Every time she guessed correctly, she earned one “star.”
After ten stars, Grandpa took her out for ice cream.
I stood in the doorway, feeling tears fill my eyes.
Dad looked at me.
He understood immediately.
“You were scared, weren’t you?”
I couldn’t lie.
“Yes.”
He was quiet for a moment.
Then he said,
“You did the right thing by checking.”
I looked at him in surprise.
He continued,
“A mother should always make sure her child is safe. I should have explained our game to you sooner.”
Emily opened her eyes.
“Mom, I told you Grandpa wasn’t doing anything bad.”
I walked over and kissed her forehead.
That evening, when Dad was getting ready to leave, he stopped by the door and said quietly,
“By the way, this game isn’t new.”
“What do you mean?”
He smiled.
“You were afraid of having your hair washed too. When you were five, I played the same game with you.”
