Robert stood next to the bathtub, fully clothed. Emily was also clothed, only her feet were in the warm water. Grandpa was wearing protective gloves. He carefully examined the red spots that had appeared on the girl’s legs.
On the sink there was special soap from the pharmacy, clean towels and a notebook.
In a notebook, Robert wrote down when each rash appeared, what Emily was wearing, and what she ate that day.
“What does all this mean?” I asked with difficulty.
Robert sat down and covered his face with his hands.
“I think Emily has the same disease that her grandmother had.
It turned out that Robert’s wife had suffered from a rare allergic skin condition for many years. Certain fabrics, detergents, and even ordinary soap caused her painful inflammation.
In recent days, Robert has noticed the same signs in Emily.
That’s why he changed her clothes.
That’s why I washed her clothes by hand separately.
And when he suggested bathing her, he wanted to use a special product and check if any new spots had appeared on her skin.
“Why didn’t you tell me anything?!” I exclaimed, feeling both anger and relief at the same time.
Robert’s eyes filled with tears.
“I made a mistake. I wanted to make sure first. Daniel’s mother suffered terribly from this disease. I was afraid you would think I was exaggerating. I asked Emily not to say anything until I made an appointment with a doctor. Now I understand how frightening my behavior must have seemed.”
That same evening we took Emily to the doctor.
