“He’s just nervous,” the nurse said gently. “Nervous?” Emily frowned. “First-time dads always are,” the nurse replied. “And sometimes they notice little things. The skin tone, hair color, these things tend to worry them for no reason. It’s perfectly normal for newborns to look darker right after birth. Pigmentation evens out in a few weeks.”
Emily’s heart skipped. “So… it’s normal?” The nurse nodded. “Completely. I’ve seen it dozens of times.” She gave Emily’s arm a reassuring squeeze. “Don’t let it get to you.” When the nurse left, the room felt colder. Emily looked down at her daughter, tiny, quiet, her skin noticeably darker than she had expected.