The Party I Never Wanted

“You’re holding her too tightly, Paige.”

Before I could answer, my mother-in-law reached down and lifted my seven-day-old daughter from my arms.

I froze.

My body was still recovering from childbirth, and even standing up too quickly made me uncomfortable. All I wanted was a quiet afternoon at home with my newborn.

Instead, I was sitting in my mother-in-law’s enormous house outside Raleigh, North Carolina, surrounded by nearly forty guests.

Marjorie Whitlock had called the gathering a “Grandmother Celebration.”

There was a white cake decorated with pink flowers and the words Grandma Marjorie’s Little Angel.

Upstairs, she had already prepared what she proudly called “Poppy’s second nursery.”

There was a crib, bottles, blankets, diapers, and enough baby clothes to fill an entire closet.

The strange part was that nobody had asked me.

My husband, Colin, knew I didn’t want to attend.

“It’s only a few hours,” he had told me that morning. “Mom has been planning this for weeks. Canceling now would crush her.”

So I went.

And now I was watching his mother hold my daughter as though she belonged to her.

“Please give Poppy back,” I said.

Colin placed a hand on my shoulder.

“Paige, Mom’s just trying to help.”

Those words would stay with me much longer than he realized.

Something Was Wrong With My Baby

Marjorie carried Poppy around the room while guests admired her.

Every few minutes, someone told me how lucky I was to have such an experienced mother-in-law.

Then I went upstairs to use the bathroom.

When I returned, Poppy was gone.

“Where is she?”

Colin pointed toward the kitchen.

“Mom took her in there. She was fussing.”

My stomach tightened.

I immediately walked toward the kitchen, but Marjorie appeared before I reached the doorway.

Poppy was wrapped tightly against her chest.

She was quiet.

Too quiet.

“Give her to me.”

Marjorie smiled.

“Relax. I finally got her settled.”

I reached for my daughter, but Marjorie turned toward another guest.

A few minutes later, sunlight from the large windows fell across Poppy’s face.

That was when I noticed it.

Her skin didn’t look right.

There was a strange gray-blue shade around her mouth.

“Colin.”

He barely looked up.

“She’s asleep.”

“No. Look at her lips.”

Marjorie sighed.

“She’s probably cold. Paige never puts enough layers on her.”

Something inside me snapped into focus.

I pushed myself out of the chair.

“Give me my daughter. Now.”

Before Marjorie could respond, another woman stepped forward.

Dr. Rebecca Linwood lived nearby and had stopped at the party after finishing her Saturday clinic.

More importantly, she was Poppy’s pediatrician.

Rebecca looked at the baby.

Then she looked again.

Her expression changed completely.

“Marjorie, hand Poppy to her mother immediately.”

Marjorie laughed nervously.

“Rebecca, you know how first-time mothers can be. Paige worries about everything.”

Rebecca didn’t smile.

“Give her the baby.”

The entire room went silent.

The Question No One Wanted to Answer

The moment Poppy was back in my arms, Rebecca loosened her blanket and checked her breathing.

Then she looked toward the other guests.

“Someone call emergency services.”

My legs felt weak.

“Rebecca, what’s happening?”

“Her color and breathing concern me. She needs to be evaluated immediately.”

I stared down at my daughter.

“Poppy? Sweetheart?”

Her eyelids moved slightly.

That tiny movement frightened me more than anything I had ever seen.

Then Rebecca asked a question.

“Paige, has Poppy been given anything today?”

“Only breast milk.”

Marjorie answered before Rebecca could continue.

“She’s been using all sorts of things since leaving the hospital.”

I looked directly at her.

“No, I haven’t.”

Then I remembered the kitchen.

“What did you give her?”

Marjorie stiffened.

“Excuse me?”

“When you took her into the kitchen. What did you give my daughter?”

“Don’t accuse me of something just because you’re nervous.”

Rebecca stepped closer.

“Marjorie, this is important. Did you give the baby anything?”

For the first time all afternoon, my mother-in-law seemed uncertain.

She looked at Colin.

And Colin looked at the floor.

My heart sank.

Marjorie finally opened her purse and removed a small tube.

“It was just something to soothe her mouth. She wouldn’t stop crying.”

Colin whispered,

“Mom…”

Rebecca took the tube and read the label.

Her face became serious.

The sound of sirens grew louder outside.

As the emergency team entered the house, Rebecca handed them the tube and explained what she had observed.

Marjorie suddenly stepped backward.

“I was only trying to help.”

Then she pointed at my husband.

“He knew about it. Ask Colin.”

I turned toward him.

He couldn’t look at me.

My Husband Had Been in the Kitchen

I rode beside Poppy to the hospital.