable.

After several days, Clara noticed.

One evening, she found Ashley sitting beside Catlyn’s crib while the nanny prepared a bottle downstairs.

"Ashley, your therapist told me you didn’t attend your session today. You promised me you wouldn’t miss another one." Clara said, clearly frustrated.

Ashley didn’t look away from the baby.

"Listen, I’ve had enough of this. You’re clearly starting to get on my nerves."

Clara turned and left the room.

It was the first time Ashley had heard Clara express her anger so directly, and the reaction left her shaken.

Ashley went to their bedroom to apologize, as she usually did, but Clara wasn’t there.

She searched every room in the house, growing increasingly panicked, but Clara was nowhere to be found.

Two hours later, Clara finally returned.

The moment Ashley saw her, she rushed over and wrapped her arms around her.

"I’m really sorry. Please, don’t leave me," Ashley said through her tears. "I promise that starting tomorrow, I’ll change. I’ll become the Ashley you fell in love with. But please, don’t disappear like that again."

"If you say so," Clara replied, clearly no longer believing her promises.

She gently freed herself from Ashley’s embrace, went upstairs, and slept in the guest room, locking the door so Ashley couldn’t enter.

The next morning, while they were having breakfast, the nanny approached Clara and asked to speak with her privately.

"I think I should leave," the nanny said.

Clara wasn’t surprised by her decision.

"Please don’t. You’re perfect for the job. I can pay you twice as much if you want."

The nanny shook her head.

"That’s not the problem. Mrs. Gresham is uncomfortable with me caring for the baby. I don’t want to make things harder for your family."

"She doesn’t dislike you. She’s just having a difficult time," Clara explained.

"I understand. But I can’t stay when one of the baby’s parents doesn’t want me here. I’m sorry."

Clara didn’t want the nanny to leave. She had been professional, gentle, and incredibly helpful.

However, Clara couldn’t force her to stay.

After the nanny left, Clara returned to the table and explained what had happened with an indifferent expression, as if she didn’t care.

Ashley knew better.

"I’m going to apologize to her and convince her to stay," Ashley said, knowing Clara was still angry but had decided to stop trying to fix the situation.

"There’s no need. You got what you wanted, didn’t you?" Clara replied before leaving the table.

As she walked away, she gave Catlyn a gentle kiss but didn’t even look at Ashley.

For a while, Clara tried to manage everything herself. She reduced her hours at work, took care of Catlyn during the night, and tried to give Ashley time to rest.

But soon, it became clear that the situation was too much for her. She seemed to have stopped trying.

One evening, Regina arrived at the house and found Clara asleep on the couch with Catlyn in her arms.

Ashley was sitting far away, looking sad and exhausted.

Regina immediately sensed the coldness in the room. She couldn’t understand how the two women had gone from being completely in love to looking so miserable, especially after welcoming their baby.

"What happened to both of you?" she asked.

Clara slowly opened her eyes.

"Nothing. We’re just tired," she lied, not wanting her mother to interfere in their affairs.

Regina looked at Ashley, then at Clara. She understood the situation without needing further explanation.

After a moment, she spoke firmly.

"I’ve made a decision."

Clara raised an eyebrow.

"That usually means we’re not going to like it."

"I’m moving in," Regina announced.

Ashley looked up in surprise.

"What?"

"I’m going to stay here and take care of my granddaughter. Maybe then you can both get your lives back on track, because the two of you look pathetic."

"Mom, you don’t have to do that," Clara said.

"I know. I’m choosing to."

Regina took Catlyn from Clara’s arms without giving her daughter a chance to object.

"I don’t need your permission. I’m staying because my heir needs to learn from the best person there is—which is me."

Then Regina turned toward Ashley.

"That doesn’t bother you, does it?"

Her firm, persistent look made it clear that she wasn’t really asking for permission.

Ashley stared at her for several seconds.

Then she looked at Catlyn and Clara.

"No. Please, stay."

She lowered her eyes, fighting back tears.

"I think... I think we really need help."

A satisfied smile spread across Regina’s face.

"Then I’ll stay."