Anna woke up suddenly. She was sweating, and even if she already couldn't remember, she knew she just had a bad dream. Sometimes it happened, especially considered the news she had the day before. A very happy news, but she couldn't help being worried.
Anna looked next to her: John was sleeping peacefully. She decided to get up to get a glass of water; maybe then she would have been able to go back to sleep.
She got up very slowly, in order not to wake up John, and tiptoed out of the bedroom. In the small hallway, Anna stopped a second to look in Johnnie's room: she smiled when she saw that her baby was soundly asleep.
Anna felt happier then ever, while she walked down the stairs to go in the kitchen. She had a glass of water, and then she felt very hot. Again, it was expected. It happened also last time. She quietly opened the main door and she stepped outside, breathing deeply. The cool air hit her, and she felt immediately better. It was too cold, though, and Anna turned to ge back inside, when sometime caught her eyes. A light. In Thomas' cottage, the light in his kitchen was on. It looked like he was awake too.
Weird. Anna frowned. Acting on an impulse, she grabbed her coat and quickly put on her work shoes, that she kept near the door.
Almost running, she covered the short distance from her cottage to the one in which Thomas had just moved in with little Emily. She peered from the kitchen window, and saw Thomas, in his pajamas, sitting at the table, with his head in his hands.
Even from outside Anna could hear Emily crying and screaming.
Without knocking, the lady's maid opened the door, and Thomas jumped on the chair, looking at her with big and scared eyes. He relaxed immediately though, and looked at Anna, who was taking Emily in her arms, cooing and smiling at her.
"What happened?" asked him the lady's maid. "Why are you crying? Is she sick?"
Thomas looked desperate. "I don't know... she started crying hours ago. She doesn't stop... I tried feeding her, changing her... nothing works".
The butler was clearly tired: his eyes were red and he had dark circles around them. He was paler than usual, and his cheeks were wet from crying.
Anna's heart clenched.
"I think it's a colic," said then, trying to calm the baby.
"What?" Thomas sounded confused, then scared. "Is it dangerous?"
"No, no, don't worry. It's quite common in babies. It happened to Johnnie too. It means that she ingested some air while she was eating, and now she has some cramps as a result".
"Oh..." Thomas frowned, wiping his eyes. "Can we do something?"
"Yes, of course. Do you have a hot water bottle?"
The butler looked at her, his eyes wide. Anna understood. "That's fine, don't worry. Wait a minute, I'm going to fetch mine".
She gave him the baby, going to the door, but stopped in her tracks when Thomas talked to her.
"I'm... I'm sorry, Anna, I..."
The lady's maid smiled. "Don't be silly. It's not a problem at all. I'm coming back in a few second". With a last smile, Anna left.

Half an hour later, Thomas and Anna were both sitting at the kitchen table in the butler's cottage, drinking some tea. The baby was sleeping in her crib, finally.
"So... be sure that you burp her after you feed her," said Anna to Thomas, in a soft voice, in order not to wake Emily up. "And try to keep the bottle at an angle so that she can't ingest air. I can show you. But don't worry, at her age normally they stop getting colics anyway".
Thomas still looked tired. "It never happened before... she only cries when she's hungry, or she needs to be changed... I didn't know what to do. When you arrived I was about to bring her to the hospital".
"Oh, Thomas... I'm sorry you were so worried... but really, it's normal, even if I understand why it can be scary".
Thomas shook his head. Then, he looked at Anna, his eyes glistening again with tears. "Did I do the right choice? Maybe she would have been better if..."
"Thomas Barrow, don't even finish this sentence!" ordered him Anna, in a peremptory voice. "You have been absolutely terrific with little Emily. No one could say otherwise. I have to tell you... I had my doubts at first. I know how it can be difficult to care for a little baby. And since you are alone... But then I saw you with her. And I saw her with you. Emily is the happiest baby I have ever seen in my entire life. It's clear that she feels your love for her. She is very lucky to have you, Thomas. Don't ever doubt it again".
The butler looked at her, hope in his tired eyes. "Do you really think so?"
"I do", smiled Anna.
"I think you are wrong about something," said Thomas again, lowering his glance on the table.
"About what?"
"I'm not alone. I have all of you". Thomas looked again at her, smiling a little. Anna smiled back.