“And the yellow color?” I asked.
“Her grandmother used a baby-safe antiseptic to clean the skin. The blue color was caused by the pressure. The yellow came from the antiseptic.”
I turned toward Margaret.
“Why didn’t you call me immediately?”
She remained silent for a long moment.
“Because I panicked.”
For the first time, I heard fear in her voice instead of her usual strictness.
“When Daniel was four months old, the same thing happened to one of his toes. I didn’t notice it until that evening. The doctor barely managed to treat it in time. Ever since then, whenever I hold a baby, I always check their fingers, toes, and wrists.”
She looked down at Emma.
“When she cried out, I thought she was only hungry. But then I noticed that she wasn’t moving her right hand normally. I removed her clothing and saw the hair. It was wrapped so tightly that I couldn’t grip it with my fingers. I brought a pair of small scissors, carefully cut it, and immediately called emergency services.”
