The doorbell rang, and I froze, holding the squirming baby in my arms. My heart raced as I hesitated before finally answering the door. I was greeted by the kind face of a woman who introduced herself as Sarah, our new neighbor. She had noticed that my wife and I were struggling to manage our newborn and had come to offer her help.

As Sarah cooed over little Emily, I could feel my anxiety lessening. We had been thrust into parenthood when my sister passed away, leaving her daughter in our care. Neither my wife nor I had any experience with children, and we were woefully unprepared. Sarah, a mother of three, seemed heaven-sent.