mother.”
I almost laughed from disbelief.
“My mother?”
“Please let me explain.”
I held Emma tighter.
Daniel stood slowly.
“The dermatologist thinks Emma has contact dermatitis. Something has been repeatedly irritating her skin.”
“So?”
“So I started paying attention to when it got worse.”
He pointed toward the small metal box.
“The cream helps. But every time the rash starts improving, it comes back.”
I looked at Emma’s back.
“And what does that have to do with my mother?”
Daniel walked to the bathroom cabinet and removed a plastic bag.
Inside was a small pink bottle.
I recognized it immediately.
It was the lavender bath oil my mother had bought for Emma.
“She’s used that for months.”
“I know.”
Daniel’s voice became quieter.
“I stopped using it three weeks ago.”
I stared at him.
“Then why is the rash still coming back?”
“That’s what scared me.”
He reached into his
