Still, I wanted an answer.

The Evening I Couldn't Ignore My Fear

The following evening, my father arrived for dinner carrying a bag of apples and a packet of sunflower seeds for Emily.

She ran toward him.

“Grandpa!”

He knelt carefully and opened his arms.

“There she is! My favorite gardener.”

“I'm your only gardener!”

“That makes my decision easy.”

She burst into laughter.

Watching them together, I felt ashamed of my suspicions. Dad seemed exactly as he always had: warm, patient, and delighted to see his granddaughter.

But I still needed to understand the game.

After dinner, Emily turned toward him.

“Grandpa, are we playing tonight?”

He glanced at me.

“If your mother doesn't mind.”

I forced a smile.

“Just make sure she knows she can stop whenever she wants.”

“Of course,” he replied.

Emily hurried upstairs to get her pajamas.

A few minutes later, I heard the bathtub filling.

Then came the familiar sounds of splashing water and a rubber duck squeaking.

Everything seemed ordinary.

Then my father's voice drifted through the hallway.

“Ready for our game, sweetheart?”

“Yes!”

“Close your eyes if you're ready. No peeking.”

“They're closed!”

He chuckled.

“Now listen carefully.”

A moment passed.

Then Emily erupted into laughter.

“I know what it is!”

My anxiety overwhelmed me.

I walked to the bathroom and knocked before opening the door.

“Dad? Can I come in?”

He turned toward me, surprised.

And then I saw what was happening.

Emily was sitting safely in the bathtub, surrounded by bubbles and brightly colored toys. My father was kneeling beside the tub, holding a small plastic cup in one hand and a yellow rubber duck in the other.

Emily had her eyes squeezed shut, a huge grin on her face.

Dad squeezed the duck.

Squeak!

“Duck!” Emily shouted triumphantly.

She opened her eyes and saw me standing in the doorway.

“Mom! You ruined the game!”

For several seconds, I couldn't speak.

My father studied my face.

“Sarah? What's wrong?”

I looked at the duck, then at my daughter.

“What game are you playing?”

He glanced at the toy in his hand.

“Oh,” he said softly. “The guessing game.”

The Explanation I Never Expected

My father set the cup down.

“A few months ago, Emily got shampoo in her eyes during a bath. It frightened her, and after that, she started getting upset whenever it was time to wash her hair.”

I remembered that evening. Emily had cried when the shampoo stung, and getting her to relax during bath time had become a struggle.

Dad continued.

“One night, I remembered a game I used to play with you when you were little. I asked Emily to close her eyes while I made different sounds with her bath toys. She had to guess what was making each noise.”

He squeezed the duck again.

Squeak!

“She guessed that one immediately,” he said, smiling.

Emily raised her hand.

“Because ducks squeak, Mommy!”

“I see that,” I managed to say.

Dad explained that he had also tapped the plastic cup against the side of the tub and gently moved a toy boat through the water. Emily became so absorbed in guessing the sounds that washing her hair no longer felt frightening.