The overnight Boston–Zurich flight hadn’t even taken off when the first-class cabin filled with sudden crying.
Passengers shifted uncomfortably. Some reached for headphones, others exchanged glances. A few attempted polite smiles, but most didn’t hide their frustration of the loud crying by seven-month-old Nora Whitman.
Baby Nora was traveling with her billionaire father Henry Whitman, whose ability to run companies and have people do what he wanted didn’t help him to calm his daughter down. The poor man tried everything he could think of. He bounced, whispered, rocked, pleaded, but nothing worked. His baby daughter seemed to be in some sort of a distress.
While the rest of the passengers only started at Henry, a young boy, around eight years old, decided to lend a helping hand. He was traveling with his mother, who worked as a nurse at the ER and was headed to a medical conference.
Without hesitation, the boy, Liam, got out of his seat and approached Henry.
“Can I help?” he asked.
Henry stared at him for a few seconds, wondering how could such a young boy possibly help with a crying baby. Liam then explained that he often took care of his little cousins, who were around the same age as baby Nora. Henry wasn’t sure if he should trust the boy, but he was already too exhausted to refuse any help.
Liam told Henry how to hold Nora at a certain angle, so Henry adjusted her carefully.
“Now tap her back,” Liam said, showing Henry how to do it. Henry followed, and the cries nearly stopped. Then Liam pulled a scratched harmonica from his pocket.
“She might like music,” he said.
He played a simple tune and while he did it, Nora’s eyes fixed on him. As he was looking at Liam and listened to his music, she eventually fell asleep on her father’s shoulder.
“You’re incredible,” Henry said.
“She just needed someone to talk to her,” Liam replied.
When Liam’s mom noticed her son seated next to Henry, she was quick to apologize, believing Liam was bothering the man and his baby. But Henry explained that Liam actually helped. He then explained that raising a baby on his own felt demanding and stressful after his wife died during labor. He was still learning how to be a dad, although he sometimes felt like he was failing.
“You don’t have to know everything. You are here, and that’s what matters most,” Liam said. Henry smiled. He believed those were some wise words coming from such a young boy.
For the first time since losing his wife, Henry felt hopeful.
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Bored Daddy
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