She would end up in her granddaughter’s bed.
When the adults finally woke up
The next morning, I showed Daniel the camera footage.
He stayed silent for a long time.
Then he broke down.
“She must remember the days when I was little…”
Daniel squeezed my hand.
“It’s my fault. I’ve been so focused on work that I forgot my mother is slowly losing herself.”
Emily slept with us the following nights.
And my mother-in-law…
We didn’t blame her.
We loved her more than ever.
A decision that changed everything
We decided to:
— Gently close Emily’s bedroom door at night
— Install motion sensors throughout the house
— And most importantly: never let my mother-in-law sleep alone again
We moved her to a bedroom closer to ours.
Every night I sat with her. Talked to her. Listened to her memories. Helped her feel safe.
Because sometimes, elderly people don’t need medication.
They need to know they still have a family.
END
My daughter’s bed was never too small.
What was really happening was that an elderly woman—alone, lost inside her own memories—
was searching for the warmth of a child she once held close for an entire lifetime.
