01/15/2026
Our new nanny kept taking my mom for βwalksβ β when I checked the doorbell audio, I froze.
We hired Alyssa to help care for my 82-year-old mother after her hip surgery. She was young, soft-spoken, punctual, and attentive in all the right ways. On paper, she was exactly what we needed.
At first, everything seemed fine.
Then I started noticing the walks.
Every Sunday afternoon, Alyssa would help my mom put on her coat and suggest a short walk around the block. Fresh air, gentle movement, doctor-approved. I encouraged it.
But something felt off.
Every time they came back, my mother looked⦠wrong. Her smile was forced. Her shoulders were tense. She avoided eye contact and always gave the same answer when I asked how it went.
βIt was nice, honey.β
Nice didnβt look like that.
One Sunday evening, they returned earlier than usual. My momβs eyes were red. Her hands were shaking as she handed Alyssa her bag. That night, after everyone went to bed, I opened the doorbell app.
I only meant to check the timestamp.
Instead, I heard my motherβs voice.
βI canβt keep this from my daughter,β she whispered. βShe deserves to know what you told me.β
There was a long pause.
Then Alyssa replied, calm and controlled.
βYouβre not ready to tell her yet,β she said. βShe might react badly. We should wait a little longer.β
My chest tightened.
Then Alyssa said something that made my stomach drop completely.
That Sunday, I sent her home early and sat my mother down at the kitchen table.
β¦ππ³ What my mom finally told me changed everything, and it unfolds below...ππ³π¬