My husband insisted on bathing our little girl by himself every night. But one night, when I secretly followed him, I felt like the world was crumbling beneath my feet.
For three weeks, my husband Daniel refused to let anyone else bathe our two-year-old daughter. Not even me.
At first, it didn't seem strange to me. He had always been a loving father. He would come home exhausted from work, but he always found time to play with Emma. Sometimes he said that bath time was his special father-daughter tradition.
But little by little, Emma's behavior changed.
Every night, as soon as Daniel picked up his white towel, my daughter would get upset. She would run to me, cling tightly to my legs, and cry.
"Let Mom do it... not Dad."
The first time, Daniel just laughed.
"He just doesn't feel like it today. He's two years old. Tomorrow he'll want something else."
But it happened again the following night. And the night after that.
Each time, Daniel would pick her up, carry her to the bathroom, and close the door. He would turn on the tap so I couldn't hear what was happening inside. When I tried to go in, he would stand in front of the door.
"I'll take care of it. Go and get some rest."
